There have been many "hot baits" throughout bass fishing history. Some blow up, then fizzle out, like the Chatterbait, some are "only available for a limited time and not in stores" (think Banjo Minnow or Flying Lure), while others actually fill a niche and continue to be effective year after year. The soft stick bait, first introduced by the Yamamoto Custom Baits Senko, will be here for a long time. The story as I understand it is that tournament fisherman and lure designer Gary Yamamoto was trying to make a soft jerkbait, something to rival the Slug-O or Fluke, but without the little fins or other things that can cause it to spin if not rigged right. His first mold was made from the shape of a magic marker. Straight, fat but tapering towards the tail, and as it turns out, totally different. You can work a Senko like a jerkbait but the real magic is when you let it drop on a slack line the whole bait wiggles slightly as it falls. A slightly restrained version of a friendly Lab wagging it's whole body when it greets you type of wiggle. When Texas rigged weightless on a wide gap hook, it's as simple as casting it by some cover, letting it shimmy down, and then waiting for the line to start moving off when a bass takes it. People now use 3-inch versions for big panfish or drop-shotting, the 4-and 5-inch versions are a bassin' mainstay, and the bigger 6- and 7-inch models are crammed into every available space when traveling to the trophy bass lakes in Mexico.

I don't know when I first read about wacky rigging a Senko, but I didn't try one for years, wacky rigged or otherwise. I hate to admit it, but I just didn't like the way these lures looked. "It looks like a plastic hot dog" was my comment when someone asked me what a Senko was. I have used Zoom Trick worms, Flukes, and Slug-Go's since, well, forever, both Texas and wacky rigged, so I thought I had my bases covered, why change? Well, I always preach trying things other folks have raved about, give something a good fair shake to see if it'll make it to the tackle bag, so I finally took my own advice and tried something different. The first trip I used a Wave Worm Tiki-Stik, a good cheap knock off if there ever was one, and well, I had to admit I was wrong. I still can't believe how well these lures work. They work twitched and drifted in current, dropped down bluff walls and beside brush piles, and really work skipped under docks or over hanging limbs, their salty weight making them some of the best skipping baits ever. Even though these lures are a sure-fire option for bass when Texas rigged, wacky rigging one of these fat sticks isn't popular around here. That's a shame, and I'll explain the hooks and tackle, different makers, sizes and colors, and finally how and where I like to use it "wacky style".

Available in every color of the rainbow and from tiny to massive, the soft stick is here to stay.

When any lure becomes as popular as the Senko, there are going to be imitators, but one thing that is common to these types of baits is the heavy salt content, which helps them sink and enhances their action, but also makes them fragile. Although wacky rigging plastic worms has been around for years, some enterprising angler probably ripped his Senko on a fish, turned it around, did it again, then before throwing it away had a crazy idea, hooked it right in the middle so both ends flap on the drop, and caught another. Brilliant. Hooking a plastic worm this way has been called a "wacky worm" for some time, but the fish don't object to the "wackiness" at all, rigging a soft stick bait like this can be deadly.

Wacky rigging has one problem, and that's the hook point is exposed. So, you can deal with snags, or try a weed guard design. I like to throw in, around, and sometimes through cover, so it's weed guard all the way with me. I have used Matzuos' bait holder sickle in #4 for a couple of years and it's O.K. The hook uses a wire just a little too heavy for my tastes, so I looked at some others, used a Mustad model a little, and then realized I had the hook I was imagining already, and I had been tying a weed guard version of it already, it's just been under deer hair or foam. The Tiemco 8089 is a bass bug hook, and in my opinion, the best one out there. It comes in either standard or nickel plated, and I have used it for years. It's point is slightly turned in, has a small but good barb, and is wicked sharp without dulling easy. I have taken a razor blade to several of the mauled bass bugs I tied on these hooks, got down to bare steel, and tied another, and used that one until it was lost, or I did it over again. So yeah, they're pretty tough. Priced at about $7.00 per 25, they come in # 2, # 6, and # 10, I use the # 6 size the most now for wacky hooks, but have made up several dozen of the #10 size for drop shotting, and also wacky rigging of smaller worms, like the new Berkley PowerBait Shaky Worm or Zoom Finesse. You can bet if I ever get to sling 7" Dingers at Lake Amistad, Falcon, Toho, or a trophy bass lake in Mexico, a couple dozen of the # 2 size will be making the trip with me. You can pick these hooks up at Backcountry Outfitters if you feel like making some, it's next to Fin and Feather in Springfield on South Campbell Avenue in Springfield. They are easy to find at online fly tying retailers, too. I recycle guitar strings for the wire, but you can get stainless steel wire leader of about 40-pound test at Cabela's, and that works great too.

Matzuo Baitholder Sickle(Left)and Tiemco 8089 with homemade weed guard(Right).

I like to add weight to the hook shank when fishing deeper, in current or wind. Sometimes the fish want a faster drop speed. It's easy to use lead fly tying wire, or 50/50 rolled solder works too.

Regular and weighted wacky rigs.

A jig head is also an easy way to get it down quicker without having to buy or make weighted hooks, there are a couple I like, but have had the best luck with one available from Bass Pro: http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...010000_100-10-6

E. C. jigs with Dinger, Kalin Grub, and Zoom Shaky Tail.

The 1/16 ounce size works awesome in rivers or shallow water. Use the 1/8 ounce for deeper water, or for faster current. These have a wicked sharp Matzuo Sickle hook and a pretty good weed guard. One great thing about using a jig head like this is you can change what presentation you want to go with so easily: Swim a grub to cover water, thread a finesse worm on to make it a shaky head, or wacky rig a stick bait without having to re-tie. Very versatile, making one rod able to cover a lot of water, river or lake. I was just reading about "weighted wacky" and "flick shakin" as hot new techniques in a couple of magazines. Both use wacky style rigging combined with worms or soft stick baits on jig heads. Wow, I didn't know the past couple years I was innovatin', I was just fishin'!

For most of your wacky rigging, spinning is the way to go. With the hook exposed, you don't need a broomstick to get a solid hook set, so a 6' 6" or 7' medium power, fast action rod with a good capacity reel is about right. Skipping is easier with spinning tackle, too. I like Fireline on my spinning reels with a fluorocarbon leader both for abrasion resistance against rock or wood, and it's near invisibility in clear water. I like 4/10 Fireline and 8- or 10-pound fluorocarbon leader about 8-to 10-foot long for finesse fishing or streams, and 6/14 Fireline and 12- or 14-pound fluorocarbon leader just a bit shorter for dock skipping or dropping a stick into a cedar tangle. One of the castable fluoros' like Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft or P-Lines Flouroclear in 8- or 10-pound test is a good compromise for those who don't like superlines. You could get away with 6-pound away from cover, but I have used a 14-pound Berkley Vanish leader while dock skipping on Beaver Lake and got plenty of bites where you can see the bottom in 25 feet of water. A bright colored Fireline/Fluorocarbon leader setup really helps with strike detection, too. You don't have to get real complicated with all this line/leader stuff unless you want, back in the day I used 8-pound Maxima monofilament for wacky rigging Mann's Jelly Worms, and did pretty good. It's just another refinement of your tackle you can try.

Yamamoto designed the original, but there are almost too many to choose from now. Yum has the Dinger, Bass Pro Shops has the Stick-O, Wave Worms has the Tiki-Stik, on and on. The most popular sizes are 4- and 5-inch. Some, like the Mann's Hardnose Freefall, are specifically made for wacky rigging with a more durable midsection, while the Strike King Zero is made of a unique elastic material you have to play with to fully understand. You can stretch it maybe 3 times its length, and it will snap back to almost its original size. But this unique stretchiness also make it hard to get a good hook set Texas rigged. But that doesn't matter once wacky rigged, you can catch many, many, fish without tearing it. It's available only in a 5-inch model but worth checking out. The Senko has plenty of action, but is delicate, the Dinger a little stiffer, but also more durable. The Stik-O is somewhere between the other two. The Tiki-Stik is a little slimmer than the other ones, and has lots of action. It also comes in a wide range of cool colors, laminates and swirls, and it's one of my favorites.

Most folks use the 4-inch model for Smallmouths and Spots, and the 5-inchers for Largemouth's. I can't argue with that much. I like the 5-inch Tiki-Stik for stream smallies, but it's kind of slim verses other 5-inch models. The 4-inch Yum Dinger is a great skipping bait, but for some reason I don't do as well with it as I do the 5-inch model. Once you get to 6-inch models there aren't as many choices, and really for around the Ozarks they're a little on the big side. On the other hand, you might do good right before the spawn dropping a big stick around staging areas. I have used the 6-inch Stik O some, but I don't know if it works any better than it's slightly smaller brother, or even the 4-inch model. I do know that I seem to get bigger bites from Largemouth's on the fatter 5-inch models. On Smallies and Spots it doesn't seem to work that way. Going bigger than a slimmer 5-inch just seems to decrease the number of bites. There are also the "Slim Senko" and "Stik O Slim" models, both are as thin as finesse worms, but I don't think any of the super skinny versions have much more to offer than a lot of finesse worms. I use them mostly for kids fishing or small stream wading, when any 10-inch bass is good. So for Smallmouths or Spotted Bass, a slim 5-incher or regular 4-inch model is perfect, and for "green bass" 5- and 6-inch models are going to work well for you. I could live with only two models as far as wacky rigging goes: A slimmer 5-inch like the Tiki-Stik, and fatter 5-inch model like the original Senko or maybe the super durable Zero, and be done worrying about size.

I try to keep it simple and stick with three basic color schemes: Baitfish, earthy, and wild. Baitfish can be light belly/dark back laminate, or maybe all pearl white or smoke glitter. I like these colors when using a soft stick as backup or "throwback" for fish that miss your jerkbait or spinnerbait or follow and won't commit, and anytime I'm thinking the fish are keying on shad or other baitfish. I've even caught a few Stripers on Beaver Lake throwing baitfish colored sticks at schooling fish. Earthy is watermelon/red flake, maybe green pumpkin or just earthworm brown. Near shoreline structure, dropped into brush, or dock skipping are all good times to use these colors. Anytime I'm catching fish shallower than 10 feet with a jig, tube, or finesse worm I'll throw a earthy colored stick and see if I can get a bigger bite. Wild is, well, wild. Tiki-Sticks in "Bruised Orange" or "Sweet Potato Pie" are good examples. Best for stained water, or when smallmouth get hyper, and hot colors produce best on stream Smallies for me, clear water or stained, year round.

When and where do you cast these sticks? Anywhere, anytime. Besides a throwback bait as just mentioned, vertical structure is probably the best place to use one, but I even use them as search baits when wacky rigged. In clear water like Table Rock, a bass can see a long ways, so I make a cast to about 10 feet of water, let it sink on a slack line, reel in and then repeat every 50 feet or so down a bank. Makes a great change up if your partner is fishing something with a more horizontal presentation, like a grub or crank. Dock skipping and pitching to shoreline cover are just perfect. In our local streams Smallmouth love them so much you'll just have to see it for yourself. Do yourself a favor and try that "Bruised Orange" Tiki-Stik or one of the similar Senko swirl colors. Cast to current seams, and behind current breaks.

Try a wacky rigged soft stick this year, you might make this technique a favorite in your arsenal, too.

http://www.yum3x.com/details.aspx?category=YUMDinger

http://www.baits.com/cgi-bin/order/9-10

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpageSFTSTRIKE-SKXZ.html

http://www.landbigfish.com/tacklestore/showcase.cfm?PID=579

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...0007000_100-7-1