Shakey Head Questions

[Bill Babler]

I have yet to really find a bait that works better on a Shaky head than a 5" Slim Senko. Green Pumpkin/Pepper and Smoke/Purple seem to be great colors for us here. As soon as the fish break it once, you have a Ned rig.

On Lake of the Ozarks it is fast becoming the bait de'jure. Those boys fish it in front and around the deeper docks out to 30 ft. and most all that I know are using a 1/2 ro 3/4 oz. Shakey head. Smoke/Purple 5" Slim Senko All the dudes up there throw it on a baitcaster with up to 20 pound mono or Carbo

When Bill and I were pre-fishing for the CPA championship last year on Lake O, we would litterly catch a hundred fish a day on the Shaky Head. Smoke/Purple. Gear was a Cara T7 7' Finesse Jig rod with 15 pound Invesx. 3/8th. oz Jewell,- Diawa Steez 7.1

I never under any condition use anything under a 3/8th. head. The new Squirrel head by Jewell has a great keeper on in and it a very good one. Usually just use Spot Removers.

I throw it on 8 pound Maxi. here and I will guarantee you I feel as many bites as any of you do on braid or FCarbon. 8 Pound Maxi does not break! It is superior to Carbon on a Spinning Rod and Pline is not in the same ball park. As far as the Braid, just the sound of it going thru my guides make me want to pull my teeth. If I have to use it I'll quit fishing.

For any sinking bait for me Braid is a very tough sell. I do have my Big Spinning rods that my customers throw a fin with spooled with 20 pound braid. Hate that too, but it it easier for them to keep the bait in play.

Shaky Head is really kind of a Hybred- You can use it in place of a jig or a Senko, or for that matter a C-Rig. Any place you throw those baits is a good place to give her a try.

[dtrs5kprs]

I have yet to really find a bait that works better on a Shaky head than a 5" Slim Senko. Green Pumpkin/Pepper and Smoke/Purple seem to be great colors for us here. As soon as the fish break it once, you have a Ned rig.

On Lake of the Ozarks it is fast becoming the bait de'jure. Those boys fish it in front and around the deeper docks out to 30 ft. and most all that I know are using a 1/2 ro 3/4 oz. Shakey head. Smoke/Purple 5" Slim Senko All the dudes up there throw it on a baitcaster with up to 20 pound mono or Carbo

Those GYCB's will eat you out of house and home. BPS used to make a slim version of their stick that was nice, but discontinued it.

Bill, interesting info on head size. Assume you are doing that so your clients can maintain contact better regardless of depth and wind? Mostly fish it shallow myself, and am quick to put it down for a rig or FB if deeper than 20'.

[Bill Babler]

Those GYCB's will eat you out of house and home. BPS used to make a slim version of their stick that was nice, but discontinued it.

Bill, interesting info on head size. Assume you are doing that so your clients can maintain contact better regardless of depth and wind? Mostly fish it shallow myself, and am quick to put it down for a rig or FB if deeper than 20'.

Ya Know, I also just really like the feel of that 3/8th. I use it on everything, including all my dropshot weights. Weather i am using a rig a jig a head or a shot, I just love the feel of a 3/8th.

Buster Loving, and I will tell you this, there is no better football fisherman on our lake just uses a 3/4. that is it period, weather shallow or deep, it is a 3/4. He fishes it a little different. That jig never stops for a second. Keeps it in constant movement weather at the boat or bounding it. Works big time for him.

[Jacob W]

I've been shakey head fishing for a long time. I've tried numerous lines for it, and my main goal was to find a set up that would cast the furthest. 8# maximal works really well, but I still use braid and floro combo tied with an albright knot. I've tried a lot of knots, but the albright is by far the best, and with a good drag set correctly, I've had little problems on hook sets. As for baits, I pour my own heads, and I only use the biggest hooks(5/0 and 6/0 football heads) and I don't think you can go wrong with the plastic you put on it. I've used worms and senkos to craws and beaver type baits.....

[Bill Babler]

Great Points Jacob. I'm with ya on it all except the Braid. If it didn't sound like a Beaver chewing the guides off when you cast it or bleach out to a baby P--P yellow or just lay on top like a ski rope I would be with ya there also.

I have tried most every brand and continue to try, and try and try it, I let customers also decide on it and have not had a single one prefer it over anything. My fault probably, but I am working on trying to like.

For now, I'm sticking with the Invesx and the Maxima.

Good Luck

[WeekendWarrior]

Another thing to remember with the shakyhead is that if you do not fish slowly with this bait you will be pulling the bait out of their mouth before you know it. It is amazing that sometimes with this bait they will just be there without you ever seeing or feeling a strike. That is why I use Seaguar InVisX 15 lb. test, 3/8 oz stand-up, even at TR. I love the Maxima line but the InVisX gives you twice the sensitivity in my opinion.

[kyled]

Bill, I also find your 3/8 shaky head and the gentleman who only throws 3/4 footballs interesting. I don't have that much time on the water or a large basis of knowledge but it has always made sense to me that for a bait that is designed to be fished on the bottom you would want it to spend as much time on the bottom as possible. Also (probably because of my lack of feel) I have always felt like I had more touch and feel with the heavier jig heads.

Guys I fish with always try to match the weight to the depth (i know in a swimming bait this makes sense), but my argument has always been for bottom baits that if it works at 25ft it should work at 5ft just as well. I am sure this is like everything else with fishing and it is a grey area but this at least makes me feel better about my logic. The only other person that has ever reinforced my logic was Mike Ioconelli. I watched a video with him and he was talking about using tungsten heavier weights than most people throw to trigger strikes because the bait was falling faster. I somewhat sluffed this off as a sales pitch for me to buy a bunch of tungsten weights but that is a different topic I will ask about it on another post.

[Quillback]

One thing about shakey head fishing that is VERY important:

When fishing them you have to sing that Old KC and the Sunshine band song - "Shake, Shake, Shake....Shake, Shake, Shake....shake that booty......Shake, Shake, Shake...

[dtrs5kprs]

Bill, I also find your 3/8 shaky head and the gentleman who only throws 3/4 footballs interesting. I don't have that much time on the water or a large basis of knowledge but it has always made sense to me that for a bait that is designed to be fished on the bottom you would want it to spend as much time on the bottom as possible. Also (probably because of my lack of feel) I have always felt like I had more touch and feel with the heavier jig heads.

Guys I fish with always try to match the weight to the depth (i know in a swimming bait this makes sense), but my argument has always been for bottom baits that if it works at 25ft it should work at 5ft just as well. I am sure this is like everything else with fishing and it is a grey area but this at least makes me feel better about my logic. The only other person that has ever reinforced my logic was Mike Ioconelli. I watched a video with him and he was talking about using tungsten heavier weights than most people throw to trigger strikes because the bait was falling faster. I somewhat sluffed this off as a sales pitch for me to buy a bunch of tungsten weights but that is a different topic I will ask about it on another post.

Heavier shakeys tend to find cozy rocks to stay in once they get to the bottom. Then they tend to stay there if you are running 6# or 8# fluoro. Not a big deal on gravel, but can be annoying on chunk rock. Mostly when I shakey fish it is in water less than 20' so the bigger heads are kind of overkill. Also like to run smaller worms on shakey heads with smaller hooks (like a 2/0 in 1/8oz with a meathead for deep bedding fish).

Am a big fan of the 3/4oz FB jig. Think in spite of the weight, the wider head keeps it out of the gaps in the rocks. Also triggers reaction bites like a spoon when flipped around docks. Very efficient in wind. Not at all a finesse bait. Was turned onto it by a TR guide who is not an OAF regular.

[dtrs5kprs]

Great Points Jacob. I'm with ya on it all except the Braid. If it didn't sound like a Beaver chewing the guides off when you cast it or bleach out to a baby P--P yellow or just lay on top like a ski rope I would be with ya there also.

I have tried most every brand and continue to try, and try and try it, I let customers also decide on it and have not had a single one prefer it over anything. My fault probably, but I am working on trying to like.

For now, I'm sticking with the Invesx and the Maxima.

Good Luck

Bill...how is InvizX working for you vs. the old Carbon Pro? Seems like it has quite a bit more stretch than the old line. Has mostly been an issue for me with the 6#. The 15# works fine.