Experience You Had With Wacky Worm Tiny Hook Retainer Rings

[Old plug]

This is my first year trying them and I must say the jury is out. I am almost sure they have cost me fish.

I have tried them with different sized hooks and experimenting with the rings. I put two ring on and cries crossed them then inserted the hook between the cross area. It made the hook right angle to the worm and I hoped eliminated the situation where the hook winds up under the worm making a hook set impossible. Trouble with the two crossed rings is that it is pretty rigid but can still turn over and wind up on the bottom of the worm in the jaws of the bass ending any hope for a hook set.

I am about to throw in the towel on them.i really believe they interfere with many hook ups.

[Ham]

I bought a pack of the Lake Fork ones to help the bait fall faster IF I wanted to work the bait deeper, BUT I always fish my stuff on the wacky jigs now. I really don't have much of a problem with hookset issues. You might want to take a look at that option.

[RSBreth]

I never use them. Just buy more stick baits - or buy the ZMan ones that last a long time.

[Mitch f]

I've been experimenting with plastisol and pouring my own baits for the last couple of years. I've recently started taking clear plastic and adding more than the normal amount of hardener and re-dipping store bought plastics to give a hardness to the areas I dip. Like gluing on eyes on the side of a fluke and dipping the first 3/4" in the plastic to permanently secure the eye and add a "hard nose" to make the plastic last a little longer in that area. I'm wondering if you couldn't bend a senko until the ends touch each other and then dip the middle bend in the hardened plastic? I've never tried it but it might reduce the need for a ring.

[Old plug]

Well I do not really want them to sink any faster. I work them very very slowly thru the water. So anything that adds weight is out for me.

I have a couple of those Z-Man things. I left a package down in the dock locker and they were pretty stuck together when I looked at them this spring. Another thing about them I tried them and a few times that plastic balled up and interfered with the hook set.

Mitch f that would be a nice thing. But your never going to see a manufacture do that. They would not sell as many.

RSI Breth. When I am using them I use a lot if them plus magnum magnum type plastics of this sort. For about 3 or 4 weeks in the spring I fish with almost nothing else but this type of thing.

[Mitch f]

Just for grins I tried it, seemed to work ok.

BTW old plug, I don't see this adding too much more weight than 2 steel rings would. Also Mann's put out a sluggo type bait with a hard nose to help keep the hook from destroying the plastic. Also many plastic manufacturers are going for long lasting baits...that's where 10x come from.

[UnCivE]

I'm not a fan of the retainer rings, I just go without em. I can make a senko last awhile if the bass aren't too aggressive. I'm tempted to try the heat shrink tubing round the middle.

[GloryDaze]

What about a good old fashioned "o" ring. That's what I've used for years and never had a problem?

[Mitch f]

Great ideas!

[exiledguide]

I started fishing wacky worms in the summer of 1999 after sitting in the back of the boat in 2 club tournaments and spending the day with the landing nets I started fishing with a #1 Eagle Claw live bait hook and a Zoom Finesse Smokin' Shad worm. Went to purple black etc and ended up with green pumpkin or watermelon seed. Went to Chompers six and nine inch Needle Worms watermelon seed and dark pumpkin colors. The problem we had on windy days we had problems so we used nail weights to get them to fall. But I'm like OldPlug I like a slow fall. Then we started using Chompers Salty Sinker and the Senko style worms and they all catch fish but I seem to do better with Chompers. I also dead stick them at times if I'm not catching many fish. I really like to fish them around docks especialy the shady back side on a real sunny day but I never pass up a marker bouy in less than 25 ft of water. The last few years I've have been using Mustad Ultra Point Red Weedless Wacky Worm Hooks and Watermelon Candy Chompers Salty Sinker so now I can fish cover a lot easier when I use a ring I use the rubber o ring, I tried elec tape but that didn't work.

I guess the wacky worm would be my go to bait 12 months out of the year. I have to say I havn't many big fish with it but have caught a lot of keeper size fish with it. I also fish it with 8lb Trilene XL hi vis mono on a medium spinning rod no matter how clear the water is or how shallow.