Tips & Techniques
Fishing a
Shaky Head Worm
from...
Pro Tom Redington |
 |
November, 2008
By
Tom Redington
Straight tail worms rigged on jig heads have been around since the plastic
worm was first invented. In recent years, pro bass anglers have won
hundreds of thousands of dollars fishing worms on a new generation of jig
heads specifically designed for this application. Termed “shaky heads”
because of the way they are fished, these rigs excel at catching limits of
keeper sized bass, especially in pressured waters or after cold fronts.
Moreover, when Kevin Van Dam caught an 11 lb 13 oz lake record largemouth
on Lake Lewisville during a 2005 tournament, anglers quickly realized that
shaky heads can produce lunkers too.
My epiphany with shaky heads came at a recent Stren Series tournament on
Lake Texoma. The water was high and muddy in many areas and bass were
relating to shallow flooded wood. During practice, I was repeatedly
pitching traditional Texas rigged tubes and creature baits to likely
looking areas and catching some good bass. To my amazement, my practice
partner would pitch a shaky head worm into the muddy waters behind me and
he caught more bass than I did, from wood cover that I’d already pitched
to a couple of times. Seeing is believing, and I certainly can testify to
the catching ability of the shaky head rig, even in heavy cover and muddy
water.
Rigging a shaky head requires a few specialized components. There are
dozens of new jigheads designed to fish shaky style, and most work quite
well. For easy rigging and a strong sharp hook, I use an 1/8th oz Screw
Ball jighead from Lake Fork Trophy Lures. The Gamakatsu hook has a wire
keeper on the shank that holds your plastic worm in place once you wind it
on. This reduces snags and fouled casts, even in heavy wood or weed cover.
Once the head of the worm is attached to the jighead with the screw lock,
simply rig the worm over the hook point the same way you would rig a Texas
Rig. Pay careful attention to keep the worm straight or the worm will roll
and cause line twist. Traditionally, I’ve used 6” Twitch Worms as my soft
plastic worms and they still work better for bigger fish. However, the new
Hyper Finesse Worm, with its segmented body and quivering tail section
gives a very subtle action even when the lure is stopped, making it my
go-to bait for shaky head rigs, especially when the fishing is really
tough.
With small worms on light jigheads, choose a spinning rod with medium to
medium heavy power and a fast tip and you’ll be able to throw your rig
much easier. To maximize sensitivity, while maintaining enough power to
land good fish from cover, I normally fish shaky rigs on 10 to 20 lb
braided line with a 6’ leader of 8 to 12 lb fluorocarbon. In general, the
clearer the water and the lighter the cover, the lighter the leader I’ll
use.
Fishing a shaky head is really quite simple, although the best way to
retrieve it varies by the day. Basically, work it the same way as you
would a Texas rig or a jig. Some days the bass prefer it worked quickly
with aggressive hops, while other days slowly dragging it with long pauses
or “dead-sticking” works better. And as its name implies, bass can often
be triggered by gently shaking the worm while it sits in place. To make
your rig dance, gently shake your rod tip with a semi-slack line. This
trembling motion will make the worm’s tail pulsate, without moving
forward.
When the fishing gets tough and bass stop chasing your lures, slow down
and try a shaky head. It’ll help you catch a limit, and maybe a lunker
too. Here’s hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams. If I can be of
assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027
(evenings) or e-mail me through my website,
www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com.
Tom Redington is a full time bass guide on Lake Fork and is sponsored by
Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, Diamond Sports Marine, Lake Fork Trophy
Lures, Minn Kota, & Humminbird.
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