If you are looking for a quick review of the wacky rig too, here it is in one sentence:
It’s awesome, simple to use, and very cheap. If you fish a wacky rig, even infrequently, you really should pick one up. This is the model we used, but they all appear to be very similar:
Nicer-S Wacky Worm Rig Tool
The wacky rig is a very popular and effective method. The rig gives a very life-like appearance to the soft plastic bait.
This is great as it offers a very different presentation when compared to other more traditional lures like plugs and spinners. When the fish aren’t biting on these “go-to” baits, the wacky rig can offer a great change of pace.
But the wacky rig is not without its problems.
The Problems with the Wacky Rig
As great as the wacky rig is to fish, there are two main problems with the traditional wacky rig
- Soft plastic baits just don’t last with a hook directly through the center of the worm
- You can use an o-ring to fix the first problem, but they are a pain to tie
Short Life Span of Plastic Worms with the Traditional Wacky Rig
The traditional, or old school, method of rigging the soft plastic worm has you sticking the hook right through the center of the bait.
As you cast and reel in the bait throughout the course of the day, the drag of the water on the worm can open up the hook hole and start to create some tearing in the worm
The result is you lose worms a lot quicker than you’d like.
You can fix this problem by using the newer “o-ring” method.
This involves using a rubber o-ring (exactly like you’d see in plumbing use) around the center of the worm body and then the hook goes through the rubber o-ring.
This prevents the hole in the worm and therefore prevents the durability issues.
This sounds great, but…
The O-Ring Method is a PAIN to Tie
Normally when you use an o-ring to rig a wacky rig, you have to thread the soft plastic through the o-ring. This can be tricky because you’re pushing a floppy worm through a small ring that needs to be smaller than the diameter of the worm.
Once you’ve got it started, you can usually just roll the o-ring down to the center of the worm’s body.
However, getting it started can be very difficult and frustrating.
This is where the wacky rig tool comes into play.
The Solution to Wacky Rig Problems
A wacky rig tool makes rigging simple. Like extremely simple.
You insert your soft plastic worm into the tool’s tube, put the hook in the gap, then roll the o-ring down.
The normal 2 minute task of getting the o-ring on the worm instead takes about 10 second.
Frequently Asked Questions on the Wacky Rig Tool
Is a wacky rig tool worth it?
Absolutely. They work very well and are probably cheaper than half the lures you’ve got in your tackle box.
What size o-ring do you use?
5/16” diameter works for most of the baits I use. Depending on the bait you’re using, an appropriate o-ring diameter will be between 5/16” and 7/16”. You really just need to try out different sizes.
Can I use the tool on only senkos?
Nope. If you can get one end of the bait into the tube of the tool, you can use it to get the o-ring on.
How do I add more o-rings to the tool?
You just unscrew then end, then slide on new o-rings. Then you screw the end back on and you’re good to go.
What material is the tool?
The body is usually aluminum. There are some models that are plastic, but we’ve never had an issue with our aluminum one.
