"If You Lose or Break Something, Just Go Buy More...That's Why They Make 'Em"

I know a fella who has said that to me...and others, too...a lot of times. And, let's face it: I doubt that there's a single piece of fishin' equipment for which someone doesn't make a replacement. If you're inclined to lose or break a lot of things, though, replacing all of them very well could put you in the poor house.

Here's where this discussion is going. Yesterday, I started researching wacky rigging of stick baits. And I was a little surprised to find so many folks seemingly concerned about the cost involved, especially if you're one of those anglers who just sticks a hook through the middle of the worm and throws it in the water. The common thought process...if that's the way you do your wacky rigging...is that your bait will last only long enough to catch one bass...seldom, if ever, more.

The problem comes when the bass jumps during the fight or starts shaking its head back and forth, thereby causing the worm to be flung off your hook. As I learned from my research, though, there are a couple of things you can do to likely keep using the same piece of plastic for more than just one fish and thereby "save yourself a bunch of money," as one writer put it.

One solution is to use a rubber O-ring to fasten the bait to the hook, thus reducing the chance of it coming off when a fish bites. However, there's a substitute that works even better than the O-ring, which leaves the hook parallel to the length of the worm. That substitute is a piece of shrink tubing. The 3/8-inch size is perfect for 5-inch Senko worms, and the 5/8-inch size fits 7-inch Senkos.

Cut the shrink tubing into lengths of about 3/8 inch each. To rig them, push the narrow end of the worm through the tubing and pinch it with your hand. Then stretch the worm (gently, so as not to break it), so the tubing slides up easily toward the egg sack.

Position the tubing so the worm and tubing are balanced at the tubing...usually, this will be at the narrow end of the egg sack. Then put your weedless wacky hook through the center of the worm and both sides of the tubing.

Said one angler who uses this alternative, "I have caught as many as 45 bass on the same Senko."

I personally find that claim a bit difficult to believe, but I'm no judge. My problem is that I've just spent too much time around braggadocious fishermen...starting with one who lived nextdoor to my folks throughout all of my childhood.

To hear ol' Jack Gearhart tell it, he had seen all, done all, and knew all. My favorite story he often told was one about the day a moccasin took him by surprise while he was out fishing in his tin boat. He got a bit too excited and forgot where he was before putting three or four slugs in the snake. Reckon I don't have to tell you that he got a bit wet before reaching the shoreline.

There are some who advocate using a lighter once you place the heat shrink over the center of a worm. "Simply heat it up with your lighter and watch as it contracts and grips your stickbait tightly," they say. Pierce the heat shrink and the bait with your hook point. Usually, piercing the worm would cause it to be damaged when hooking a fish or getting snagged, but in this case, the heat shrink acts as a protective cover. Once you have done this, you have a wacky-rig bait that is almost impossible to get off. Expect to catch many fish on a single Senko.