How To: Catch fish with a wacky worm rig with an O-ring

Bass can't resist the wacky worm. What's better than something that sounds as delicious as the "wacky worm"? No bass could pass this up, so if you plan on going bass fishing soon, you need to add this rig to your arsenal.

Wade Bourne of MyOutdoorTV shows that the wacky worm is a worm rig that has a great temptation to bass that are in a neutral or even negative feeding mood. There's something about a wacky worm's look and subtle action that spurs bass to bite.

Basically, the wacky worm is a straight-tail worm that is hooked through the middle of the body so the two ends droop down in an inverted U-shape. This rig is cast out, allowed to sink to bottom, twitched seductively up off bottom, then allowed to sink again. Wacky worms are good around shoreline cover, docks, weedlines and other likely cover.

One good option to the standard wacky worm (hooked through the body) is the O-ring rig. A rubber O-ring is positioned at the worm's mid-point, then the hook is hooked through the O-ring instead of inserted through the worm. This way, if the worm snags, the worm is less likely to be ripped in two by yanking the worm free. Following are tips for using an O-ring rigged wacky worm for slow-bite bass.

- Use a 6 ½-7 ft. spinning rod, a reel spooled with 8- to 10-pound test monofilament line and a 1/0 or 2/0 straight shank hook.

- Purchase O-rings at your local auto parts store.

- Insert the hook through the O-ring (between the O-ring and worm) instead of through the worm's body.

- A wacky worm is normally rigged with no weight. However, if you're fishing deep water and some weight is needed, push a piece of roofing nail (head snipped off) into the head of the worm.

- After the wacky worm sinks to bottom, take up slack line, pull the worm off bottom, then allow it to sink back down.

- Bites are subtle. When you sense pressure or see your line twitch, reel up slack, feel for "life" and lift with the rod and start reeling.