In the spring, deadsticking or twitching floating worms and Senko-like baits are the ticket to catching big fish. Generally speaking, bass knock the fire out of these baits, and there's really no incorrect way to fish them. But the downfall is castability: These baits get hung up and foul a lot, which can lead to anglers missing some of the biggest fish of the year.
Early spring winds, exposed hook points and the odd ways these baits fall cause many anglers to become frustrated with these techniques. Some have tried to weight the baits to get more control of them, but the big problem is that this changes the action of the bait.
Until now, that is.
Angler and lure designer Wayne Falcon, of new Lafayette, La.-based company Falcon Lures, loved to throw Senkos and soft jerkbaits, but found them to be difficult to fish around wood, docks and heavy vegetation. Just about the time he felt he'd made a perfect cast, he either got hung up or the bait balled-up on the hook because of the limitations of the proper hook. He knew there had to be something better.
"I knew I could build a better mousetrap, and I felt that starting with live-bait hooks seemed to be the best option," he says. The better mousetrap – now known as the Bait-Jerker Hook – ended up being a Gamakatsu G-Lock hook with a patent-pending tapered weight on the hook shank. The taper enables Texas-style rigging without causing damage to the bait, and a natural, shad-like nose-down fall. The G-Lock's shape enhanced with a small amount of weight also increases hook-ups.
Virtually weedless, the Bait-Jerker is perfect for Senko-like baits that have to be rigged perfectly straight. Our tests with floating worms and soft jerkbaits also proved effective for the same reason. We found that all three types of soft-plastics could be fished with more control (and deeper) without losing the enticing action of fishing it weightless.
> Bait Jerker hooks can be purchased in 3/0, 4/0 and 5/0 sizes in 1/32-, 1/16- and 3/32-ounce weights.
Wacky Style
What about fishing floating worms wacky-style? No problem. The next design on Falcon's list was for wacky-style applications where the bait is rigged in the center of the bait.
Most hooks for this technique weren't weedless and there wasn't a practical way to weight the bait and make casting more accurate. Throwing a wacky worm with pinpoint accuracy was an oxymoron. It was nearly impossible. But Falcon figured it out.
He's designed two versions of his weighted "K" Wacky Hook: weedless and non-weedless. The weedless model, which we especially liked, has a specially-weighted Gamakatsu heavy-wire, black-nickel hook, in 3/0 or 6/0, and a closed-style weedguard that keeps the line from tangling and makes the bait fall in an upright manner (ensuring fewer missed strikes).
Available weights are the same as for the Bait-Jerker, but weedless "K" Wacky hooks can also be purchased without a weight.
More Fish, More Fun
Designing the perfect mousetrap is impossible. But designing one that allows the angler to put more fish in the boat was Falcon's objective, and we feel he's hit the mark. These hooks added to your arsenal could help turn an okay trip into a super one.
You can order Falcon Lures products by clicking here or by calling 337-232-7326.
