Ever since I started fishing soft stickbaits over 20 years ago, it became one of my go-to baits from the first trip after ice out until the last before ice in. Though I haven't formally tracked the numbers, the soft stickbait likely accounts for more than half the bass I catch each season. It’s definitely a bass catcher.
Most of the time, I use a 5" (some brands produce slightly longer versions) bait though I also use 4 and 6 inch lengths under certain conditions.
Rigging Soft Stickbaits with EWG-style Hooks
When fishing a soft stickbait, I often switch between a Texas and wacky rig depending on the type of cover being fished and the mood of the bass. A few trips each season, I have several rods rigged with the baits I use for an outing; one rod with a 5” soft stickbait Texas rigged on a 3/0 EWG hook and a second stickbait wacky rigged on a #1 or #1/0 wacky style hook.
Most of the time however, I fish from the bank or a kayak and only carry a couple of rods with me. During those trips, I use a 3/0 EWG hook for both rigs when regularly switching back and forth between the Texas and wacky rigs. That way I don’t spend extra time retying baits during short trips and when I have limited tackle available due to space concerns.
This approach works well when fishing cover like sparse weed patches, rocks/boulders, open docks or logs/stumps without lots of branches. When fishing heavier cover however, I’ll re-rig when switching since the wacky-EWG rig is far from snag proof.
Is this the best system when wacky rigging soft stickbaits?
Perhaps not but when time and gear are short and I want to quickly switch between a Texas and wacky rig, it works for me! :)
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