How to Fish a Stick Worm (senko) For Big Bass in 2022

Senko-style lure, one of the most well-liked and effective techniques to capture bass is possible. Therefore, learning how to rig a stick worm will result in a lot more catching than just fishing!

In the history of bass fishing, stick worms have likely produced the most bass caught on them.

Bass are absolutely obsessed with the motion and wiggle of a properly made Stick Worm.  You will catch more and bigger bass if you learn different techniques to fish a Stick Worm, regardless of how long you have been bass fishing or if you are just getting started.

Many Different Brands

Because it is so difficult to copyright a fishing lure, the Senko style stick worm is currently produced by practically all lure makers on the market. Gary Yamamoto invented the Senko with Yamamoto Baits.

Every single one of these name-brand worms appears to be exactly the same, like a pencil. They all act and look extremely differently, though.

Some of these Stick Worms are created from various plastics and contain additional substances like salt or sand to help them sink more quickly. Some of these worms sink more slowly since they don't contain salt or sand.

Obee Fishing Co. hand injects all Obee Stick Worms in various different popular and custom colors.  You can tell the difference between our baits and our competitors because of how high quality our color, shine, and action of the worm has.  We use the perfect amount of fine salt to give our worms the perfect balance of salty flavor but the perfect sink rate to give off the best action. 

1. Wacky Rig a Stick worm

Since the invention of the first Stick Worm, utilizing a "wacky rig" has proven to be one of the most effective ways to rig it.

A wacky rig is arguably the greatest rig to skip under docks, overhanging trees, etc. It is a very successful approach to catch a lot of bass. It is not only very simple to do, but it is also quite effective.

With a stick worm, rigging a wacky rig is quite easy. You just need to identify the worm's center with the bait in your hand, then take a wacky rig hook and push it straight through the worm and out the other side. The hook's point should remain exposed.

Although wiring the worm in this way would appear like it might get bogged down frequently, it is actually incredibly weedless in the water. This makes it possible to capture bass quite successfully when fishing it around cover without getting tangled up.  If you are fishing super heavy cover then I recommend using a weedless circle hook with our Obee 5" Stick Worms!

How to Fish a Wacky Rig

To fish a wacky rig, you just cast this lure to your intended target (rocks, stumps, or dock pilings) and let it gently drop to the bottom on a slack line. After letting the worm rest on the bottom for a few seconds, push the rod up and make it hop approximately 2 to 4 feet above the ground before letting it fall back down slowly.

On a wacky rig, over 95% of the fish you'll capture will occur while the Senko (stick worm) slowly sinks to the bottom.

The bass ABSOLUTELY adore it when the stick worm wobbles and wiggles as it falls with the hook positioned directly in the middle of the worm.

Skipping a Wacky Rig Across the Water

The fact that a wacky rig skips incredibly well—like the best skipping stone you've ever picked up—is one of its biggest advantages.

I simply advise people to tie on a crazy rigged senko and start with that before progressing onto other lures when they ask me how to skip a bait. It skips really well!

You will be able to deploy a lure in locations where many bass have not previously seen lures if you are able to sidestep this crazy rig. A wacky rig will allow you to skip lures like spinnerbaits and crankbaits that are inaccessible at the top of a dock. Another place where you can't find other lures is underneath some overhanging trees, where you can skip a wacky rig.

There will be a lot more catching and not just fishing if you can get your bizarre rig into areas where other fishermen can't get theirs!

Around wood, rocks, and sparsely populated areas, a wacky rig performs really well. Yes, it will occasionally become tangled, but it truly penetrates cover extremely well. When using a crazy rig hook with a small weed protector attached, the cover will be penetrated much more effectively.

However, fishing a stick worm on a Texas rig is typically preferable in denser terrain.

2. Texas Rig

The most weedless method of fishing a senko style worm is probably with a texas-rigged stick worm. No matter what kind or how thick a cover you use, this will go through. Texas rigs can also be weighted down or weightless.

Take a 3/0 or 4/0 sized hook, insert the hook tip into the top of the worm (the thicker end), and press the hook in approximately 1/4 inch to rig a texas-rigged Senko. Allow the hook to exit the worm's side, and then draw the entire hook through the worm's head. Twist the hook and re-insert it into the worm, leaving only the top portion of the hook in the top quarter. leaving it weed-free and straight.

You're going to fish this weightless rig in essentially the same manner as you would a crazy rig.  You will cast, and just let to fall to the ground before being hopped up and allowed to fall once more.

3. Neko Rig a Stick Worm

 The Neko rig is a relatively recent approach that has gained enormous popularity as a finesse method to catch more bass during the last three or four years.

However, a stick worm in the Senko fashion also works exceptionally well for this approach. It is typically done with more slender straight tail worms, such a 6" Obee Finesse Worm.

You must first attach a rubber o-ring to your worm in order to rig a Neko rig Senko. Next, you're going to place a little nail weight inside the worm's head (the thicker end). Then, using a Neko-style hook, simply hook the o-ring with the hook tip facing the worm's tail.

Now when it's on the bottom, the lure you have has excellent activity. Other lures won't be able to capture as many bass as slowly working this worm across the bottom will.

Once you are aware of the exact location of the fish, this is a fantastic bait for catching bass. For instance, if you are using a crankbait to catch fish on offshore structure and the action begins to slow down, you may cast the Neko rig to the same location and work it very slowly across the bottom to continue capturing bass that would normally reject a crankbait.

4. Use Old Stick Worms with a Ned Rig

The ned rig is currently the most widely used finesse technique in the country and possibly ever.  A Ned rig is effective for catching a lot of fish whether you are targeting largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass.

Cutting a stick worm in half is a wonderful way to extend the life of your senkos, even if there are plenty of worms on the market that are specifically designed for Ned rigging scenarios.

For instance, the bait can become a little messed up from catching so many bass if you start catching them on a texas rig or wacky worm. You can now take a discarded stick worm, cut it in half, and mount it on a Ned rig head rather than putting it in the garbage. Your stick worm has now served numerous purposes, which can ultimately save you a ton of money!

Simply attach an Obee Stick Worm half to a Ned head, making sure to include a drop of super glue. A drop of super glue can help keep the bait on for a lot longer and keep it straight.

5. Shaky Head for Stick Worms?

Another well-liked finesse method involves using a narrower straight tail worm to create a Shakey Head worm. But you can also use a stick worm, like a 5" Obee Stick Worm.

You can use it with a spinning rod or a baitcasting rod, and you'll rig the bait the same way you would any other Shaky Head worm, as demonstrated above.

This is a fantastic substitute for jigs, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits when trying to catch bass in heavily fished locations.

7. Drop Shot Stick Worms

You must first attach a drop shot hook to your line in order to rig a stick worm on a drop shot. Make sure to leave a long tag end of around two feet to attach your weight afterwards. Then take that tag end and thread it back through the eye of your hook on the point side of the hook before attaching your drop shot weight to the end of that leader.

The length of a drop shot's leader will vary depending on the fishing conditions. The average leader length, in my opinion, is about 18 inches long!

Now you know the seven ways all pros and anglers alike rig a Stick Worm.  Every one of these rigs are super effective at catching big bass during different conditions.  Big Bass can be caught from fishing deep clear water to fishing shallow dirty water!

Try throwing a 5" Obee Stick Worm to catch more and bigger fish!  Obee Fishing Co. hand injects sticks using the highest quality colorant, glitter, plastisol, and fine salt.  See the difference of using high quality materials yourself!