Bass Fishing Tip: Use Zip Ties for Wacky Rigging Senkos

One of the most useful things I learned last season was a new way of wacky-rigging Senko soft-plastics for bass.

For several years I’ve been using a rubber O-ring around the middle of such baits to enhance durability. Last year, a fishing guide suggested using a small zip tie instead. This is actually pretty simple, but had never occurred to me.

A plastic zip tie is substantially easier to apply around the bait and even more durable than an O-ring. Simply tighten and trim, and you’re good to go. Zip-ties are available in a rainbow of colors. I happened to have a surplus of pink ones, so that’s what I’ve been using. I can’t say that color hurts or helps. Seems to work, anyway.

The whole object, of course, is to keep the hook from tearing up the bait when a fish bites. Not only would you have to then change baits more often, but torn Senkos tend to come loose in the water. In that case, they’re an environmental hazard--sometimes ingested by fish that then can’t digest them.

The hook in the photo, by the way, is a Gamakatsu Finesse Weedless model, that comes with a built-in weedguard that actually works. I have never found a better hook for wacky-rigging.