BassdozerStore.com: Zappu Inchi Wacky Jig with Weedguard ~ 3 per Pack

September 23, 2010

Zappu Inchi Wacky Jig with Weedguard ~ 3 per Pack

The wacky jig technique from Japan is the perfect new technique to try the next time you’re out on the water.

The following is summarized from an article written by Hideyuki Nomura, Editor of Japan's Lure Magazine.

The Japanese have created a new technique called 'Inchi Wacky' or the 'wacky jig'.

Two top Japanese bass pros helped pioneer the craze. Takuma Hata of Zappu introduced the technique first in a feature article in Japan's Lure Magazine. Then Toshiro Ono of Jackall took first place in the 2004 Basser All-Star Classic on the wacky jig. This is the most prestigious tournament in Japan, the equivalent of the Bassmaster Classic.

It wasn't long before everyone in Japan was using the wacky jig too. Zappu and Jackall are the two brands that have become popular in the USA today too.

Benefits that the wacky jig provides versus the traditional weightless wacky rig are:

You can get more distance on the cast
You are able to fish deeper areas
The bait falls quicker
You can keep in contact with the bottom easier
Most importantly, it creates a wicked irregular action that looks exactly like a real worm squirming in the water

Unlike a weightless wacky rig, you can fish a wacky jig in deeper areas. The wacky jig is not necessarily a shallow water tactic.

The squirming action has an appeal that bass cannot resist. Both Hata and Ono believe this bait is ideal for fishing deeper water and tougher conditions. Deeper areas such as rock piles, drop-offs, points, ledges and other vertical structure are perfect situations where the wacky jig will produce.

Japanese anglers like to use spinning rods with wacky jigs, and lighter tests of fluorocarbon line.

They tend to work the rod, keeping the rod tip in a 10-11 o’clock position and shake it to keep a good rhythm going with a constant up and down action.

Japanese anglers will say that you have to have an image in your head of what you want the wacky jig and worm to do. The ideal image you want to see is the ball part of the jighead flip-flopping up and down and that’s it. If the jighead is doing that, then the worm will be doing its squirming thing.

The great part about the wacky jig is that, once it reaches a target depth such as a foot or two above the bottom or whatever depth where bass are suspended, you can impart this constant shaking action to the worm and the worm doesn’t have to be moved much at all. Think of this as vertical jigging - or like ice fishing. In other words, you can keep the bait exactly where you want it, and impart action to it while it stays there. In order to do this, there is a secret, and that is keeping a good amount of slack in the line. By keeping slack in the line you can shake your rod constantly to produce the wicked irregular action and still keep your bait exactly where you want it.

When fishing bottom structure you will want to cast out the wacky jig and let it free fall to the bottom. While the jig falls the weight from the jighead causes the worm to roll back and forth. After it hits the bottom you will want to shake it and continue to wind up slack and then free fall it back to the bottom. The fish will often attack as the bait free falls after you shake it. Remember the jig head is there to create a wild gyrating action. So this is not a deadsticking technique.

The wacky jig is also effective on suspended fish in mid water. The key to working this bait is again the slack in the line. Cast your line out and as you reach the area the fish are suspending in, slowly shake the bait as you swim the jighead back in. The shaking will create the slack so a steady slow crank will wind in the slack and let the lure do what it’s supposed to do.

The most popular worms used in Japan on wacky jigs consist of Gary Yamamoto’s Kut Tail, Zoom’s Swamp Crawler, Jackall’s Flick Shake, Optimum Bait’s Twin Teaser, and Berkeley’s Gulp Wacky Crawler.

Note: The hook size is much bigger, stronger (approx. #1/0) on the 3/32 and 1/8 compared to the 1/16th (approx. #2 to #4 hook).

1/16 oz Zappu Inchi Wacky Jigs with Weedguard ~ 3 per pack