I think most people use shaky head worms, which are thicker in the head and thin out towards the tail. I've tried zoom trick worms on shaky head jigs and caught some but I have better results with Texas rigging soft plastics.

 

you're deffinatly not going to get the best results with those type baits with shakey heads. the senko is just gonna lay on the bottom, those a pit boss i would imagine would work better as the claws would stand straight up.

but like jschoenherr said, and something i get best results from are a straght or taperred worm.

http://www.basspro.com/Zoom-Shakey-Head-Worms-Soft-Plastic-Baits/product/98297/

ideally, you want it to just sit there and wiggle with that tail up in the air. its a finesse technique. i say fish it slow, don't drag and hop it like you maybe doing with a texas rig.

but i say fish your strengths and use whats workin'.

 

The,best way in my opinion to use a worm that has a bulge in the end of the tail. Take a real thin piece of wire and push in the end of the tail to about half an inch in front of the bulge and bend it towards the eye at a lil less than 45 degree angle. I was watching a video of ike on youtube and he was doing it and for some reason it gets more bites that way

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As all have said, slender worms are probably the best choice for a shaky head. I use worms from 4" to 6" that are buoyant so the tail will stand up off the bottom. Roboworm makes excellent worms for use on a shaky head jig. I've also done well with with Zoom trick worms. For baits like the Pit Boss (which I think is like a beaver style bait) a true stand up style jig may work better.

 

the best worms to use are zoom finesse worms or any finesse worm. when working a shaky head you work it just like the name says you shake it. cast it out get your line tight and shake it in place to get the tail of the worm to wiggle. hope this helps. if you need more help just message me

 

the best worms to use are zoom finesse worms or any finesse worm. when working a shaky head you work it just like the name says you shake it. cast it out get your line tight and shake it in place to get the tail of the worm to wiggle.

I agree/concur/endorse this post. It is spot on, regarding finesse worms. I use 4-inch green pumpkin, or green pumpkin red flake almost exclusively on my shaky heads and drop-shots. But others have success using what they have confidence in.

If you have a limited amount of time to spend on the water. I'll say to fish your confidence technique 90% of your time. And use the other 10% learning new stuff. But if you've got plenty of time. Get out there and do what you are doing. It sounds like you're on the right path, by trying new things.

 

thanx for all the replies. in the beginning of last year i had caught a total of 1 fish on a texas rig. this was the technique i was definately gonna learn last year. my confidence bait are cranks. moving fast covering water. so one of the first times i went out i threw a trap for about 30 mins maybe. i had the pit boss on a 3/16 and a medium action spinning rod with 10lb mono then and was about to move spots. i figured it couldnt hurt to try it and i think the second cast about half way in my line took off left. i set the hook and missed. but that day i spent about 3 hours fishing the same spot i started in catching about 1 of 3 or 4 bites i had. but that day is what truely opened my eyes to finding new techniques and learning them and there times and places. if i wasnt already a basser for life(which i almost surely was) that few hours sealed it. i got a new 6'8 med hvy rod not long after that day and my hookups obviously increased by alot. ever since that day ive had confidence in the technique and have a texas rig on everytime and everywhere i go

 

I fish a shakey head alot and have very good success with it. As stated earlier i think a straight tail worm works best but you can fish any plastic with it. I like zoom finesse worms. The key to a shakey head is the plastic floats off the bottom so stay away from plastics that have salt in them as they tend to sink. Also i think alot of people work a shakey head to much. I like to fish it with some slack in my line and try not to work it to much. Most of the bites i get are when it just sits there doing its thing.

 

Shakey heads will catch fish year round, but i prefer to fish them around docks and in thicker weeds. The wiggling of the worm standing up as you slowly bounce it back just antagonizes the bass until they bite it. Also in the the spring when bass are on their beds the standing up action of the worms, it creates the effect of an intruder on the beds and those protective females inhale it. AS for baits, I have used zoom and yum worms with the shakey head and they work fine, but once I used roboworms, i refuse to use anything else now. They have so much action that is hard to beat.

 

Just watched jimmy houston fishin show. He was using a big magna worm on a jig. The whole episode was using the shakey head. Very cool!

 

I'm probably the only one on here that has NEVER tried a SHAKEY HEAD!

 

you're not alone woodenships. i just got a boat last year and used lipless cranks almost exclusively. with great success i might add. this year is gonna be the year of the jig for me. i bought a few jigs last year and will get more this year along with some flippin rods and baitcasters. im a frugal kinda fisherman so no $300 set ups for me. so we will see what happens.

 

tile just curious what kinda jigs did ya get?? i have had success with the strike king bitsy jig(1/4oz) and terminator jig(1/2oz) both with zoom super chunk jr trailers. although i did get a 3/8 netbait paca jig and paca craws to try this yr

 

I have had a lot of success fishing a big bite baits squirrel tail and a zoom finesse worm.

Last year I saw a video that Aaron martens had on fishing a shakey head. He talked about how he would let the bait sink on a slack line and just lightly shake the bait and swim it back slowly. I was skeptical but last year in a tournament the only three fish I weighed in were caught on this technique when I couldn't get a bite in my confidence baits.


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Keep in mind that shakeyheads can be used as something other than a finesse style of bait. I frequently use a 1/4 to 3/8 oz shakeyhead with a 6.5" KVD worm on it. I often fish it like a jig and hop it across rocks and drag it through the grass.....it' a very versatile bait for sure. On the flip side of that I usually have a spinning rod close by with a 1/16 oz shakeyhead and a smaller KVD worm on it.

 

My favorite worm is the Zoom Shakey Head in Mardi Gras or Watermelon Candy colors. My home lake is ULTRA clear smallmouth water so I use 6lb. line and light heads. Similar to fishing the Slider "Do Nothin'" technique made famous by Charlie Brewer.