Water-proof & Comes with a Lanyard with Shimano LogoAh yes, the shaky rig. It is still relatively new in the Canadian Bass fishing industry, but becoming popular fast! Thus far this Bass season has been a shaky rig season. I have been using it religiously and let me tell you, it is fantastic! I've been hooking into good numbers of smallmouth with good sizes too! One would almost think the shaky rig had an exclusive club; fours and up only please!
If you love fishing a jig like I do then you will love the concept of the shaky rig. It is virtually the same except for the technique in bringing it home. Unlike the jig, the shaky jig is specially designed with weed less hooking in mind, which in Bass fishing is a great asset. Two basic steps in rigging your offering is all it takes; one, secure the tip of the plastic on the spring on the head of the jig, two, embed the hook. There you have it, simplicity at its best.
There are many different manufacturers of shaky jig heads. Owner, Picasso and Mizmo are just a few on the tackle shelves today and all have worked for me this season. They come in different sizes so it's good to have a variety handy for different fishing scenarios. The lake bottom is our main target using the shaky rig so having just the right weight to get it there and keep it there is very important.
The perfect setup for the shaky rig should have the word 'finesse' in the equation. I like the Shimano Cumara medium 7'2" extra fast rod teamed up with the Shimano Saros 1000F spinning reel. Now this combo definitely has finesse written all over it with good hook setting strength to boot. And the best part about it is that you can shake all day with it, and come tournament time that is an advantage. In order to make this shaky rig combo complete I spool up with 6lb fluorocarbon line. That is the most important ingredient in the shaky rigs recipe for success!
Now that we have the shaky rig schematics out of the way lets talk technique. On the initial cast, with the bail opened, let the jig fall to the bottom. Engage the spool then reel in the slack line. Using the rod tip only, bring the rig to you making sure you feel bottom at all times. Sound familiar? In shaky rigging, though, we do just what it states, 'shake' the jig home. In other words, shake it while dragging it with the odd vigorous shaking as it sits. With a semi tight line the jig should literally vibrate giving it an irresistible look and sound to the Bass. This is where the hinged rod tip comes in handy because a stiffer action rod would make an angler awful tired quickly. I would rather save my strength for the hook set, wouldn't you! It's amazing how such a simple task can be so productive. The only variable in shaky rigging is the amount of shaking we do. I let the Bass tell me the answer. Remember, the whole purpose of the shaky rig is, obviously, to get the Bass' attention. So...shake 'till you can't shake any more! It sometimes got to the point that if I wasn't overdoing the 'shake' itself the Smallmouth were just not interested. So basically you can never overdo it. My live well so far this season is a testament to its affect!
The Shaky rig should be a part of every Bass angler's arsenal because after all; no one really knows what the Bass want at any given time except the Bass. If we can arm ourselves with yet another new rigging technique to fool them, then why not? Judging by my Bass fishing season so far the shaky rig has been the great weapon of choice!
Visit Nic DiGravio at http://www.probassfishing.ca
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