For anglers searching for the best wacky rig hooks for their wacky rig fishing, one of the most commonly used options, and my personal favorite as well is a wide gap wacky rig hook with a short shank. These wacky rig hooks give you more than enough room for even fat worms while allowing a good solid hookup on fish.
When it comes to the best wide gap and short shank wacky rig hooks, the best one I have found is the Gamakatsu weedless wide gap with a guard. This hook is very well-balanced and compact, which makes it a great choice for most 4 to 6-inch stick baits while presenting them in a natural way.
Best Wacky Rig Hooks for Bass Fishing
Standard Wacky Rig Hooks
When open-water fishing with a wacky rig, your best option for a standard hook is one that has a medium shank and does not have a weed guard. While it does increase your chances of potentially getting snagged in vegetation, it also opens up your chances of getting a solid hookup on fish.
If you are more of an aggressive angler that enjoys doing quick and rapid movements with your wacky worms, this hook can handle it. Weed guards won’t do much good for you anyhow since these high-power moves can easily push the weed guard aside and render them useless.
Our Best Standard Wacky Rig Hook
This hook is by far one of my favorites, especially if you want a versatile wacky rig hook that can be used on your wacky rig, neko rig, Texas rig, or other bass fishing presentations. Not only does it come from a very well-known name in the industry, but it excels in pretty much every area you would expect from a weightless wacky rig hook.
This wacky rig hook is perfect for anglers that fish fast and aggressively, punching through vegetation, hard-setting hooks in their catch, and quickly reeling in the fish. The shank on this hook is thick and durable, perfect for dealing with a lot of pressure without bending or stretching, and the tip is needle-sharp making it easy to get a clean hookup on any bass.
Finesse Wide Gap Hooks
In general, wide gaps are the number one option for a wacky rig, especially if you are using girthy stick bait in the 5 or 6-inch lengths. In fact, if you ask an angler to pick out the one single hook they consider to be the best wacky hook, they’ll reach for a wide gap 9 times out of 10.
In addition to being able to be used with larger-than-average rubber baits, a wide-gap finesse hook can get a solid hookup on bass that strikes. Standard hooks may occasionally miss the hookup due to the bait getting in the way, but this issue is eliminated by using a wide gap.
Our Best Finesse Wide Gap Wacky Rig Hook
This is, without a doubt, one of the best wide-gap weedless wacky rig hooks around, and it’s perfect for finesse fishing. When it comes to wacky rigging hook brands, Gamakatsu is one of the top of the line names you know that offers high-quality products to meet your needs when fishing.
These wacky rig hooks are highly durable and have extremely sharp tips, which regularly get solid hookups regardless of your chosen soft plastic bait. Being a finesse wacky rig hook with a wide gap, you can easily add weight to your wacky worm rigs while also being able to fish in heavy vegetation without getting constantly snagged, thanks to the attached weed guard.
Wide Gap Finesse Hook Weedless
The built-in weed guard on finesse weedless wacky rig hooks can go above and beyond when fishing in heavy cover areas such as around lily pad clusters and thick sunken weedbeds. While you may still get snagged in some areas, the small guards will reduce this chance by a large amount, making it easier for you to punch through grasses and other vegetation.
Our Best Wide Gap Finesse Hook Weedless
When it comes to hooks for wacky rigs, Gamakatsu knows their business. Wide gaps are the preferred choice for most anglers using wacky rigging, and the finesse weedless is one of the better designs for not only keeping your bait on the hook but also preventing unnecessary snags and hang-ups when fishing in heavy vegetation and thick cover.
This hook comes in a wide range of sizes for both small grubs and larger wacky worms, so you have the freedom to choose what size works best for your finesse technique. I personally prefer fishing with a 1/0 finesse weedless hook and using smaller 4 or 5-inch worms.
Wide Gap Jig Head Style
Using a jig head style hook on your wacky rig can get many more reaction bites than other hook options. Jig heads can be both weighted and unweighted, with the weighted options helping to add a bit more of a natural movement to your soft plastics.
You’ll also usually find weed guards on most wide gap jig head style hooks, which makes them versatile enough to fish in open water, as well as in heavy cover spots around grass, weeds, and plant roots.
Our Best Wide Gap Jig Head style Wacky Rig Hook
This hook is an outstanding choice when fishing with soft plastic worms as it adds a natural movement to the bait. Being weighted, this hook also helps get your worm to the bottom of the lake, where large fish may be suspended and waiting for an easy meal.
Because of the weight on this jig head, the hook will lay parallel at the bottom, which makes your worm stand upright and jiggle in the current. This is extremely enticing for fish hiding in the depths or around sunken cover areas.
How to Choose a Wacky Rig Hook
Amount of Cover
Not all hooks will do well in areas with heavy cover, just as not all hooks do well in open water. Some hooks will have weed guards, and those guards can come in a variety of different styles too. Some are completely weedless, while others will simply have a chance at deflecting weeds away from the hook.
If you are fishing in heavy cover, high vegetation areas, consider getting a fully weedless hook that has a solid weed guard around the tip of the hook. This will make it much easier for you to move your bait through weeds and grass without pulling half of these plants along with you.
Bait Size
When fishing with a wacky rig, most of your bait will be rubber or soft plastic worms or stick baits in the 3 to 6-inch range. In general, hooks in sizes 1/0 and 2/0 are perfectly fine for these baits. However, if you are going to be using a much larger worm, such as an 8-inch Senko or anything extremely girthy, consider going for a larger 3/0 wide gap hook to ensure your bait fits properly.
Water Depth
If you were fishing in the 10 feet or less depth, most anglers would recommend sticking with a normal wide gap hook. You can either go standard or finesse hook, depending on your personal preferences.
If you plan on going much deeper than 10 feet, switching to a weighted jig can get much better results. It will help your bait sink faster and will also allow your stick baits and worms to stand upright, creating an enticing look for hungry fish in the area.
Size of Fish
If you are specifically targeting large fish, your hook size should reflect this. Small hooks can be stretched out or bent when struck by large fish, rendering them useless and letting the trophy fish get off the line.
Also, consider the thickness of the wire used on the hook. Finesse hooks are not always the best option for large trophy bass, but standard thick shank hooks can usually handle these monster fish with ease.
Best Hook Size for Wacky Rigs
In many cases, selecting the hook size for your wacky rig will depend on several factors, including your chosen bait, whether or not you are running weedless or wide gap, and if you are using an o-ring on a soft plastic worm or not.
- Standard: 2/0
- Finesse wide gap: 1/0
- Wide Gap Weedless: 2/0
- Wide Gap Jig Head: 1/0
Most anglers will stick with a 1/0 and 2/0 size in almost every situation, as these can effectively handle 5” and 6” worms. This makes these hook sizes perfect for most fish you will be targeting with a Wacky rig, including bass, walleye, and even trout.
