If you’ve been keeping up with bass fishing lately, then you’ve heard about the shaky head rig. Everybody’s talking about it. The pros are winning tournaments with it. Apparently, the fish are biting it. But how do you get started using this technique for yourself? Here are 7 tips that’ll have you shaking like a pro in no time.

1. How to rig it

      I could write a lot of words here and still not be clear, so take a look at this short video to get an idea for how to properly set up your shaky rig: .
I’ve personally only used the screw-on type jig heads like these Chompers Roundball Shaky Jigheads, and while these jig heads do hold the worm on well, they will tear the tip of the worm up pretty good after a few fish. This really isn’t a problem though. Just trim the tip off of the worm and rethread. It’s the back of the worm that creates the action and that won’t be affected by losing a quarter of an inch a couple of times.

2. It’s all in the action

      Fishing with the shaky really couldn’t be easier. Cast out, let the lure sink to the bottom, and then lightly bump the lure with your rod tip to give the worm a little action. Take a look at this video to get an idea of what I’m talking about: . Personally, I imagine that I’m making the rod wag like the tail of a dog. This doesn’t have to be hard either; just a gentle bump on the lure. Not necessarily enough to move the jig forward, but just enough to make it vibrate.

3. The rod and reel make a big difference

      Spinning tackle is the norm for the shaky rig. When it comes to the rod, think long and limber. My personal shaky rod is a 7′ All Star GT40X Graphite Spinning Rods with a medium action, but others would work equally well. Just make sure the rod is limber to help detect light bites and to make the “bumping” action easier, and make sure that it’s long enough to help with hook sets on fish in deep water.

      Shaky fishing can work wherever the fish are located, but most of my experience has been in 15 to 30 feet of water. For these depths, I prefer a reel with a faster retrieve speed to help take up slack quickly if needed. Then again, I’m sure you could get by just fine with a slower speed reel, but the Pflueger Supreme XT Spinning Reels with a 6.2:1 ratio has worked well for me.

4. The end of my line

      Bites can be very light with this technique, and a stretchy line can make detecting them tough. I spool up with 10lb 
SpiderWire UltraCast? Ultimate Braid Fishing Line and then attach a 7 to 10 feet long leader. I use 10lb 
Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon Fishing Line
for my leader. If you’ve never tied flouro before, check out this site:The Fluorocarbon Advantage . This setup allows for very little stretch, yet, because I’m fishing 10lb line, the castability is still very good.

5. Boat Positioning

      Shaky doesn’t work when you cast in the direction that your boat is moving. The movement of the boat keeps slack in your line that you have to constantly reel out. This affects the amount of time you can “shake” the rig in one spot, and keeps you from covering more water. If wind or waves – a constant factor in New Mexico fishing – make remaining steady in the water tough, then let the boat pull the rig along as you shake the rod tip. This tactic helps you cover a lot of water, and can be used as a semi-fast search technique.

6. Fast or Slow?

      Don’t assume that just because this is considered a finesse technique, that you have to fish it slow. Bites often come after you give the rig a good tug and make it jump a foot or so off the bottom. Most bites do seem to come while giving the rig a steady shake, but a jerk can be just the thing to get a reaction strike out of a fish that can’t make up his mind.

7. The Worm

      As with most presentations, you have to listen to the fish on this one. Personally, I start with a big 7″ worm in a natural color like Pumpkin Seed or Watermelon Seed, and the bigger profile doesn’t seem to scare the dinks. But in colder water (below 55 degrees), or if fish aren’t responding to the bigger worm, try downsizing to a 5 inch worm. Most manufacturers have a shaky worm these days and I’m sure all work fine, but my favorites are
Berkley PowerBait Shaky Worms, and Chompers Shaky Worms.

Personally, it took me a while to give the shaky a try. I already had tricks in my bag that put fish in the boat, and here was this new technique that required a new rod and a new reel. But after taking the plunge, I’ve been impressed by the number and quality of fish I’m landing. I hope these tips make your first shaky experiences go as well as mine.

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