Bass Fishing Hall of Fame angler Mike “Ike” Iaconelli is frequently asked for his go-to bait for the toughest conditions: muddy water, high water, high pressure, fishing pressure, and extreme temperatures. The 30 year pro says when everything else fails, soft stickworms almost guarantee fish.
Ike says it looks like a Sharpie®, but simplicity and subtle action make stickworms his choice for tough conditions. Ike says this bait can be thrown on spinning or casting gear and rigged many ways with limited tackle.
The Bass Cat/Yamaha pro narrows his focus to his top five stickworm rigs. Three sizes and a few colors get results, depending on conditions.
The New Jersey pro angler says the four-inch excels in ultra-tough conditions like crystal clear water. When forage is small, it’s his go-to size. But number one all around choice is the five- inch, a little longer and fatter, mimicking most forage. However, when forage and bass are larger, it’s six-inch versions.
His stickworm choice, Berkley’s General, has action and the Power Bait scent fish hold onto longer. Colors are simplified into three groups. For stained water or dark conditions, black or black with blue flake is tied on early morning, late day, or at night. When water is clear or with bright skies, natural colors like green pumpkin and watermelon produce. For in-between conditions he uses, junebug, redbug, candy apple, or laminated baits with light and dark colors.
Ike has five favorite ways to rig stickworms.
The first, a weightless wacky rig with an Octopus hook in the middle. Baits fall ultra-slowly with arms pulsating, targeting shallower water, 0-10 feet. Ike says fish can’t help themselves watching this bait inch-worming to the bottom.
Next, Texas rigs fished weightless or with pegged weights for cover. For five-inch baits, he uses either 3/0 or 4/0 offset worm style hooks. Weightless there’s an unpredictable gliding fall. This streamlined rig comes through cover, including grass.
The least talked about stickworm rig is a weedless shaky head. It falls with an unpredictable glide. When hitting bottom, it sits nose down and tail up. Shaking rod tips allow tails to quiver and grab attention. This rig can be fished to 30 feet.
The Neko rig also goes deep with up to 1/16 ounce weights in the worm bottom. An O-ring in the middle to bottom of the bait allows placement of the same wacky rig octopus hook. Falling erratically, once on the bottom, the weight allows the top to stand up and makes a sound while disturbing the bottom.
Cutting worms a bit shorter, to three inches, jig head or Ned style, works with finicky clear water fish. After an unpredictable fall, this rig scoots horizontally along the bottom. Ike uses a 90-degree line tie to keep baits straight.
Using these techniques in various sizes or colors fine-tuned for conditions, Ike says if you’re only using one lure for your toughest day of fishing any time of the year at any depth, a stickworm with a small amount of tackle, will do it all.
Author Capt. Steve Chaconas is Potomac bass fishing guide & freelance writer. Potomac River reports: www,nationalbass.com. YouTube video channel NationalBassGuide.
