Largemouth bass behave differently during tournaments, responding to boat traffic by being more difficult to catch. In this new series on KayakAnglerMag.com, Wilderness Systems pro Alejandro Pérez-Arteaga will be talking about his favorite tournament lures and how they can help you during the toughest conditions.
The Shakey Head
Shakey heads are jigheads on which you rig a small soft plastic lure. I prefer the Gamakatsu Skip Gap Shakey Head and the Buckeye Spot Removers Pro Model. The former is a round head design with a bend to hold plastics. It hangs up easily, so I use it in 1/8-oz weight for a more finesse presentation. Spot removers have a screw lock and a flat head to maintain a standup position; they are very snagless, so I use them for general use in the 3/16-oz weight.
Rigging
Shakey heads are rigged with a soft plastic lure. I stick mostly to Roboworm straight tail worms in 4” and 6” sizes. I use colors ranging from shad, green/brown, and red/purple hues. In very tough conditions, a 4” purple worm is excellent. I also use small watermelon craws.
Shakey head setups: (Top) Gamakatsu 1/8 oz Skip Gap Head. (Bottom) Spot Removers 3/16 oz Pro Model.
Fishing Gear
I use two setups for shakey heads. For 1/8-oz presentations my rod of choice is a Kistler Magnesium Drop Shot Finesse Worm. This is a 6’9’’ Medium-light/fast spinning rod. I set it up with 10lb braid and long 6 to 8-lb fluorocarbon leader. For 3/16-oz heads, I prefer a Kistler Helium 3 Medium/extra fast 7’ rod with 15 lb braid and a 10 or 12-lb fluorocarbon leader. In both setups, I use 1000-sized reels. Choose one with a smooth drag, this will be the most important feature to look for.
Where to Use
Shakey heads will snag easily on vegetation so stick to rocky structure. They are excellent for fishing deep, from 10 to 40 feet, and are particularly good on the second day of the tournament where many bass are jaw-locked and have moved deeper. Try fishing them across deep primary and secondary points, and where boulders are present.
Fishing Technique
Cast across points or directly where boulders are, let the bait sink to the bottom on an open spool, and shake it a bit. If you don’t get a bite, drag it a bit and shake again. Do this two or three times, retrieve and repeat. You may also get bites when the bait is falling so keep an eye on the line for any jumps, or if the bait suddenly stops falling. To set the hook, use a long upward sweep motion and don’t let the line go slack. If you feel that your hookset was not solid, try sweeping your rod again when working the fish, always keeping tension in your line.
Shakey heads are finesse presentations but they are not small fish catchers. They can help you to get your bass limit but they will also help you out on culling with bigger fish. So next time you’re out on the water, be sure to give shakey heads a try. They may give you that kicker fish to get you on the podium.
Alejandro Pérez-Arteaga is a Wilderness Systems pro, as well as Adventure Technology Paddles, Kistler Rods, Yak Attack, RAM Mounting Systems and a member of the HOOK1 Crew. He lives and fishes in central Mexico.
