For a change up, try rigging the worm wacky style. Traditionally rigging the wacky style worm, you let the worm hang off the end of the hook at the middle balance point of the worm. This works, but I rig mine a little differently. For drifting, thread the leader through the worm at the just off center, middle balance point. The drift rigged wacky worm ends up resting on the leader above a 3 or 4 mm bead and the hook. I will then usually slide on my favorite drift bobber: Corky, Winner, Cheater or even a Rag foam bobber above the worm, peg the drift bobber with a piece of rubber band, pulled into the hole with a piece of folded mono. I have two ways I'll rig it wacky style for float fishing. Rig it just as you would for drift fishing, but instead of a drift bobber, slide on a 1/16 oz. or 1/8 oz. Cheater, Dedfish bait weight, pegged the same way as the drift bobber. The other way for float fishing is to rig wacky style onto a barbed collared jig head.

I'll drift and float fish length wise threaded worms also. To keep your worm from scrounching down the leader. Tie a four wrap uni knot with 1/16" tags on your leader after sliding on the bead, at the 3/4 point of the threaded worm. The uni knot threads 3/4 of the way into the worm, keeping the worm from scrounching down the leader. Peg the drift bobber and bait weight also, to help from pushing on the head of the worm.

What are the advantages of the wacky style rigging? Is it more effective,or does it work under certain conditions?

i was wondering, because i'm lazy, if you could just put the worm centered through an egg loop. Todd told me he thought it might really twist up your leader, but in the spirit of laziness, i'm still gonna give it a try this winter.

Use the wacky rig under a float, with a swivel...don't drift fish it, it won't fish very well. Under a float it will have very erratic and squiggly action, helpful in cold water.

Fish on...

Todd

Just as Todd stated, it's a more erratic rigging of the worm. For wacky worm drifting, if you rig it as stated above, it drifts fine, just with a little bit more movement. I'll normally use floating worms for drifting and sinking worms for float fishing.

Another wacky option is to use an o-ring set-up. Instead of running the hook through the worm, run it through the o-ring.
Depending on what type of worms you like to fish, this can increase the length of time you can fish a worm before it tears.

May have to file that under the"ive tried everything else,what the hell" category

Driftin' with my erotic pink worm sounds like trouble

I think the pink worm really shines while drift fishing. Load it with a little more weight than usual and get it under some structure, logs, rocks, and undercut banks.
That's why I really like fishing the worm, it gets a big bright lure down into a low light situation where big fish are likely to be sitting.

+1 for D.J. worm!

Sounds like a good enough idea to me!

Fish on...

Todd

On an off topic - how many fish has one caught on the SAME rigged worm?

6 is my record.

Stam was there and it made him cry.

That does make you the chosen lucky one, Parker. PWs aren't designed for that much luck.

Sg

Any worm that caught a fish is immeadiately retired into my Finsport side compartment labeled, "retirement home"

Normally, that's what I do Sky-Guy, but I just kept fishing it.....

It became a joke after the 4th fish or so to see how long it would hold out.

Didn't break it off on a fish, but the line was so frayed after the last fish that I finally decided to tie on a new one.

Three, and it was pretty ragged by the third one.

Fish on...

Todd

All this talk about worms made me hungry, so I just ordered some from RVRFSHR. Look forward to trying them out real soon. How effective have you guys found them to be on hatchery fish as oppossed to the native fish?

They work for hatchery fish, though I have much better luck for wild fish with them... but wild fish just bite better, period.

Fish on...

Todd

Stam wins.

Again.

Taimen trumps all else.

I didn't know they had Caimen up there.