What's flick shakin'?
To start with, it's more popular in Japan today than drop shotting, and it's the latest Japanese finesse tactic to send a tremor through the bass fishing world.
Renowned lure designer and Jackall founder and president Seiji Kato captured the co-angler crown at the March 2007 Bassmaster Elite Series Battle on the Border at Lake Amistad using it. The Jackall Flick Shake worm and jighead that he and his pro staff developed helped him to a 27-pound total on the last day.
Pro Kotaro Kiriyama also rode the technique to the bank on the Bassmaster Elite Series tour this past season.
"I've used the Flick Shake (worm) just about everywhere in the U.S.," says Kiriyama. "I caught fish in Clear Lake (California) on 11 consecutive casts. I caught many sight fishing on Guntersville and many smallmouth at the Majors on Lake Champlain and Oneida Lake, and on Lake Erie when I placed second at the Elite tournament."
Employing a tungsten-weighted 90 degree eye jighead called the Wacky Jig Head and some occasionally deft rod tip action, flick shakin' often proves best when fishing is toughest.
"The Flick Shake works especially well on pressured waters," says Kato, who designed the Daiwa TD Minnow and Lucky Craft's Pointer and Sammy before launching Jackall, today one of the elite tackle brands in Japan.
Indeed, the technique originated on small and heavily pressured Japanese reservoirs where 20 or more boats may fish a 100-square-meter area simultaneously during a tournament. Jackall lore has it that Takuma Hata of the Jackall staff scrounged up some heat-warped and broken worm remains one day during a wacky worm bite. Much to his surprise the scavenged worms outperformed the fresh ones.
Ty Ono tinkered with the design and he carried the concept to Seiji Kato, who developed the Wacky Jig Head and further refined the worm and hook design. The worm, which also works well in shaky head and drop shot applications, sports a built-in curvature that enhances the rolling action imparted by the flip-flop motion of the jighead. "The different shape of the ends produces vibration," adds Kato.
BUILT FOR ACTION
The Flick Shake shines along weed edges and around boat docks, timber and rock banks, according to Kato. But by adapting to the conditions, you can work it effectively almost anywhere.
What separates the Flick Shake from mainstream wacky worming is the worm roll action produced with the jighead. Kato believes pressured bass have grown wary of the side-swimming, body-bending action of conventional wacky worms. "However, if you use the Flick Shake and jig, the jighead goes up and down when you shake it," he says. "The worm makes a rolling action because the jighead is attached in the side of the worm body. This rolling action is very different from other worm actions."
He also speculates that getting the bait to suddenly dart in the opposite direction of the angler's retrieve piques a bass' curiosity. "When you try to (free) a lure from timber or weeds and it suddenly (becomes unhung), you often can turn on the bass' feeding switch immediately with the unexpected action," says Kato. "With the Flick Shake, you can roll the worm body (and make it appear) as if a real worm is wiggling."
A BAIT FOR TOUGH TIMES
Elite Series pro Kiriyama cut his teeth on heavily pressured waters where bass have become conditioned to often seen baits and presentations. That's why he's a big believer in finesse fishing with small lifelike offerings such as the Flick Shake.
"I believe that any time conditions are tough, the (Flick Shake) will outfish other techniques," says Kiriyama. "Especially when a cold front comes in and fish stop biting ordinary approaches all of a sudden."
American pros are hungry for effective finesse tactics these days. That's why Jackall released the Flick Shake worm in the U.S. market this past season in 4.8- and 5.8-inch lengths and eight colors. (Note: At this writing, Jackall has added four new colors sunburn melon, bluegill, watermelon candy, and green pumpkin.) It also released the Wacky Jig Head in 1/16-, 1/13- and 3/32-ounce sizes. In the Japanese market, Flick Shake worms also come in 2.5-, 3.8- and 6.8-inch sizes. Wacky Jigs come in six sizes (0.6 gram, 0.9 gram, 1.3 gram, 1.8 gram, 2.2 gram and 2.7 gram).
Recent additions to the Jackall line are the Neon Flick, a 4.8-inch-long, hand-poured version of the worm with enhanced color and action, and a 1/8-ounce Weedless Wacky Jig Head designed with a weedguard and a slightly larger and stronger hook.
TAILORED TACKLE AND TECHNIQUE
For open water and depths of roughly 17 feet, Kato usually begins with a 1.3-gram jighead and adjusts to lighter or heavier weights based on conditions. He employs a Jackall Poison Inch Wacky Rod a very limited supply is currently available in the U.S. and 4- to 6-pound fluorocarbon line.
Initially, he lets the bait fall to the bottom. He then lifts it with a shaking action. If that doesn't produce, he swims the worm at midrange depths. If there still are no takers, he lets it fall to the bottom again.
For boat docks, timber and rocky areas, Kato fishes 5- to 7-pound line on a Jackall Poison Power Finesse rod, letting the worm fall to the bottom and shaking it. "If I don't have any bites, I lift it up quickly about 1 meter and let it fall to the bottom again," he explains. "The quick motion and the vibration get the bass' attention. It is easy for them to find the position of the worm."
Kiriyama: Shakin' Situations
Elite Series pro Kotaro Kiriyama is a devoted flick shaker. Here are his guidelines to using the Flick Shake/Wacky Jig Head combination.
Shallow water When you know where they are but they will not bite, you can throw the Flick Shake worm with a Jackall jighead and let it fall. The worm has its own built-in action.
Deep water Fish it the same way you would in shallow water, but put on a little heavier jighead.
Vegetation Fish with a weedless Jackall jighead and swim it across the vegetation.
Rocky areas and ledges Make the Flick Shake crawl on rocks and ledges slowly.
Bridge pilings Bridge piling bites will come while the worm is falling, so make sure the line is not too tight. Don't kill the built-in action, but maintain enough tightness so you see the bite. Gamma fluorocarbon line (4- to 8-pound) fits best in this kind of situation. It's a supersensitive line, yet produces less coil.
Want To Shake It?
Jackall,
Flick Shake Worm
Wacky Jig Head
Weedless Wacky Jig Head
Poison Inch Wacky Rod
Poison Power Finesse Rod
www.jackall-lures.com
Shimano American Corp.,
Stella 2500 spinning reel
www.shimano.com
Gamma Technologies,
Gamma Edge Fluorocarbon
Fishing Line
www.gammafishingline.com