DIY: Saving Your Senkos & Making Your Own Wacky Rig Tool

Originally posted on September 26th, 2011 on WormInACan.com.

So a common tip among fishermen who fish Senkos and other worms “wacky style is to use some sort of band around the center of the worm to pass a hook through.  This prevents tearing and can greatly extend the life of a worm.  This can be a huge benefit since Senko worms can cost between $6-$8/pack, depending on where you shop.

O-rings packaged for wacky worms can be hard to comeby, especially when you need them quickly.  One alternative to the o-ring is to get a package of braces rubberbands from the orthodontist.  Though these work well, these can be difficult to come by unless you have a child with braces or you are shopping online.

There are multiple Senko worm rigging products on the market, but I’m going to show you how I buy my bands cheaply as well as how to create a homemade tool that will allow you to quickly put the bands on your worms.

Where To Get Bands

So is there an altenative for people like me who need bands quickly when they haven’t replenished their supply?  If you are near a Tractor Supply or other feed store there is.  The rubberbands used for braiding horse hair are a great alternative used by fishermen across Texas for wacky rigging worms.  In addition to being readily accessible, a pack of hundreds is only $1.99.

Now, how to make a tool to easily put the bands on your worms without spending the $25 to buy a wacky rigging tool…

Building A Wacky Rigging Tool

So I set out to make a rigging tool using minimal materials fishermen might have around the house. (Note: After writing this post, I decided to Google my trick, and I realized my trick was not so new as others had used it many timesbefore…so here’s to you other guys who beat me to it). Here is how it is done:

Materials Needed

• Sharpie (Standard Size)
• Paper Towel

Step 1: Breaking Down the Sharpie

Remove the cap from the sharpie, and firmly grab the end with the ink tip with a paper towel. Start wiggling the black plastic portion of the pen back and forth until it separates at the seam. At that point you can remove the ink portion of the pen as well.

Step 2: Load Rubberbands/O-rings On the Sharpie

Take the gray portion of the Sharpie and place rubberbands/o-rings around it. If you are using Mane Bands, you will need to double them up. The pointed end of the gray section of the Sharpie makes it easy to slide multiple bands onto the Sharpie.

Step 3: Insert Senko Worm into Sharpie

Insert the end of the Senko Worm into the Sharpie and slide it up to the point you would like the band to be situated.

Step 4: Slide the Band Onto the Worm

Slide the closest rubberband onto the center of the worm, and you are ready to go. Keep the Sharpie loaded up with rubberbands so you can easily add one anytime you need to wacky rig a worm.

Hope this tip helps you out. Let me hear from you if you have any further tips or instructions.