There is a tactic that is catching big bass right now throughout the country. From spotted bass fisheries in Northern California to Great Lakes smallmouth, it is working. It is also catching big largemouth on ledges on the Tennessee River lakes and even on big-bass fisheries like the California Delta and Clear Lake.
The rig in question? The Frenzy Baits Wack-A-Sack Elite with a Trapper Hook.
Origins of the Wack-a-Sack
Greg Gutierrez was the designer behind this product, and he discovered it while testing his Wacky Saddle in his pond. He was using traditional weighted wacky-rigs or “flick shake” rigs as they are often called, and found a problem.
“The pond is full of grass during the summer and half of the time; the jighead would get balled up with grass. I thought of an idea and created the first Wack-a-Sack,” he said. “I noticed on the first cast that in the air, the bait righted itself and landed flat. I let it fall and started shaking it and caught one right away.”
This was the first of many bass on this rig, and later they became available with a Trapper Tackle drop-shot hook which became the Wack-A-Sack Elite.
Not Just for Finesse
Most anglers see this rig and think of finesse plastics, light line, and deep bass. That is not the case, and Gutierrez shared that right now they are catching bass on Clear Lake and the Delta with bigger plastics.
Part of the appeal to this setup is that just about any soft plastic will work. Creature baits, tubes, massive worms, and craws can all be fished effectively.
“One of the good things about the Elite Version is that the Trapper hook locks the bait in so it sits straight. When the fish grabs it, just reel into them and the hook will hook them,” said Gutierrez.
Two of his favorite baits to use are a 5” tube or the Reaction Innovations Double Wide Beaver.
“You can just nose hook the bait, and the bait tends to float more with that bigger profile bait. Just flip it and let it fall, and the bass eat it very well because of the way it falls and moves on the bottom,” he shared.
Besides just flipping to cover, Gutierrez said that anglers are having success with the Wack-a-Sack on ledges with big worms like the Zoom Magnum Finesse Worm on a wacky-rig. “They are catching them on Kentucky Lake and able to go behind everyone else throwing jigs and catch bass.”
Suspended Bass
Gutierrez is a spotted bass guru with many wins on Shasta and Oroville, and he shared a way to catch tricky suspended spots with the Wack-a-Sack Elite.
“I use the 1/16 ounce size with a small baitfish imitator like the Duo Realis V-Tail Shad or Reaction Innovations Shiver Shot. I cast it out and let it fall and then flip the bail, which stops the fall and the bait will pendulum back towards you.
“I watch Lowrance units to see the depth they are sitting and then measure what the bait is doing so I am at the right depth. It is a great way to imitate a dying shad or smelt,” he said.
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Dropping on Them
One of the best ways to catch deep bass is by watching your electronics and dropping a bait to them. The drop-shot is one of the best ways to do this, but Gutierrez has adjusted and uses the Wack-A-Sack Elite with the Trapper Tackle hook and a finesse worm like the 4.95” Reaction Innovations Flirt. He rounds out the package with the Wacky Saddle.
“When I drop a drop-shot, I hook about 40% of the bass I see on my Lowrance, using this rig, I am closer to 70%. They eat it, and eat it well,” he says. He credits the different look and action as the rig is falling for getting more bites and the Trapper Hook for hooking more.
He also uses this same Wack-a-Sack with a Reaction Innovations Smallie Beaver to imitate the sculpin in Shasta and Oroville. “I use a sculpin color and catch a lot of fish doing it,” he shared. “Once the bait hits bottom, it rocks and makes a commotion on the bottom and looks just like a sculpin on the bottom.”
Weighted hooks like the Frenzy Baits Wack-A-Sack Elite are some of the most versatile ways to catch bass. They work shallow and deep, and for those hard to catch suspended bass.
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