Wild, Wet, Wanton Women!!!

[FlyRod]

Now that I have your attention...

The Wind And The Wacky
by FlyRod (for extra credit.)

Here's a tidbit that might save the (windy) day.
When one is fishing a Tiki-Stik type bait (see: Senko, YUM Dinger, etc.) on an unweighted T-rig wind, especially a head-on or crossing breeze, sensitivity loss due to line "bowing" is a very real problem. Don't argue with me! It really IS a problem. Also, sideways drift will take your "stick" out of the target zone or into Snag City more often than not.
Exhaustive testing at The FlyRod Institute Of Advanced Bassing Techniques, Wind Effect Division, has resulted in the following:
If you Wackify your stick (easy now!) you will slow the rate of drift. By keeping your rod tip near or just beneath the surface as you let the lure sink or slowly retrieve it you will maximize line tension via the elimination of SOME of the wind's effects.
Why? (I hear you ask.) Well, rig two rods, one with a T-rig of a given soft stick, the other with an identical stick rigged Wacky-style. Cast both and compare the "retrieve resistance" of the two. See what I mean?
Right! The Wacky one will have more drag and THAT equals greater line tension = enhanced sensitivity.
I'm sure you all can envision the scene beneath the surface. The T-rigged stick slipping through the water, slick as a torpedo. The Wackyfied stick is sideways to the direction of travel, thus slowing things down a bit.
Windy conditions are less braid-friendly too. Braid tends to sink quite slowly and seems, to me at least, to catch the breeze more than mono or fluoro of similar diameter. Mono is a shade better in this situation but fluoro really shines here.
Y'see, of all line types, fluoro is the sinker. Ergo, it stands to reason that fluoro will help get the lure deeper, quicker, and expose less of itself to breeze or surface drift caused by wave action.
Since I'm pretty much a braid/fluoro leader addict for soft plastics, I'm more prone to suffer than those using fluoro only. Still, I offset the negative effect to some extent by using fluoro leaders of 6-8 feet in length. That little bit of "sinking tip", especially when paired with a , by brand, 5" Senko, helps me a lot. (The true SENKO, it seems, sinks more rapidly than other types and every little bit helps.)
Other helpful ideas; If you fish your 5" stick, T-rigged, with a 3/0 light wire hook, try a 3/0 or 4/0 heavy wire hook. More weight, get it? Maybe a Gamakatsu Superline hook.
I almost always insert a tiny glass w/metal beads rattle in my 5" sticks (To do this right is a challenge. You can't just jam one into the plastic.) That adds weight and an added attraction, especially when fishing a black/blue stick at night.
Buy some of those little ribbed "nails" at your local Academy and insert them into each end of the stick, if Wackied, or maybe half of one in the tail end of a T-rigged stick. Using a heavier wire hook will likely prevent the stick from falling tail-first. If it doesn't, further shorten the lead by snapping it off between the ribs. Make sure the lead is all the way into the plastic, totally invisible from the end view. Otherwise it will slip out in short order, being literally "pooped" out by compression of the plastic. A tiny drop of super glue prior to insertion helps.


Conclusion: Well, I'll leave that to you.


FR
Insomnia and too much time on my hands.