Shakyhead surprise
Simple jig, worm combo might be key to more action from bass of all sizes
By Steve Vantreese - July 25, 2009

Randy Kuhens hoists an exceptional 8-pound, 4-ounce bass that he took off deep water structure on a shakyhead jig and worm via spinning gear.

"That's the biggest misconception about shakyhead fishing, that you just catch small fishing doing it," Kuhens said. "Yes, you're going to catch a lot of small bass that you might not have caught some other way, but you're going to catch big fish, too. You just sometimes have to go through several small ones to get to the big ones."

The shakyhead jig is simply a leadhead molded onto a bass-sized hook, usually of relatively light wire. Most include some kind of "keeper" to hold a soft plastic lure threaded onto the shank and up to the head more securely.

There is no other dressing on the jighead - no silicone skirt, rubber strands, hair, etc. - and it is typically fished with a smaller, finesse variety plastic worm rigged self-weedless "Texas-style" with the point buried in the body of the worm.

The jighead and worm combination got its name from the means by which some of its earlier practitioners learned to give it action in the water to attract bass, by shaking it with a subtle rod tip wiggle.

Kuhens, retired from a day job and now fishing fulltime as he builds a client base as a Kentucky Lake guide, got into shakyhead fishing after hearing how many bass tournament co-angler, back-of-the-boat entrants were catching on the technique behind professional fishermen.

Kuhens credits friend and fellow Marshall countian Brandon Hunter with getting him started with the right tools and tips for shakyheading. Hunter, who won in the Co-Angler Division of the FLW Tour's June event on Kentucky Lake, plugged into the shakyhead trend as it swept through among co-anglers - and pros, too - on the FLW circuit.

After using the technique for about a year, Kuhens said shakyheading now dominates his fishing.

Finesse worms come in 7- and 4-inch lengths, but the shakyhead jigs catch bass of all sizes.

"I fish the shakyhead as my first choice, at least 50 percent of the time," he said. "All other techniques together make up the other half of my fishing."

His adopted standard gear starts with a 3/16-ounce PJ's shaky jighead and a Strike King Super Finesse worm in green pumpkin color. He most often uses the slim 7-inch version of the ultra-stretchy, floating worm, but he drops back to the 4-incher if the "bite" is slow or fish somehow seem reluctant toward the larger wiggler.

He fishes the rigs on spinning gear using 6-foot, 10-inch Loomis rods, sticks made specifically for shakyheads.

Kuhens exclusively favors 10-pound Power Pro braided line tipped with a 10-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, the braid and fluorocarbon connected with a double "uni-knot."

"Making the line change has improved my fishing more than anything I can recall," Kuhens said. "The castability, feel and durability is second to none. With braid as my main line, I feel strikes I'd never feel even with all fluorocarbon. The braid combines strength with extreme sensitivity."

Kuhens uses the shakyhead rig extensively throughout the warm months on offshore structures in deeper water. He's worked extensively to search out and map with global positioning satellite gear his own series of fish-producing structures instead of relying on "community holes" that many ledge fishermen share.

His typical productive spots are mussel shell beds on which he can locate isolated rock piles.

Kuhens technique with the shakyhead is mostly just chunking out onto the irregular structures with the jig/worm combo, letting it go to bottom, then slowly bring it back with reel and rod movement while maintaining constant contact with the rocky, shell-littered bottom.

He pauses the jig and worm and shakes it in place with a mere quivering of the rod tip as seems to be required by the fish. If they eat it up with no special manipulation, fine. But if they want to play hard to get, Kuhens may stop the worm and shake it up to 20 times per pause.

"Usually the strike comes after the shake," he said.

If it is breezy and the bass are being cantankerous, Kuhens may let the wind work for his presentation.

"I may drift and let the lure drag through the shell beds," he said. "I only use the trolling motor to control the direction of the drift. A lot of the strikes come as the bait makes contact with a rock pile or other structure."

Kuhens finds that the minimal effort is needed to effectively set the hook with a shakyhead rig when a bass sucks it in. The non-stretchy combination of braided line and fluorocarbon leader with a light but extra-quick action of a 6-10 graphite rod bring the hook point through the worm and into the fish easily enough, he said. The beauty of the shakyhead may be that it produces more strikes than most other lures seem to attract.

"You will get more bites on it," Kuhens said. "You can go in behind somebody who's been fishing a big jig or a crankbait and catch fish that wouldn't bite for them. These ledges on Kentucky Lake are being beaten up - there's so many people fishing them nowadays - and the shakyhead will let you catch fish in highly pressured areas."

Kuhens thinks some people are spooked by the thought of losing good fish on light tackle.

"Some guys are afraid of it, and every now and then you might break off a fish, but you'll still catch more big bass because you'll get more strikes on a shakyhead," Kuhens said.

Kuhens said his best fish of this year - largemouth to 8 pounds, 4 ounces and a trio of smallmouth over 5 pounds - have yielded to the shakyhead and the spinning tackle.

"There are advantages that will catch more fish, and you can catch the big ones, too," he said.

"I really don't see any disadvantages. For me, the shakyhead is Plan A right now."

Talk bass and shakyhead fishing with Kuhens at Kick'n Bass Guide Service via e-mail at rk@kicknbass.net or at 270-703-6133.