O Rings VS Shrink Tube for wacky rigging Senkos

[NHbassfisherman]

So for as long as I can remember, I have always used the traditional O Ring for my wacky rigged Senkos. I also use the traditional yellow plastic tool to put the O Rings on. Been seeing a lot of great reviews about the newest Wacky Rigging tool/pliers. Heres my question. I can get like 500 O Rings from a buddy of mine for like $20. Yes, I do lose my fair share of Senkos and just come back with the O Ring on the hook. Is it cheaper to use the shrink tube and those new plier kits, or just watched a video on youtube where he just used shrink tube, and it slid right on the senko w/o having to use a special set of pliers. Just heated the shrink tube up just a bit and good to go.

[DrewFlu33]

Shrink tube works and I think it's better than O-rings, but it does get hard and want to slide off and crack.

For what it's worth, I've been selling "kits" of silicone tubing and the rigging tools on the giant Facebook groups for $20 for the pliers and 4 feet of tubing in the size of your choice + $2.50 extra per foot of tubing (free shipping). I have it in three sizes, basically finesse worm, Trick Worm / small Senko, and Senko size. It's easy to find the pliers on eBay, but the tubing is really tough to track down as "normal" silicone tubing has a 1 mm thick wall that's too thick and so messes with hook penetration and hookup ratios. Because I was stubborn and wanted to try it without giving the "name brand" the outrageous amount they wanted for it, I ended up sourcing it from a manufacturer and had to buy a BUNCH. So I sort of accidentally ended up in the wacky tubing game.

I was actually in contact with Al about becoming a sponsor but he stopped responding to my emails, I'm sure due to getting busy and having other things on his plate and probably partially because I can be a pain in the butt, and I haven't pursued it since. It went well for some time, I suppose because I'm not charging $10 for 7 inches, but my sales slowed way down after the season got rolling. I really thought it would be the opposite. Maybe in winter time there are just more people sitting around thinking about fishing while during the season they're too busy actually doing it. I know I buy more stuff during the offseason....though I digress.

[fishingonthemind]

Go with Drew Flu's kit. Works better than o rings and shrink tubing.

[School Master]

DrewFlu customer checking in. Best option out there. Works awesome for weightless wacky and neko rigging too

[Quillback]

I have never heard of this silicone tubing and the pliers deal. So do you just slide the worm into a section of the tubing and then crimp it with the special pliers?

I have used heat shrink tubing for a while now, main complaint is that after catching a fish, the tubing will runup over the hook shank and has to be pulled down to fish again. Sounds easy to correct, but actually it's a bit of a PITA, but a least the Senko is usually still there and useable. O-rings for me have general meant one fish and the Senko is trashed.

[MCIPinkie]

The G7 rings work great, just over priced. I just bought a meter (39 inches) of tube on line for $7.00.

It's out there. Look for it.

I just use needle nose pliers instead of the "tool". Work well and don't have to worry about another tool in the boat.

[okiebass]

what is the type of tube u used ?

[OkobojiEagle]

What's with the pliers? If you're using shrink tubing, aren't you using a piece of tubing with a diameter large enough to slide on easily then heating with flame to shrink snugly?

oe

[rat0502]

Drew' deal is not shrink tubing. It's thin walled silicone tubing and you stretch it just slightly over the bait and it shrinks back like an oring but appears to have the benefits of shrink tube. No heat.

[DrewFlu33]

Yep, that's right. It's a lot softer than shrink tube as well.

If you guys are finding it elsewhere I say go for it! All I know is that I spent several hours searching and all I could find was stuff with a 1 mm thick wall. Bought some and tried it, then found out how the brand names were getting away with charging what they were for their stuff. The 1 mm thick wall is just too thick, too stiff. It doesn't allow the hook to move through it and I was missing a bunch of fish.

So I figured out a way to get it, another fun adventure before finding someone who would listen/work with me, but I had to buy it 100 yards at a time. Then I found that there are many different grades of silicone tube. I went through 1 "food grade" variety and 3 "industrial grade" varieties before finding the one I thought was best, so I bought a bunch. Then I found a source for high quality, spring loaded (because that's a complaint a lot have with the name brand), stainless pliers and started selling it. Figured I could make a little money, save guys a bunch over the name brand, and basically have most guys set for quite a long time with just the one purchase. In full disclosure, by the time I pay for the tubing, pliers, padded envelope, and postage, I make about $5-7 a kit depending on how much tubing goes in it.

[cbburke74]

where is this drew's magic kit to order :)

Would like to check it out ..

[rat0502]

where is this drew's magic kit to order :)

Would like to check it out ..

on its way to me��. Seriously though, I pm'd him and he sent me the info.

[MCIPinkie]

I don't know how to copy and paste a link, or if we are allowed.

I used 1/4" ID x 5/16" OD silicone tube from Amazon.

I use Zoom Magnum Finesse worms almost exclusively.

This stuff is great. Should fit Senkos etc.

48 pieces to the foot if 1/4" long.