Shakeyhead Setup

[Shibby]

This weekend I got on a good shakeyhead bite. I was about to leave when I broke the leader off my spinning setup. Instead of tying another leader I put the same head on a bait caster setup. Got just as many bites with the heavier line. That made me think, why use a spinning setup with a shakeyhead?

[SoInbassman]

I personally never fish a shakey head jig on a spinning rod. I'm a Baitcast guy and when I fish shakey heads I tend to fish them on the larger side, meaning bigger shakey jig with larger worms so I cant be of any help, some of our bigger fish have come on shakey heads with a large worm and I personally would not trust a spinning rod set up.

[Whopperstopper]

I like a spinning rod, Dobyn's Champion XP , that's 7 ft 3 inch med light. I use light line, 6 lb izorline. I think the small shaky heads and ned rigs allow the bait to move more natural.

I think a bait caster would be cumbersome for the 1/8 oz or smaller baits that I prefer.

[DaveBrabec]

Ive always fished a shakey head on a baitcaster with at least 12 lb line. Same with senkos .Cant get away with 6lb line here for the most part.

[XingEyeballs]

I primarily use a NRX 852 casting rod for shaky heads. Typically with 10-12# fluorocarbon. I’m a big fan of spinning rods but this is the rod I’ve settled on for shaky heads and I even fish a fair amount of Ned baits on this rod. Takes a good reel but I feel it excels for this.

[Alumicraft145]

Shakey head kinda got its start as a bait to fish behind boaters as a co angler. That's where the spinning gear and lighter line came from. That's where I heard about it, thru tourney results. I've fished some light weight worm rigs on casting gear, no reason a shakey head work couldn't be used. If your fishing deep, spinning might be easier to get it to the bottom. Funny, couldn't find my spot removed heads, opened a drawer by the coffee pot and they were there this morning. I use the heavier ones for spider grubs.

[SWbass]

my rod choice is kind of determined by jig weight and hook size that I am fishing

[96 Champ]

Dobyns Champ extreme 742 with Shimano SV TW 103. I use this mainly for my 1/8 oz shakey head. 15# braid to 8-10# flouro leader. Awesome set-up

[Walkabout7781]

I started with 10 lb FC line on a Chronarch/Shimano Compre 7'M. Worked fine. Changed to a Denali Attax 7'MH, Chronarch with 12 lb P-Line CXX copolymer & still did fine. I just can't see putting FC on a spinning reel, or trying to drive home a 4/0 hook with 6 lb line. I usually use a Zoom lizard (5" or 6"), a Netbait Slim Craw, or a V&M Swamp Hog Jr. If you don't try the Zoom lizards, you're screwing up!

[1Holeshot]

I fish a 6" Zoom worm on a 1/8 oz Big Bite or Owner Spot Remover and have no trouble casting it on a baitcaster.

Usually use 12 lb. mono or 20 lb. braid.

[bassnman81]

Lots of guys think of a shaky head as a finesse bait and use spinni ng gear. I don't, I only use baitcasters, 10lb Izorline, 1/4 wide gap jigs and big baits. I even use a bait caster with Ned rigs. Much more accurate and can make many more cast. I'm sure it doesn't hamper my fishing in any way.

[cidgrad]

I have always used a casting rod for shakey heads. Right now I use the ALX ENOX Hunch, 20# braid and 10# flouro leader.

[FryDog62]

Phenix Feather ML Fast baitcaster with Daiwa Alphas CT and 7 lb Sniper works for 80-90% of shakyheads for me. If I need to go heavier around cover, I move up to the same Feather but in MH with 12 lb fluoro.

[Les Young]

I'm using a lews lfs series reel on a 7Ft. finesse special icon series baitcasting rod from Dixie Custom Rods & it works great.

[carp_mstr]

I use bait caster for shakey heads. I throw mostly 10# Invisz in clearer water and 12# Invisx in stained water. I have used 6# Tatsu on a bait caster on Table Rock. I have used Diawa Pixys and Sols and now use Revo ALX's usually on a St. Croix Legend Xtreme med.

[Quillback]

my rod choice is kind of determined by jig weight and hook size that I am fishing

Yep, same here.

[DMart1]

Lots of guys think of a shaky head as a finesse bait and use spinni ng gear. I don't, I only use baitcasters, 10lb Izorline.

10lb is still "finesse" where I come from. Throwing shakey heads around docks at Lake of the Ozarks is 15lb - 20lb flouro for me

[plbass]

Use spinning gear here also with the lighter weights.

[DrewFlu33]

For me it depends how you're fishing it.

More generally, I suppose I'm a person who will occasionally use spinning gear even in applications where I could by with casting gear. Weightless flukes are one really good example, though blade baits and shakeyheads (most of the time) are others. The two main reasons for that is that, apples to apples (i.e., a spinning setup sized appropriately to what I'm throwing vs a casting setup sized appropriately), I can always cast something further with a spinning setup than with casting, and with spinning gear it is *much* easier to get something to fall straight down than with casting gear where you sometimes get the pendulum effect, especially with lighter weights on the end of your line. On the flip side, I also will throw some things on a casting rod that are usually thrown on a spinning rod. Those would be situations where I'm trying to cover water, fishing shallow, or around heavier cover. Then the casting gear shines for its increase in efficiency and power.

Bringing it back to the shakeyhead...Shallow water, heavier cover, shorter casts, covering more water, and/or heavier jighead? Casting gear. Longer casts in deeper water, lighter jighead, less cover, and/or hitting a specific spot offshore? Spinning gear.

[johnnybass]

Easier for me to get the really subtle shake holding the spinning rod. Same reason why I sometimes fish a small popping frog on a glx 783 with braid.