A shaky head is one of the best finesse bass fishing rigs around and really shines in tough fishing conditions or when you just need a bite. When fished properly this simple rig catches both numbers as well as big bass. But having the right shaky head worm tied on can make a huge difference.
The key to shaky head fishing is finding a worm that the bass are reacting to. With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of the 7 best shaky head worms out on the market today that flat out catch fish.
The 7 Best Shaky Head Worms
1. Zoom Trick Worm
The zoom trick worm is an all-time great shaky head worm. Anglers have been catching fish on this worm for decades. It can be a big time producer for both size and quality. When paired with a shaky head jig, the tail stands up to give it optimal action with even the slightest movement of your rod. This worm was built to maximize your fishing success and is one of the best worms in the business. If you haven’t already, go out and give the zoom trick worm a try, it won’t disappoint. Here is a link to the bait on amazon if you want to check it out it: Zoom Trick Worm
Best Colors: California 420, Green Ppk, Green Pumpkin Orange
2. Roboworm Fat Straight Tail Worm
The Roboworm Fat Straight Tail worm is a dream shaky head worm that flat out catches fish. This finesse worm will turn on even the most even the most pressured bass. The soft plastic design of the Roboworm gives it a ton of action with the slightest movement driving bass crazy. I highly recommend you giving this bait a try if you haven’t already. This bait simply gets it done. Go check it out! Roboworm Fat Straight Tail Worm
Best Colors: MM III, Aaron’s Magic, Aaron’s Morning Dawn
Make sure to check out My Recommended Bass Fishing Gear and Tackle Guide to ensure you have the right gear for your next fishing adventure.
3. Strike King KVD Fat Baby Finesse Worm
The Strike King KVD Fat Baby Finesse worm is a killer shaky head bait. It also works great on a drop shot rig as well. This bait has a little bit bigger profile than some of the other shaky head baits. The bigger size coupled with the cupped shaped tail gives it a lot of action and causes a lot of water displacement. It’s also available in a variety of colors to best match your local fisheries. This bait attracts and catches fish hands down. Here is an amazon link if you interested in checking it out: Strike King KVD Fat Baby Finesse Worm
Best Colors: Candy Craw, Moon Juice, Double Header, Green Pumpkin Purple Swirl
4. Big Bite Baits Squirrel Tail Worm
This bait was specially designed to be fished on a shaky head by Jeff Kriet an Elite Series Pro. He designed this bait so that the end of the tail floats. The floating tail gives this bait a tantalizing quiver that bass simply can’t resist. On a shaky head jig, this bait stands straight up and dances across the bottom as you give it light twitches and shakes. This is one of the most unique and best shaky head worms out on the market. The Squirrel Tail Worm gets bites when other baits simply won’t. Go give this bait a try. You won’t be disappointed. Amazon usually has the bait for a good price: Squirrel Tail Worm
Best Colors: Green Pumpkin, Easy Money, Tilapia
5. Berkley Havoc Bottom Hopper
The Berkley Havoc Bottom Hopper and its bigger brother the Fatty Bottom Hopper are great shaky head worms. These baits are ideal in finesse fishing situations or when you just need to get a bite. The Bottom Hopper was designed by Larry Nixon who is arguably one of the best worm fisherman the sport has ever known. Bottom line, this is a great shaky head worm that will produce when the bite gets tough.
Best Colors: Grn Pumpkin Red Flake, Black Emerald
6. Reaction Innovations Flirt Worm
This is one of the best shaky head worms you may ever own. The bass will just inhale this thing. This worm features a unique tail design that causes the tail of the worm to wave with even the slightest movement. The Reaction Flirt is a great worm that works great on any finesse technique but especially on a shaky head. Here is an Amazon link if you want to go check it out: Reaction Innovations Flirt Worm
Best Colors: Violator, Pride Shad, Dirty Sanchez, Spanish Fly
7. Z-Man Finnesse Wormz
The Z-Man Finnesse Wormz is a soft durable worm that excels when fished on a shaky head rig. This bait is designed to be naturally buoyant so that the tail stands straight up making it great at imitating a bait fish feeding on the bottom. What I really like about this bait is its durability. It tends to last longer than the other worms mentioned in this list, but it is also super soft so it doesn’t lose a lot of action. It comes in a few different sizes and in a variety of colors. You can’t go wrong fishing with Z-Man Finnesse Wormz.
Best Colors: Watermelon/Red Flake, EZ Money, PB&J
Other Great Shaky Head Worms
Here is a list of other great shaky head worms that didn’t quite make the top 6, but are still great worms that any anglers shouldn’t hesitate to use.
• Strike King KVD Ocho
• Z-Man Bang Stickz
• Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Hit Worm
• Daiwa Yamamoto Neko Straight ( Baby Bass)
• Keitech Easy Shaker Worm (Electric Shad)
• Yamamoto Senko 5″ ( Green Pumpkin Blk Flk)
• NetBait T-Mac 6.5 (Texas Craw)
The combination of a shaky head and these plastic worms are a deadly combo all season long. For tips on how to fish a shaky head rig be sure to check out our article “Shaky Head Rig – Everything You Need To Know“.
Best Shaky Head Weights
Having the right combination of worm and jig is key if you want to have success fishing with a shaky head. You’ll want make sure that you are fishing with the right style as well as with the right weight.
A good rule to stick with is to use the lightest jig head weight that you can get away with. The lighter weight will give a more natural presentation and you will get snagged less. But it’s also important to make sure that your shaky head rig remains in contact with the bottom. In most situations I will use an 1/8 oz weight its calm outside and will switch up to 3/16th oz weight when it gets windy. With that being said its always important to adjust and adapt to the conditions and the body of water that you are fishing. As far as the jig head itself I prefer to only fish a shaky head with a screw lock. I find that its much easier to rig the worms this way.
Here are some of my favorite shaky head jigs
• Dirty Jigs Scott Canterbury 1/8 oz
• Strike King Mag Jig Head
• Big Bite Baits Gamakatsu Fin Twist Jig
• Dirty Jigs Stand Up Head
For some more information on how to work a shaky head, check out this article by Wired2Fish for some good tips.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this guide has helped you discover what kinds of shaky head baits are out there, and maybe even led you to get out there and fish one of these baits on a shaky head yourself. And if you do end up trying one of these baits, I hope it leads to a lot of successful fishing.