How to Rig a Cane Stick  

Texas Rigged – This is probably going to be the number one way many of the bass fishermen will fish the Cane Stick. Simply run the hook through and rig it Texas style, this will give you a slow presentation that will let the natural action of the Cane Stick catch fish for you. I generally fish this on a baitcaster; 7ft medium action rod spooled with 12lb to 15lb fluorocarbon line. If you are looking to fish the bait a little faster than I will rig the Cane Stick on a Big Bite Weighted EWG hook. This allows me to feel the bait better and keep contact with what the bait is doing if I am fishing in windy conditions.

Wacky Rig – Wacky rig has caught on big the last few years. To rig your Cane Stick wacky bend the bait in half to find the middle, and run your hook through the middle of the bait. When looking at the bait you will have equal lengths on each side of the hook that will move as the bait is falling through the water. I generally fish this on a 7ft medium action spinning setup, spooled with 8lb to 10lb fluorocarbon line. What I rig as my hook will vary as to the condition I am fishing. If I am fishing my wacky rig shallow I will rig the Cane Stick on a worm hook with no weight, but in windy conditions or if I am fishing a little deeper water I will use the Big Bite Weighted EWG hook. If I am presenting the wacky Cane in deeper water conditions I will opt to use a Big Bite Wacky Jig Head. It is critical that you do not over power the bait; match the weight of the jig head to the depth of the water that you are fishing to be able to keep a constant feel of the bait. The key to fishing a wacky rig is let the bait fall on a semi slack line, most of the time when you get bites it will be when the bait is falling; so pay close attention. If you do not get a bite lift the bait and let it fall again on a semi slack line. 

Jig Head – This is my go to bait when the bite gets extra tough. The slow fall of the Cane Stick with the built in action will trigger allot of bites when other baits will not even get another look. I rig the Cane Stick on a ball head or a mushroom jig head (1/16oz to 3/16oz). I will fish this rig on a 7ft medium action spinning setup; spooled with 6lb to 8lb fluorocarbon line. If the bite is tough you will get more bites on the 6lb test line, but remember the trade off here is to retie often. Make your cast and let the bait settle to the top of the weeds or the bottom, gently move the bait. Many times you may not feel the bite you will just see your line start to move. Reel down and set the hook.