Shaky head fishing is one of the best ways to catch a lot of bass when the conditions are tough. I’ve been in plenty of situations that call for a shaky head, but I’ve always had a hard time finding one I had confidence in. I’ve been using the Missile Baits Warlock Head lately and I’m very pleased with it for 4 reasons.
- Sturdy, sharp hook
- Great hookup ratio
- Comes through cover well
- Keeps baits in place
Sharp and strong Gamakatsu hook
I’ve fished with a lot of shaky heads that have bent, warped and even broken in half. Just because shaky head fishing is primarily a finesse technique, doesn’t mean they have to be fragile and dainty. When John Crews developed the Missile Baits Warlock Head, he used premium components to turn it into a beast.
The 3/0 Gamakatsu hook holds up to a lot of abuse, whether you’re fishing rock piles, brush piles or even docks. It stays sharp throughout the fishing day and, most importantly, it doesn’t bend. You can try and bend it with your hands, but it won’t happen. Hang-ups are a rare occurrence with the Warlock Head, but if you happen to get it wedged in cover, you can yank and pull on it without any loss of integrity.
Great hookup ratio
Many shaky heads with spring bait holders have a poor hookup ratio due to a lack of space between the spring and the hook point—the bass simply don’t have much room to get the hook. The Warlock Head, however, comes equipped with a much shorter spring that allows for an extra-wide bite between the hook point and spring, which has resulted in a great hookup ratio for me.
The line tie of the Warlock Head is also at a perfect angle. As the shaky head stands on the bottom, the slightly angled line tie promotes solid hookups in the hard upper region of the bass’ mouth. When you set the hook, the hook point is popped upward and into the sweet spot. If you can hook a bass in the roof of its mouth, you’ll have a great chance at getting it into the boat.
Comes through cover very well
The unique head shape of the Warlock Head has allowed me to fish deep cover without any problems whatsoever. Whether I’m fishing deep brush or rip rap, I’ve had very few hang-ups with this shaky head.
I’ve actually discovered that I get more bites when I allow the Warlock Head to wedge into cover and simply shake it in place for a few seconds. With many other shaky heads, this would be impossible because you wouldn’t be able to get the head dislodged. With the Warlock Head, I just hold my rod tip high and lightly pop upward to get it free.
Spring keeps bait in place
I’ve ruined countless soft plastic baits with shaky heads in the past. After a few skips underneath docks, the spring rips through the head of the bait, rendering it totally useless. The Warlock Head’s smaller spring does a great job at holding your favorite soft plastic in place.
This spring also doesn’t gouge your baits when inserted. It inserts smoothly and quickly into the head of your bait, saving both time and money. I have even reused several soft plastics later in the day on the Warlock Head.
Not everyone likes to throw a shaky head, but it’s still an important tool for anglers as it can save you in tough fishing conditions. The bass are still pretty deep in most parts of the country, and I suggest looking into the Warlock Head for your deep cover fishing needs. They’re priced at $4.99 per 3-pack and will make shaky head fishing much less frustrating.
The Missile Baits Warlock Head is available at TackleWarehouse.com.
