Prespawn Fishing – The Bass Fishing Life

Every few years a new lure or technique sweeps across the bass fishing world. The latest presentation is called the Inu Rig - pronounced Ee-nuu. Setting Up the Inu Rig If you are interested in setting up your own Inu Rig, you will need the following items. Finesse Worm Coffee Stir Sticks (Hollow) 2/0 Wacky Rig Hook Super Glue Scissors #2 Split Ring Soft Plastic Worm Choices for the Inu Rig In my testing, I used a Strike King Perfect Plastics Finesse Worm. It is a 7in model. There are a variety of worms that will work, but if I had to pick the ideal soft plastic, it would be the 7in version but also slightly wider in diameter, or thicker. Inserting the straw through the plastic is not difficult, but would be easier in plastic worms that offered a little more width - especially at the tail end of the worm. I did not try a worm made from Elaztech because it would be difficult to rig. The natural characteristics of Elaztech allow for extreme flexibility. Rigging hooks can be challenging at times, let alone inserting tubing or a straw through the plastic. If this process could be done without fighting the stretchiness of the Elaztech, I do believe this would be the ideal worm for fishing the Inu Rig. Setting Up the Inu Rig (Step-by-Step Process) Step 1: Slide the 2/0 wacky rig hook down the line. Do not tie the hook, but slip it down the line much like you would with a worm weight. Step 2: Take the soft plastic worm and the coffee stir stick. Insert the stick at an angle down through the worm above the egg sack. Then skewer the worm just below the egg sack, at an angle, going back the other direction. Finally, skewer the worm one last time near the tail. It is important to insert the straw at an angle. This will allow the line to slide through easier and create better action for the Inu Rig. Be sure to insert the straw at an angle and not perpendicular to the worm. This will help the line slide through the straw with less resistance and make for a livelier action. Step 3: Take the super glue, slide the worm to the side, and then place a drop of glue on the straw. Move the worm back over where it was placed initially and let it dry. Repeat this step for all three locations where the straw is placed through the worm. Here is the worm fully skewered. Be sure to experiment with the final straw placement. You can move it closer to the tail to change the action. Step 4: Use the scissors to trim the straw as close to the worm as possible. Step 5: Tie off the loose end of the line, below the tail, with the #2 split ring. This is how you can use a split ring to tie off the line. Some anglers like to place another hook here, but that is up to you. Step 6: Skin hook the 2/0 wacky rig hook and be sure to place the eye right over the straw. This will help allow for less friction and better action. Take the time to ensure the hook eye is directly over the tube/straw. Fishing the Inu Rig The Inu Rig can be fished similar to a traditional wacky rig. I did underwater video tests with the rig being fished on the drop, on the bottom and swimming. (Struggling with only catching small bass? Here is an article that may help.) Here is a video with actual footage from my testing. https://youtu.be/Qym0ZLa5RYE The Inu Rig coils while twitched on the drop. Fishing the Inu Rig on the Drop When watching the Inu Rig fall on a slack line, it reminded me a lot of a wacky rig. Not necessarily the shimmy type action when dropping, but when the rig was twitched. I definitely feel that this vertical presentation can be effective around docks, bluffs, bridges, sea walls, and other types of structure and cover where you would fish a wacky rig with a vertically-based presentation. There is a lot of action when the Inu Rig is twitched, so at times it may scare the bass coming to look at it if they are not in a more aggressive mood. Here, the Inu Rig is resting on the bottom. While twitching, there is a nice life-like action, but the rig is easily hung on debris. Fishing the Inu Rig on the Bottom This is probably where I was the least impressed with how the lure looked underwater, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work or is a bad way to use this rig. With the nature of the rigging process, it easily snags on loose debris like vegetation, leaves, muck, etc. If the waters you fish have a rocky composition, I think you will have less frustration with the Inu Rig when fished on the bottom. This image was taken with the camera directly below the rig. Both the silhouette and action impressed me. Swimming the Inu Rig This is where I was most impressed. When the Inu Rig is brought back with a horizontal presentation it presents a silhouette and action that is something unlike I have seen before. It resembles a snake when at rest and then has a unique kick to it when twitched. There are times when I can picture this rig being very effective. I would try it during the same time of year and conditions when a floating worm presentation may be used. I also think that the Inu rig could be dynamite on cruising bass that ignore most offerings. During my testing, the action I liked the best occurred when the Inu Rig was twitched on a slack line. This imparted enough energy to make the rig come to life, but wasn’t so much action that it would startle wary bass. Final Thoughts on the Inu Rig It will be interesting to watch this presentation over time. I’m sure there will be many modifications to it as anglers experiment. Will this rig be a mainstay in the bass fishing world? Will it be nothing more than a gimmick? We’ll find out. However, I learned my lesson when the Drop Shot rig swept across the nation. I felt I was the last one to embrace it and now it is a staple presentation throughout the year that I count on. I will definitely give the Inu Rig a legitimate chance to prove itself. Be safe. Good luck and be sure to encourage someone today. You never know how you may change their life forever. Isaiah 6:8