After years of using simple worm hooks weedless with softbaits, I recently changed over to a new style of hook and suddenly found myself dropping fish. At first, I thought it might be my drag, my strike, or even the softbaits I was using — but after some testing on the water, it became clear that resistance in the rigging was the culprit.
Here’s what I learned about worm hooks, shank sliders, screws, and how small tackle tweaks can make a big difference in hook-up rates.
The Problem: Plastic Shank Sliders = Extra Resistance
With my old Gamakatsu worm hooks, hook-ups were consistent. No screws, no shank collars — just a simple EWG design. The softbait was pinned once at the nose, skin-hooked lightly along the back, and free to collapse instantly when a fish struck.
The BKK EWGs were different. They include a small plastic shank slider (a bait keeper ring fixed to the hook shank), designed to hold the softbait body in place and stop it sliding down. In theory, it keeps rigs neat. In practice, with thicker-bodied softbaits like 6–7” grubs and jerk shads, it created extra resistance.
Instead of the softbait collapsing freely, it felt pinned at both ends. That split-second delay in exposing the hook point was enough to cost me fish.
BKK EWG worm hook with plastic shank slider (bait keeper ring). Neat and secure, but adds resistance that can reduce hook-up rates when rigged weedless.
Testing Different Setups
I tried three ways of rigging:
- Slider in place + hook under skin – neat, weedless, but poor hook-ups.
- No slider + hook under skin – far better collapse, much better hook-up rate.
- Slider in place but grub slit along the back – a compromise; improved collapse but still not as good as no slider.
The winner was clear: ditch the plastic shank slider. The bait folded instantly under pressure, and the hook point popped free.
The Hook Screw Problem
Another issue I found was with the screws. The BKK hooks use a clip-style nose screw at the eye. While fine when dragging baits, I had them pop off under strike pressure from fish.
That led me to a cheap and effective fix: AliExpress corkscrew screws. For $5 I bought 50 of them, and they’ve been perfect. The corkscrew design threads securely into the nose of the bait and stays locked in during hits and fights.
BKK screw left vs AliExpress right. 
Left: BKK clip-on screw (prone to popping off on strikes). Right: AliExpress corkscrew screw — stronger and more reliable.
Key Takeaways
- Less resistance = more hook-ups. The softer the bait collapses, the faster the hook point drives home.
- Plastic shank sliders tidy up rigs but cost fish. If you’re missing hook-sets, try removing them.
- Upgrade weak hardware. Cheap corkscrew screws outperform clip-ons and keep baits secure.
- Keep experimenting. Sometimes small tackle tweaks make the biggest difference to your catch rate.
✅ Since making these changes, my weedless rigs have gone back to being consistent fish catchers. Whether dragging baits behind the kayak or working jerk shads around structure.
Note: These are my personal observations from time spent on the water. Rigging methods and results can vary depending on conditions, tackle, and angler preference.