Today’s review is on one of my favorite soft plastics, the Strike King Perfect Plastics Ocho. This style of bait has been around for a number of years now and as is common knowledge, was started by Yamamoto custom baits.
This style of bait is simple in design and has been copied by every manufacturer out there. You can get these straight worms in sizes ranging from 3 to 7 inches. The Ocho is produced in 5 and 7 in versions, the 5 inch being the one that I use most often.
These little pencil baits can be wacky-rigged, texas-rigged, thrown weightless or with a weight, even used as a trailer for some jigs. The beauty of these little baits is the very subtle action that is built into them. This action can be taken advantage of in all of the aforementioned rigging options.
This is one of the baits that I use when I am wacky rigging worms. Just a side note, I always carry two of the same bait class just to change up the action a bit if one is not working or quits working. The Ocho when wacky rigged will flutter down with both ends undulating. The angler doesn’t have to do anything to make this happen and sometimes, especially when fish are highly pressured, this is just the ticket to make them strike.
You can also just thread the Ocho onto a 5/0 wide gap hook and depending on the amount of the worm that you thread onto the hook, make the bait glide forwards, backwards or fall straight down with the tail fluttering. I prefer to rig it this way without any added weight but weight can be added to get the Ocho deeper, quicker.
Over the years, I have used just about every version of this style bait and now use just two, the Ocho being my go to bait. I don’t know if the fact that Strike King built this lure with eight sides has anything to do with it getting more strikes than similar lures or the addition of the caffeine scent to their plastic formula is the key. All I do know is that between those two factors and the colors offered, I have caught more fish on the Strike King Perfect Plastics Ocho than any other bait inS this class and let’s face it, one of the main factors in fishing is using a bait that you have confidence in and I have a great deal of confidence in this lure.
During the cold months, this is one of those baits that I have tied on at all times when I’m on the water. If you haven’t tried it, pick up a couple of packs with some wacky heads and some 5/0 wide gap hooks and give them a try. Just remember one little thing, most people tend to over fish or over work these baits. By that I mean that you have to let them do all the work. Cast them out, let them sink, pick them up off the bottom between 6 and 24 inches and then just let them fall back down.
In my experience with them, your strikes will usually come as the Ocho is falling on semi-slack line. Especially at this time of year, watch your line! If it just all of the sudden starts swimming off in another direction, reel down and set the hook! You might be pleasantly surprised.
See ya on the water…
I won a pack of 5″ and 7″ watermelon red Ocho’s from Strike King last year. I used the 5″ in my first club tournament of the year and it produced some key fish. In another tournament after I had my limit I turned to the 7″. Got one small upgrade on it.
The way I see it, the problem with these is that they aren’t very durable and they are kind of expensive.
Good to hear from you BP. I agree that the Ocho isn’t the most durable of baits but as far as the cost, Senko’s are almost $8 per pack, Dinger’s are $4.99, and the Ocho is $4.79 which is pretty much middle of the road for this type of bait.
I guess for me the fact that I consistently have caught more fish on the Ocho than other styles of this bait makes it worth the cost. Personnally, I would rather have an entire bag of baits torn up, along with my thumbs from lipping the fish that ate them, than only use a couple but not have the fish to show for my efforts. Once again, it’s just a confidence thing and I know that I will get the strikes and catch fish with this bait. See ya’ on the water …