Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2021 - 35

outsource manufacturing. " The only
thing we still do onsite is the large and
small-sized Crinkle Worm, and we pour
our design lead jig heads, " said Herfurth.
Relying on his experience when he
fished the amateur bass circuits and his
research into what it takes to make a
certain-sized plastic bait fall optimally,
Herfurth came up with a particular
composition for his worms and lures.
" Salt makes the difference. There are a
wide variety of salts from very fine flour
salts to very coarse salt. The type and
amount of salt makes a difference in
our products. Where most plastic bait
manufacturers put a few tablespoons of
salt into 5 gallons of plastic, I put 5- to
7-pounds of salt into 5 gallons of mix.
Bright yellow packaging fills the aisles of Wacky Worm. Louis Herfurth's goal of displaying
Fish bite and hold on, " said Herfurth.
the most plastic baits in the area has exceeded expectations with 3- to 5-million pieces of
Complimenting Wacky Worm's soft
plastic baits on display at any one time.
plastic baits, Herfurth developed a line
of lead jig heads. " On our jig heads, the
catch (keeper) is made of stainless steel
technique, and another called the " Stubby " for Ned rigging and
and is molded right into the jig head itself. Unlike others, these
the Crinkle Worm.
will not break or give out, " said Herfurth.
" In our full-service tackle shop, we also carry a vast
" We have grown a lot. For example, we manufacture 52
assortment of baits manufactured by other companies. We have
different colors in our 51/2-inch Wacko. In the store, we display
between 3- to 5-million pieces of plastic on display, and we have
14,000 or 15,000 Wackos in bags of 50, plus thousands of
another 2- to 3-million plastic baits in storage on site. I think
Wackos in 10-count bags. " The most popular Wacko last year
we now qualify as one of the world's largest in-store displays of
was the 51/2-inch Green Pumpkin Candy.
plastic baits, " said Herfurth.
" Fishing guides who work on the Susquehanna River
and purchase our baits tell us all they need is a supply of our
More information
Swim Minnow in the Sun Perch color to keep clients happy, "
The first rubber or plastic worm for fishing was
said Herfurth. The Herfurth family also manufacture plastic
a product of Nick and Cosma Creme who, in 1949,
tubes and what he calls the " Shaky Worm " for the drop-shot
brewed a combination of pigments, oil, and vinyl in
their Akron, Ohio, basement that ended up molded
into a realistic-looking earthworm. The famous Creme
Wiggle Worm soon became the go-to for bass anglers
in the south. Creme's worms were fished in a natural
manner, and many anglers dressed their Texas rigs or
Carolina rigs with the worms. In 1991, Jeff Cammerino,
a Pennsylvania resident, registered a trademark for
Jersey Riggs. Cammerino said he watched a caterpillar
fall from a tree into the water, and as he watched it
sink and twitch on the way down, a bass gulped it. He
developed a 31/2-inch, pencil-thin, plastic bait more to
simulate larvae than an earthworm. It was specifically
designed to be hooked in the middle, and it was called
fishing the 'Jersey-Rig' style. A few years later, Gary
Yamamoto developed the Senko, and it too was to be
hooked in the middle. Thus, wacky rigging a plastic
worm became popular.
A variety of jig heads produced by Wacky Worm include the Tip-Up
(upper left) that is constructed to hold the bait off the bottom. Moving
clockwise is the mushroom head, the sled head, the shaky head, and the
tube head. The ' " catch " or " keeper " is made of stainless steel and molded
Wacky Worm
into the lead heads. The sled head is fashioned to " swim " the bait. Most
www.wackyworm.com
jig heads are available from 1/16-ounce to 5/8-ounce.
www.fishandboat.com

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * January/February 2021

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2021

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