DECOY - WORM217 ZERO-DAN WORM HOOK MADE IN JAPAN

Decoy Worm217 Zero-Dan Worm Hook — Made In Japan

The Worm217 is the core model of Decoy’s Zero-Dan family — the version the rest are tuned away from. Zero-Dan means “zero leader down shot”: a down shot with the leader between hook and sinker removed, so the weight sits at the hook eye. Here the two are joined through a swivel, which is what gives the rig its particular fall. The sinker leads and drops in a straight vertical line rather than pendulum-swinging away, so the bait goes down the side of a piling or dock post and stays there instead of drifting out of the zone. The sinker is the DS-6 Type Stick, a slim shape chosen for slip-through above all else, and the swivel lets the worm answer the rod without the rig twisting. Decoy added the small sizes for bait finesse tackle, which makes this the Zero-Dan to reach for when the fish have seen everything else.

Key Features

• Complete zero leader down shot rig, hook and sinker supplied assembled
• Sinker and hook joined through a swivel for a high-response, free-moving bait
• Straight vertical fall with the sinker leading, for accurate drops beside structure
• DS-6 Type Stick sinker, shaped for slipping through cover
• Offset hook keeps the point buried in timber and weed
• Small sizes suited to bait finesse tackle and light line
• NS Black finish; four sizes stocked, #3 to #5/0

How To Rig It

• Mounting the worm — Rig it as a Texas worm. Enter the nose, thread down until the eye is buried, exit the underside, slide the bait against the sinker, rotate the hook and set the point back into the body. A straight bait will not spin.
• Dropping on structure — Pitch to the base of a piling or dock post and let it fall on a controlled line. Because the weight leads straight down, the bait lands where you aimed. Watch the line for the take.
• Shaking on the spot — Once it is down, shake the rod tip without moving the sinker. The swivel lets the worm work while the weight stays put — the reason this rig keeps producing on pressured water.
• Which Zero-Dan to pick — Worm217 is the light, high-response model: DS-6 Type Stick, 2.5–7 g, for pilings, light cover and finesse work. Worm317 Zero-Dan Heavy runs a DS-8 Type Drop sinker from 3.5 g to 18 g for weed mats and dense cover. Worm313 Zero-Dan Rock is the saltwater build, 14–21 g in tin (Aqua Block) plating for boulder ground and surf.

Target Species By Region

• Southeast Asia — Barramundi (siakap) and mangrove jack down jetty legs and bridge pilings, peacock bass and hampala barb (sebarau) around submerged timber, juvenile giant snakehead (toman) in light cover.
• North America — Largemouth and smallmouth bass on docks, laydowns and bridge columns; the #5/0 for big worms on deeper structure.
• Japan & East Asia — Black bass on high-pressure reservoirs and canals, where the rig was developed, plus light rockfish work on the smaller sizes.
• Australia, Middle East & Europe — Australian bass and sooty grunter around snags; perch and zander on harbour walls and canal structure; bream on estuary pontoons.

Specifications

All sizes NS Black. Decoy list the Worm217 from #4 to #5/0; the four sizes above are stocked here. Made in Japan by Katsuichi (Decoy).

Recommended Pairing

• #3 to #1: light spinning or bait finesse tackle, PE 0.6–1.0 braid with an 8–12 lb fluorocarbon leader
• #5/0: medium-heavy baitcaster, PE 1.5–2.5 or 14–20 lb fluorocarbon
• 2–4 inch straight worms, small craws and grubs on the light sizes; 5–7 inch worms on the #5/0
• Fish it on a semi-taut line so you register the sinker touching down