I hear a lot of talk about the Senko bait on this board. Believe it or not, I have never fished one. I don't know the slightest thing about them, other than what they look like. Please list your favorite way to fish this bait, how it is hooked, and what is the best presentation. Also tell me what your favorite color is or what is working right now. I promise to try it out at the local pond on Sunday.

Thanks, Terry G.

i fish the bait slowly opened hook style with no weight since they are pretty big and bulky u can cast them real far even with a bait caster. i just let it sink slowly and then every so often give it a twitch.when it hits the bottom i work it by pulling it a little and reel up the slack kinda like its crawling along the bottom so it stirs up a lot of mud and dirt. u should be kinda gentle with the senko's cause they tear uop real easy. i like to use the chartreuse with black fleck cause it stands out real well if u stir up the bottom.

I started fishing them this season and all I can say is awsome. It's such a simple idea I keep saying why didn't anyone think of this sooner. Why didn't I think of that. Oh well.

Anyways I fish it weightless with many bites happening on the drop. Once you've casted it pay attention don't leave too much slack in your line. I've fished fished it in the weeds, actually I fly line it, split shot it, dance it on the surface like topwater, and it's awsome jerk bait.

I was startig to get in to fishing the Bass Assins as an alternative to a crank baits after the spawn but once I started fishing the Senko found it swims better than either of them. It's a great twichin bait. I've even started throwing it in saltwater. I've thrown on a several outings and it's produced calico's, white seabass, sandbass, and halibut. I fished it in thick kelp fly lining it. The halibut and sandbass did come off the mud though. I'm sure I the if you drop shot it out there it would be killer but it gets torn up easily makinng it an expensive bait to be throwing like that. I'm going to ask a friend if he can make me some that are harder with a sardine, mackerel, anchovy, or brown bait color for using in saltwater.

Try these you'll like them. Use the shad color or pumpkin seed with a red flake. I've had a lot of luck with blue gill pattern too. Right now with all the heat I would recommend fly lining it and fishing it slow in the grass or off points in early morning or evening even better at night. Good luck.

Jerry G

Hey Terry, long time no see. Life treating you and the family good?

On the topic, Senko's kick butt. Weightless almost always, 2/0 or 3/0 EWG. Try to get the hook point out around the egg sack somewhere. The biggest factor I've noticed with the Senko, get it on straight as can be. I don't get bit nearly as much if there's even the slightest kink or curve.

Fishing it slow is the 'classic' approach, but experiment too. I've had a lot of patterns work.

Color is a weird one for me. I think I believe in "color bites" (one of Yamamoto's Prostaff uses the term, sorry I forgot the name). These are basically periods of time where particular colors work despite conventional wisdom. The reason I tend to concur comes from the clear w/red and black flake whic worked for me for months last year, no matter what body of water, time of day, or water conditions. Then one day it became hardly worth throwing. This year has seen the watermelon/lemon laminate and lemon/white (Kinami). But, 3 weeks ago, this bite slowed for me. I guess all this is to say, buy some different colors to cover the basic conventional theory. Then use what ever catches.

If you are into flipping, I'd pick up some Yamamoto Ika's. These things are awesome. I'd venture to say they will gain the same type of praise as the Senko once people catch on. They sink perfect w/out any weight, and are pretty durable too.

Amish Ed
You Can't Catch it again if
it's Dead!

Ed.. Are you hooking the Ikas the same way as you are with the Senkos?
I've heard that reverse hooking 'em work pretty good too..

Hey Ed. How are the folks down there in the border town treating you? All is well up here. I have been a little busy with work and trying to get settled in to a new home. I try to keep up on a couple boards now and then.

Maybe some of you folks with a digital camera can post a couple picks of thier favorite Senko rigging method along with thier favorite color. I appreciate all the help guys (and gals).

Tight Lines,
Terry G.

Terry,
Take a look at this site from Yamamoto's InsideLine:
http://www.insideline.net/articles/rigging-guide.html

It's the best I've seen on Senko rigging. Take a look at some of the other articles, too.
My go to color of Senko is 222. Watermelon with red and green flakes. Some call it the "christmas tree" Senko. Seems to always work for me!

another thing that you can do is pinch the tail of the senko, it gives
it a different kind of descent. also take a fat toothpick and insert
it into the top the senko keep it there for a while, remove it and
insert a glass rattle. if the wind picks up add a small bullet weight
1/16 to 1/8 depending on the wind and current. If the bite is tough like right now cast where the weedline ends in deeper water( 15to 20)
and shake in place. I have had success just shaking in place for as long as you can stand it and then some. if there's alot of chop on the
water try a faster worming type of cadence. My colors are Day, smoke w/silver flake. Night black with blue flake. good luck to all out there. JJ

Here's another tip.. grab a senko and look carefully at it. Notice that the tail section has an assymetrical taper to it. When hooking the senko weightless, try hooking it with the tail tapering upwards. You should try to hook the senko as staight as possible. Look again on the worm and you should also see a line (actually two lines) from head to tail. Use theses lines to guide you in hooking the worm straight. I use a 3/0 Owner J Hook when using the 5" and the hook should protrude just before or in the egg sack section of the worm. Have fun!

I appreciate all the help from those who posted. I went last night and gave it a try. The bite was terrible. Only one fish caught over a pound and there was 3 of us fishing. With those tough conditions, I couldn't justify fishing the big Senko for more than about 5 minutes. Thanks for the help though. I got about 5 small bass on 4" worms and 3" Yamamoto Grubs. I'll have to get out there again to seek revenge on those elusive Bass-turds.

Tight Lines,
Terry G.