How do you fish a Senko? I just can't do it!

[tnbassin]

Every magazine and mostly everybody talks about how great Senkos are. I have bought them and tried to fish them. I just don't get it . I always put my Senko rod back down and pick up my spinnerbait or crankbait rod. How do you fish a Senko in waters like there are in Tennessee. Mostly everything here is manmade lakes. I know I am missing the boat on this lure. Let me know!

Thanks

[James Harner]

Senkos are great baits that work especially well in a couple situations for me. One is to rig them weightless, wacky style and skip under docks (especially pre and post spawn). Another way I use them is texas rigged around vegetation, sometimes with weight and sometimes with out. When texas rigged, I find that the least amount of action imparted to the bait works best. But if the fish are on cranks and spinnerbaits, then give them what they want! Good luck.

[tomcat]

No expert here butI just started using them heavy this last year. Weightless texas rigged or with a small bullet weight if there's any wind and wacky rig i've been usinig weedless gamy hooks and a small splitshot right at the eye of the hook. Slow is the key for me it takes forever for it to sink. When I first started using I wasn't letting them sink all the way to the bottom and not catching very many fish. I was pulling them back way before they got in the strikezone so have patience and let them hit bottom. I have one laydown in about 12 foot of water I bet it takes at least 2 minutes for it to get to the bottom but i always get a fish or two off of it.
Justin

[SUPERCHUGBUG]

most of my succcess has been wacky rigged. just let them fall, and watch your line closely. these things work themselves.i think the slow fall makes them mad. they are deadly on suspended fish as they stay in the strike zone longer. don't give up on these things, they'll catch fish in almost any situation.

[Astro-T]

as Justin said.... Sloooooooooow!

[tuckerabbi]

Why do you makes you decide to use or not use weight

[shawn706]

Throw it out, let your reel birdnest, once you get the birdnest picked out set the hook. Repeat as necessary.

[herndonpro]

They work well on a carolina rig as well, especially when the fish have seen enough lizards and creatures. I like to use a fairly long leader and let it dance behind the wieght.

HP

[Luke]

there really isnt a wrong way to fish one......i use them wacky style, shakey head, c rig, t rig, jig head. all kinds of ways to fish one

[motomania]

I just really started fishing them this year. Like others, I love fishing them wacky style with a 3/0 heaviest (3/32 ?) Falcon hook, o-ring in the center and let them fall all the way to the bottom and leave it sit a few seconds.
-
On the retrieve, I bring the rod tip high with a few cranks to get it nice and high up off the bottom. But as I'm reeling, I repeatedly 'tick' the line on the retrieve to give some wiggle on the way back. Caught many fish that way.
-
When trolling from one spot to another, if you pass over suspended fish, cast back behind the boat and let it fall in front of those fish. That's a hoot nailing those guys!
-
But it is definitely a very slllllowww way to fish. But very effective!
-
Search the boards here, I think there were some other good posts on how to fish that I read this year to help me out.

[BRETT]

They are great to fish especially if you had a few of these the night before...throw it out let it fall....take a nap....works for me

[James Harner]

Wind, current, tides, and water depth all play a role in weather I fish a senko weightless or not.

[gatrboy52]

the biggest attractant of a senko is the shimmy of the bait on the fall.its like no other soft plastic.the profile is another but there are hundreds of the same profile that bass see everyday.to get the best action out of a "senko" it must be fished weightless,and wacky rigged will give you the best natural action. you can fish them anyway you would any other soft plastic but is most effective weightless wacky on slack line on the fall.DEADSTICKED.let it sit for at least 30 sec.then twitch it up off the bottom and let it sit again.this is a painfully slow presentation,but in the right circumstances,neutral or negative fish ,they cant stand it.i dont know about tenn. but in fla. in our shallow weedy lakes its killer.
i only fish the "senko" in tx. on tough bites,they are to expensive for me. i use knok offs the rest of the time but its not the same.

[colreb2000]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gatrboy52 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the biggest attractant of a senko is the shimmy of the bait on the fall.its like no other soft plastic.the profile is another but there are hundreds of the same profile that bass see everyday.to get the best action out of a "senko" it must be fished weightless,and wacky rigged will give you the best natural action. you can fish them anyway you would any other soft plastic but is most effective weightless wacky on slack line on the fall.DEADSTICKED.let it sit for at least 30 sec.then twitch it up off the bottom and let it sit again.this is a painfully slow presentation,but in the right circumstances,neutral or negative fish ,they cant stand it.i dont know about tenn. but in fla. in our shallow weedy lakes its killer.
i only fish the "senko" in tx. on tough bites,they are to expensive for me. i use knok offs the rest of the time but its not the same. </TD></TR></TABLE>

What he said. You can catch em year round. I am a big Wave worms fan myself (Tiki Stick)

[tnbassin]

I am sure there have been polls taken on best brands of senkos, but which is truly the best? A guy at work swears by Yamamoto. He says it is in the way it moves. I also assume everyone has entered their favorite color on a poll. His is watermelon red flake. What is yours? By the way, I heard sloooowww many times in this string of messages. My biggest problem is slooooowwwing down but I will give it another try!!! Thanks

[gatrboy52]

which is the best is a loaded ? w/ no right answer.there is only one senko and it is proven.imitated but not duplicated.but way too expensive.you cant fish a senko too slow.i feel its MOST effective on neutral or negative mood fish. bass that arent actively feeding and arent in the mood to bite.deadsticke(not moving at all) is an instinctive,curiosity bite.it defies the norm but i can tell you at times its the only way to get bit.

[motomania]

Like gatrboy said, weightless and wacky style is my method of choice. But to clarify a bit on my above post.
-Using a weighted hook tends to speed up the fall through the water, and it also tends to increase the rate of pulse/flutter of the ends of the bait.
-I can't say that I've noticed any adverse effects from fishing it weighted, and it helps to cover a litttle more water on every cast. (but not much )

[tuckerabbi]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by motoman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I just really started fishing them this year. Like others, I love fishing them wacky style with a 3/0 heaviest (3/32 ?) Falcon hook, o-ring in the center and let them fall all the way to the bottom and leave it sit a few seconds.
-
On the retrieve, I bring the rod tip high with a few cranks to get it nice and high up off the bottom. But as I'm reeling, I repeatedly 'tick' the line on the retrieve to give some wiggle on the way back. Caught many fish that way.
-
When trolling from one spot to another, if you pass over suspended fish, cast back behind the boat and let it fall in front of those fish. That's a hoot nailing those guys!
-
But it is definitely a very slllllowww way to fish. But very effective!
-
Search the boards here, I think there were some other good posts on how to fish that I read this year to help me out.</TD></TR></TABLE>

What do you mean by tick your line

[motomania]

Oh sorry.......when I'm raising my rod tip up, and bringing the senko in just a bit, the line is taught. I use a spinning reel, so I use my middle finger and tap (press rapidly) my line with my middle finger(pressing the line in towards the rod a couple inches right by the reel/bail, several times a second).
-This way, as the bait is coming up on taught line, as opposed to it just having a steady bow (or curve/arc) to the bait from the resistence of the water; it actually quivers/pulses a bit as it's coming up too.
I've caught loads of fish as I'm raising it up off the bottom, and giving it that 'ticking' kinda motion to the line/bait.
-
It's kinda hard to explain, but the best analogy I could use, would be like a bass (music here ) guitarist having a lot of play in the strings on the guitar (not slack), and actually 'thumping' his strings on the guitar; to where they almost touch the guitar. Thumping the strings hard enough to press them in an inch or 2. (imagining they're loose enough on the guitar, and raised up off the instrument about 2-3 inches)

[tuckerabbi]

thanks douglas. That sounds very interesting