No Slack Senko Finishing 2025
Superdumper reply :
All season I have been trying to learn to fish senkos due to their versatility. I use braided line with a p line flourocleae leader. I tried fishing with a slack line but there is no sensitivity and any jump in the line I set the hook and 99.99% of the time its just the current moving it or I set the hook on a nice log/stick. So now I cast out wait for it to sink then reel in til I can feel the worm on a taut line holding the rod tip as low as I can. This has worked for me but I wanted to know am I doing it wrong and possibly missing out on other bites?
Ive read most articles and forum posts on senkos but little on fishing it with a taut line. I am looking for any advice i do not want to use flourocarbon seems too picky and that just adds another issue
Thanks in advance
iabass8 reply :
If you want to feel slack line bites, use straight fluorocarbon. Braided line + fluoro leader will not give you the same benefit of straight fluorocarbons slack line sensitivity.
ironmike12 reply :
How long is your leader? I tried using braid to skip senkos. It helps in the actual skip because braid comes off the spool easier, but I know I was missing bites. My partner was out fishing me 3-1. I now use all fluro.
nascar2428 reply :
When I see the line jump, I reel down the slack line and if I feel any pressure I set the hook. It takes time and patience to be an astute line watcher. Most of the time my line starts my moving in one direction, I watch for a couple of seconds then set the hook. I use hi vis yellow braid with a flouro leader. I do not know how anybody could see an all flouro line very well.
TrippyJai reply :
When it comes to fishing weightless, braid is the worse for slack line presentation. I absolutely hate it. I only use braid when there is weight to the rig or lure. Fluoro will have more sensitivity, but nothing wrong with a quality mono/co-polymer.
What you want is control slack line. As in just enough slack in the line for the bait to free fall. Watch your line and if you see it jump or move, reel down and set.
Alonerankin2 reply :
I just spooled up a Bright orange flourescent braid, with a Flourocarbon leader for senko work, will I like it? Idk... I am a line watcher and d**n good at it... I will give it try, Likely in fall though so I always wondered if it could be added to florocarbon a uv additive to see it better? Idk... But good FC is good at slack line feel... But pricey
Hyrule Bass reply :
use mono, and you have to watch your line. if youre fishing shallow, then the mono will float and be easier to see moving off to the side when i fish grabs the bait and swims off with it....
iabass8 reply :
On 7/17/2014 at 7:33 AM, Red Earth said:use mono, and you have to watch your line. if youre fishing shallow, then the mono will float and be easier to see moving off to the side when i fish grabs the bait and swims off with it....
That's actually incorrect. While mono works, it isn't the best tool for the job. Though mono is buoyant and does indeed aid in helping to line watch, its buoyancy is also it's biggest downfall. Being as mono floats and isn't a dense line, it is naturally bowed and creates a drag in the water and you are not in "complete" contact /w your bait. I say" complete" because you are obviously tied onto the bait. Fluorocarbon, being a dense line, doesn't have the bow or drag that mono does thus ensuring you are in direct contact /w your bait. I will say, being an avid finesse walleye fisherman in the spring/fall, mono definitely has its place shallow but weightless presentations is not one of them.
rippin-lips reply :
A good quality fluoro is the BEST choice for slack line sensitivity. That's not to say a braid/fluoro combo won't work though. I use #10 pp braid with a #6 sunline fc leader about 4ft long on my spinning rod when fishing a wacky worm or weightless senko. I also use braid/fluoro a good bit on some of my casting rods. You'll get used to detecting bites with more time on the water.
Bassguytom reply :
I also use a braid/flouro combo. Try a 1/0 Gammy Octapus hook. When you see the line jump reel down and keep pressure you will catch a lot more fish. It will take some getting used to NOT setting the hook but are guaranteed a better hook up ratio. Good luck.
Fisher-O-men reply :
On 7/17/2014 at 6:58 AM, Alonerankin2 said:I just spooled up a Bright orange flourescent braid, with a Flourocarbon leader for senko work, will I like it? Idk... I am a line watcher and d**n good at it... I will give it try, Likely in fall though so I always wondered if it could be added to florocarbon a uv additive to see it better? Idk... But good FC is good at slack line feel... But pricey
Berkley Vanish Transition. Some love it some hate it. Above 12 lb it is pretty good.
smalljaw67 reply :
Fishing the Senko is easy, if you are fishing it weightless Texas rig then it is a no brainer. Simply cast it out and let it sink, once it hits bottom count to 10 and then lift it and let it fall and repeat this process. I use mono for this and never had a problem, if you are fishing a senko and you aren't getting bit it is because there are no fish in the area or they aren't going to hit anything, it is the only worm that I use when I can't get bit on anything else, it has saved the day for me many times.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
I definitely see the logic in the argument for fluoro in slack line presentations but it just hasn't been my experience. Seeing how fast a fish can take and spit a bait off a bed without being felt was eye opening. I'm a better line watcher and that's paying off.
Superdumper reply :
On 7/17/2014 at 5:37 AM, ironmike12 said:How long is your leader? I tried using braid to skip senkos. It helps in the actual skip because braid comes off the spool easier, but I know I was missing bites. My partner was out fishing me 3-1. I now use all fluro.
My leader is about 5-6 foot long but gets shorter as I change lures. Try not to get it less then 2-3 feet if I can help it
Superdumper reply :
Thabks for all the replies. I guess I'll might spool up one rod with flouro and compare from there
One more question regarding line watching do u watch the line floating on the water. Or the bow out of the water. Or right near the rod tip. Or is this just over thinking I'm asking because a slight breeze/current really moves the line n confuses me
jonnyblazex reply :
Try to watch the line as close to the bait as you can. It's not always possible, especially if there is a little breeze. Really windy, you might as well not even try, nearly impossible
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
Keep as much line off the water as you can and watch right where the line meets the water.
Hyrule Bass reply :
On 7/17/2014 at 8:32 AM, iabass8 said:That's actually incorrect. While mono works, it isn't the best tool for the job. Though mono is buoyant and does indeed aid in helping to line watch, its buoyancy is also it's biggest downfall. Being as mono floats and isn't a dense line, it is naturally bowed and creates a drag in the water and you are not in "complete" contact /w your bait. I say" complete" because you are obviously tied onto the bait. Fluorocarbon, being a dense line, doesn't have the bow or drag that mono does thus ensuring you are in direct contact /w your bait. I will say, being an avid finesse walleye fisherman in the spring/fall, mono definitely has its place shallow but weightless presentations is not one of them.
how is it incorrect when ive done it successfully tons of times? i can see the line on top of the water move with mono, cannot see the additional line that would be underwater move with Fluorocarbon. hence, i can see my line move quicker with mono because it is not sunken as much as the FC line. and besides, if slack line fishing and line watching is the technique, then i dont need to be in complete contact with my bait, if that was my aim then i would be fishing with a tight line. frankly, youre the one thats incorrect here. especially when you say mono and shallow weightless presentations dont go together. mono is all i use, and i fish 99% of my plastics weightless and in shallow water. it works, perhaps you should re-evaluate your methods. you can stick to "conventional wisdom" if you want, but it doesnt mean its always right or the only way to do something.
iabass8 reply :
On 7/19/2014 at 12:19 AM, Red Earth said:how is it incorrect when ive done it successfully tons of times? i can see the line on top of the water move with mono, cannot see the additional line that would be underwater move with Fluorocarbon. hence, i can see my line move quicker with mono because it is not sunken as much as the FC line. and besides, if slack line fishing and line watching is the technique, then i dont need to be in complete contact with my bait, if that was my aim then i would be fishing with a tight line. frankly, youre the one thats incorrect here. especially when you say mono and shallow weightless presentations dont go together. mono is all i use, and i fish 99% of my plastics weightless and in shallow water. it works, perhaps you should re-evaluate your methods. you can stick to "conventional wisdom" if you want, but it doesnt mean its always right or the only way to do something.
Im actually not the incorrect. If you read through the posts you may realize you're in fact the minotiry on your school of thought. You fish plastics on 99% on mono and it works. Cool story? I didnt once say it doesnt work. I believe i said it does work. Mono isnt the best tool for the job on weightless presentations. You are better able to detect light bites with fluorocarbon on a slack line then using a mono on the surface.
Comfortably Numb reply :
I use a spinning and straight 20# PP braid. No leader.
I fish wacky and always keep contact with the bait. I can feel the fish breathe on it. I let them take it 5-10 secs. I set the hook hard and dont miss many.
I am partially blind so cant see the line well.
Alonerankin2 reply :
On 7/19/2014 at 2:14 AM, Comfortably Numb said:I use a spinning and straight 20# PP braid. No leader.
I fish wacky and always keep contact with the bait. I can feel the fish breathe on it. I let them take it 5-10 secs. I set the hook hard and dont miss many.
I am partially blind so cant see the line well.
Glad you brought that up, I still sometimes fish that way in Windy conditions, not braid, (experimenting now with it) but yea, Good point, and nice post!
Comfortably Numb reply :
My buddy is a line watcher. Fished at night with him and he was lost LOL
JDJ reply :
I use mono for my slack line Senko fishing, but it can be difficult to see especially in cloudy conditions. Any high-vis mono recommendations?
tcbass reply :
On 7/18/2014 at 3:31 AM, Superdumper said:Thabks for all the replies. I guess I'll might spool up one rod with flouro and compare from there
One more question regarding line watching do u watch the line floating on the water. Or the bow out of the water. Or right near the rod tip. Or is this just over thinking I'm asking because a slight breeze/current really moves the line n confuses me
I use braid on all of my rods and an have switched almost entirely over to hi-vis colors specifically for like watching.
When I am using a Senko I cast it and then throw some extra line down onto the water immediately. That way if the line moves at all it'll straighten out the curves in the like on the water and I'll know I have one.
Sometimes your line doesn't move and when you reel up the slack you realize you have a fish on.
LunkerFisher reply :
another vote for hi-vis braid here. I think the suffix 832 lime green is easier to see than the yellow power pro. Those are the only 2 i have tried.
Jeff H reply :
I use mono and amazingly I manage to catch my share of fish with it.
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