Senko Bites 2025

KentuckyFriedAngler reply :

I personally love throwing a senko, they are baits that never fail to produce fish weather they are big or small. My only problem is that I have to through them on a spinning set up because I NEVER feel a bite of any sort, so all the fish i catch are from pretty much accidentally setting the hook when popping it off the bottom. Any tips on feeling the bits so I can throw it on a bait casting set up?

I throw the the senko on multiple rigs, but mostly a weightless texas rig ( 5" senko and 5/0 hook) - also i use a medium action rod with 12 lb flurocarbon

Thanks ya'll

Outdoor Zack reply :

On 9/5/2016 at 10:32 AM, KentuckyFriedAngler said:

I personally love throwing a senko, they are baits that never fail to produce fish weather they are big or small. My only problem is that I have to through them on a spinning set up because I NEVER feel a bite of any sort, so all the fish i catch are from pretty much accidentally setting the hook when popping it off the bottom. Any tips on feeling the bits so I can throw it on a bait casting set up?

I throw the the senko on multiple rigs, but mostly a weightless texas rig ( 5" senko and 5/0 hook) - also i use a medium action rod with 12 lb flurocarbon

Thanks ya'll

WATCH YOUR LINE. I almost always see it move before I feel the bite. Especially when the fish are lazy

Dschouest42 reply :

Personally, I think it has to do a lot with the sensitivity of your rod tip. I use a Shimano Sellus rod med. heavy with a fast tip: I can feel everything my bait touches. I can even so much as cast pretty far with a Texas rigged senko.

If the weight I am using isn't much or if the weight of the bait isn't much, I stick to a spinning set up so I can cast further: I like to use plastics almost like a search bait because our waters are so hot.

I also agrew with Zack: watch the line, and feel for weight. You may be reeling in your slack from the cast when the bite comes. So, just watch it, and if the line feels heavy with weight, set the hook.

Dan_the_fisher reply :

A good Rod and fluorocarbon line will do wonders

KentuckyFriedAngler reply :

On 9/5/2016 at 10:37 AM, Outdoor Zack said:

WATCH YOUR LINE. I almost always see it move before I feel the bite. Especially when the fish are lazy

When I fish a senko I let it fall on slack and let it sit on slack. also once or twice have notice the line move but most of the time i don't. So is that bad technique or am I just blind and need more practice ?

On 9/5/2016 at 10:42 AM, Dan_the_fisher said:

A good Rod and fluorocarbon line will do wonders

I just had to say thats an absolute chunk in you profile picture. is it you pb lol?

Dschouest42 reply :

The only problem with slack line is you wont feel a bite. And if it is falling slowly, it can be hard to see the line move. Sometimes you need to reel in a bit of slack as the bait is falling so you can maintain feeling with it.

Outdoor Zack reply :

On 9/5/2016 at 10:45 AM, KentuckyFriedAngler said:

When I fish a senko I let it fall on slack and let it sit on slack. also once or twice have notice the line move but most of the time i don't. So is that bad technique or am I just blind and need more practice ?

Hard to tell, but I would suggest that you spend more time really fishing the bait and paying very close attention. You'll get the hang of it soon enough

Mosster47 reply :

Line watch and weigh your line every time before you pop it off bottom. Reel up your slack and slowly raise your rod, if it has weight set the hook.

Oklahoma Mike reply :

All of the correct answers are stated here above, but I will summarize them for you:

1. Be a line watcher.

2. This is exactly the scenario that FC was made for. Get some and use it.

3. You should be fishing this on a semi-slack line presentation rather than a true slack line.

4. When in doubt, set the hook.

Yeajray231 reply :

I use braid 75 % of the time. I can cast so far with braid on a spinning set up. And the sensitivity is so high. Like Oklahoma Mike said the line should only be SEMI slack. You don't need an expensive rod to feel the bites.. spend more time fishing them... I get a weird feeling at LEAST 50% of the time that a fish is on my lure before I "feel" the bite. So I set the hook if I even have half a clue that a bass has made contact. I also like to fish them wacky style. If I Texas rig I like other worms besides the senko. Like a culprit ribbon tail, zoom ol monster, and lately the rage tail baits.. also try experimenting with different hooks. Maybe a larger size or different style.

EvanT123 reply :

My tip on practicing is to practice more.....watch the line and/or try and feel subtle differences.

Dave A reply :

I fish senkos with Braid and Fluoro leader. My favorite rod is a 7" medium berklely lightening rod, very inexpensive. I can still feel everything happening at the bait. I try to minimize the amount of slack in the line and stay connected with the bait. I find that I don't watch the line as much as I feel for the bite. Seems that the bass always tap twice, I am guessing the first to grab the bait, then to engulf it. When I feel the second tap, I set the hook. More times than not, it's fish on. Hope this helps.

long island basser reply :

(Watch your line,) How many times was this mentioned?

This is why Ive been using yellow braid for years now.

I haven't missed a hit in a decade.

You can use a leader if you fell the need, I don't 99% of the time, caught tons of bass.

Columbia Craw reply :

I pitch Senkos, both 5'' and 6'' with #12 FC on the most sensitive rod I own. That rod is a 7'4" 3 power. I also wacky rig them on a spinning rod with quality braid and a FC leader. That rod is a 7' 3 power. I'm a line watcher and pay close attention to what the bait is doing when it's falling and when it's dead sticking. Fortunately, bass hold on to Senkos well. The more bites you get, the better you will become at recognizing the subtle differences.

Scott F reply :

Line watching with braid is a lot easier because the line floats on the surface where you can see it. There will be a twitch along the length of the line laying on the surface that is unmistakeable when a bass hits. Sinking line like flouro has almost all of the line under the water giving you a lot less to see.

IgotWood reply :

I fish senkos a lot! ....And I feel most of the strikes! I use two rods, a 6'6" med/light spin (it's a cheap Daiwa), and believe it or not, a St Croix Mojo Bass MJC68MXF, which is designed to be a topwater rod, but the tip is perfect, and the overall action of the rod is great. Despite what many say, I fish braid. I use PowerPro Super Slick 10lb, and either 8lb or 10lb flouro leader of 3-5'. I allow the bait to fall on a semi-slack line...not tight, but not completely slack. And even when I do not feel a strike, I can see it in the line because the the braid tends to float a little bit. If you're fishing in the wind, senkos can be a bit of a pain. If you don't have a soft tip, I don't think you will feel many of the strikes.

Jbower reply :

I use 8lb nanofil with a 8lb fc leader. Works pretty well. I can watch line easily and cast a mile with very light set up

iiTzChunky reply :

I've gotten in the habit of keeping my eyes on the line, now idk if I'm doing it right but the slack line in laying in the water is what I'm typically watching. I see little vibrations coming off the line in the water, but I also try to rest my line on my finger and the but of my rod on my forearm to help me feel the bite.

Swamp Rat reply :

You might be noticing a pattern here...watch your line. Plus, I personally prefer fishing my soft plastics almost exclusively on spinning rods, as I feel(pun fully intended) that you have more feel on almost imperceptible takes. My area is the Everglades, so heavy cover is abundant, but my line choices are 6lb mono, 10lb mono, my heavy rigs are 12lb mono or 20lb braid. I run 7ft ML, 7ft M, and 7ft MH rods.

HeavyDluxe reply :

As others have said, watch the line is the key along with keeping a SEMI-slack line in the presentation.

But...

I will admit to cheating. That is, if I throw into a spot that looks REALLY fishy, I'm half expecting that the bait will get whoofed on the fall. I know I have missed strikes because the fish sucked it in and spit it right back out on the fall and I never would've noticed. So, what I do in those situations is give a test pop as the bait descends. When I think it's somewhere that it might've been eaten, I'll get a light 'hop' with the rod tip and wail on it if I feel any resistance.

I'm sure there are an equal number of cases where this means I pop the bait too early and either jump it out of the money spot or spook the fish into not biting because of the erratic movement. But, it makes me feel better, so I mix it in sometimes for myself.

Feels like I'm a genius when it works. And, I never really know when it doesn't.

Ktho reply :

When I get them on the Senko the bites come a couple different ways. Sometimes I don't feel a bite at all I just see the line moving and a fish is there. Sometimes I get a tap or tap tap which can happen on the fall or during the retrieve on bottom. I also get a pressure bite sometimes, you don't feel a "bite" but when you go to move the bait there is some resitence there almost like you've snagged weeds or something but it's a fish!

timsford reply :

Also I prefer spinning also for senkos, but bait casting equipment is as sensitive if not more so than spinning depending in the reelseat, as long as the rods are in the same class. I would expect a blackmax baitcast combo rod to feel like my scv spinning rod as an example, but a casting rod with the same quality blank is just as sensitive. I feel a lot of bites with senkos, but I fish them faster too a lot of times. I feel way more bites deadsticking with mono or fluoro than with braid. And the line usually has a visible jump to it when the fish bites while watching the line and then you will see the line sink and pull out more quickly usually if the fish swims off with it in their mouth. Sometimes they just hold it though and sit still. I usually feel and/or see that jump in the slack line with mono or fluoro and set the hook, but if I don't see or feel I always pull slowly on the line to see if there is any resistance and set the hook if so, just a bass is just sitting there savoring the flavor.

RB 77 reply :

Fly-lined baits of any sort lend themselves to the importance of 'line watching' like several other people in this thread have stated. I throw them on casting gear because of the weight of the baits themselves.

stk44 reply :

On 9/6/2016 at 8:07 AM, HeavyDluxe said:

As others have said, watch the line is the key along with keeping a SEMI-slack line in the presentation.

But...

I will admit to cheating. That is, if I throw into a spot that looks REALLY fishy, I'm half expecting that the bait will get whoofed on the fall. I know I have missed strikes because the fish sucked it in and spit it right back out on the fall and I never would've noticed. So, what I do in those situations is give a test pop as the bait descends. When I think it's somewhere that it might've been eaten, I'll get a light 'hop' with the rod tip and wail on it if I feel any resistance.

I'm sure there are an equal number of cases where this means I pop the bait too early and either jump it out of the money spot or spook the fish into not biting because of the erratic movement. But, it makes me feel better, so I mix it in sometimes for myself.

Feels like I'm a genius when it works. And, I never really know when it doesn't.

I do the exact same thing. Anytime something doesn't feel/look right, I give it a few pops which may even entice the bass to bite.

A good bit of time you can still feel a bite on a semi-slack line- with flouro at least.

HeavyDluxe reply :

I should add that I fish with spinning gear spooled with mono exclusively (yes, even for jigging, punching, etc).

I always have the index finger of my 'rod hand' touching the line unless I'm reeling. That little extra bit of contact directly with the line makes me feel like a feel everything.

For example, I can be semi-slack and not watching the line but 'feel' the line slipping ever so slightly sometimes when the fish picks it up. And I know I've felt taps in the line that didn't seem to be felt up in my hand on the rod.

Something else to experiment with, I guess.

Mark888 reply :

A sensitive rod with a fast tip is a must, i use a fenwick elite tech bass rod, medium fast action, i can feel everything...Keep at least one finger on the blank. Another important thing is your line, i recently switched to 20lb braid to a flouro leader, and i can tell the difference from just plain flouro. WATCH YOUR LINE, especially when you are fishing for smallies, they will take it and run when they are active! Don't keep your line slack, if you keep it semi slack, you should be able to feel a bite!

Big Bait Fishing reply :

On 9/10/2016 at 3:52 AM, Ladybass said:

A sensitive rod with a fast tip is a must, i use a fenwick elite tech bass rod, medium fast action, i can feel everything...Keep at least one finger on the blank.  Another important thing is your line, i recently switched to 20lb braid to a flouro leader, and i can tell the difference from just plain flouro. WATCH YOUR LINE, especially when you are fishing for smallies, they will take it and run when they are active! Don't keep your line slack, if you keep it semi slack, you should be able to feel a bite!

A sensitive rod with a fast tip is a must, i use a fenwick elite tech bass rod, medium fast action, i can feel everything...Keep at least one finger on the blank.  Another important thing is your line, i recently switched to 20lb braid to a flouro leader, and i can tell the difference from just plain flouro. WATCH YOUR LINE, especially when you are fishing for smallies, they will take it and run when they are active! Don't keep your line slack, if you keep it semi slack, you should be able to feel a bite!

A sensitive rod with a fast tip is a must, i use a fenwick elite tech bass rod, medium fast action, i can feel everything...Keep at least one finger on the blank.  Another important thing is your line, i recently switched to 20lb braid to a flouro leader, and i can tell the difference from just plain flouro. WATCH YOUR LINE, especially when you are fishing for smallies, they will take it and run when they are active! Don't keep your line slack, if you keep it semi slack, you should be able to feel a bite!

victim of the triple copy & paste

S. Sass reply :

On 9/10/2016 at 6:45 AM, Big Bait Fishing said:

victim of the triple copy & paste

No didnt you ever hear that when you want to remember something you need to see or read it 3 times for it to really stay with ya.

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

Here is one of my senko catches from today. It hit hard was on bottom of about 22fow used St Croix Avid 8' ML/moderate rod with 8# nanofil. This is my favorite set-up for senkos just a very fun rod to use. Yet it also plays a very good roll in detecting the pressure difference that you get with light non tap bites. Its thats feeling of somethings there???

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