Senko type lures why popular when it’s inefficient 2024
cgolf reply :
For my fishing I like tossing all lures but a weightless Senko style lure. I just don’t understand the appeal of them to anglers. If fishing is that slow in an area, I look for a new area with fish willing to bite. The slowest I will fish is letting a lightly weighted plastic drop to the bottom, pause it a couple of seconds reel it in and repeat. To me it’s like slip bobber fishing for walleyes where you need a few beers in the boat, not driving, to get through the night;)
We get stacked cold fronts when I fish in N WI and I still get a lot of bites on tubes, grubs, Menace, and jerkbaits with the plastics on a 1/4 slider head. What I notice since I fish a full week is the bass position differently in the same general area, but will hit the same plastics, with a touch longer pause on bottom.
Why do you all toss them when you could get more casts in with other baits that will also catch fish?
Scott F reply :
On 10/6/2019 at 4:05 AM, cgolf said:Why do you all toss them when you could get more casts in with other baits that will also catch fish?
I fish them because I can use them in places where I can’t use other baits without getting snagged in the rocks or weeds. And, more importantly, I’ll get bites on them from fish that aren’t biting other lures.
tander reply :
On 10/6/2019 at 4:29 AM, Scott F said:I fish them because I can use them in places where I can’t use other baits without getting snagged in the rocks or weeds. And, more importantly, I’ll get bites on them from fish that aren’t biting other lures.
I fish a reservoir that has a lot of rip rap. The weightless Senko is one of the few lures that I can can use without getting hung up. BTW, I don't necessary fish them slow. The fish in my avatar was caught on a weightless Senko.
WRB reply :
Depends what your goals are; fishing or catching bass.
We are all wired differently, some of us like to strain out a area and catch bass others like to keep moving looking for greener pastures.
Success comes to those who know when to holdem or foldem.
Tom
fishwizzard reply :
I like senkos for when I am long on targets and short on time. I let it sink, deadstick for 5s, pop it once, deadstick for 5s, and then crank it back for a new cast. Maybe 30s per cast, depending on how far I am casting and how deep the water is. I do a lot of short 1-3 hour trips pond fishing and a senko is great for quickly target casting to a few key spots with a lure that has a high chance of getting a bite if I happen to get it in front of a bass. Most of these ponds are too weedy for fast cranking and even a spinnerbait will require de-weeding every 2-3 casts.
I agree that trying to cover an area with a senko is very dull stuff, in that situation I use a nail-weighted Fat Impact, again trying to make a lot of casts and only running the lure past high-probability areas slowly and retrieving it briskly in the rest.
NYWayfarer reply :
I like them because they work. Sometimes, like today when nothing else will.
Started out out the day with topwater, switched to a swimbait, switched to a crankbait, nothing.
Tied on a wacky rig BPS Stick O and Bam! 2 and a half pound Smallmouth killed it.
senile1 reply :
A Senko type worm is a finesse presentation for me just like a Ned rig, a drop-shot rig, a shakey head, etc. If the bite is really tough, one of those finesse presentations will usually be more successful at drawing bites. If it happens to be the Senko type worm on that day, of course I am going to use it. As for efficiency, how quickly I can cover an area doesn't matter if it results in no bites.
I should add that when using a slow finesse presentation I am usually somewhat confident of where the fish will be located. I wouldn't typically use a senko type worm as a search bait though you never know what conditions may lead to on the water.
cgolf reply :
On 10/6/2019 at 5:39 AM, WRB said:Depends what your goals are; fishing or catching bass.
We are all wired differently, some of us like to strain out a area and catch bass others like to keep moving looking for greener pastures.
Success comes to those who know when to holdem or foldem.
Tom
Probably depends on the lake too. Our vacation lake I generally have up to 5 patterns I can fall back on to catch fish. My home lake I don’t get out on enough has greenish stained water with very little structure that the weeds aren’t consistent but in huge clumps. The consistent pattern is docks, but being an urban lake I don’t like fishing them as often. It is truly a run and gun lake to find fish especially since I am only out every 3 to 4 weeks. If Iknew where they were on this lake it might work well, but only if my normal baits failed to produce.
My ultra finesse bait are spybaits, Love those things.
The Bassman reply :
Calm, clear water today dictated using a weightless Zoom finesse worm dead sticked. Sight fished several that I would have never caught with most other methods. Wasn't a Senko but same idea.
FishTank reply :
I have fished Senkos for years.
During most of the tournaments (any pretty much anytime) I have fished in, the Senko is the best producer. I watch guys moving quickly within a few feet of the bank pitching the same jig over and over again and all I do is chuckle because I know at the end of the day, I will smoke them. Sometime slower is better but not always. In the end, I think you have to know the conditions and understand what the bass are after.
I also think of bass as cats playing with a toy.... Some chase it and others don't. Maybe it's the way the bait is presented and how much confidence you have in that particular bait.
MIbassyaker reply :
Senko inefficient? I can't even comprehend that phrase.
The Senko is about the most efficent bait I can think of. Can be fished vertically or horizontally, weedless, jerked across the surface like a topwater, under the surface as a jerkbait, dragged on the bottom, can be made to fall fast or slow, or somewhere in between depending on added weight...
And very often when I'm fishing a senko, I'll get strikes--including topwater blowups-- while just reeling it in fast to make the next cast. Nothing inefficient about that.
Frog Turds reply :
i havent thrown a wormie in over a decade, dont own any anymore...nothing wrong for those that do, its just my personal deal where there is no challenge in it for me, been there done that...and i do just dandy without them...i keep track of all my bags and 99% of my bags are a 16#+ average and bigger...for my northern waters thats not too shabby and im not braggin, im just making a point...i stopped being a jack of all trades, i excel with the things that work for me (with the addition of certain baits i get to throw in the mix for fun/big baits)...but its not just being highly skilled with the baits i throw, gotta also know where to find that prime real estate where the big girls are at any given point in the season...
cgolf reply :
On 10/6/2019 at 10:16 AM, MIbassyaker said:Senko inefficient? I can't even comprehend that phrase.
The Senko is about the most efficent bait I can think of. Can be fished vertically or horizontally, weedless, jerked across the surface like a topwater, under the surface as a jerkbait, dragged on the bottom, can be made to fall fast or slow, or somewhere in between depending on added weight...
And very often when I'm fishing a senko, I'll get strikes--including topwater blowups-- while just reeling it in fast to make the next cast. Nothing inefficient about that.
I get the weighted Senko, I have done well at times with a swim senko on a slider head. Although I never thought to rig a standard Senko on a slider head, but have had success with a Zoom Mag finesse so it should work.
I just don’t understand fishing them weightless and that to me is where the inefficiency comes in. I might try it yet this fall, I have a handful of bags, and see if I get anything. I also think many would already consider my 1/4 or 3/16 tubes or Menace on sliders a bit of a finesse presentation already. Rarely do I go heavier. My swim jigs usually only go 5/16 so I am not a power fisherman.
Frog Turds reply :
weightless worms or any plastic is excellent for working through pads, skipping under docks, laydowns etc...many times that weightless slow decent is the ticket...i wouldnt say it less efficient because when i did throw them, id put them in the money zone and if no takers, reel up and on to the next...same thing id do if it were a jig...
5/0 reply :
I was one too who couldn’t be patient fishing a weightless Senko, still am to a degree! But I see guys catching fish with it and am determined to keep trying it.
Yeajray231 reply :
There is nothing inefficient about catching bass and thats exactly what the senko does.
It was designed to be fished weightless.. on semi slack line.
Cant even begin to count all the bass I've caught on senkos of seemingly every color. There's nothing boring or inefficient about it ????. Throw it where you know the bass are, Pop it , and set the hook. I've had so many 15+ fish days on senkos it's ridiculous.
And I only fish it weightless. If I'm going to throw a weighted rig there are plenty of other options .
Seems you just enjoy the ol run and gun. Which I agree is very fun... But they can't resist that senko !
We are probably discussing the best bass catcher to exist to this date.
The weightless senko.
Top 3 hands down.
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
In a one hour span a senko has been more productive for me than any other lure I have ever thrown.
cgolf reply :
On 10/6/2019 at 11:08 AM, Yeajray231 said:There is nothing inefficient about catching bass and thats exactly what the senko does.
It was designed to be fished weightless.. on semi slack line.
Cant even begin to count all the bass I've caught on senkos of seemingly every color. There's nothing boring or inefficient about it ????. Throw it where you know the bass are, Pop it , and set the hook. I've had so many 15+ fish days on senkos it's ridiculous.
And I only fish it weightless. If I'm going to throw a weighted rig there are plenty of other options .
Seems you just enjoy the ol run and gun. Which I agree is very fun... But they can't resist that senko !
We are probably discussing the best bass catcher to exist to this date.
The weightless senko.
Top 3 hands down.
Not run and gun per say, I have spent 7 hours fishing a series of Reed beds smaller than the size of a football field. I do however like to keep reeling and casting as much as possible. I am actually a pretty good stick walleye jigging deeper water, but I can only take it so long especially with light jigs in 20 to 30 feet of water. The line watching helps some, which you need to do with a Senko so there is hope for me.
I will say I have had a few 15 fish hours with the Menace and Baby Menace on a slider head, it has been more effective than the Ned rig for me on flat water.
Probably just how I am wired.
Yeajray231 reply :
I like the power pro hi vis yellow.
And I've been running a fluoro leader while senko fishing for many reasons.
The braid stays on top of the water which helps in the strike detection A TON. AndI like braid for the main line for the lack of line management you need compared to fluorocarbon and the casting distance / sensitivity also. the leader helps the bait sink a little faster and I can break off easier if I get hung up really bad... And it's supposedly much harder to see! Is for me anyway ???? we won't open up that can of worms here but I like spinning gear , braid to leader for senko fishing .
I remember the first time I used a weightless senko. It was a farm pond about 3 acres and me and my buddy had never used them before. We must have caught 30-40 bass between us and one of them went 23" . I've been sold on senkos ever since and they continue to produce for me year after year.
Like all lures bass will get conditioned to them. I've seen the studies blah blah blah the worm is the only lure a bass can't get conditioned too. I have a pond at my home. They aren't a fan of the senko like they were when I first moved in.
PhishLI reply :
I'm a chuck and wind type by nature, so I get how certain techniques can seem ponderous.
We've had a 40 degree swing down in temps since Wednesday. Hit a very productive lake today with my brother. It still has healthy sections of grass and pads, and good overhanging cover. We threw the kitchen sink at them: Glides, wakes, chatters, lipless, cranks, you name it. Zilcho. Not a sniff. That's until I ran the boat over to yet another sunny bank and started chucking 5" weightless T-rigged and wacky rigged senkos inches from the shore which is lined with brush. Nabbed two 2 pounders, one on each rig, within minutes of each other and the skunk was off the boat! A few two pounders? No big deal, but better than a kick in the you know what. Thank you Mr. Senko.
BassWhole! reply :
I would rather watch paint dry than fish a senko, but I'd rather catch bass than watch paint dry, so....
TnRiver46 reply :
I would rather dead stick a senko than cast and reel crankbaits and spinnerbaits, some people like to fish slow. Jordan Lee won the bass master classic skipping one weightless under docks on Hartwell so i wouldnt call it inefficient. He won the previous one slow dragging a jig, letting it soak for quite some time. I would consider driving around casting and reeling more inefficient than soaking a worm, to each his own
roadwarrior reply :
On 10/6/2019 at 10:01 AM, FishTank said:During most of the tournaments (any pretty much anytime) I have fished in, the Senko is the best producer.
I think more club tournaments are won fishing a Senko than all other lures combined.
Frog Turds reply :
take 50 people throwing a weightless wormie and 50 people throwing a jig for an equal amount of water time and see who ends up with the biggest fish of the bunch...my moneys on the jig every time all the time...
Sam reply :
Senkos work, especially wacky rigged.
They resemble a bait fish or a crawfish to the bass and they are soft enough for the bass to hold them in their mouths for a few seconds longer.
Smear some MegaStrike on them and have fun.
LonnieP reply :
I absolutely hate fishing a Senko. I’ve caught fish with them and even a couple big bass but I find fishing them to be boring and I just don’t have the patience for it.
keagbassr reply :
You can put me in the no senkos camp. Or weightless anything except the occasional sluggo/fluke. I'd rather just get a bucket of shiners,probably cheaper ands just as effective.
On 10/6/2019 at 7:56 PM, Frog Turds said:take 50 people throwing a weightless wormie and 50 people throwing a jig for an equal amount of water time and see who ends up with the biggest fish of the bunch...my moneys on the jig every time all the time...
Definatly agree with this. As I've said before I'd rather try and catch 5 that weigh 20 than 20 that weigh 5.
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 10/6/2019 at 7:56 PM, Frog Turds said:take 50 people throwing a weightless wormie and 50 people throwing a jig for an equal amount of water time and see who ends up with the biggest fish of the bunch...my moneys on the jig every time all the time...
How are you going to bet when a guy rigs a wacky wormie on his jig. ???? Best of both worlds?
NYWayfarer reply :
I carry baits to cover the water column. Top water, plopper and popper. Middle, crankbaits and squarebills. Bottom, jigs and ned.
Weightless Senko is so effective because it covers all the columns. Throw it in and let it sink slowly it falls right to the spot the fish are. Sometimes they strike just as it hits the water.
813basstard reply :
On 10/6/2019 at 7:37 PM, roadwarrior said:I think more club tournaments are won fishing a Senko than all other lures combined.
^^????
Not sure what it means but I like it.
Fishin' Fool reply :
It's a confidence thing. I've been throwing weightless senkos all summer because they work and I know they catch big fish. The proof is in the pudding. 3.5 to 4.5 pounders from the last few months which are good fish for Michigan.
Shimano_1 reply :
I would assume you just haven't fished one enough to understand how effective they are. Sure...I don't like fishing that slow. However, there are times that nothing else will even come close. Sometimes fish are finicky and don't want to eat. Senkos are effective when little else is. There's a reason they're so popular
scaleface reply :
Most of the time I Texas rig the things, Dingers mostly. Really dont know why they work so well. About the only time I go weightless is on top of mats . They have been my hottest lure during august and september this year .
cgolf reply :
On 10/6/2019 at 11:28 PM, Shimano_1 said:I would assume you just haven't fished one enough to understand how effective they are. Sure...I don't like fishing that slow. However, there are times that nothing else will even come close. Sometimes fish are finicky and don't want to eat. Senkos are effective when little else is. There's a reason they're so popular
I have tried them some, but when baits like a tube or Menace are getting bit I tend not to bother putting them down and trying a Senko.
One situation I might see them working for me is on cold mornings when the sun is coming up and the fish don’t want to bite right away. Generally my goto then is a spybait retrieved slow and straight or a jerkbait popped a couple of times near cover than reeled back slowly to maybe hookup an indecisive bass (this went from a weakness for me this year to a confidence bait by forcing myself to work with them). In fact I stocked up on shadow raps for next year when their site allowed all the codes to be stacked.
It sounds like they work pretty well weighted, I may try them on a slider head like the swim senkos. I need to use those again as I have a fairly healthy supply of swim senkos to use up.
Shimano_1 reply :
All those techniques are very effective but still don't compare to a senko. There's something about the subtlety of it that bass just can't stand. Especially if there's grass around. Working a weightless or wacky rigged senko over the tops of grass has no equal in my opinion
fishwizzard reply :
On 10/6/2019 at 11:54 PM, cgolf said:It sounds like they work pretty well weighted, I may try them on a slider head like the swim senkos. I need to use those again as I have a fairly healthy supply of swim senkos to use up.
I really like fishing a 5” Senko with a unpegged 1/16oz tungsten weigh. I retrieve it hopping across the bottom with the worm gliding down an inch or three behind the weight. A 6” Kut Tail works better but I rarely carry both at the same time.
WRB reply :
When I read through a thread like this one it becomes clear that most bass anglers don't have a basic understanding of bass behavior. It doesn't mater where they live the bass adapt to the eccosystem that is thier home, where they learned to survive.
Cold blooded predator animal that hunts it's prey, rest the majority of the time. The basses matabelism is controlled by it's body temperature and that is the same as the water they are located in.
Active bass are easier to catch because they are hunting looking for abundant food. Inactive bass are resting, not hunting or interested in food. Nuetral bass are inbetween active and inactive or a transition mood.
Lures that appeal to active bass are nearly anything the bass is willing to strike.
Lures for inactive bass are non existent, the bass isn't interested in food and unlike popular opinion don't have the emotion to strikec out of anger, they do have territorial instinct.
Lures for nuetral bass are those that stay longer in front of the bass or within it's strike zone, slower moving lures.
Bass are individual with independant behavior that at times will hunt in groups where the prey is abundant, i.e. location is key.
Senko's fall into the slower moving lure category along with most soft plastics and jigs that appeal to both active and nuetral bass.
Tom
N Florida Mike reply :
Why do I use em? Beacause bass love em!!
WRB reply :
I think what is interesting about Yamamoto Senko it was created to be a faster moving Sluggo (soft jerk bait) in lieu of a slower moving drop bait like a nail weight wacky rigged worm. Gary Yamamoto was amazed that his Senko worked like it does.
Tom
cgolf reply :
On 10/7/2019 at 2:03 AM, WRB said:When I read through a thread like this one it becomes clear that most bass anglers don't have a basic understanding of bass behavior. It doesn't mater where they live the bass adapt to the eccosystem that is thier home, where they learned to survive.
Cold blooded predator animal that hunts it's prey, rest the majority of the time. The basses matabelism is controlled by it's body temperature and that is the same as the water they are located in.
Active bass are easier to catch because they are hunting looking for abundant food. Inactive bass are resting, not hunting or interested in food. Nuetral bass are inbetween active and inactive or a transition mood.
Lures that appeal to active bass are nearly anything the bass is willing to strike.
Lures for inactive bass are non existent, the bass isn't interested in food and unlike popular opinion don't have the emotion to strikec out of anger, they do have territorial instinct.
Lures for nuetral bass are those that stay longer in front of the bass or within it's strike zone, slower moving lures.
Bass are individual with independant behavior that at times will hunt in groups where the prey is abundant, i.e. location is key.
Senko's fall into the slower moving lure category along with most soft plastics and jigs that appeal to both active and nuetral bass.
Tom
Well said. Fishing reed beds I have seen a change from a narrow bodied menace to a wide bodied ugly otter mean the difference between bites and no bites. Also while this discussion is about plastics I have seen a huge difference switching from an Xcalibur square bill that plows water to a much more subtle Bandit 100 after a cold front.
One of those deals where the fish need to tell us what they want, whether we listen or not is the key to getting bit.
My mental block is fishing fast. Was at a seminar by Seth Feider and when he talked about his jerkbait retrieve I still can’t get myself to retrieve a jerkbait or any other bait has violently as he described.
roadwarrior reply :
primetime reply :
Senko's catch fish if you fish them fast. You can fish them the same way you would Fish a fluke, and sometimes working them fast on the surface, letting them skip, then killing it if its not grabbed on the pause while walking it under the surface....Sometimes is the way to go...I like to do it with the bigger 7" senko style baits, make long casts over grass, work it fast on the surface, right under, fish it kind of like a fluke...When Bass are aggressive, they crush it just like using a Sluggo, the benefit is the extra casting weight of the Senko, and the action on the drop....Fish will look up at any surface commotion, sometimes they crush it moving, sometimes will grab it a few seconds after the pause...I usually start out fishing them fast and then slow down according to results..
The benefit of the Senko...Is you can rig it so many ways and it will catch fish as good as almost any bait. You can pitch them into cover with a bullet weight, Carolina Rig and work them as quick etc.....
For some reason I stopped using the MJ Rig that I saw on the Tim Horton Fishing show years back, but I should start using it again because it actually works well....Simply get a screw lock style keeper, screw it into the back of a senko, add a split ring and then a spinnerbait blade, you can mess with sizes, colors etc...and then just cast and wind and it will come through cover better than a spinnerbait etc....It also gets bites on the fall since it puts off flash....
If fishing on top of matted grass, instead of using a toad etc...A senko just reeled over the surface gets plenty of strikes since fish have no idea what they are grabbing. Plus with the heavier weight, they can slip into little pockets weightless, in areas that everyone else is punching or throwing toads.....The bigger 7" senkos are heavy, you can pitch them into some heavy cover and get them to through...Sometimes that works better than pitching one on a bullet weight..
But I hear what you are saying..I prefer fishing fast, but a Senko flat out catches fish pretty much anywhere, and whenever I am unsure of what to use, I tie on a green pumpkin senko and just start casting.....
Hook2Jaw reply :
On 10/7/2019 at 2:30 AM, cgolf said:My mental block is fishing fast. Was at a seminar by Seth Feider and when he talked about his jerkbait retrieve I still can’t get myself to retrieve a jerkbait or any other bait has violently as he described.
I have an absolute load of confidence in fast reeling and slashing with my rod with a jerkbait on the end. I'm talking line whistling jerks. Give it a go! I'm on my way to carpal tunnel one warm water jerkbait fish at a time.
kayaking_kev reply :
My two favorite ways to fish are using the 90 size whopper plopper on the river for smallmouth and using a plastic worm fishing from the bank. I could use anything on the river and catch a lot of fish, but the WP cover waters fast and doesn't get hung up, the only negatives are the smallmouth like to swipe at it and miss a lot, if they don't feel the hooks I can throw it back out and usually get it. If it feels the hooks, I'll throw a backup and this time of the year the leaves on the water will get caught on the hooks and be really annoying.
I like to fish worms when I bank fish because I hate losing lures, I rarely throw a good lure from the bank. And, last year whenever I tried to bank fish or even fish in a lake or pond from my kayak, I didn't do very good at all, but this year I discovered the Senko and now I almost never get skunked and caught my PB 4.6 lb LM on a small lake with a wacky rigged Senko. I usually T-Rig then from the bank with a 1/16th oz. bullet weight and when I wacky rig them I always use a nail weight. I caught 34 bass one river trip and most of them were on one worm wacky rigged with a o-ring.
But, as much as I love the plastic worm, I don't usually fish a Senko anymore, it's usually a Strike King Plastic Worm or Yum Dingers, always in 5" size, and I even tried some really cheap ones from Creme that were super soft, but they all catch fish. And, I pretty much agree with those who say it's boring to fish a weightless worm or anything like that for that matter. I can be a patient fisherman, but I'm not good at doing nothing and waiting for too long without doing something, or else I would fish for cats. I could see some situations where it might be best to throw it weightless. I might try throwing more weightless in areas where there are lots of rocks, like the 5 up-ground reservoirs we have here, in spots where it isn't going to take forever for it to fall. I did get some swimming senkos awhile back, but I still haven't used them. To each their own though.
OCdockskipper reply :
I understand the point you are getting at, I prefer to fish fast as well. However, I prefer to catch fish over fishing fast, so I have learned over the years that what I like or don't like is irrelevant. What matters is what the bass are telling you they prefer that day or hour.
As far as weightless Senkos, I tend to fish Sluggo's or other soft plastic jerkbaits instead of Senkos when the situation calls for it. Nonetheless, a weightless wacky rigged Senko will skip better & farther under docks than any other bait. Once it gets to the target, it has the ability to attract fish without you imparting any action to it or pulling it away from the dock, a trait only rivaled by a Ned rig (which I also use to skip docks). Further, the process of skipping docks with a weightless wacky senko is one of the most efficient methods available, a hurry up & wait routine. Hurry to the next dock, execute a great cast and wait a few seconds to see if it pays off. No bite? Reel in quickly and repeat.
zell_pop1 reply :
Before I had my own boat I often caught more in tournaments in the back of the boat than the boat owner because they were primarily Senko fishermen and I used a hollow belly swim bait before the A-rig crap made em famous. Hollow bellies cast further, are weedless, and are not worked quite as painfully slow, and catch bigger fish on average.
Senkos are a great lure, sure, but there are alternatives .
FishTank reply :
On 10/6/2019 at 7:56 PM, Frog Turds said:take 50 people throwing a weightless wormie and 50 people throwing a jig for an equal amount of water time and see who ends up with the biggest fish of the bunch...my moneys on the jig every time all the time...
I would agree.
For me, jigs do produce bigger fish, most of the time, than senkos but I catch more fish with senkos.
I caught five today on a senko, 2 on a jerk bait, and none on jigs and none on crank baits. The guy I fish with pretty much the same story.... 7 on a Berkley Powerworm and none on jigs. It just wasn't a jig day. Two weeks ago different story. The jig bite was on. I can't explain it.
One thing with jigs that does drive me crazy (and it may be me).... I loose a ton of them in the rock piles when we do the pitchin' the jig routine.
Allen Der reply :
I think the OPs premise is misguided. A senko is about the same weight and can be fished as fast as his lightly weighted plastic. I don't like fishing senkos much either unless I'm in a spot I know has fish and a target to cast to. 90% of bites come on the initial drop, so most times I just reel up and cast again if the initial drop doesn't get bit.
a1712 reply :
You all are using the words inefficient and ineffective interchangeably. They are 2 different words with 2 different meanings. If you are a run and gun power fisherman, yes, they are inefficient. If you are more relaxed and looking to put fish in the boat, they are neither inefficient or ineffective. Brian.
cgolf reply :
On 10/7/2019 at 9:25 AM, Allen Der said:I think the OPs premise is misguided. A senko is about the same weight and can be fished as fast as his lightly weighted plastic. I don't like fishing senkos much either unless I'm in a spot I know has fish and a target to cast to. 90% of bites come on the initial drop, so most times I just reel up and cast again if the initial drop doesn't get bit.
Having fished a Senko before it definitely falls slower than a menace, tube or otter. I do agree that when I fish vertical cover 90 percent of the hits are on the initial drop, maybe with a subtle shake in place before I reel back. Fishing weed flats or in the heart of a reed bed I will get bites on the retrieve as well, usually hopping it along the bottom.
On 10/7/2019 at 10:55 AM, a1712 said:You all are using the words inefficient and ineffective interchangeably. They are 2 different words with 2 different meanings. If you are a run and gun power fisherman, yes, they are inefficient. If you are more relaxed and looking to put fish in the boat, they are neither inefficient or ineffective. Brian.
Want to at least say I have stuck with inefficient, and to be honest in the back of my mind there are concerns gut hooking a bass even when watching the line. I had to change my Ned rig retrieves up a bit because River smallies were choking them if I got any slack in my line.
cgolf reply :
Reading through the thread also got me to thinking about when I read the lures used to win and place at a Bass or FLW tournaments. These guys all think they have the best baits for the waters and maybe even the only ones they will get bit on. Then a lot of times the baits of the top ten finishers will be quite different. The AOY tourney was one of the few that really had a common theme.
Many responses on here fit that. If the high water goes down, I will have to force myself to try a weightless Senko.
JediAmoeba reply :
When I think of Senkos the last word I associate with them is inefficient. They catch fish - if that's inefficient than I have been doing this whole fishing thing wrong.
GreenGhostMan reply :
I fish out of a kayak, so making a drastic move in location isn’t an option. Sometimes I can’t get a bite on “other” lures, so I’ll tie on a weightless senko because I have confidence in them when the bite is tough.
The Maestro reply :
We all have our preferred techniques. Personally, I really like to catch them on heavy gear fishing in the weeds. However that can be a lot of work. Sometimes drowning senkos on a lighter outfit is a nice change of pace. Besides, my 4 biggest fish this year were all caught on senkos.
Yeajray231 reply :
On 10/6/2019 at 9:48 PM, keagbassr said:You can put me in the no senkos camp. Or weightless anything except the occasional sluggo/fluke. I'd rather just get a bucket of shiners,probably cheaper ands just as effective.
Definatly agree with this. As I've said before I'd rather try and catch 5 that weigh 20 than 20 that weigh 5.
I think we all would rather catch 5 big fish than 20 small fish.
But the biggest factor in that is WHERE YOU ARE FISHING. You can't catch big bass if you're not fishing where the big bass are; if they even exist in the body of water you're on.
If you haven't caught big fish on senkos it's because you don't fish them that often. Because they most certainly catch big fish. I can't remember the members name but he has a picture of a huge bass (like 10lbs+ easy) he says he caught on a 3" senko. And I've caught big bass (for my area, 20+") on senkos every season.
I've also had dinks take 12" worms and 5" bluegill sized swimbaits like the gantarel Jr. And when I say dinks I mean half a pound.
Again. The most important factor in catching huge bass is location..period.
keagbassr reply :
Yes I agree they can catch big fish as my buddies pb 8-6 was caught on a dinger. I just don't think a weightless stickbait is the best way ( for me at least) to do it.
Shimano_1 reply :
I think it kind of boils down to the way most people are in general. There's always the exception...but most people believe their way is better. My dad will sit on the back of my boat and watch me wreck fish on a jig and never tie one on. He likes the power fishing...has to be reeling or he isnt happy. I personally believe anyone who doesn't have faith in a senko hasn't given them much of a chance. Of course I'd rather be fishing faster moving baits most of the time...when I go fishing i go to catch fish. There have been many days I would have gotten skunked if it weren't for the senko.
cgolf reply :
On 10/10/2019 at 4:13 AM, Shimano_1 said:I think it kind of boils down to the way most people are in general. There's always the exception...but most people believe their way is better. My dad will sit on the back of my boat and watch me wreck fish on a jig and never tie one on. He likes the power fishing...has to be reeling or he isnt happy. I personally believe anyone who doesn't have faith in a senko hasn't given them much of a chance. Of course I'd rather be fishing faster moving baits most of the time...when I go fishing i go to catch fish. There have been many days I would have gotten skunked if it weren't for the senko.
I can't speak for others, but for me I catch a lot of fish on our vacation lake with the tactics I use, and I have grown the bag of tactics I have over the years, and I am still trying to add more. I have many finesse presentations, but they all get more casts per hour than a Senko. For my personality quirks, that works for me and I probably could fish a Senko but not for long without getting board.
The vacation lake is also a very windy lake and I fish out of a 16 foot aluminum boat that makes holding stable difficult. I also fish reeds a lot and in the wind weightless baits and true Ned rigs are difficult to fish in those conditions. Often I have to up the Ned rig weight to put the bait where I want it. The only time I could effectively fish the weightless senko is sunup where 4 of the 7 days it has been calm enough to effectively fish lighter baits around vertical cover. Who knows if I fished different cover and wind conditions maybe I would be using it more, but since this is the lake I hope to retire on it may not be in the cards.
On 10/7/2019 at 11:12 PM, JediAmoeba said:When I think of Senkos the last word I associate with them is inefficient. They catch fish - if that's inefficient than I have been doing this whole fishing thing wrong.
I know they catch fish, but the drop being slower and the twitch and then glide of the bait taking longer than a weighted plastic is what doesn't suit my style. If I am not catching fish I do what I need to do to catch fish, longer pauses, etc until I key in on what they want. Last year it was letting it drop and shaking the bait in place while other years it was letting it sit. I just haven't grabbed a weightless senko or other stickworm to put them in the boat. I have used a swim senko on a 1/4 slider head and let them sit on the bottom for 5 seconds to catch fish, but to me the swim senko is a completely different bait.
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