Senkos!!!!!!!!!! 1# Plastic Bait! 2024

BassMaster reply :

What kind of rig do u like to put on Senkos. I love to fish em' weightless! How about u guys... and gals? ;D 8)

Will reply :

I don't know about number 1 best plastic bait, but they also work good carolina rigged, wacky rigged, and drop shotted.

BassMaster reply :

What is ur fav. plastic bait Will? ???

earthworm77 reply :

Senkos are excellent baits but I do think that guys rely entirely to much on them. I'll go as far as saying that they may be responsible for retarding the learning curve of an entire generation of bass anglers.

But a wacky rig and Texas rig are my two favorite ways. Occassionally I'll use them on a D/S rig

BassMaster reply :

Who says i always rely on them. I have millions of other plastics.

earthworm77 reply :

That was a general statement, not directed towards anyone specific.

BassMaster reply :

I was taking it as if it was specified towards me. Sorry, and thanks 4 ur understanding! ;D 8)

earthworm77 reply :

not a problem

Big_Bass_Rich reply :

To date I've caught 4 decent fish on senkos, and one huge catfish. I think they are a fad type bait and are dieing real quick in popularity. I've always done way better on fry type baits when others are using senkos.

But when I do use senkos, I fish them weightless most of the time but had some luck flipping with them too.

Marty reply :

I fish then T-rigged and weightless because I'm normally in weedy water where wacky rigs wouldn't do so well.

Rich, I don't think they're a fad. They're an excellent lure and I see no reason why they won't be around and catching bass for many years. Other plastics are a permanent part of our arsenals and I think Senkos will be too.

SENKOSAM reply :

Have to agree with Marty.The simple design and unique action of the weighted stick on the horizontal drop, is here to stay. Knockoffs work almost as well, so it's to be expected that paying over $.70 a worm will become history soon enough.

Handpourers have gotten the recipe down and many anglers have started buying from them. Wacky Worm, Tiki Stick and Assalt Sticks are a few of the finest made. Even Stik-O's have their place in the jerkstick market, though qc is wanting for a good % in the bag.

Senko-type baits, like all baits, have intermittent success. Like EW said, when the Senko bite is off, you better know what bite is on, or be prepared to go fishless for hours on end. The soft stick is a tool, but with limitations. Other lures do it better sometimes and many cover a lot more water, faster. When activity levels are high, the Senko is the last bait I'll cast.

Even smallie anglers don't do as well as largemouth anglers on Senkos and opt to chuck slimmer design worms, grubs and jigs.

They may have taken a huge chunk of business away from Zoom and Berkley, but only the category of soft plastics has more sales than any other and can be called number 1 as a category.

Sam

duncast48TN reply :

SenkoSam: Ive never fished a Senko. Whats the best way? thanks 8)

Stickling reply :

whats a wacky rig?

roadwarrior reply :

Senkos are #1 in my book, too. But I only fish them in relatively shallow water (<10 ft), only weightless and always weedless. For deeper water I like the Kut-tail, Texas rigged or with a jig head in open water. In '04 I caught the majority of my bigger largemouth on the Ika and I HIGHLY recommend it. But still, all my 10s have been caught on 6" senkos.

Basstronaut reply :

Quote
whats a wacky rig?

hook goes through the middle of the worm as opposed to either side, or head or whatever it is you're fishing, the plastic then hangs on both sides of the hook ofcourse

Chris reply :

I have done well fishing senkos wacky style, drop shot, texas rig, carolina rigged, I have fished them like a jerkbait, I have flipped with them. Its a tool and i have other baits that can be used to replace it. For me its not a bait i use year round but it could be. I tend to use it in the early spring. The rest of the year i have better options. SenkoSam is right on target if your vast knowledge of fishing is centered on just using a senko your going to miss out on a truck load of great fishing.

BassMaster reply :

Good tips! Keep on coming! ;D 8)

Will reply :

I prefer creature baits over senkos, such as the Brush Hog or tube baits.

BassMaster reply :

Thanks you guys!!!! ;D 8)

L.D. reply :

I have to deal with current in the river so I use a lead head jig and let them just "tick" the rocks with a constant twitching motion so it doesn't get caught(alot) on the bottom.

L.D.

SENKOSAM reply :

To add regarding the wacky rig, hook size can make or break the hook set. A small gap is okay for a thinner stick or worm, but a centerhooked-thick plastic must have a widegap hook of at least 3/0. If the worm balls up, at least there will be enough barb to go deep enough.

As far as fishing the wacky rig, rod twitches imparted while the bait is on the way down or in-place just off bottom, is a large part the Senko's horizontal fall. Allowed to fall with no rod tip action, the bait rocks & rolls and the tips quiver,(driving fish nuts). When twitched, the tips flutter and the body flexes (driving fish nuts).

The rig is as effective in 3' as it is in 23'. When the cast is out 25 yard on the horizontal from you, hit the weed edges and let it fall. Twitch the bait vigorously and let it deadstick and then twitch the bait on the retrieve and deadstick every 5'. You'll be surprised at how many 8" bass choke on 5 1/4"

Senkos and won't let go after blasting a wacky rigged soft stick.

Again, weed edges are primo. Rock flats and points with decent size bolders are also primo wacky rig areas. Docks come in third for me, but may be numero uno for someone else, depending on how much pressure they receive. Never give up on the Senko or other great sticks. It is a classic lure style.

Sam

SpinnerbaitDan reply :

I like the senko when I have fish located and do very well with it,but not as a search bait.To slow.

Shad_Master reply :

You're right about that SpinnerbaitDan, Senko's are not a good search bait. However, they are dynomite! as a follow-up bait on a missed fish with a topwater or crankbait.

Nick reply :

Next week in the FLW I expect at least 80% of the co-anglers will be throwing these or Kinami's(same thing) at Okeechobee. In heavy pressured waters, they are very hard to beat. I was always a trick worm fanatic, but I have to admit that the Senko is better the majority of the time. I too will be using it as my go-to bait if we are fishing cover.

crankbait reply :

Let's see $5.99 a bag of ten That's .59 a lure...! You guys rich???? I use the imitations and they work just as well....FAD I think so, just wish I was Gary Y. collecting Try the other one's they work the same look the same and last time I check tasted the same. Well I bit one down to wacky it at 3 inches...

guest reply :

ive never used a Senko but the way yall describe them there miricle baits. Soft Plastic wise i love my ribbon tail worms.

Stickling reply :

bought some gary yamamoto senkos today gunna tyry thhem out, they are black with chartuse tail.

BamaCoast reply :

While I was in Walmart today I noticed they just started selling Gary Yamamoto soft plastics including the senko....

Stickling reply :

ROFL maybe at ur wally world but mine is cheap.....................

Nick_Barr reply :

I have onl gotten 1 keeper fish on a senko. i would rather fish with a creature bait or ribbontail worm, i live up north and senkos are supposed to work in cold water but really i dont think so.

Phishn_Phool reply :

Someone told me that the Tiki Stik is actually made the same place the Senko is made. Is that true????

squid reply :

I fish the Senko's weightless, but Tritonman had a nice one while fishing it Texas rigged.

tritonman reply :

For all of you that fish the senko wacky style. Have any of you used a split ring around them? They help hold the hook, and now with the red rings you get that bleeding look.

JT Bagwell reply :

phisn_phool,

To the best of my knowledge, the baits you mentioned are not made at the same place that Senkos are made.

JT Bagwell

John Cullum reply :

Tiki Stacks were born and raised in Texas. I believe they are still made there. Yamamoto I thought was Arizona but I'm not sure if their poured there.

JT Bagwell reply :

John, you are correct about Yamamoto.

I have never touched a Tiki stick in my life so I know nothing about them.

JT Bagwell

John Cullum reply :

Samething as a Senko but not the same if you know what I mean. They all seem to look the same as a Senko but none of them seem to fish like one. There are 50 companies now making thier own version of the Senko and none of them seem to catch fish like it.

JT Bagwell reply :

Yeah I knew what a Tiki stick was, I had just never touched or used one.

You are right on the money with all of the Senko Knock-Offs on the market. I guess Gary Yamamoto should feel flattered that they are all copying his idea.

JT Bagwell

abelfisher reply :

I just bought some Senko's over the weekend, but have never fished them yet. Do you really think the differecne is in the product itself, or the "confidence" of the angler with the sENKO'S?

SENKOSAM reply :

Don't believe the Yamamoto diehards that claim the Senko is the only stick to catch fish or the best of the best. The lure has been made into exact aluminum molds and the process has been duplicated by hundreds of handpourers as well as small companies like Wave Industries and Assalt.

Anyone who has fished good copies knows that it's not only the bait that matters, but the angler using it. When I first started pouring and using my own stick, the thing was stiffer than hardened silicone caulking, but it caught fish because I wanted it to . I worked it different ways, during prime seasons and times, and slew four different species! What's more, the worm wouldn't quit, after having caught 30 or more fish, including pickerel over 20".

My first sticks had no salt for weight or softener and had one flat side. So, considering the unappealing appearence and other factors that have made Senko a superb stick, mine still did great.

Since then, I found out the secrets of making a stick like the Senko, having the same softeness and salt and thus action. Other anglers have used my stick with equal success and in their minds, can't see paying +60 cents for a lure that is good for one fish or a few casts, when a good copy will do as well with imparted action and is good for eight bass and 30 casts.

The other thing about handpouring is the ability to dictate the sticks fall, yet maintain super softness and finesse tip-action. The three major rates of horizontal fall are; floating/super slow; moderate; and rapid. Each matches a different fish's aggressive level and have different presentations especially suited to fall rate.

Plastisol is plastisol and that's the primary base for 98% of all worms made. Additives may make a difference, but not universally. Sticks may catch fish for most anglers, but not for everyone and especially those new to worm fishing.

Granted, Senkos and the best copies excel in idiot-proof deadsticking and wacky rigging, but that in itself can lead the way to a limited scope of lure types and presentations. When something is too easy, a dependence forms based on a belief that one-lure-fits-all and that a specific brand and style is all that's needed to catch fish anytime, anywhere. Not so.

Sam

Lurecrafter and designer

(For those that may be thinking I'm plugging my handpours, you're wrong. I make them for a select few that know me personally or that I'm acquainted with through message boards. I'm proud of the fact that I can make something that is just as capable of catching fish as any mass produced same-type lure. Here are a few exmples on my blog: http://senkosam.blogspot.com/)

bmo30 reply :

Tiki Sticks are made right off the west branch of Lake Fork a little north of Little Mustang. I dont think senko's will ever entirly go away, I beleive they will be a lot like tubes kind of a lost art for most but those who still use them will attest to their value.

Pond-Pro reply :

I think senkos are great. This style of bait catches way to many fish to be considered a fad. Zoom's Z nail and the Yum Dinger are less as exspensive and work great. Texas rig them in cover or wacky rig them in the open. As long as you don't fish them to fast, they will catch fish.

John Cullum reply :

Senkosam you proved my point. You found the same softness and salt as a Senko. So in all actuality your making a Senko. I've seen and felt alot of the spin off Senko that are to lite have little or no salt or have a flat side from a hand poured mold. In my opinion the Yamamoto has the right action, softness and salt content that separates it from the others I've used. So if you can duplicate this in your Senkos and add a little twist your versions are probadly AWESOME.

DumbLuck reply :

I caught as many fish with the senko this year, as I did with all other baits combined.

The don't always work, but when they work they really work.

I usually use the Kinami stick baits you can find at Wally world here in North Carolina, and they seem to work just as good as the original Senkos.

One of the biggest things for me concerning the Senko is that you can catch big fish or numbers of fish with them.

If there's no wind the best way is to fish them weightless, but if there is a little wind I texas rig with a very small bullet weight so I can feel the bait.

JT Bagwell reply :

The reason that your Kinami Flash will work as good as a Yamamoto Senko is because they are the exact same bait. ;D

Kinami is a division of Yamamoto enterprises that is ran by Derek Yamamoto (Gary's Son).

JT Bagwell

Danarchy reply :

When I fish senkos, I catch way more small fish than I do big ones. It could just be the locations that I fish, or it could have somethng to do with the aggresion level of the fish, either way it would be grounds for another topic. I have caught some big bass on senkos and other knock offs, but they seem to come after precise coverage of a given area. As for the small ones, I don't think they think twice before inhaling a senko. I once literally tossed a senko right into a small bass's mouth, or at least it seemed that way, right on top of it's nose; before the ripples spread a foot and a half I had a fish on. And like earthworm said "they may be responsible for retarding the learning curve of an entire generation of bass anglers", I may fall into this category myself. I don't think I went fishing at all in '04 without casting senkos first and foremost. They did produce well while my partners were getting skunked, but I wish that I would have spent more time with other patterns.

DumbLuck reply :

JT-

I figured it was something like that, cause there was the name Yamamoto on the package.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

I think I'll keep buying from the son, he doesn't charge as much. 8)

mathias reply :

Dumbluck, don't forget that they are less expensive but they are only 7 count bags. Senkos are 10 count bags. So it's almost the same price.

ARCHER reply :

Quote:

We should all be careful not to get locked into one particular bait. We still have to let the fish tell us what they want. If its a Senko, then I'm cool with that.

guest reply :

I think that senkos are a large reason why bass fishing has enjoyed the explosion of popularity. It is so easy to fish, and so good at catching bass that virtually anyone can go out their first day and catch a boatload of "keepers" before the senko the killer baits like the sluggo, or plastic worms required some angling skill. On most days the senko will outfish the best hardbaits. So GYCB deserves every dime he makes.

PS. a knockoff is a knockoff. Yes they may work well. But Gary Yamamoto invented the thing and deserves the profits as well as the kudos.

Is it a fad? No more so than the original rapala, the ratltrap, or spinnerbait.

Is a Tiki stick the same as a senko? - No. I have tried them and in my opinion are not as good.

do other soft plastic manufacturers make products as good as the senko? I think the answer is yes. roboworm makes outstanding soft plastic worms. they are not cheap and if anything are even more fragile than the senko, but wow do the bassies love em.

Cephkiller reply :

What's a Senko?

J/K

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

RoLo reply :

Wow, this thread was read 1,752 times (Feb 8), but only 1 person in 35 responded, that's pretty low.

As it happens, the senko is nothing more than a stick worm, and the stick worm is not new.

When I say stick worm, I'm not including straight worms like the Creme Scoundrel

and Manns Jelly worm. Those have a little shape, but I'm referring to the true Pen Worm.

I'm only guessing, but I'd say the Culprit jerk worm was available about 20 years ago.

It was the first true pen worm I have ever seen, but I'm sure there were predacessors.

The pen worms never made it big, and I believe the culprit jerk worm was discontinued a long ago.

So what took the stick worm so long to become popular?

If you were to ask me, I'd have to blame it on the fishermen (the bass never changed).

The problem it seemed, was that no one really knew what to do with a stick worm,

myself included. Our first mistake was to add a bullet sinker. Our second mistake

was to jerk it. To my knowledge, the first person to advocate adding NO action to the lure

was a fellow named Charlie Brewer. Charlie was way ahead of his time, but not many fishermen

were listening. Anyway, it took anglers an eternity to finally "do nothing", with something

that already looked like "nothing", and to do it without weight. BOY, what a difference that made!

Lil Baby Cousin Ray-Ray reply :

on the question ofwhether its the lure or the fisherman i am starting to believe that it really comes right down to the fisherman. my dad taught me all i knew about fishing growing up but he was very old fashioned. he had two reels, one rigged with a culprit original grape w/ red tail and the other a spinner bait. i have grown up now and tried new techniques and i consider myself to be very competent with a senko. everytime i go home though my dad still outfishes me with the same old worm and spinnerbait. its so dependable fr him he almost seems psychic because he will call a strike before he even casts. i guess there is something to be said for a fisherman that has mastered one technique and use successfully in almost any situation.

NEBassMan reply :

back from the grave.........

Raul reply :

Quote
back from the grave.........

Scary isn 't it ?

The night of the living dead. ( muahahahaha ----> evil laff )

TournyFish001 reply :

wow this is from before I was member- an interesting read for sure! best part was, "the senko is just a "fad""- wrong, I think about every major soft plastic bait company makes and markets a type of "senko" bait. The name senko is to soft "pen shaped baits" as the name Xerox is to copiers!

roadwarrior reply :

Hmm...

In three months I will have been fishing Senkos for ten years. In May of 2017 I will have been fishing the original Senko by Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits for twenty years...Man, time flies!

Gatorbassman reply :

This if from before I was a member!!!!

guest reply :

Quote
Wow, this thread was read 1,752 times (Feb 8), but only 1 person in 35 responded, that's pretty low.
As it happens, the senko is nothing more than a stick worm, and the stick worm is not new.

When I say stick worm, I'm not including straight worms like the Creme Scoundrel

and Manns Jelly worm. Those have a little shape, but I'm referring to the true Pen Worm.

I'm only guessing, but I'd say the Culprit jerk worm was available about 20 years ago.

It was the first true pen worm I have ever seen, but I'm sure there were predacessors.

The pen worms never made it big, and I believe the culprit jerk worm was discontinued a long ago.

So what took the stick worm so long to become popular?

If you were to ask me, I'd have to blame it on the fishermen (the bass never changed).

The problem it seemed, was that no one really knew what to do with a stick worm,

myself included. Our first mistake was to add a bullet sinker. Our second mistake

was to jerk it. To my knowledge, the first person to advocate adding NO action to the lure

was a fellow named Charlie Brewer. Charlie was way ahead of his time, but not many fishermen

were listening. Anyway, it took anglers an eternity to finally "do nothing", with something

that already looked like "nothing", and to do it without weight. BOY, what a difference that made!

HI Roger, Good to see you posting. I thought maybe you took up golf ;D

Regarding your post, I don't recall the culprit worm you speak of, but remember when the sluggo came out? It was a huge success. They instructed you how to fish it, which is maybe what culprit should have done. However I suspect that even though the shape may have been similar it is likely that there was little or no salt in the bait. As we all know Gary Y. put enough salt in the senko to give anyone a coronary, and that's where the action comes from.

Even Gene Larew who patented (clever man) the salt adding process, never used the quantities of salt that GaryY did.

So I think the Senko was a genuine original and a real milestone in fishing lures.

say "hi" to Lois.

avid

Uncle Paul reply :

What is a T rig?? I am a novice at this

burleytog reply :

Holy resurrected thread Batman!

.dsaavedra. reply :

Quote
What is a T rig?? I am a novice at this

T rig is short for Texas rig.

to get you started:

http://www.bassresource.com/beginner/Texas_Rig.html

do some searching (on here and google) and you will find A LOT more info.

burleytog reply :

Quote

Quote
What is a T rig?? I am a novice at this

T rig is short for Texas rig.

to get you started:

http://www.bassresource.com/beginner/Texas_Rig.html

do some searching (on here and google) and you will find A LOT more info.

Such as right here...

Bass Resource Senko FAQ

endless reply :

Quote
What is a T rig?? I am a novice at this

if still need help leraning a like the texas rig or others you can always youtube it for video demonstration thats how i learned the t rig.

SimonSays reply :

Wow back from the dead twice! 05->07->09

Raul reply :

Quote
Wow back from the dead twice! 05->07->09

Then we can expect this thread to resurrect in 2011.

dodgeguy reply :

Quote
Hmm...
In three months I will have been fishing Senkos for ten years. In May of 2017 I will have been fishing the original Senko by Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits for twenty years...Man, time flies!

your just friggin old!!!! ;D

iceintheveins reply :

Weightless texposed or wacky.

roadwarrior reply :

Geez...

Resurrected for "What's a T-rig".

Uncle Paul,

In the future, please start a new thread. Your question is "off topic".

Goodnight Irene.

-Kent a.k.a roadwarrior

Global Moderator

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Senkos!!!!!!!!!! 1# Plastic Bait! 2024

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