what am i doing wrong? 2025
butch19 reply :
ok here is the deal.i'm fishing a river which is pretty shallow about 3 to 4ft i'd say.i'm not catching pretty much anything.only thing i am really getting any hits on is a king size buzz bait right before dark.i purchased some senko's and flukes and also been using tubes alil.i've read up a good bit on these senko's and how you hook and use them,i've been hooking them weedless i guess you'd say cause not sure what you all are talking about when you say carlina,wacky etc... what am i doing wrong?if anybody could maybe point me to a link with pics or show me some pics of maybe the different ways to hook these senko's and flukes i would be very thankful.also what else should i maybe try for lure's?
butch19 reply :
also i got all the senko's and flukes colors that i've seen people say work best on here
D4u2s0t reply :
well, start with the basics. are you sure there's fish in the river? senkos are pretty hard to fish wrong, if there's fish around they'll take it.
Raul reply :
My friend, you are focusing in which baits and that is only a small part of the sport. Baits are tools, the one who catches the fish is you.
Location & presentation
Location & presentation
Location & presentation.
You keep hearing how great senkos are, are they that great ? no bait is great if you are fishing it where the fish aren 't ( location ), no bait is great if you are not fishing it right ( presentation ).
Most of the answers you seek can be found in the Fishing Articles section, read them.
nateobot reply :
---> Senko FAQ - LOOK HERE FIRST!! <--- I would read through some of the posts in this sticky thread. There is a section on there for Senko Techniques.
Also here is an article with some pictures: http://***/insideline/articles/senko-lazy-susan.html
http://www.insideline.net/il-online/features/08-0527-price.html
butch19 reply :
yes i now there are fish.
Koop reply :
QuoteMost of the answers you seek can be found in the Fishing Articles section, read them.
Just buying a bag of senkos and tossing one on a hook and casting wont work, unless your very lucky haha. Read some of the articles, learn what wacky means, learn what t-rig, carolina etc mean and how and when to use these presentations. Read up on how fish hold, where they are, how to fish certain structure, what colors to use when. Then apply the two together, presentation for the structure your working.
You will do so much better when you understand the principals and how to apply them. It's very hard, and frustrating to just go out and cast and get skunked day in and day out. Granted if you increase your knowledge, you will catch more fish.
When I started my reading / research to fishing ratio was about 5:1 hours. I just soaked up all the knowledge I could, asked as many questions as I could think of and things eventually started to click. When I hit the water, I wasn't even really caring to much if I caught a fish, yeah it would have been a nice bonus but I was practicing the techniques that I had learned and tuning them, adjusting as I saw fit.
The pro's study a lake for days, practice it for days then take a month off before a tournament.
I started looking at maps a lot, where the drop offs are, running crank baits along the bottom to feel out the ridges and structure, where the rocks were etc. I loved Ike's book especially when he explained the preparations he went through before a tournament. It clicked for me to start this type of study of the water I fish.
Hope this helps at least a little.
butch19 reply :
yes it does help.thats why i am asking question's so i can learn more about this bass fishing
rubba bubba reply :
Have you ever fished plastics before and caught fish? If not, they may be hitting you just aren't aware of it.
I'd recommend you learn how to fish a plastic worm, Texas rigged, in the river. That will always catch fish.
Raul reply :
Quoteyes i now there are fish.
There 's an old say:
90% of the fish are in 10% of the water, 90% of the fish are caught by 10% of the anglers.
It 's not a matter of if there are fish, you know there are fish, but where is the tricky part, fish are not evenly spread all over the water, most of the water is fishless.
Koop reply :
QuoteQuoteyes i now there are fish.There 's an old say:
90% of the fish are in 10% of the water, 90% of the fish are caught by 10% of the anglers.
It 's not a matter of if there are fish, you know there are fish, but where is the tricky part, fish are not evenly spread all over the water, most of the water is fishless.
Raul, you should change your avatar to Yoda with that kind of advice ;D
That water, fishless it is MMmm
RoLo reply :
In a river that's only a yard or so deep, dropbaits like the senko offer very little area coverage
and have little vertical space to do their thing. In a shallow stream, I would favor horizontal deliveries
using lures that negotiate current.
Experiment to find out which jig weight allows the lure to tumble naturally in the current, along the bottom,
then attach a soft-plastic trailer such as a four-inch plastic grub.
Needless to say, there won't be much activity until you find a bass holding site.
If that doesn't work, it's off to the Potomac River ;D
Roger
Raul reply :
QuoteRaul, you should change your avatar to Yoda with that kind of advice ;D
That water, fishless it is MMmm
Much to learn you still have my young padawan. 
TheHammer84 reply :
QuoteIn a river that's only a yard or so deep, dropbaits like the senko offer very little area coverage
and have little vertical space to do their thing. In a shallow stream, I would favor horizontal deliveries
using lures that negotiate current.
I agree, no doubt the Senko is a great lure, but in a shallow river, I'm going to be tossin' a floating Rapala and spinnerbait first (my river is mostly in the 4-6 foot depth range).
If you're new to fishing soft plastics, the current of a river may make it hard to pickup strikes, I'd try fishing them in a lake or pond first to try and learn what a strike on them feels like, and get a few hookups to build your confidence. Also, I'd recommend a Fat Ika. They can imitate a crawfish, and rivers are loaded with 'em.
butch19 reply :
thanx guys this is alot of help.i have fished before with plastic lures.have caught fish on purple tubes and small jigs.the potomac river is what i am fishing.i was wondering with the current if the senko and fluke was the right bait to be using.yes it is pretty swift where i am fishing
Little Luey reply :
I am kind of new fishing myself, and I find using lures like crankbaits and spiners a lot easier than using plastics, the only plastic technich I caught fish consistently on is dropshoting.
IMO it takes more skill to learn plastics technicks, even though the experienced guys here swear by them I have a hard time feeling and learning the technics. what I am saying is start using easier to learn lures, cranks and spinnerbaits are pretty much just cast and retrive lures, they are not as complicated as t-rigs or carolina rigs. I have been practicing t-rigs and shaky head rigs this year but had little success, I know one of this days it is all going to click and I will start catching fish; however confidence and getting the first fish in is crucial for me to keep concentraded and willing to try.
it is a lot to try to figure out at once, the location, the presentation, retrive variance or any other thing. I go to the same places I caught fish on or where I have seen fish swimming around and try my few technics there, after i get my first fish i start experimenting.
rubba bubba reply :
Quotei was wondering with the current if the senko and fluke was the right bait to be using.yes it is pretty swift where i am fishing
Those are both going to be tough (weightless) if there's swift current. The senko will work but you're going to need a bullet weight and fish it like a worm. You mentioned tubes; I would use those with a ball head or tube head jig inside - 1/4oz or less/more depending on how swift the current is.
basser89 reply :
Hey Butch,
Since I've fished the section a couple times, I'll see what I can help you with. What I've found with the Williamsport area of the Potomac is the smallies are pretty much scattered out. That's one reason I mentioned the cranks and jerkbaits in the PM I had sent ya. When I fish the Senko's in the Potomac, I'll usually t-rig them with very little weight (like an 1/8oz, MAYBE a tick heavier). If you're able to get out on a boat, you can throw the Senkos (weightless) around the bridge pilings (on the down current side (I'll also throw tubes in there as well). I'm not sure if how the grass situation is on that section this year, but that's a good place for the tubes and Senkos as well. Cast up stream of the grass patch and let the current bring the bait down past the patches. The areas around the islands will also hold some smallies as well. Tube colors that have produced the best for me are junebug, roadkill and watermelon/chart tail. Hope this helps, shoot me another PM if I can help ya out a little more.
tnbassfisher reply :
QuoteQuoteMost of the answers you seek can be found in the Fishing Articles section, read them.
Just buying a bag of senkos and tossing one on a hook and casting wont work, unless your very lucky haha. Read some of the articles, learn what wacky means, learn what t-rig, carolina etc mean and how and when to use these presentations. Read up on how fish hold, where they are, how to fish certain structure, what colors to use when. Then apply the two together, presentation for the structure your working.
You will do so much better when you understand the principals and how to apply them. It's very hard, and frustrating to just go out and cast and get skunked day in and day out. Granted if you increase your knowledge, you will catch more fish.
When I started my reading / research to fishing ratio was about 5:1 hours. I just soaked up all the knowledge I could, asked as many questions as I could think of and things eventually started to click. When I hit the water, I wasn't even really caring to much if I caught a fish, yeah it would have been a nice bonus but I was practicing the techniques that I had learned and tuning them, adjusting as I saw fit.
The pro's study a lake for days, practice it for days then take a month off before a tournament.
I started looking at maps a lot, where the drop offs are, running crank baits along the bottom to feel out the ridges and structure, where the rocks were etc. I loved Ike's book especially when he explained the preparations he went through before a tournament. It clicked for me to start this type of study of the water I fish.
Hope this helps at least a little.
You think that you could possibly send me some links to some good articles to read up on?
Lynx reply :
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
Here's a couple of tips that might help you out.
I live in Sacramento, California, right now the Bass are in a suspended state: Which Means:
AT THIS TIME OF YEAR ON THE WEST COAST, BASS ARE IN SPAWN & POST SPAWN MODE: WHICH MEANS THEY ARE GOING TO BE ON REACTION STRIKES. THE BEST THING TO DO IN THIS CASE IS TO SET YOUR LURE IN FRONT OF THE BASS & BRING IT TO THEM. LESS EFFORT FOR THE BASS MEANS MORE FISH. THIS TIME OF YEAR ITS ALL ABOUT SENKOS, & SPINNER BAITS. (MATCH THE COLOR OF YOUR BAITS TO THE CLEARITY OF THE WATER).
SPAWNING (POST) = SHALLOW WATERS & HEAVY COVER. AN OFF-SET HOOK RIGGED WEEDLESS W/ A WATERMELON SENKO (DEAD-STICKING) WORKS GREAT.
2 MORE TIPS:
LARGEMOUTH BASS LIKE SHALLOW WATER W/ HEAVY COVER (BANKS, TREE'S, LILYS).
SMALLMOUTH BASS LIKE DEEPER WATER W/ DROP OFF'S, ROCK BEDS, SLOPS.
SPOTTED (BLACK) BASS LIKE DEEPER WATER YET (CENTER OF A POND, LAKE, ETC), W/ COVER SUCH AS GRASS & ROCKS.
FISH ARE LIKE US WHEN IT'S HOT OUTSIDE & THE SUN IS DIRECTLY ABOVE, WE FIND COVER, SO DO THEY. THEY'LL ALSO WILL DO THIS BY GOING INTO DEEPER WATERS. YOU CAN CATCH BASS WHEN IT'S HOT OUTSIDE, 75% OF THE TIME THERE NOT GOING TO CHASE IT (BAITS) (WHEN IT'S LIKE A DESERT OUTSIDE) IT'S GOING TO BE WHEN YOUR BAIT OR LURE SUSPENDS.
REMEMBER: LOCATION, PRESENTATION, & CONDITIONS ARE ALL A FACTOR.
I HOPE THIS HELPS YOU IN CATCHING THE "BIG KAHUNA."
SirSnookalot reply :
Quotesenkos are pretty hard to fish wrong, if there's fish around they'll take it.
Fishing plastic worms........"so easy a caveman can do it".
I hardly ever use them, except when the fishing is bad and I'm hard up for a catch.
butch19 reply :
guys you all have been alot of help.went last night and caught a good many bass just smaller ones,but hey thats a start.guess i am learning the "Location & presentation" now!
central_fl_fishin reply :
Try a small spinner in a shallow river.
tnbassfisher reply :
QuoteTry a small spinner in a shallow river.
I like inline spinners.
Fishing Rhino reply :
There is no "wrong" as long as you learn from it.
Having said that, it is possible to fish Senko style or any other plastic worm wacky style with a jig head.
I've been doing it the past few days using Strike King four inch finesse worms, and it has been working very well for me.
Here's a couple of articles that should help. One of them mentions fishing the current. The Potomac is one of the rivers cited.
http://www.insideline.net/weeklynews/2009/09-0415.html
http://www.insideline.net/weeklynews/2009/09-0330-shakey.html
The wacky works very well, but using the ShakE2 jig head rigged weedless as shown in the second article has worked even better. I have rods rigged with both, and fish an area with both techniques.
I like the Strike King 3X finesse baits. They will outlast anything else by a long shot.
They stretch a mile, and I've yet to have one tear. If fact, I have yet to need to change one. They last until a rig gets hung up on the bottom.
One thing you do need to do is pierce them before hand. You cannot get them on the barb of the ShakE2 jig head otherwise. Cant get them on the coil holders either.
Clamp a needle or thin finish nail in a vice or vice grips, anything that will hold it in a safe place. Heat it with a lighter or small plumbers torch, then insert the heated needle lengthwise into the center of the head. About three quarters of an inch is sufficient.
Twist the worm as you pull it off the needle. It may not be absolutely necessary, but I do it, just in case. You can usually do a couple of worms with one heating.
Just heat the needle enough to melt the material, but not so hot that the plastic reseals when you withdraw it from the needle. That's why I twist it.
Test the first few on a barb until you get the hang of it.
Take care to center the needle point, and to keep the worm aligned.
You can do a package in a couple of minutes once you get the hang of it.
They are worth the effort. You don't need to use O rings to make them last. Even when wacky rigged, I've yet to lose a worm, or even have one tear in the slightest.
Other than the needle thing, there are no cons to these products.
SK also makes five inch fluke style baits in the 3X plastic.
I have use the caffein shad (it's not 3X) in place of a worm and had great success with the baby bass and smokey shad color. I suspect the other colors will work as well. I like the look of those colors, so I have confidence in them.
When I use up my current stock of the caffein shads, I will replenish my supply with the 3X. The caffein shad is good for from one to a half dozen fish. If the 3X stuff is as good as the finesse worm, it should be good until it's lost to hang.
One more thing. When you wacky rig the SK finesse worm, you'll notice how it "grabs" the shaft of the hook. It does not slide around easily. It will stretch considerably before the hook completely pierces through the body.
butch19 reply :
thanx rhino,some good articles and pics there.i'm going to give it a try for sure
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