Another Senko Thread... Patience... Dont have any...

[ib_of_the_damned]

I have been fishing with the senko for a couple of months now.  I have only caught one fish, about a pound.  Everyone here says they catch fish well, and you need to fish it slow. Well here's the thing. Im not a very patient fisherman I like to constantly do something albeit reeling, twitching, dragging etc.  How do you guys with the patience like me fish them? I really need to learn to slow down but cant.

[roadwarrior]

Please read through this thread and the referenced links:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1121527643

Thanks!

-Kent a.k.a. roadwarrior

Global Moderator

[Raul]

Not catching anything teaches you to be patient.

[grimlin]

Not catching anything teaches you to be patient.

Ditto!I agree!

There was one thing here that taught me something...if you think you are going too slow...slow down even more.  You'd be amaze how well that works....specially with stickbaits like the senko.

[tyrius.]

How do you guys with the patience like me fish them?

People who lack the patience to fish slow either figure out a way to gain the needed patience or never become successful fishermen.

It sounds to me like you're letting you're "lack of patience" be a crutch to not be able to fish slow.  How do you do it?  You just fish slow.  Success is the best teacher that I've experienced.

[RoLo]

I really need to learn to slow down but cant.

Maybe a senko is the wrong lure for learning how to slow down.

I've got an idea, rig the senko "wacky-style" and fish it as a vertical dropbait.

There's no way you can rush a dropbait without aborting the vertical fall.

Roger

[J Francho]

I was thinking the same thing, Roger.  I don't fish a Senko with any kind of patience.  If I know there are fish there, then I toss it out, deadstick it for 20-30 seconds, and then I try the nest spot.  Fishing a Senko vertically in deeper water might do it, but in deeper water, I lose my patience as well, and rig that Seanko wacky on the drop shot, with a long tag end.  A really good "patience" bait to me would be a football jig beyond the deep weedline.  In either case, you've got to fish where you know there are fish.  If there aren't any fish, anyone's would patience would meet its limit trying to catch.

[BobP]

Not sure how much patience you have, but deadsticking a Senko doesn't have to mean you sit there forever, IMO.  Once the bait shimmies to the bottom, it's "bite me" dance is over.  I give it 10 sec on the bottom, then lift it one time for a repeat.  If no bite, I'm done.  I also think wacky rigging can be lots more productive if cover permits because the bass don't see that often and wacky gives them a very different action with subtle twitches.  It's still one of my favorite baits but I think the bass are becoming wary of them, like any bait.  When first introduced, Senkos were bass catching machines.  Now they're still good, but not so hot as before - JMHO.

[KYntucky Warmouth]

The biggest thing for me is, like J Francho, throwing it where they are.  I use it as a targeting bait, not a search lure.  Throw it near a piling, bush, something visible, let it sink, give it some twitches, let it sit for a few seconds, then on to the next target.

[Fishing Rhino]

Not catching anything teaches you to be patient.

That may be true, but once you learn 2 + 2 = 4, you don't need to learn it again.  Ok, now I've learned to be patient, why keep repeating the lesson?

[J Francho]

Ok, now I've learned to be patient, why keep repeating the lesson?

LOL, that is great!

[K_Mac]

I have a couple of friends who are pretty good fishermen that have the same problem with slowing down. One fishes a crankbait most of the time, the other is a spinnerbait guy. They will slow down if I am catching all the fish using a slow technique, but neither of them like to fish that way. I have the same problem with fast moving baits. I don't have much patience with them; they really don't suit me and I will use them only when I have to.

My advise is discipline yourself to learn how to fish slowly because there are times when you have to do it that way, but more importantly learn what works for you and master those techniques. A good crankbait fisherman can almost always find some fish that will bite and a good jig fisherman can do the same.

[90x]

Hey i feel your pain. I have also used the senko. I am not a big fan of it. I too have caught but  one fish.

I took my time on the senko as well as other stick baits. I personally do not like them. I could fish the same spot over with any other bait and get bit. I have taken my time with stick baits. I fished slow and fast nothing worked.  For months they were the only baits I used. I got sick of them and just used the baits I trust.

Do not fall into the bait hype. The baits that work for you are the baits you should use. I will experiment with any bait. Why use a bait that is said  to work opposed to a bait you have complete confidence in?

At the end of the day, it matters how many fish you caught, not the fish you were supposed to catch.

Use your baits not some fad.

[FishingBuds]

Senko(stik) bait is my favorite plastic to throw right now, I have caught Most of my biggest on it.

Wacky is a crazy approach that produces, I use it when nothen else seems to work and wham I get a few hits off it.

I did  not like the senko at first, but I tried it and after a few times out I stuck with it.

I still can't get a good rhythm down on crank baits, I'm always fooled by them on strikes :

[grimlin]

Not catching anything teaches you to be patient.

That may be true, but once you learn 2 + 2 = 4, you don't need to learn it again. Ok, now I've learned to be patient, why keep repeating the lesson?

That actually doesn't make any sense...if you don't apply what you learn then you never really did learn anything.

[daviscw]

I personally don;t fish with lures I don't think are fun. I hate fishing slow, so I use faster lures to keep me occupied. When it's no longer fun I either change lures or leave.

Fishing to me should be fun, not dreading to throw a specific lure.

Just my $0.02.

[MSPbass]

Senkos are not a passing fad; they're proven bass catchers. But, if you're not a fan, you're not a fan. It's not like there aren't a thousand and one other baits you can throw. As far as fishing slow, here's a tip that helped me. This works great for hollow body frogs too.

Throw your Senko out and let it drop. Don't move it an inch until the ripples from the splashdown are gone. This can be excruciating, you won't believe how long it takes those waves to go away, but it's a great way to slow yourself down.

Then, once the water on top is flat, Don't start cranking. Move your bait in the same spot for as long as you can, imparting action with only your rod tip. I swear, if a Senko isn't snagged on the initial drop, it's often bit on the first little twitch after a bass has been watching it on the bottom, waiting to see what it's going to do next.

[skunkedagain]

Not everything in this world is right for everybody in every situation... Sounds like fishing a Senko may not be for you. Find an alternate bait/lure that suits the situation you are fishing.

Above all..., keep your fishing experience enjoyable. I've given up other hobbies because they turned sour. But personally, I have never had a bad day fishing. So I keep going...

[broncoboxer]

I don't have a lot of patience either.  To me, burning spinnerbaits and crankbaits are a lot of fun.  Slow presentations have always been a challenge.

But I've found that using a sensitive rod makes a lot of difference in how much "fun" I have while fishing slow.  With a sensitive rod, every little tick and scrape is magnified.  Feeling the bottom composition like this, mentally mapping the topography has made a world of difference.

I actually look forward to fishing slow now.  No more pool sticks for me, where the only thing you feel is a 5 pounder swimming full speed away with your bait stuck in its lip.

[sockey]

But I've found that using a sensitive rod makes a lot of difference in how much "fun" I have while fishing slow. With a sensitive rod, every little tick and scrape is magnified. Feeling the bottom composition like this, mentally mapping the topography has made a world of difference.

^That's how it is for me. I'm not really new to bass fishing, but I've only really been possessed with it for a year or two, so you could say that I'm a newbie. If I'm fishing worms or senkos I'll reach for my little medium-light spinning setup w/Fireline--I'll sacrifice a LOT of hookset for being able to feel everything on the bottom. Part of that may come from the fact that I can't afford the more sensitive, more expensive heavier-action rods, but I've found it's improved my feel and patience on even my $60 MH combo: I know how much underwater stuff I'm hitting and how much distance I'm covering if I move the line so far for instance.

[broncoboxer]

But I've found that using a sensitive rod makes a lot of difference in how much "fun" I have while fishing slow. With a sensitive rod, every little tick and scrape is magnified. Feeling the bottom composition like this, mentally mapping the topography has made a world of difference.

^That's how it is for me. I'm not really new to bass fishing, but I've only really been possessed with it for a year or two, so you could say that I'm a newbie. If I'm fishing worms or senkos I'll reach for my little medium-light spinning setup w/Fireline--I'll sacrifice a LOT of hookset for being able to feel everything on the bottom. Part of that may come from the fact that I can't afford the more sensitive, more expensive heavier-action rods, but I've found it's improved my feel and patience on even my $60 MH combo: I know how much underwater stuff I'm hitting and how much distance I'm covering if I move the line so far for instance.

Ah, I love Medium Light, Light and Ultra Light set-ups.  Ever since I read the book "Ultralite Fishing" I've been a believer.  A lot of times I'll head out to the water with nothing but two ultralite set-ups, some mini-crank baits (Strike King Bitsy Minnows, Rapala CD1's), Beetle Spins, Road Runner Jigs and 3 inch & 4 inch Senkos.

Now that's finesse.  And I love that I'll catch "extra" fish along with bass.  You know.  Those aggressive blue gills, crappie and assorted other sun fish.  On an ultralite set-up they all put up a fight.  And it's a blast.

[Hammer 4]

If your fishing citypark lakes/ponds...you'll discover you need to be patient..Since these places have Much more pressure than most lake will ever see, bass are very learly of baits, unless they are very active.

Fishing a senco, espeacilly wacky rigged slow can reap rewards, i.e. more fish, and sometimes bigger fish, that's not to say other baits won't, or don't catch fish. Another good reason to Know the water your fishing..

BTW, I've fished almost every park in oc and la..some of them it's almost impossible to catch fish.