Gary Yamamoto Senko Replacement??

[(='_'=)]

this weekend i tried the gary yamamoto senkos for the first time... i am new to worm fishing, but i really noticed a difference... while i had never caught more than a couple of fish using plastics, this weekend i caught 10 out of 16 using plastic worms, and out of those 10, 8 were using senkos.... when i ran out of them, i had to use other worms, which i feel didnt produce as much....

so, i really liked how the senkos work... however, as you may have noticed, you spend almost one worm per fish!!! i was using them texas rigged, and several times i would reel in a fish, and the worm was nowhere to be seen, maybe it was swallowed by the fish (hopefully not), or it fell during the fight or i dont know... one time i actually saw the fish spit it out, and several times, the worm was so thorn down i had to replace it.... so i ran out of a bag of senkos really quick, while on the other worms i use, mostly YUM, they would last a lot before ripping...

so is there a senko replacement that will produce as much fish but last longer?? or should i just stock up and buy several packs on my favorite colors??

thanx!!

[BrianinMD]

Nothing like a real senko, using parasite clips helps save a lot of baits. Also, mend-it glue allows you to repair baits.

http://www.basspro.com/Parasite-Worm-Weight-Clips/product/93400/80930

[bassr95]

fishing on a budget, i refuse to pay for gary yamamoto anything. the best replacment i have personaly found for senkos are yum dingers. they work well and are not too pricy. i wacky rig them with a weedless hook and put about 3 turns of 1/2in electrical tape around the center of the bait to put the hook through and catch more fish per bait. love senko style baits!

[BassAssassin726]

fishing on a budget, i refuse to pay for gary yamamoto anything. the best replacment i have personaly found for senkos are yum dingers. they work well and are not too pricy. i wacky rig them with a weedless hook and put about 3 turns of 1/2in electrical tape around the center of the bait to put the hook through and catch more fish per bait. love senko style baits!

X2 on the Yum Dinger. Screw Senkos. Too expensive and they dont last. In my opinion Yum Dingers have the exact same action, last longer, and catch just as many fish. Plus they have a spiffy little indentation to texpose your hook. And you get more in a bag. The only stick worm ill use is a Dinger.

[via]

you should try using some owner twistlock hooks. ive been using them lately and it seems to hold the bait longer than the wide gap hooks.

[Marty]

I think keeper hooks can get you more fish per single bait. With regular offset hooks, if the nose of the bait gets torn I would cut off 1/4" and re-rig. Start with a 5" lure and do this four times and you're still left with a 4".

There's a lot of difference of opinion on how other brands compare to the Senko. I've never seen results of any studies that attempted to determine if one is better than another. For me personally, I have as much confidence in Yum Dingers, Zoom Z-Nails and other plastics as I do in the Senko.

[Sam]

Go to your local hardware store (the big stores may not have this product) and purchase the 3/8-inch Polyoefin Heat Shrink Tubing. It comes in a package with three tubes. It is not costly and you may want to pick up two packages.

Cut the tube in about 1/4 inch or a little longer section and run your Senko through the tube until the tube section surrounds the egg sack or you place the tubing in the center of the worm. I like to place it in the center of the worm so it will “fly” like a bird but you can do it anyway you want.

Then, using a match or an "igniter" heat up the tubing. The tubing will shrink and get tight against the worm. Turn the worm so that the entire tubing is heated.

Be sure not to overheat it, as it will get too tight.

Slip your hook under the wrap (sideways) and out of the other end, between the wrap and Senko's skin. Your hook is now being held onto the Senko by the heat shrink tubing and the hook point is now exposed and ready to go.

And you can do this to a finesse worm, too. Try fishing a finesse worm Wacky style and you may be surprised at the results.

Cut a bunch of strips and carry them with you along with the igniter so you can rig your wacky worm while fishing.

The easiest way to shrink the tubing is to lay half of the Senko on a dock or the ground and then heat up the tubing. It only takes a few seconds to do this. By laying the Senko on something the odds of your burning your fingers is greatly reduced.

[GoTakeANap]

you should try using some owner twistlock hooks. ive been using them lately and it seems to hold the bait longer than the wide gap hooks.

X2 thats the brand of hook i use with all plastic baits now. seems to make your plastics last alot longer. http://www.basspro.com/Owner-TwistLOCK-Light-Hooks-with-CenteringPin-Spring/product/10211648/83884

[MCS]

Try bitter baits stick bait and big bite bait has one as well I am trying both very good for price and more durable.

[Sam]

By the way, Gary's son's Kinami brand of stick baits are very good.

Use what ever you feel confident.

The bass will hit 'em all!

[RobertBG]

I have tried but have yet to find a TRUE senko replacement.................duribility be damned I have yet to find a senko replacement,when I want fish in the boat senko it is.That is till I run out of them then and only then shall i fish a replacement.

I would recomend learning how to pour somthing close before trying others but that is just me

[Gotfishyfingers?]

check ebay. You can buy 100 packs of a knockoff brand for like 20 bucks. I cant tell the difference, except more durable.

[tugsandpulls]

x2 on kinami baits

[new2BC4bass]

Go to your local hardware store (the big stores may not have this product) and purchase the 3/8-inch Polyoefin Heat Shrink Tubing. It comes in a package with three tubes. It is not costly and you may want to pick up two packages.

Cut the tube in about 1/4 inch or a little longer section and run your Senko through the tube until the tube section surrounds the egg sack or you place the tubing in the center of the worm. I like to place it in the center of the worm so it will “fly” like a bird but you can do it anyway you want.

Then, using a match or an "igniter" heat up the tubing. The tubing will shrink and get tight against the worm. Turn the worm so that the entire tubing is heated.

Be sure not to overheat it, as it will get too tight.

Slip your hook under the wrap (sideways) and out of the other end, between the wrap and Senko's skin. Your hook is now being held onto the Senko by the heat shrink tubing and the hook point is now exposed and ready to go.

And you can do this to a finesse worm, too. Try fishing a finesse worm Wacky style and you may be surprised at the results.

Cut a bunch of strips and carry them with you along with the igniter so you can rig your wacky worm while fishing.

The easiest way to shrink the tubing is to lay half of the Senko on a dock or the ground and then heat up the tubing. It only takes a few seconds to do this. By laying the Senko on something the odds of your burning your fingers is greatly reduced.

Excellent advice, Sam, but why did you make me squint to read the post?

I tried the trick of using a piece of straw, but you need the right size straw. Not all work. I like your idea better.

[moguy1973]

Yum dingers and BPS stick-o's here. I can get 3 times as many of those as GY senkos and still catch plenty of fish. The fish don't know the difference.

[Bassn Blvd]

X2 thats the brand of hook i use with all plastic baits now. seems to make your plastics last alot longer. http://www.basspro.c.../10211648/83884

X3.

2/0 for the 5" and 4/0 for the 6"

P.S. There are no replacements for the Senko. And Kinami is the same bait.

[Sam]

New, this is not my idea. It is Ike's idea.

I use it all the time and have caught 10 bass on one Senko.

There are other products in the marketplace that may or may not be as productive as a Senko. When I go fishing I want to have confidence in my baits and a wacky rigged senko or trick worm if you get the smaller shrink tube size catches fish.

So the extra cost of the Senkos is worth it to me.

Give what Ike says a try and I think you will like the setup. Just remember that after a few days the tubing can get loose so you will have to reheat it.

[Busy]

I haven't beat the action on a 5" senko T-Rigged with a 3/0 EWG hook, with or without weight. I fish them SLOW so the only thing that tears them up is bass. After a fish or two the senko will tear in the middle so I'll take the hook out and hook it from the other side. When that gets beat up I'll hook it backwards. Even torn up senkos seem to catch fish. I fish on a budget also but I've made it a rule to always pick up some senkos when I'm at Cabelas so I'm slowly accumulating a decent stockpile. Of course I'm always running out of the chartreuse w/ black flake still. Really need to just buy a crate of those sometime!

Edit: I also keep my torn up soft plastics, cut them, and use them as trailers on finesse or small swim jigs. I guess you get a little money back that way, too.

[(='_'=)]

thanx!! i have some bags of Yum and Zoom plastics, but no senko type, just ribbontail worms, and lizzards... this is the first time i fished with a senko, and i really liked it, i caught a lot more fish on them than with any other plastic i had tried... im just beginning learning how to fish plastics, so that could also be a factor, but anyways, after i ran out of senkos i pulled out a ribbontail yum worm on the same color, and i could only catch 2, while i had caught about 10 with the senkos....

so, i will try the ones you mention, hopefully they will last longer and catch the same number of fish, because those senkos are expensive for only catching a couple of fish at most before getting thorn...

another thing i just thought about, maybe im not hooking them correctly?? because somone mentioned the plastic to rip at the first 1/4", but mine ripped at the bend of the hook... i was rigging them Texas, with the hook exposed....

[JSPOONE]

was using senkos as well till price went to $7 bucks a pack thats to much for a bait that last at most 3 fish and thats not counting bites.. went to yum dingers and have been catching more fish with them than the senko's. cant beat the price $3 for a pack of dingers up here in northern va

[SissySticks]

I really like the consistency of the BPS stik-o's. I use the 3" a lot and find them to be a good compramise between softness and durability. The dingers are good too, but YUM discontinued making the 3" so I had to look elsewhere and found the StikO.

[shootermcbob]

Give Gander mountain house brand "senkos" a try as well. I have found them to be very effective...the fish like them as well

[Aluma-Bass]

check ebay. You can buy 100 packs of a knockoff brand for like 20 bucks. I cant tell the difference, except more durable.

This what I did! I now have 100's!

[Sherlock 60]

you should try using some owner twistlock hooks. ive been using them lately and it seems to hold the bait longer than the wide gap hooks.

I started using the Owner Twistlock Light hooks last year and agree that the Senkos seem to last longer. BUT, be sure you go up one size from what you would use with a EWG hook; I use a 4/0 Twistlock for 5" Senkos where I used a 3/0 Gammy EWG before.

[Sherlock 60]

another thing i just thought about, maybe im not hooking them correctly?? because somone mentioned the plastic to rip at the first 1/4", but mine ripped at the bend of the hook... i was rigging them Texas, with the hook exposed....

Use 20# braid and you will hardly ever miss a fish. I also recommend spinning gear becaue if a Senko (or any plastic) flys off when you cast with a baitcaster you get an unbelievable birds nest.