Cant Catch Anything With Senkos????

[tmd17]

Picked up a few different colors of 4" and 5" senkos a week or so ago and seriously cannot get anything to bite on them. I've tried wacky rig with O-rings, weightless texas rig, drop shot texas rig. Hell, I dont know what I'm doing wrong? Only thing I can think of is that I'm using braided line on my baitcaster. Should I throw on a fluoro leader? Using 3/0 EWG hooks, which doesnt really matter I'm not even getting hits. 

 

The lake I fish is great for bass. Water temp is 68, clarity around 4ft. I've tried shallows with weed cover, a couple different points with drop offs 5-20ft, natural structures (overhanging trees, logs) dock skipping, humps, drop shots through milfoil, early in the AM and late afternoon/early evening....

 

The only fish I catch are in shallows with top water hula poppers. I dont think I'm fishing the senkos wrong, just throwing em and letting them sink with a controlled slack line and raising the rod tip to 12oclock and reeling in the slack and letting it sink again. 

 

Any idea what my problem is here? I'm just at a loss for words because everybody swears by senkos. Thanks guys

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Can't catch fish that aren't there.

 

With that water temp, there is a reason you are catching fish up shallow. They should be on the first drop or up spawning at that temp. My guess is you are fishing where you "think" fish should be instead of where they actually are.

[tmd17]

Can't catch fish that aren't there.

 

With that water temp, there is a reason you are catching fish up shallow. They should be on the first drop or up spawning at that temp. My guess is you are fishing where you "think" fish should be instead of where they actually are.

 

Yeah that makes sense now that I think of it. Water temp was only in the upper 40s in early may. I'll keep hitting up the shallows for the time being. Thanks for the advice

[Loop_Dad]

Not sure how many times you went out, but sometimes you catch more fish with other baits than senko. Let the fish tell you what they want and go with it.

 

I would trade any senko fish with any Hula Popper fish any time.

[moguy1973]

Sometimes I'll go  and catch 10 fish on a senko.  Other times I won't get a bite.  Seems to work like that.

[Bigterp77]

What colors?  Most of the advice I got suggested was to go with natural colors (watermelons and pumpkins).  Ive gotten a few with those tones.  But, where i spend most of time fishing the bass completely crash the Blue Pearl w/black and hologram flake 5in Senkos.  

[Arv]

Sometimes I'll go  and catch 10 fish on a senko.  Other times I won't get a bite.  Seems to work like that.

x2

[toddwchandler]

I had this very same experience.  After hearing angler after angler on this board raving about Senkos, I bought some.  I tried fishing with then on three or four different occasions with no luck at all.  Finally, about a week ago I brought them back out and caught several decent size large mouths.  Don't know if did something different in my technique or just happened to find where the bass were that day.

[moguy1973]

They really are my go to bait on my sister-in-law's pond though.  When everything else quits working I'll put on a white senko weightless t-rigged and I'll catch at least a couple more.  That lake has a lot, a lot, a lot of small bass in it though.

 

Other lakes seem to follow what I said above.

[Topwaterspook]

Might I suggest a tactic with senkos that has worked for us in the south?  Bite the tip off the senko then rig it on a scrounger jig.  Vary your retrieve. It's worked very well for us down there.

[lmbfisherman]

I was in the same boat as you for a whole season in 2012, ok maybe not a whole season.  I tried senko and other knock offs and I never caught a thing.  So, this year I was determined to catch fish with it.  It is the only thing I brought with me and forced myself to fish it, finally broke my streak.  I caught a ton of bass, of course they were all 1-2 lbs.  Still, nothing beats gaining confidence in a technique by catching and not "fishing".  Maybe do the same and don't give up? 

[tmd17]

Not sure how many times you went out, but sometimes you catch more fish with other baits than senko. Let the fish tell you what they want and go with it.

 

I would trade any senko fish with any Hula Popper fish any time.

 

I've been out twice in the early morning and twice in the early evening so far this year. I'm gonna stick to shallows for now until the water starts warming up I think. Good plan? 

 

What colors?  Most of the advice I got suggested was to go with natural colors (watermelons and pumpkins).  Ive gotten a few with those tones.  But, where i spend most of time fishing the bass completely crash the Blue Pearl w/black and hologram flake 5in Senkos.  

 

Watermelon/black flake, green pumpkin/black flake, watermelon and white laminate, blue pearl and silver flake. What area of the country?

 

I had this very same experience.  After hearing angler after angler on this board raving about Senkos, I bought some.  I tried fishing with then on three or four different occasions with no luck at all.  Finally, about a week ago I brought them back out and caught several decent size large mouths.  Don't know if did something different in my technique or just happened to find where the bass were that day.

 

I think my problem is what the first poster suggested. I'm fishing where I think the fish are, not where they actually are haha. 

 

 

Might I suggest a tactic with senkos that has worked for us in the south?  Bite the tip off the senko then rig it on a scrounger jig.  Vary your retrieve. It's worked very well for us down there.

 

Thanks for the tip! 

 

I was in the same boat as you for a whole season in 2012, ok maybe not a whole season.  I tried senko and other knock offs and I never caught a thing.  So, this year I was determined to catch fish with it.  It is the only thing I brought with me and forced myself to fish it, finally broke my streak.  I caught a ton of bass, of course they were all 1-2 lbs.  Still, nothing beats gaining confidence in a technique by catching and not "fishing".  Maybe do the same and don't give up? 

 

I'll stick with it. Another person I know has been getting shut out so far this year in MN where he usually kills the bass. Maybe they are just being finicky up here right now

[bigbill]

I use the senko' s and the BPS stik o worms on a 1/8oz Carolina rig with a 24" leader and the ticker wacky rigged using a weedless hook.  My favorite colors so far are red shad, Amber red flake seem to work the best here. I use them in the channels along side the weedlines and on the points. There working from shore for me. I use them in the early am after the crankbait,  spinnerbaits and topwater action is over as it gets lighter I go deeper with the senko type worms. Even on cloudy overcast days these work great. I let it fall on its own or twitch it as it falls to tic it. Keep trying. Try small ones too. (3"). Bill

[pabassr]

If you want to learn how to fish a bait, you need to bring only that bait with you to learn how to fish with it. That way you will find out what the fish want. ( how fast to retrieve, different type riggings, do nothing fishing )

 I fish sencos weightless, if the fish don`t bite on the fall I`ll reel it a couple of turns and let it fall again. If no bite then I will start working the senco like a fluke. I like nose hooking my sencos using a small circle hook.

[pbizzle]

Save your money and get the big bite baits version of the senko. Compare the $2.79 for the big bites to the $6.99 of senkos and you'll see why. I have just as good luck with them as the senkos. I always fish mine weightless t-rigged with a 4/0 gammy ewg. Watermelon red flake has been a good color for me. I always fish mine on spinning tackle. I can skip them under docks and tree branches as well as get better casting distance than I can with my baitcaster. I'll either throw them out, let them sink, then just reel them back as fast as I can and do it again, or throw them out let them, let them sink and reel it back as slow as I can. I catch way more with the second retrieve. Use the first if they're are hitting on the fall. Remember that they have their own action and it's really easy to over work them.

[pbizzle]

If I can't get any on a senko I'll switch to a weightless super fluke in watermelon seed that I dye the tails chartreuse. In Chickamauga the bass feed on lots of bluegill and I think this really helps. Those two lures are in my panic box.

[powerduster]

I had the same problem, but then Ibought a polarized sunglasses and started sight casting near them. Problem solved :>. I also see bass zoom in out of nowhwhere to grab a sinking senko. I guess my problem before aas that the bass just weren't around. It's pretty fun way of fishing too. Watching the line go from slack to taut is the best part.

[tmd17]

If you want to learn how to fish a bait, you need to bring only that bait with you to learn how to fish with it. That way you will find out what the fish want. ( how fast to retrieve, different type riggings, do nothing fishing )

 I fish sencos weightless, if the fish don`t bite on the fall I`ll reel it a couple of turns and let it fall again. If no bite then I will start working the senco like a fluke. I like nose hooking my sencos using a small circle hook.

 

I'll try this. I have a pack of super flukes but havent totally mastered fishing with them yet. I think I need to add a fluoro leader with a swivel. My fluke always spins in the water when I slowly retrieve towards the surface. 

 

Save your money and get the big bite baits version of the senko. Compare the $2.79 for the big bites to the $6.99 of senkos and you'll see why. I have just as good luck with them as the senkos. I always fish mine weightless t-rigged with a 4/0 gammy ewg. Watermelon red flake has been a good color for me. I always fish mine on spinning tackle. I can skip them under docks and tree branches as well as get better casting distance than I can with my baitcaster. I'll either throw them out, let them sink, then just reel them back as fast as I can and do it again, or throw them out let them, let them sink and reel it back as slow as I can. I catch way more with the second retrieve. Use the first if they're are hitting on the fall. Remember that they have their own action and it's really easy to over work them.

 

Yeah once my senkos get ripped up I'll probably switch to something a little cheaper. Heard that they are just as effective 

 

I had the same problem, but then Ibought a polarized sunglasses and started sight casting near them. Problem solved :>. I also see bass zoom in out of nowhwhere to grab a sinking senko. I guess my problem before aas that the bass just weren't around. It's pretty fun way of fishing too. Watching the line go from slack to taut is the best part.

 

Yeah I have some nice polarized oakleys. You must be fishing in some extremely clear shallow water if you can see em. 

[Revival]

I caught more fish at night using Senkos than during the day. Watermelon and Junebug worked like a charm during the night. I still been struggling with Senkos during the day so I been using other baits.

[Downeaster2010]

The Senko fishing system isn't new, as I and a lot of others have been using it for 30 years.  Only we have been doing it

with normal worms that you could Texas rig.  We would just put the hook through the belly and back out like we do the

Senkos.  The only thing GY did was successfully impregnate the entire Senko with salt.  This just causes the bass to

hold on longer giving you time to set the hook.  I have many brands of the Senko, and then some I mold myself.  I after

making Senko style worms bag 25 or so, then pour a table spoon of Kosher salt on them, and some worm oil.

They all work great, and you don't need to spend $6.50 for a bag of GY's.  If you get a bag of lets say Yum Senko style

worms.  Add a half a tablespoon of Kosher to the bag.  You'll see.

[Revival]

The Senko fishing system isn't new, as I and a lot of others have been using it for 30 years.  Only we have been doing it

with normal worms that you could Texas rig.  We would just put the hook through the belly and back out like we do the

Senkos.  The only thing GY did was successfully impregnate the entire Senko with salt.  This just causes the bass to

hold on longer giving you time to set the hook.  I have many brands of the Senko, and then some I mold myself.  I after

making Senko style worms bag 25 or so, then pour a table spoon of Kosher salt on them, and some worm oil.

They all work great, and you don't need to spend $6.50 for a bag of GY's.  If you get a bag of lets say Yum Senko style

worms.  Add a half a tablespoon of Kosher to the bag.  You'll see.

 

When Senkos were first popular, everyone said the senkos were impregnated with salt for the fish to hold onto the bait longer.  But I have been reading more about the salt creating the action of the Senko.  I have wacky rigged a Senko and a Yum Dinger and they dont flutter the same.  Also is there a reason to the Kosher salt or is that just your preference?

[RoachDad]

My only bait I can always count on is a Senko fished weightless and I use mono or braid.  it does not matter.

 

I would buy Senkos.  I don't know how much these other people fish but truthfully, if you can't afford 6 bucks for a bag full of worms and twice that many fish, well, I'll just stop there.  I mean, I have a boat!  Senkos are cheap.  Boats are costly.

 

I fish fairly regularly and a bag or two of Senkos last plenty long.  I don't have a favorite color.  Dark and Light. 

 

F I S H   T H E M  S L O W !!

[thechief13]

I never had luck with them until last week I caught like 30 bass and a 9 pound personal best so yeah just keep at it and try sight fishing they will hit It if they see It I caught a 7 pounder sight fishing the same day

[Downeaster2010]

Kosher salt is the best salt for anything.  For fishing this is the salt that is impregnated into the worms, but it is

ground finer to what is called Flour salt.  In other words it is the consistency of flour.  I add some to my baits

after grinding Kosher salt into Flour salt with an older coffee grinder. (common method)  However on my worms

in the bags, I sprinkle in 1/2 to 1 Tbsp of Kosher unground.  Salt impregnated tends to make the worms stiffer,

so that is a learning curve to be able to do.  However, putting it in the bag does nothing, but make the fish hold

on to the worm longer.  GY worms tend to sink a little faster than others because of the salts weight.

[aquaholic]

The fish have really slowed way down lately here. So i threw on i think a 5 inch senko  that was black/red flake. I figured why not  give it a shot because i like you had never caught anything with them. 2nd cast with it and i landed the biggest largemouth ive ever pulled out of that spot. I was shocked. Of course the senko was no where to be found. those things rip off faster than a stripper's clothing. Ive caught 1 fish and probably lost 5 of them already.