How Do You Rig A Senko With Shrink Tubing: Heated, Unheated, Pierce It, Slide Under It?

[tcbass]

So losing Senko's is obviously a problem, especially since they aren't cheap. Yesterday I was fishing and lost one on the first fish. I put a new one on and the second cast I saw it fly off. I was upset. 2 lost Senkos in under 2 minutes. I have a wacky tool and rings and have not been impressed. I've still lost Senkos on fish and even lost 3 on the first few casts, after that, I stopped using the wacky tool and rings. I've read on here that people use shrink tubing to help mitigate the chance of lost Senkos.

I've seen that some use a heat source to shrink the tubing while others leave it unheated. I've seen some say say that they hook between the Senko and shrink tubing like with Wacky Rings while others say they do the standard wacky hook style but pierce both sides of the shrink tubing once it's around the Senko. I even saw that one guy says narrow, clear, air tubing from a pet store works better than shrink tubing. I also thought, what is you slide the hook between the Senko and shrink tube and then heat it, tightening it up?

I guess to start out with you need 3/8 shrink tubing and if you would prefer, a 4/0 Octopus hook for better hook ups. (I'm gonna try using the 4/0 Octopus hook next time and a 1" paneling nail for weight.)


Piercing: Here is where you pierce the shrink tube and Senko. I see how he's done it in the below one, but can't tell if he heat shrunk it or not.








Sliding between: Here's how you slide the hook between the Senko and ring/shrink tubing without piercing the Senko or shrink tubing:






Here's where Guido Hibbon uses the heat shrinking method of the tube:

So, how do you rig a Senko with shrink tubing?


1.) Heat the shrink tube and pierce both sides

2.) Don't heat the shrink tube and pierce both sides

3.)  Pierce both sides of the shrink tube and then heat the shrink tubing

 

4.) Slide the hook between the shrink tube and Senko and heat it

5.) Slide the hook between the shrink tube and Senko and don't heat it

6.) Other method

[tcbass]

Well, I tried two ways fishing today. I heated the shrink tubing and then pierced it with the hook and I pierced the shrink tubing without heating it. Results were the same. I caught about 3 fish before I lost the Senko. Which is still better than without shrink tubing. I also used 1" paneling nails today in the middle of the Senko's and it worked great.

 

 

 

What I've noticed is that the hole is similar. So what I'm going to do next time is put the shrink tubing on, pierce it with the hook, and then heat the shrink tubing, hopefully shrinking the holes in the shrink tubing around the hook and make it less likely to pull out.

 

 

We'll see how it goes.

[livetofish28]

PM Wayne P. he is the one responsible for the pics 

 

            Hes wacky about Wacky lol 

 

                 tight lines 

 

                     Andrew 

[kcdinkerz]

i just use cheap air hose tubing similar to the aquarium pump but just bigger, can be found at most hardware store. its a thight fit so you have to work it on slower but it doesnt slide as much as an Oring dont seem to loose to many senkos like this.

[tcbass]

i just use cheap air hose tubing similar to the aquarium pump but just bigger, can be found at most hardware store. its a thight fit so you have to work it on slower but it doesnt slide as much as an Oring dont seem to loose to many senkos like this.

 

 

 

How long do you usually go before you lose your Senkos?

[kcdinkerz]

kinda hard to say tcbass because i switch out lures alot. dont have a dedicated senko pole. but if im using gary yama senkos i may loose one once in a while, but most of them tear up befor i can loose them. other brands like yum, big bites, sk. i find that if i hook them 1/4 of the way in then go around the tube they stay on till it gets snaged or i decided to swtich colors. have you tried super glueing the shrink wrap or oring onto your senko?

[Wayne P.]

So losing Senko's is obviously a problem, especially since they aren't cheap. Yesterday I was fishing and lost one on the first fish. I put a new one on and the second cast I saw it fly off. I was upset. 2 lost Senkos in under 2 minutes. I have a wacky tool and rings and have not been impressed. I've still lost Senkos on fish and even lost 3 on the first few casts, after that, I stopped using the wacky tool and rings. I've read on here that people use shrink tubing to help mitigate the chance of lost Senkos.

I've seen that some use a heat source to shrink the tubing while others leave it unheated. I've seen some say say that they hook between the Senko and shrink tubing like with Wacky Rings while others say they do the standard wacky hook style but pierce both sides of the shrink tubing once it's around the Senko. I even saw that one guy says narrow, clear, air tubing from a pet store works better than shrink tubing. I also thought, what is you slide the hook between the Senko and shrink tube and then heat it, tightening it up?

I guess to start out with you need 3/8 shrink tubing and if you would prefer, a 4/0 Octopus hook for better hook ups. (I'm gonna try using the 4/0 Octopus hook next time and a 1" paneling nail for weight.)

Piercing: Here is where you pierce the shrink tube and Senko. I see how he's done it in the below one, but can't tell if he heat shrunk it or not.

Sliding between: Here's how you slide the hook between the Senko and ring/shrink tubing without piercing the Senko or shrink tubing:

Here's where Guido Hibbon uses the heat shrinking method of the tube:

So, how do you rig a Senko with shrink tubing?

1.) Heat the shrink tube and pierce both sides

2.) Don't heat the shrink tube and pierce both sides

3.)  Pierce both sides of the shrink tube and then heat the shrink tubing

 

4.) Slide the hook between the shrink tube and Senko and heat it

5.) Slide the hook between the shrink tube and Senko and don't heat it

6.) Other method

You used my illustration of the white trick worm which has nothing to do with rigging a Senko.

The white trick worm ends up like my avatar (weedless wacky) with a 3/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook #02413

 

If you use actual 5" Senkos like the chartueuse example, you do not have to heat the shrink tubing.

Most knock-offs don't have that diameter, so maybe you would want to shrink the tubing some.

 #2 is the best for the most successful hook-ups.

[tcbass]

kinda hard to say tcbass because i switch out lures alot. dont have a dedicated senko pole. but if im using gary yama senkos i may loose one once in a while, but most of them tear up befor i can loose them. other brands like yum, big bites, sk. i find that if i hook them 1/4 of the way in then go around the tube they stay on till it gets snaged or i decided to swtich colors. have you tried super glueing the shrink wrap or oring onto your senko?

 

 

No, I haven't tried super glue. That's a good idea. When I lost my Senko's, one time I still had the shrink tube on my hook, the other time I didn't. So super glue might have saved one of them.

 

 

 

I am going to try heating the shrink tube after I put the hook on, shrinking the hole from the hook and seeing if that helps. If it doesn't, then super glue. lol

[Sam]

Ike showed me the use of shrink tube for rigging wacky Senkos a few years ago.

 

Also works on finesse and trick worms.

 

I put the hook between the tubing and Senko.

 

I use a weedless #1 or 1/0 hook as I throw into lots of wood and other structure.

 

Works fine until one of the bass decide to run with an end and they pull it out of the shrink tubing.

 

You may have to reheat the tubing during the day.

[tcbass]

You used my illustration of the white trick worm which has nothing to do with rigging a Senko.

The white trick worm ends up like my avatar (weedless wacky) with a 3/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook #02413

 

If you use actual 5" Senkos like the chartueuse example, you do not have to heat the shrink tubing.

Most knock-offs don't have that diameter, so maybe you would want to shrink the tubing some.

 #2 is the best for the most successful hook-ups.

What do you mean #2 is most successful hookups, photo #2, weed-less?

[F14A-B]

Nice to see Guido Hibbon still getting it done.. I learned a great deal from the man in the late 80's and thruout the 90's about Finnese presentations, large spinning reels, he always used a 4000 diawa spinner for lite work... The man is a icon in bass fishing, his son is pretty d**n good too! Guido Bug!

[Fish Murderer 71]

I just cut up a bunch of the 3/8 heat shrink about 3/8" and pierce the tube and senko.  I still lose some once in a while...  have found just the tube left on the hook before,  I used to heat them to shrink, but now I don't- haven't noticed any difference, the lighter in my tackle box grew legs and walked off and since I quit smoking I don't have a lighter in my pocket anymore so I have no way to heat the shrink up...

[SmokeRise1]

I used to heat and shrink the tubing if it wasn't too windy. I always wondered if this gave off a negative scent. Never tracked catches or hits compared to not shrinking but I figured if I could save a step and potentially catch more fish I would just go with option #2. That's all I do now.

[CWB]

Anyone know what type of heat gun Guido is using? Pretty slick.

[Kevin22]

Looks like a mini butane torch. 

[tcbass]

I used to heat and shrink the tubing if it wasn't too windy. I always wondered if this gave off a negative scent. Never tracked catches or hits compared to not shrinking but I figured if I could save a step and potentially catch more fish I would just go with option #2. That's all I do now.

 

 

 

Fished yesterday with heated and unheated, caught the same number of fish, so I would say there is no difference.