Toothy Fish-Proofing A Weightless Texas Rigged Senko

[thomaskgrosvenor]

Sorry for writing a book here, but if you are an experienced angler, please read:

I have been doing a lot of catch/release bass fishing this summer in New Jersey. I have been shore and wading fishing in ponds, lakes, streams and rivers with a lot of vegetation. I am relatively new to this activity and am looking for some advice for the sake of the fishes. The technique I have adopted from my research and observation of others is the use of Senkos, 4” and 5”, on a offset shank worm EWG 2/0 hook, with 10 lb test p-line floroclear either weightless texas or wacky rigged. What I had the most success with was tossing the senko out along the perimeters of various forms of underwater vegetation which I could locate with polarized sunglasses. I would also plop the senko on top of the vegetation while weightless texas rigged and scoot it along to the edge and then let it drop off the edge. Sometimes, I would plop it out around structure or underneath plants and trees that extended out off the shore above water to imitate something edible falling out of the tree into the water.  I also use other lures, conditions permitting, but the senko really caught me the most large and small mouth bass this summer and fit to most of the conditions I encountered while shore fishing, so I’d like to continue using it. Also I like fishing in different locations as I explore the state of NJ and enjoy finding the fish as much as catching them.

After all the that background information, my dilemma is as follows. There have been 3 occasions (once in Deer Park pond, Allamuchy and twice in Whippany River, Morristown) when I have encountered fish I believe to be pickerel who seem to also like my senko fishing tactics around the vegetation. I have caught and landed few, but believe I have had 3 hook bite offs due to them, one of which I actually saw – but couldn’t be certain it was a pickerel. Basically, I feel the fish on, but as soon as I initiate the hook set, the hook and senko are gone. I seriously don’t think it’s bass biting off the hook, as I have caught a number of bass and I am certain my knots are strong.

Now, being as I have fished a number of locations this summer and have an idea where the pickerel are, one could say “well if your fishing for bass, then don’t fish there” however I like to exploratory fish in new locations and don’t mind catching the toothier fish. If I encounter toothy fish at a new location, I certainly don’t want to be leaving hooks and senkos in the fishes though as they are the source of my enjoyment of fishing so I want to catch them correctly and release them correctly as possible.

Finally, the question at hand: I wish to continue fishing the weightless texas rigged senkos  around the vegetation in an exploratory manner. Sometimes, I can’t get information as to exactly what fish species inhabit a particular body of water I am exploring. So, is there any way I can rig the senko for bass around the vegetation while at the same time making the set up pickerel-proof (or other toothy fish) while not negatively impacting the behavior of the senko as it drops?

[Dypsis]

First welcome to BR. Tons of information and great people here. I'll make this quick as I have to go to work but look into a wire leader. Not sure how clear your water is. But it certainly will help eliminate those breaks offs by various toothy fish.

Although I don't know how it would effect the action on weightless senkos.

[Tim Kelly]

AFW do a 1x19 strand brown plastic coated wire in 11 and 17lb which is very soft, fine and easy to use. If you knot it, with a 2 turn half blood/clinch knot to the hook, pulling the tag end to tighten the knot and do the same to a tiny swivel at the other end I doubt it would affect your presentation very much, if at all, and would protect you from pike/pickerel bite offs.

[ced]

Sounds like semi clear water.

 

I would go to a 20-30lb flouro leader way before putting wire on, we're not talking about muskies here.

[Tim Kelly]

20-30lb fluoro is nowhere near tooth proof for pike and I doubt it would be for pickerel, plus it's stiffer than the 1x19 wire and thicker.

[Jaderose]

http://www.fishusa.com/product/Cortland-Toothy-Critter-Tie-Able-Stainless-Steel-Leader-Material

[ced]

20-30lb fluoro is nowhere near tooth proof for pike and I doubt it would be for pickerel, plus it's stiffer than the 1x19 wire and thicker.

30lb flouro leader material is more than enough for chain pickerel.

[Tim Kelly]

I have very little experience with CP, so I bow to your experience. Pike, I know, and they chomp straight through 30lb fluoro leader no problem if it catches their teeth wrong. The wire is still softer and thinner, so the presentation will probably be better. Either will work though if CP are as gummy as suggested.

[A-Jay]

First off - Welcome to Bass Resource ~

 

I have quit a bit of experience fishing in waters that have a healthy population of toothy fish.

 

You have two choices - use a thin wire and eliminate bite offs or use anything  else or nothing and continue to loose tackle & fish.

 

American Wire  Surflon Micron Supreme, Cortland Toothy Critter and a product called Not2Kinky are all very thin flexible wire you can tie to your main line to make your own bite proof "Leader".

 

I use the American Fishing wire product the most and believe that the possibility of not getting bites out weights the bite offs.  I still catch plenty of bass with the wire in all but The Most Finesse type situations.

 

Good Luck

 

A-Jay 

[WIGuide]

As someone who fishes in toothy fish infested waters, learn to live with it and move on. I've tried wire leaders and have actually lost less fish without them. I tried Toothy Critter Wire and Not2Kinky (looked promising) also had that break after a few hours of use. Fluorocarbon does best as it's more resilient to abrasion than mono or braid, but that can be cut just as easily if raked across their teeth. Just stick with what you're using and know that you'll land some and some you won't.

[A-Jay]

As someone who fishes in toothy fish infested waters, learn to live with it and move on. I've tried wire leaders and have actually lost less fish without them. I tried Toothy Critter Wire and Not2Kinky (looked promising) also had that break after a few hours of use. Fluorocarbon does best as it's more resilient to abrasion than mono or braid, but that can be cut just as easily if raked across their teeth. Just stick with what you're using and know that you'll land some and some you won't.

Rather than living with it - when you need it - try the American fishing wire product mentioned above - It works very well - cost a bit more but it is very durable & it lasts & lasts.

 

Was effective just yesterday

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_45ZECs3Vbc

A-Jay

[bigbill]

Heavier line might help.

I would use a Wal-Mart steel leader. The wire is very thin. If your catch of bass decreases it's the wire.

The big 29"/32" chain pickerel do such a violent strike there the great whites of the freshwater. Great Northern Pike and Muskies even bite people in the water.(You tube or history channel.)

Be careful. The last pickerel I caught inhaled my crankbait. While trying to remove it, it's snapping at me. Awesome fish to catch but a nasty additude.

I had a very large 30" fat chain pickerel follow my spinnerbait to shore. It came out of the water on the rocks parallel to the shoreline and ripped off my spinnerbait as I lifted it. I froze in shock. I didn't know there's a drainage pipe under me below the water level. The beavers plug it. He ambushes everything.

[Cgrinder]

It happens. Up your pound test and hope for the best.

[Penguino]

For pickerel biting the tail end off your senko, there's not much you can do about that. It happens to me all the time when fishing t-rigged ribbontails.

 

Like other said, a nylon coated wire leader would help you with break-off issues.

[WIGuide]

Rather than living with it - when you need it - try the American fishing wire product mentioned above - It works very well - cost a bit more but it is very durable & it lasts & lasts.

 

Was effective just yesterday

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_45ZECs3Vbc

A-Jay

I might have to give that a shot. Nice northern for sure. I still doubt I'll do it with a sinking worm though. 

[NathanW]

As someone who fishes in toothy fish infested waters, learn to live with it and move on. I've tried wire leaders and have actually lost less fish without them. I tried Toothy Critter Wire and Not2Kinky (looked promising) also had that break after a few hours of use. Fluorocarbon does best as it's more resilient to abrasion than mono or braid, but that can be cut just as easily if raked across their teeth. Just stick with what you're using and know that you'll land some and some you won't.

X2.

 

a) Sounds like you don't know for sure you are losing the fish due to pike. A lot of guys who are in their first few years of fishing T-Rig and jigs loose a lot of gear due to slack line setting. I still do it on occasion probably very few guys on here that don't.

 

b ) Dealing with the fuss of any type of leader is probably going to outweigh the fuss of retying every once in a while. Maybe just avoid tungsten sinkers when you may be around pike due to the cost.

 

c) Check your line more frequently for abrasion

 

d) If you can bump up your mainline to 12 pound or better and ditch the coated line. Try getting used to 100% Fluorocarbon as it will hold up much better, coated lines are just a racket. If you are fishing spinning gear you will need to go with braid mainline and a fluoro leader.

[rippin-lips]

Plenty of toothy fish in my local lake. Also if you are fishing where bass are there will be pickerel in the same area. They love grass beds. For me it's just part of the game. I do lose some tackle but I do that in waters without toothy fish also. I will use a steel leader when throwing my larger swimbaits. I don't want to lose a $25-75 bait.

[desmobob]

I'll add another recommendation for American Fishing Wire's product.  I used it for Bluefish on the fly rod for years, and it works very well for pike and pickerel.  It's easy to work with and fish.  It comes on a small spool like tippet material and you can knot it like normal fishing line.  It is a whole different animal than the old nylon-coated braided steel leaders!

 

As for the fluro, I always use a 20lb. fluoro leader and I have pickerel and pike regularly snip me off so easily, I don't even feel any pressure.

 

Tight lines,

Bob

[FinCulture]

no wire necessary, thick fluoro leader should do it.

[thomaskgrosvenor]

Thank you for advice/suggestions. I went back to the same spots I had two of my bite-offs the other day along the Whippany River in New Jersey. I continued with the 10 lb test P-Line(which worked for shore fishing efforts for bass with the weightless texas rigged senko)but added a 5" leader of the AFW 7x7 26 lb test black nylon coated stainless steel leader which is knottable (the lightest available at the tackle store, a bit pricey though, but I wanted to catch one of the culprits). Since the leader was black, I used a black 2/0 ewg hook with a black 4" senko so that everything was fashionable and color coordinated.

Anyway, I got a couple of aggressive hits and then caught one (it was a pretty big pickerel with very well developed pointy teeth) and the leader held up well and did not deter the pickerel from biting. I was working the senko around a watery vegetation that looked like underwater evergreen bush branches, along tops and outer edges.

I am not sure if the pickerel were reacting to the drop or action of the senko or to the vibration against the edges of the vegetation. So it remains to be seen how the bass will respond to the added leader when I fish in areas where both pickerel and bass are congregating, but if your fishing for pickerel in the vegetation, the aforementioned leader material seemed to work well as far as presentation of the texas rigged senko to the pickerel and held up well to their teeth for a couple of rounds. Perhaps a step in the right direction.

[Esox pro]

Cut toothpick as close as possible