Senkos; braid? ...Or mono/floro?

[IgotWood]

So, I've been bass fishing since this spring. I typically fish wacky senkos almost exclusively, because it seems to be the only thing I can get bit on on this particular body of water. I have been fishing 10lb braid, with an 8lb flouro leader, and have been doing just fine. I can feel even the slightest bumps, and if I can't feel them, I can easily see them in the braid. 

I see/hear most guys use straight flourocarbon for this application because it sinks, unlike braid. Out of curiosity, I rigged a top-shot of about 30yds of floro on my reel today, and gave it a try. I didn't like it much. Yes,the line sinks better, but I never felt a single bite. I could only detect a bite if it were an aggressive bite where the fish takes off with it, and I could see the line running away. With that said, do you think that braid makes that big of a difference in the action of the bait? Should I use lighter floro? How many of you use braid? Pros and cons please! 

[WalkerJD]

i live in florida they wont see braid but ill put a 20lb leader of flourocarbon if your not in murky water like florida i would use 15lb flourocarbon 

[Mr Swim Jig]

I fish senkos on fluorocarbon exclusively.  I would fish them with whatever you are most confident in, if you are getting bites with braid I wouldn't change.

[Fishinthefish]

20lb braid, 12lb flouro leader.

[Wayne P.]

I use 40# braid alone or with about 3' of 20# fluorocarbon depending on the bottom makeup.

A Senko is quite heavy compared to the baits I typically wacky rig.

[Jrob78]

I throw Senko's on a casting set up with 12-20 lb fluoro, depending on the situation.  

[flyfisher]

15 or 20lb braid for me, 99% of the time sans leader.

[Catt]

2 hours ago, IgotWood said:

I have been fishing 10lb braid, with an 8lb flouro leader, and have been doing just fine. I can feel even the slightest bumps, and if I can't feel them, I can easily see them in the braid. 

If it aint broke why ya trying to fix it?

[Big Swimbait]

20 lb braid is the diameter of 6 lb test. I've thrown this with a med spinning rod/reel for Senkos for quite a while now. I've seen 2 videos recently by Elite pros on skipping docks with Senkos. Both used and recommended braid alone on spinning gear.

[kickerfish1]

Straight flourocarbon with none of that braid garbage.

[You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing]

weightless 15 pound flouro

weighted 50 pound braid

[IgotWood]

I know, I know....don't fix what's not broken.... I was just trying to fulfill my curiosity. Many folks say they fish better on floro than braid. I'll admit, I think the bait sinks a tad more freely, or naturally. With the braid, on a very calm day, sometimes it appears to create a hinge-like affect where the leader is connected, causing the bait to fall toward your line, rather than straight down. And that is what I was most curious about. Does that perfectly straight fall make a difference? I am fishing in a lake FULL of cypress in 4-8', so I wanted to see if the floro would keep my bait right up against the three trunks. I suppose it did, but I don't think the braid really has quite that much of a negative affect on it. 

Again, for better of for worse, I just wanted to see for myself the pros and cons. I am very surprised at the rigging some of you posted. I guess it doesn't matter if it's working thought. Quick question for those using floro.....do you feel the bites? Or can you only see them?

[roadwarrior]

10 hours ago, IgotWood said:

I have been fishing 10lb braid, with an 8lb flouro leader, and have been doing just fine. I can feel even the slightest bumps, and if I can't feel them, I can easily see them in the braid. 

 

Stick with what you have.

 

[Jaderose]

12 hours ago, Fishinthefish said:

20lb braid, 12lb flouro leader.

Exactly this

[Darren.]

I'll downsize to 6lb leader if I have to. No issues
with it. As for fluorocarbon, I'll use it as a leader 
attached to 10, 15, or 20# braid (depending on 
which setup I'm using). Most of the time I use
8# leader. It works fine in our waters.

[fishindad]

Most of the time I am fishing a Senko T-rigged and weightless, around/in some type of grass or around docks. So I use straight 12 lb. fluoro on a MH baitcaster so I can get a good hookset with an EWG hook.

But, when fishing open water or around weed edges, and wacky rigging, I'll use a spinning rod with braid and 8 lb. fluoro leader and a small exposed hook. The hookset is almost like a dropshot set, no need to haul back like the T-rigged Senko.

The main thing is to let the Senko fall on a slack line so it does it's thing. Being that fluoro sinks (at a faster rate than braid), I feel it lets the Senko fall more naturally, i.e. more horizontally in the water column. And I think fluoro is more sensitive when fishing a slack line presentation.

All that said, don't worry about how anyone else fishes their Senko since we don't fish in your waters and, you are already having good success!

[superB]

I have tried both, but im more comfortable with braid and a fluoro leader.  I do not think it hinders the action on the fall. 

It is a little tougher to feel the bites, on just fluoro.  Keeping my finger in contact with the line helps.

[Cgrinder]

Straight fluoro because I like straight fluoro.

[buzzed bait]

i fish mine on straight braid

[Sam]

8-pound fluorocarbon on a spinning rig.

Perfect set up for Senkos.

[Yudo1]

I used to use braid with a fluoro leader and liked it, but I switched to straight fluoro because I was told it had better slack line sensitivity.  I do like the fact that fluoro sinks for vertical presentation of a weightless senko.

[Sherlock 60]

18 hours ago, flyfisher said:

15 or 20lb braid for me, 99% of the time sans leader.

This is what I do 100% of the time. I switched to braid for Senkos about 8 years ago and never looked back. And I use a MH spinning rod as recommended by Gary Yamamoto.

[flyfisher]

1 hour ago, Sherlock 60 said:

This is what I do 100% of the time. I switched to braid for Senkos about 8 years ago and never looked back. And I use a MH spinning rod as recommended by Gary Yamamoto.

I tried the MH spinning rod and i didn't really like it as much as using a M rod.  I feel like the braid makes up for the lesser power.  If i fished a stretchy line like flouro or mono, i would probably jump up to a MH.

[Senko lover]

I have a bad experience with leaders, and gave them up a few months ago. Since I use my only spinning rod for lots of finesse purposes, I like to keep a clear, less visible line on it. So therefore, I don't have braid on my spinning reel. I wish I could solve my leader issues but I'm a little gunshy of them lol. 

[Travis Gasper]

I've been wacky rigging with 10lb Sufix 832 braid with no leader for the past 6 years and have caught hundreds of bass that way, no matter if it's crystal clear water or dirty. Very sensitive and reliable line.