Best gear ratio for weightless Senkos/Flukes

[NorthernBasser]

Hi guys. I'm looking at getting a Daiwa Tatula SV TW for casting weightless Senkos and Flukes.

 

Would you recommend the 6.3:1 or 7.3:1 model? 

 

Thanks.

[Yudo1]

I would go with the faster one.

[TOXIC]

I don't want to start a huge debate but in my 20 years as a Yamamoto pro-staffer and as a guide, I have never thrown a Senko on a baitcaster unless it was heavily weighted and I am pitching beds.  FWIW.  Without going into a long dissertation, the reason for using a spinning reel on a "weightless" Senko is the fact that you can't properly free spool a baitcaster to let the bait fall naturally and that is where 90% of your bites come from.  Can you catch fish throwing them on a baitcaster?  Sure you can, but IMHO it's not the best tool for the job.  

[NHBull]

39 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

I don't want to start a huge debate but in my 20 years as a Yamamoto pro-staffer and as a guide, I have never thrown a Senko on a baitcaster unless it was heavily weighted and I am pitching beds.  FWIW.  Without going into a long dissertation, the reason for using a spinning reel on a "weightless" Senko is the fact that you can't properly free spool a baitcaster to let the bait fall naturally and that is where 90% of your bites come from.  Can you catch fish throwing them on a baitcaster?  Sure you can, but IMHO it's not the best tool for the job.  

I did this^ for a few yrs, then started closing the bail as I was getting gut hooked fish.  I found that minor equipment changes and using the pendulum effect increased my hookup ratio and avoided the gut.  The BC just helps me be more accurate.  Truth be told, I usually have some weight on my senkos. A weighted WR has really performed well this summer

[TOXIC]

I can see your reasoning, I guess in my years and years of fishing them I have become very refined in my gear and line and can detect a slack line bite before they get gut hooked.  It certainly is a personal preference and I'm not discounting a baitcaster at all.

[NorthernBasser]

Thanks guys. 

[NHBull]

To the OP'S original question, I tend to use faster reels for this as I am naturally a slower reeler

[3crows]

I am using a Curado 70XG for Senkos and such as that. 

[OnthePotomac]

Toxic, my daughter and I were duffing around on the big bed in the Chicamuxen last week and she tied on a #927 Senko she had just bought.  I looked at it and thought wow, it looks just like a shad, so told her that since the water was gin clear and there is 12-18' of water above the grass, just throw it out and twitch it back above the grass.  First cast, the worm hits the water, the rod goes down and she lands a 6lb8oz on the worm followed by a 2lb 10 minutes later.  I had never seen that color before, but it sure worked.

[TOXIC]

15 hours ago, OnthePotomac said:

Toxic, my daughter and I were duffing around on the big bed in the Chicamuxen last week and she tied on a #927 Senko she had just bought.  I looked at it and thought wow, it looks just like a shad, so told her that since the water was gin clear and there is 12-18' of water above the grass, just throw it out and twitch it back above the grass.  First cast, the worm hits the water, the rod goes down and she lands a 6lb8oz on the worm followed by a 2lb 10 minutes later.  I had never seen that color before, but it sure worked.

The Chick is an awesome fishery especially since they stocked Florida strain.  I wish I was closer!!  Fishing a senko on top of mats or pads is often overlooked.  I do it all the time on the Potomac and then let the bait fall in the holes.  The slow fall and shad color of the 927 I'm sure looked like an injured or dying shad.  I often throw the 901 laminate to cover both worlds

[OnthePotomac]

I will have to look at the 901.

[J Francho]

On 9/25/2017 at 6:27 AM, TOXIC said:

I don't want to start a huge debate but in my 20 years as a Yamamoto pro-staffer and as a guide, I have never thrown a Senko on a baitcaster unless it was heavily weighted and I am pitching beds.  FWIW.  Without going into a long dissertation, the reason for using a spinning reel on a "weightless" Senko is the fact that you can't properly free spool a baitcaster to let the bait fall naturally and that is where 90% of your bites come from.  Can you catch fish throwing them on a baitcaster?  Sure you can, but IMHO it's not the best tool for the job.  

Totally agree!

[tkrrox]

6 hours ago, J Francho said:

Totally agree!

Newbie here...I guess I need to practice more as I tend to not be as accurate with a spinner as a bait caster.  Do you let the line run through your hand and then slow it to hit your desired target?

 

[TOXIC]

15 hours ago, tkrrox said:

 

There is a basic difference between a bait caster and a spinning rod that I taught all of my clients wanting to learn the two.  When you cast a spinning rod you snap your wrist and that is where your skipping power comes from.  If you do that with a bait caster, you will backlash.  On a baitcaster you use more of your whole arm and load the rod.  Personally unless I am flipping or pitching, I am much more accurate with a spinning rod.  

[TOXIC]

For the senko to fall and not pendulum back with a baitcaster, you would have to be in free spool mode and 90% of us would backlash.  The more proficient you are with a baitcaster can help but if you have any spool tension, you are inhibiting the fall.  When skipping docks, normally you are in shallower water so it isn't as much of an issue.  If it works for you by all means keep doing it!!  

[Darren.]

A few years back when I set out to do everything on baitcasting

gear, I found the trick with senko, zoom finesse worms, etc., 

sans weight and wacky rigged, was to thumb the spool as soon

as it hits the target, then quickly pull out line with thumb still

engaged but not locked down to hopefully get a straight free-fall.

I use(d) a Chronarch 50e upgraded to 7.0:1, supertuned.

 

But I agree that spinning is a better tool in that there is less 

coordination (thumb, timing, pulling line, etc.). And for skipping, it

is just hands-down easier. Two of the reasons I went back to mostly

spinning for my fishing which is predominately with soft plastics.