3/0 Hook for Senko Fishing

[Moto]

Hey there everybody! 

I’m kinda new to Senko fishing, as I would almost always use crankbaits when fishing for largemouth bass. 

However recently I decided to buy senkos and give it shot. I got a gamakatzu 3/0 weighted hook, (for Texas rigging) and a few 6” (bass pro imitation) senkos. 

I was wondering if the 3/0 hook will be too short for the 6” Senko, and I’m afraid maybe the Senko will be too big for the bass’s mouth to reach all the way to the hook. I know that most people will use a 4/0 hook, but I didn’t know that at the time and bought a 3/0 hook. 

If you have any thoughts or experience on this topic, please feel feee to share. 

Thanks 

[Bluebasser86]

That will work fine for 6" stick worm. Bass will have no problem eating that bait. I caught several on an 11" straight tail worm today (basically a giant stick worm), none of them much bigger than 2 pounds. 

[Bankbeater]

You shouldn't have any issues.  I use a 3/0 EWG all the time with senkos and stikos.

[burrows]

I use a 4/0 but Gary Yamato himself has said that the senko is designed to fish with a 3/0 hook.

[ECP1989]

I have used a 3/0 for years, You will have no issues.

[TOXIC]

It will work but I have to question why you would use a belly weighted hook on a Senko?  Belly weighted hooks are almost impossible to rig a Senko unless they have the screw in type bait keepers because you can't thread the nose of the bait over the weight to get to the hook eye?  Also belly weighted hooks are "normally" used on moving baits.  Personally, if I want to weight a Senko (or knock-off), I use a 4.0 EWG hook, Texas rig my bait with a little more material forward of the hook eye and use a Bullet screw in weight .  But I still stand by my statement that there's no wrong way to rig a Senko!!  

[ETX92]

3/0 is all I use with a senko. I never fish it belly weighted. 

[Brad in Texas]

It's a valid observation made by Toxic and others about adding weight to a Senko . . . since its primary advantage relates to the way it shimmers down through the water. Of course, wind and wave action have to be taken into consideration so there'd be just a couple of reasons for adding a bit of weight.

 

Another good set up is a straight-shanked worm hook, this over an offset or EWG styled hooks. Texas Rig it so that the point of the hook lies just below the surface of the worm. Makes it pretty much weedless and it makes for a tremendous hook angle to come bounding out of the plastic on a hook set. 

 

Some of these straight-shanked worm hooks seem a bit smaller to me so going up to a 4/0 or even larger won't feel large at all.

 

Brad

 

 

[Squarebill79]

I always use 3/0 EWG for senkos, if Im not getting bit Texas rigged I just flip it over to wacky rigged, leave hook and weight the same, Ive actually had more success this way than the straight Texas Rigged. 

 

I bought a pack of the BPS Sticko the other day. I love this bait! Seems they are alot more durable than the traditional Yamamotos, I hooked 11 bass last night before having to get a new senko, with the Yamamotos sometimes its one fish per senko I noticed. They also seem a little heavier than Yum Dingers also which is a positive. 

[Glaucus]

You shouldn't be adding weight to a Senko. 3/0 EWG, no weight. The slow fall and shimmer is the entire point of the Senko.

[TOXIC]

The whole reason I got away from 3.0 hooks and went to 4.0 is because it drastically reduced amount of gut hooking incidents I had with clients who were just learning, or not as proficient at line watching and feeling bites with the weightless Senko. I will go up to a 5.0 when I want the faster sink rate but the wind or current isn't strong enough to warrant a nose weight.   

[WRB]

12 hours ago, Mottel said:

Hey there everybody! 

I’m kinda new to Senko fishing, as I would almost always use crankbaits when fishing for largemouth bass. 

However recently I decided to buy senkos and give it shot. I got a gamakatzu 3/0 weighted hook, (for Texas rigging) and a few 6” (bass pro imitation) senkos. 

I was wondering if the 3/0 hook will be too short for the 6” Senko, and I’m afraid maybe the Senko will be too big for the bass’s mouth to reach all the way to the hook. I know that most people will use a 4/0 hook, but I didn’t know that at the time and bought a 3/0 hook. 

If you have any thoughts or experience on this topic, please feel feee to share. 

Thanks 

Gamakastu weighted hooks are designed for swimbaits, not Senko's or stick worms.

What type of tackle do you plan to use? These hooks are heavy wire for use with braid or heavier line.

Tom

[Dwight Hottle]

On 6/19/2018 at 10:14 PM, Mottel said:

Hey there everybody! 

I’m kinda new to Senko fishing, as I would almost always use crankbaits when fishing for largemouth bass. 

However recently I decided to buy senkos and give it shot. I got a gamakatzu 3/0 weighted hook, (for Texas rigging) and a few 6” (bass pro imitation) senkos. 

I was wondering if the 3/0 hook will be too short for the 6” Senko, and I’m afraid maybe the Senko will be too big for the bass’s mouth to reach all the way to the hook. I know that most people will use a 4/0 hook, but I didn’t know that at the time and bought a 3/0 hook. 

If you have any thoughts or experience on this topic, please feel feee to share. 

Thanks 

These are made by owner endorsed by Gary Yamamoto for his baits. 

https://store.baits.com/product.php?productid=112&cat=41&page=1

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_Weighted_Twistlock_Light_3pk/descpage-OWTL.html#customer_reviews

[TOXIC]

But not the Senko...The ad mentions Swimming Senko's which are really a swimbait.  They are good hooks though!!  

[Dwight Hottle]

Just now, TOXIC said:

But not the Senko...The ad mentions Swimming Senko's which are really a swimbait.  They are good hooks though!!  

https://store.baits.com/product.php?productid=112&cat=41&page=1

[TOXIC]

I don't like nitpicking and you could surely use it on a regular Senko but this is quoted from the GYCB link you posted.  Notice the comma placement.   

 

Quote

The weighted version is ideal for Swimming Senkos, swimbaits, flukes and other small profile plastics.

 

[Moto]

The reason I use a weighted hook is so that I can attach the Senko directly to my swivel without retying it every time when ever I use a bullet weight, and also so that I can cast further unlike when it weightless. 

[Dwight Hottle]

1 hour ago, TOXIC said:

I don't like nitpicking and you could surely use it on a regular Senko but this is quoted from the GYCB link you posted.  Notice the comma placement.   

 

 

You are nitpicking. Did you read this? TwistLOCKT LIGHT with Centering-Pin Spring (CPS-patent pending) is a lighter version of the TwistLOCKT bass hook. With *** from bass fishing professional and lure designer Gary Yamamoto, the TwistLOCKT Light was created as the ideal hook for rigging Senko-style baits and other thinner profile plastics.

[MisterDeadeye]

1 hour ago, Dwight Hottle said:

You are nitpicking. Did you read this? TwistLOCKT LIGHT with Centering-Pin Spring (CPS-patent pending) is a lighter version of the TwistLOCKT bass hook. With *** from bass fishing professional and lure designer Gary Yamamoto, the TwistLOCKT Light was created as the ideal hook for rigging Senko-style baits and other thinner profile plastics.

That is referring to the style of hook. It's copy/pasted from the non-weighted version: https://store.baits.com/product.php?productid=111&cat=42&page=1

 

The paragraph that was quoted about Swimming Senkos etc, is explicitly for the weighted version. 

[fishwizzard]

4 hours ago, TOXIC said:

The whole reason I got away from 3.0 hooks and went to 4.0 is because it drastically reduced amount of gut hooking incidents I had with clients who were just learning, or not as proficient at line watching and feeling bites with the weightless Senko. I will go up to a 5.0 when I want the faster sink rate but the wind or current isn't strong enough to warrant a nose weight.   

What accounts for that difference?  The bigger hook would pop itself free of the worm when the bass went to crush it? 

[TOXIC]

18 hours ago, MisterDeadeye said:

That is referring to the style of hook. It's copy/pasted from the non-weighted version: https://store.baits.com/product.php?productid=111&cat=42&page=1

 

The paragraph that was quoted about Swimming Senkos etc, is explicitly for the weighted version. 

Thanks for the clarification.  The key word in the weighted version is "Senko-style"

But like I said....rig it any way you like and weighted belly hooks with a keeper is certainly an option.  

   

Quote

What accounts for that difference?  The bigger hook would pop itself free of the worm when the bass went to crush it? 

No, the larger profile of the hook causes a more distinctive "thud" and resulting line jump when the fish hits it.  It makes more contact with their mouth.   

[Comfortably Numb]

23 hours ago, Mottel said:

The reason I use a weighted hook is so that I can attach the Senko directly to my swivel without retying it every time when ever I use a bullet weight, and also so that I can cast further unlike when it weightless. 

I understand you are newer. Almost all newer fisherman use a snap swivel on everything. You really need to get away from this, especially fishing soft plastics. There are plenty of simple knots that tie fast such as the Palomar.

 

If you cant throw a 5-6" Stick far, then you have the wrong setup. Typical stick with a hook is about 1/2 oz and aerodynamic.

 

The main attraction to a stick is the slow shimmying fall when rigged weightless. If you need it to fall faster or deeper there are better choices such as a Texas rig worm or shakyhead.

[d-camarena]

If you need a weighted hook, the vmc drop dead hooks are the best senko/fluke hooks ive ever used

[Sam]

3/0 for a Texas rigged Senko is acceptable.

 

#1 or 1/0 for a wacky rigged Senko.

 

Consider the weedless hooks when throwing Senkos into cover and structure.

[fishwizzard]

11 hours ago, TOXIC said:

 

No, the larger profile of the hook causes a more distinctive "thud" and resulting line jump when the fish hits it.  It makes more contact with their mouth.   

Cool, thanks!