Why Every Cast??!!

[Moto]

Hi,

I can’t remember a time senkos have ever failed me. I’ve been using them for as long as I can remember and they’ve produced so nicely. 

However recently I bumped into a problem. I noticed that after every catch, the Senko is ripped. I am not sure as to whom this usually occurs, but it is really getting me annoyed that each fish tears my Senko, causing me to replace it, and after all, soft plastics are not cheap. Am I rigging it wrong or does this just happen? 

 

[islandbass]

Consider yourself lucky to have fished them for so long and not have them bust on you so easily. 

 

It is my take that your experience with them being as durable for you for so long (hope I understood you correctly that they lasted for you) is an exception to the rule.  I’m willing to bet most here would agree with me that they’re as fragile as heck.

 

It’s one thing I don’t like them but still use them from time to time. It is imho, the trade off of their effectiveness. 

 

I heard you can rejoin them by melting the ends and fusing them and heard some actually melt the broken pieces down and make new ones from them. I’m not willing to go that far, lol. I primarily use the 3” ones for drop shotting and I think their smaller size helps them “live” a little longer. 

[Moto]

2 minutes ago, islandbass said:

Consider yourself lucky to have fished them for so long and not have them bust on you so easily. 

 

It is my take that your experience with them being as durable for you for so long (hope I understood you correctly that they lasted for you) is an exception to the rule.  I’m willing to bet most here would agree with me that they’re as fragile as heck.

 

It’s one thing I don’t like them but still use them from time to time. It is imho, the trade off of their effectiveness. 

 

I heard you can rejoin them by melting the ends and fusing them and heard some actually melt the broken pieces down and make new ones from them. I’m not willing to go that far, lol. I primarily use the 3” ones for drop shotting and I think their smaller size helps them “live” a little longer. 

But is it supposed to get ruined after EVERY catch? I didn’t know they’re THAT fragile....?

[islandbass]

They can be that fragile, lol. I think how the bass strike them, the type of hook used could be factors too  It is what I call my love/hate relationship with senkos. Love them because they rock but simultaneously hate that they get damaged so easily. And yes, one senko per bass is a distinct possibility. I feel it even more when a dink destroys one, lol. Makes Me feel like Yosemite Sam. 

 

It is also a reason some have chosen to use clone alternatives to save $$$. 

[Moto]

8 minutes ago, islandbass said:

They can be that fragile, lol. I think how the bass strike them, the type of hook used could be factors too  It is what I call my love/hate relationship with senkos. Love them because they rock but simultaneously hate that they get damaged so easily. And yes, one senko per bass is a distinct possibility. I feel it even more when a dink destroys one, lol. Makes Me feel like Yosemite Sam. 

 

It is also a reason some have chosen to use clone alternatives to save $$$. 

 

I use a VMC weighted hook for Texas rigging. Could that make a difference?

[islandbass]

It’s possible. Is it by chance an EWG style hook? Most of my experiences have been with this type of hook. Hardly ever damaged from the cast alone when new, but the holes would steadily get slightly bigger with increased usage of the senko and even faster if I had to pull it through grass.

 

It also started to get more frustrating as a shorebound angler using the senkos to the point they could no longer be effectively situated on the hook and not  even getting a bite.  

 

Hope others chime in soon. It sure would be great to learn if certain hooks are better suited to aid in prolonging the life of a senko.  

[Bankbeater]

I noticed my senkos were getting torn up by bass in two ways.  The bass pushes the senko up the line when it hits, and then tries to run under everything while you are reeling it in, or the bass shakes and jumps a lot.

 

 

[JustJames]

And the small bass are the worst to ruin everything.

[Mobasser]

You could try a different hook, but senkos are fragile.They have never lasted really long for me. And I agree about the smaller bass tearing them up more. 

[Koz]

One thing that you can do is trim them up and use them for Ned rigs. I know the purists will tell you that the TRD baits are best for Ned rigs, but why let half of a perfectly good Senko go to waste?

 

FWIW, I switched from Senkos to Yum Dingers. They are about 1/3 the cost of Senkos per pack.

[Jig Man]

Get a bottle of Mend It and fix them.  It works.

[Team9nine]

4 hours ago, Mottel said:

But is it supposed to get ruined after EVERY catch? I didn’t know they’re THAT fragile....?

 

Yes, they're designed that way so that you constantly have to go buy more and more bags, often after just one fishing trip. In the manufacturing world, this is referred to as 'planned obsolescence.' There's a reason why Gary is a millionaire and us Senko throwing bass anglers aren't  ?

[TOXIC]

You have highlighted the #1 complaint I get on the Senko during my shows and demonstrations.  I've been with Yamamoto for 20 years and if I have learned anything it's that rigging is paramount if you want them to last through multiple fish and many don't take the time to perfect their rigging technique.  Let's face it, you want to catch fish not spend time making sure your rigging is perfect.  That is going to cost you baits.  Here are a few of my tips for an upcoming Yamamoto article and that that I show when doing tank demos or seminars.

 

Type of Hook.  I prefer a light wire hook for the simple fact it displaces less of the material when rigged.  I use a Gamakatsu Offset shank EWG hook (3-4-5.0) for most of my applications which is the hardest hook to rig.  You have to make sure you insert the hook point the proper depth in the nose when you start the rigging process.  Too far and your line will cut the excess head material in the Senko and lead to premature failure.  Too little and it will rip too easy with the first fish or in cover.  You want the nose of the bait to cover the hook eye exactly.  No more, no less.  This next tip is important....I always make sure my hook is wet before I start the rigging process.   A dry hook will cause the bait to stick and will rip much easier.

 

Now that you have the first part of the rigging correct, you slide the hook through the bait to the offset portion of the hook....critical point.  I spin the hook as I slide the nose of the bait over the offset making sure not to enlarge the hole already in the bait.  You have to go slow and squeeze the bait a little to ensure you don't make that hole any larger.  If that hole gets enlarged, the bait will move and fail at that point.  Now that you have the nose of the bait rigged properly let's move on to rigging the business end of the hook.  Here's another major caution area.  Gauging where to insert the hookpoint in the body of the Senko.  You have to push the bait forward before you insert the hookpoint to make sure the Senko lies perfectly flat when the hook exits the bait on the opposite side.  Misjudging this hook placement will cause the Senko to put undue pressure on the nose of the bait and force it forward (see line cutting above) or will pull it back causing it to rip.  Once you get it right, make note where in relation to the "egg sack" (molded into the bait), you placed the hookpoint.  If the Senko is not flat on the hook, this will also cause it to spin when you retrieve it causing line twist and it will also impede the action that makes the Senko unique.  

 

If you "Texspose" your hook (leave the hookpoint exposed) you are done.  If you skin hook the hookpoint you have another consideration.  How deep to place the hookpoint.  If you go too deep into the bait, it will rip too much material when you set the hook and eventually cause the Senko to rip in the middle.  Too shallow and you will not be weedless because the hookpoint will expose with very little resistance.  I prefer to rig the bait so that the hookpoint when inserted into the Senko angles down slightly.  That way when the fish takes the bait, the hook comes straight out of the Senko not tearing it.  

 

Finally, Casting.  A weightless Senko is a finesse presentation.  If you try and cast it 300 yards, more than likely you are going to stress the rigging causing it to rip in all of the pressure points which will lead to premature failure.  I'll save for another day my tips for re-rigging damaged Senkos to get more life out of them.  

[FryDog62]

The #1 thing that extended the life of my Senkos is a screwlock hook.  I get 2-3 fish vs. 1-2 with EWG.  I use Owner Twistlock light, weightless and weighted.  

[TOXIC]

I have caught up to 15 hard fighting smallmouth on a Texas rigged Senko as described above.  I'm not overly fond of screwlocks because once you tear the head loose, you cannot re-rig them.  If you want a weighted presentation then you really have 2 choices, weighted hook with the screwlock or my preferred way which is a screw in bullet weight up front.  Even those tear the head but I have found they are more weedless than the belly weighted hooks that have an exposed eye and the ring where the screw lock is attached.  Either way works though.  

 

My main point in the explination above is to not blame the bait if you rig it wrong.  It's the old saying, "It's not the arrow, it's the Indian".  

[Andy007]

I fish a lot of t-rigged stick baits and some days bass just destroy them.  If they aren't torn in half I bite off on 1/2" or so and rerig. After they destroy that put them on backwards. After a good bite using stick bait I'll lots of 1/2" pieces on the floor.

Fish don't care if they're shorter, backwards or have tears!

[Preytorien]

If you rig them wacky and you're getting that many middle-body rips do like I did and buy Savage Gear Armor Tube worms.

 

They have a mesh in the middle infused in the bait. Makes both tearing them in half and also the fight ripping them off the line almost completely non-existent.

 

I've gotten 15-20 out of one senko with them

[Jaderose]

13 hours ago, Mottel said:

 

I use a VMC weighted hook for Texas rigging. Could that make a difference?

My guess is yes.  Are you using a weighted hook to cast a T-rigged Senko on a bait caster?  If the answer to that is yes, than you are probably casting too hard or using whipping motion and the screwlock is tearing up your bait.  A t-rigged Senko is, to me, a finesse presentation that REQUIRES a spinning reel with lite line for best  flutter action.  It took me a couple of years to figure that out and a lot of money on wasted Senkos.  Now I use a 3/0 Gammy EWG, weightless  with 10lb braid on a Pflueger President.  I RARELY get less than 3-6 fish per.  When the end gets gnarly, I bite it off and re-rig.  Sometimes a 6" Senko will wind up a 3" Inch Senko before it falls apart.  

[Moto]

14 minutes ago, Jaderose said:

My guess is yes.  Are you using a weighted hook to cast a T-rigged Senko on a bait caster?  If the answer to that is yes, than you are probably casting too hard or using whipping motion and the screwlock is tearing up your bait.  A t-rigged Senko is, to me, a finesse presentation that REQUIRES a spinning reel with lite line for best  flutter action.  It took me a couple of years to figure that out and a lot of money on wasted Senkos.  Now I use a 3/0 Gammy EWG, weightless  with 10lb braid on a Pflueger President.  I RARELY get less than 3-6 fish per.  When the end gets gnarly, I bite it off and re-rig.  Sometimes a 6" Senko will wind up a 3" Inch Senko before it falls apart.  

The rip in the Senko was not close to where the screw lock is. What I might think is possible is that since I am using a weighted hook, therefore, every time the fish bites, it pushes the Senko through the weight (on the hook) therefore causing the hole to get bigger. Could that be the case?

[DINK WHISPERER]

Mend it and cheaper knockoffs work perfectly for me. 

[Jaderose]

Very distinct possibility.  I just realized you are the fella using the snaps with the weighted hooks because you are not comfortable with your knot tying.  We gotta cure you of that..lol.  There are many good videos on how to tie a good knot.  The palomar is probably the easiest and happens to be one of the best and strongest.  I use it 99% of the time.

https://www.***.com/fishing_knots/palomar-knot

 Tie a NON-WEIGHTED 3/0 EWG hook on with this knot.  T-rig (no screwlock..again, plenty of videos of this).  If using baitcaster, do a sidearm lob cast.  No Whipping, no overhead casts.  Going weightless means you will have to slow down.  The bait needs time to flutter.  That's where 95% of your bites will come.

[Boomstick]

It depends how aggressive the hookset is and how aggressively the fish swallows the hook. Occasionally, a senko is good for only one fish but far more often, I can salvage it for at least a second. Sometimes, they'll last longer than that.

That's why I carry a backup bag with me.