YUM Dinger vs. Strike King Shim-E-Stick

[EGbassing]

I want to try stick worms (I did a couple times before, but I don't even remember my results) but I don't want to pay for senkos which I burn through very quickly so I've narrowed it down to the Yum Dinger and the SK Shim-E-Stick. In your opinion, which has better action? Also, which has a slower fall rate? I'm fishing in less than four feet of water generally, so I don't want one that's going to plummet to the bottom.

[NYWayfarer]

Yum Dingers are perfect for shallow water. They tend to sink slower than Senko's.

 

I love Yum Dingers, I use 3"-5" sizes for all sorts of rigs. Great bait at a great price.

[EGbassing]

1 minute ago, NYWayfarer said:

Yum Dingers are perfect for shallow water. They tend to sink slower than Senko's.

 

I love Yum Dingers, I use 3"-5" sizes for all sorts of rigs. Great bait at a great price.

Thanks. Do you prefer wacky rig or texas rig? (light to no cover)

[NYWayfarer]

Just now, EGbassing said:

Thanks. Do you prefer wacky rig or texas rig? (light to no cover)

I wacky rig the 3" For the 4" and above I rig the weightless on a 3/0 worm hook. The 4" and above size has a slot cut in it to hide the hook. The tail on the dinger has a great quivering action on the fall when rigged this way.

 

I forgot to mention I do like the Shim E Stick. They have a great anise scent to them.

[Caliyak]

30 minutes ago, EGbassing said:

I want to try stick worms (I did a couple times before, but I don't even remember my results) but I don't want to pay for senkos which I burn through very quickly so I've narrowed it down to the Yum Dinger and the SK Shim-E-Stick. In your opinion, which has better action? Also, which has a slower fall rate? I'm fishing in less than four feet of water generally, so I don't want one that's going to plummet to the bottom.

I love the Shim e Stick. weightless, texas rig in my favorite and of course wacky. Durable and last longer than Yum Dingers. The rate of fall is slow and I have seen bass charge at the worm with no mercy to kill the worm. I would pick the shim e over the yum. But, take them both out and try them both. I hope SK does not discontinue the shim e. 

[BassinCNY]

I've never fished a shim e stick so I can't comment on them. I have fished yum dingers and they work well. They have a very slow rate of fall. I always prefer to wacky rig if I can.  

[Fishes in trees]

I fish with many brands of stick worms.  For wacky style fishing, I don't think that there is any replacement for senkos, so I have a separate bag for that.   Anything that I'm going to Texas rig, I like a tougher brand of plastic, so I've used Dingers, Strike King, (both the shimmy sticks & Ochos) Big Bite Baits have some interesting colors and so does Chompers.  When I go to a tackle store and see a color of stick worm that I don't have I'll probably buy a couple of bags.   I fish BPS stick baits quite a bit - besides the stick-o consider fishing the Mag Fin-eke worm

Last summer I fished the Zoom Mag trick worm & Zoom Mag Finesse worm quite a bit.

 

There are many brands of stick baits that I haven't tried also, in some cases because of limited availability and in other cases because enough is enough.  I haven't gotten into Jackall or Keitech, or some of the other brands that have come into my neighborhood in the past couple years.

 

Besides texas rigging with a tungsten worm weight, early in the summer, post spawn but before summer patterns get set, I fish a tail weighted stick worm quite a bit, throwing it into holes and irregular edges of weediness that are forming but not formed yet.  I got broke off enough that I upgraded to 17 lb Abrazx for this approach.

 

I guess the point of this is I wouldn't limit myself to comparing just 2 different brands.  My approach seems to be get the colors I want, the ones that I feel best match the water colors I might deal with, and again senkos are different, if I'm wacky rigging I'm throwing a senko, with a couple of criss crossed o-rings so that the hook is at a 90 degree angle in relation to the axis of the bait.

 

 

[nascar2428]

You can't go wrong with either of the options you have chosen. Both have slow rates of fall and good color selection.

[Bluebasser86]

Both are good, but I like that I can buy Dingers in 30pks so I don't have to buy as often. 

[EGbassing]

1 hour ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Both are good, but I like that I can buy Dingers in 30pks so I don't have to buy as often. 

Yeah, I watched a comparison video and they both have basically no action so it pretty much just comes down to durability, fall rate, etc.

[fishwizzard]

I only really like Dingers weighted, they sink too slowly and blow around too much for my otherwise.  They are soft enough to wiggle/shake pretty well.  If you have access to a Bass Pro then their house brand stickbait is pretty good and is very very cheap when they go on sale.  

[Glaucus]

Dingers. 

 

This is going to sound funny because stickbaits are considered do nothing baits, and that can be true. Anyone can fish them. However, not everyone can fish them the same. There's only one thing I consider myself an expert at in this sport, and it's Senko fishing. I can honestly say without a shadow of a doubt that Dingers are not nearly as good. They'll catch fish, but they aren't close to the same level. I've tried other stickbait brands because I fish them so much and blow through god knows how much money in Senkos every year, but it's worth it.

 

Dingers would be my second option however. 

[TOXIC]

First, to answer the OP's question....If you are going to weight the bait, I would fish the cheapest knockoff.  Once weighted, you have overruled the "natural" action of any Senko™️ "Style" bait.

 

Second and just my opinion...........If you are tearing up Senkos at a cyclic rate, take more time and possibly learn how to rig them better so that they last.  I have caught 15 smallmouth on 1 Senko T-Rigged.  Rig them wrong and they are a 1 fish bait.   

[N Florida Mike]

I catch some good fish on the dingers , esp the 5 inch ones. The smaller ones dont seem to have as much action, but I still do ok with them. I have used stick-os a few times and dont see much difference. I texas rig only. Dont like wacky rig because I get a clod of weeds that way nearly every cast. I only use them weightless. Use a weight and whatever action you had is lost the heavier the weight.

I will buy senkos a few times a year and they outfish the imitations hands down.

[Derek1]

I use dingers and the bps ones. Just because there cheaper, didn’t really notice a difference in fish caught. 

[Dens228]

I have Senko's, Dingers, and Ocho's.  I seem to catch equal on all of them.  I tend to buy the brand that currently has the colors I need in stock. 

[Spankey]

I use a combination of Senkos, Yum, and BPS. But I don’t throw the biggest version of them. The SK’s seem to be one size. That’s why I stay away from them. At least the other brands I can get 3”, 4” and 5” baits. I t-Rig them for my best results. Yes the senkos are softer. There is something to be said to that.  But Yum and BPS put out a good version. I saw back awhile ago Wally World was all but giving the SK’s away for $1.96 a bag. Some Yum Dingers are $.50 a bag there. Bottom of shelf, free for all BS. I despise Wally World for the most part. What You have to sit on the floor like a monkey to go through those BS bargain boxes. But if you need stuff the price is right. 

[EGbassing]

4 hours ago, TOXIC said:

First, to answer the OP's question....If you are going to weight the bait, I would fish the cheapest knockoff.  Once weighted, you have overruled the "natural" action of any Senko™️ "Style" bait.

 

Second and just my opinion...........If you are tearing up Senkos at a cyclic rate, take more time and possibly learn how to rig them better so that they last.  I have caught 15 smallmouth on 1 Senko T-Rigged.  Rig them wrong and they are a 1 fish bait.   

How do you rig yours so they last that long?

[TOXIC]

3 minutes ago, EGbassing said:

How do you rig yours so they last that long?

I just answered that question in a IM.  I'll post it here..........

 

Pretty tough to explain but I'll give you an overview.  I am talking about T-Rigging on a Gamakatsu 4.0 EWG hook.  Not wacky rigging.  First, you have to make sure you insert the hook point into the head of the Senko the right distance.  Leave  too much forward and your line will cut the Senko, too little and it will rip the head of the Senko.  Second, make sure when you twist the bait head over the offset hook eye, you don't rip it.  Third, when you push the bait forward to insert the hook point in the middle of the senko, make sure that when you are done, the point you inserted isn't ripped because you didn't get the insertion point correct.  And finally, make sure when you bury the hook point in the top of the bait you give it plenty of bait to grab and make sure the Senko looks just like it would lying there with no hook as it does rigged up.  In other words, straight with no bends or crimps.  

[Spankey]

17 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Both are good, but I like that I can buy Dingers in 30pks so I don't have to buy as often. 

I was just in a place and I seen those mega-bags of Yum Dingers. Priced real good. $9.99 I believe @ DICK’s. But they were only carrying mega-bags of the larger size. I don’t know what it is but I don’t feel comfortable with the larger size. Get a mental block. Why I don’t know. 

[FishTank]

Out of the two.... Dingers but if I had to choose a stick bait.... Senkos are still my favorite.

[EGbassing]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I went with the Yum Dingers.

[ChrisD46]

*If you have not tried the VMC "Drop Dead" weighted EWG hook technique - then you should be ! Designed for a stick worm and helps create a more lively action on the fall - works great with stick worms having less inherent action than a Senko : https://www.rapala.com/vmc/hooks/ddw-drop-dead-weighted/DDW+Drop+Dead+Weighted.html?cgid=vmc-hooks

Start with a 4/0 size in 1/16th oz. & 3/32nd oz. - then go up or down in hook size as required . TW and other on-line Bass stores sell them ... You can't go wrong : Cast out , let stick worm with drop dead hook fall on a slack line , once it hits bottom let it sit for 20 ~ 30 seconds , then lift and twitch slightly - then let it fall and dead stick again for 20 ~ 30 seconds ... If no bite -  then reel in , cast & repeat . You can also google "VMC drop dead stick worm technique" to learn more (Davey Hit I believe has a video on this technique) .

[waitmanFE]

Check out some of the comparison videos on Youtube, it may change your mind regarding bait action and fall rate. I generally fish a Senko or the BPS stick bait. 

[snake95]

On 3/6/2019 at 6:28 AM, TOXIC said:

possibly learn how to rig them better so that they last.

@TOXIC being the resident GY Senko expert, would you mind sharing a few tips about this?  Thank you.