No feedback retrieveing a Senko

[michael1]

Trying a lot of new stuff this year, one of them is fishing soft plastics. Always been a power fisherman that just used chuck and wind baits. Yesterday I tried a weightless 5" Senko on a 3/0 Owner screw lock hook on 16# Sniper FC. I later thought I probably should have thrown a 3/16 or something weight on it but I know they can be fished weightless so I gave it a go. I've watched tons of videos on YouTube about moving the bait with the rod and pick up slack with the reel so I tried to emulate what I learned and saw. Man, I just have NO idea where the wait was or what it was doing. If I did not know better I would have guessed there was nothing on the other end and I was just reeling back a cut line. Every now and then it would get stuck for a second on something but that is the only feeling of weight or contact I had. Any advice because I had no idea what was going on with the bait, never felt the bottom and was completely lost!?

[jbsoonerfan]

I don't know if this was on spinning or baitcasting gear, guessing bc because of line size. Anyway, 16 lb is pretty heavy for a weightless presentation in my opinion. Also, being on a bc it may be that your rod is too stiff. I almost always use a weight on any type of soft plastic, but on the rare occasion I don't, I use a 6'8 ML spinning rod with 10 or 15 lb braid. 

[Fishes in trees]

Ok, here's the thing.   You've seen how the bait drops, by watching it close to the boat.   You have to trust that it is doing the same thing when you cast it away from the boat.  You have an idea of how fast it drops, that translates into feet per second, more likely inches per second.  Throw the bait to the object and let it drop, don't twitch it, touch it, feel like you've got to feel it, nothing.   When you get bit you will feel the fish, or the line will move, something.  It is a finesse approach and takes some time to get used to it.

 

For the record, I seldom throw senkos tx rigged.  I think that there are other more durable soft plastic stick baits that work just as well tx rigged, but wacky rigged, I think that the senko is unmatched.  What a guy told me, when seiko's first hit the market was that pitching a wacky senko was like throwing a knuckleball.  Throw it, let it drop, and don't do anything, trust the bait to do what it is supposed to do.

[Tennessee Boy]

Until you get used to the feel,  you will need to rely more on watching the bait and the line.  Use a color that’s easy to see and watch your line closely when you can’t see the bait.  When it’s falling on a slack line,  you probably won’t feel a strike.  There may just a slight twitch in the line.  It very different from what you’re used to as a power fisherman.

[Reel]

Try a bigger Senko type lure like a 6 inch.  You'll have a bit more feeling but that you have to expect from a weightless lure

[NHBull]

Watching the rate of fall at the boat is not the same with a long cast because of the amount of line out.  16# is also a tad heavy for finesse presentations.  I use my rod to move baits 90% of the time and once you get used to it, it’s second nature. If you really want to get good, switch to braid on a couple set-ups

[roadwarrior]

 

[Armtx77]

I use 15lbs Sufix 832 and still use a 1/16oz weight to get the feed back you are talking about on spinning gear. I can go without the weight and get feedback, but that little extra weight, it just feels right.

 

I have never wacky rigged a Senko. So take my advice with a grain of salt.

[A-Jay]

8 hours ago, michael1 said:

Trying a lot of new stuff this year, one of them is fishing soft plastics. Always been a power fisherman that just used chuck and wind baits. Yesterday I tried a weightless 5" Senko on a 3/0 Owner screw lock hook on 16# Sniper FC. I later thought I probably should have thrown a 3/16 or something weight on it but I know they can be fished weightless so I gave it a go. I've watched tons of videos on YouTube about moving the bait with the rod and pick up slack with the reel so I tried to emulate what I learned and saw. Man, I just have NO idea where the wait was or what it was doing. If I did not know better I would have guessed there was nothing on the other end and I was just reeling back a cut line. Every now and then it would get stuck for a second on something but that is the only feeling of weight or contact I had. Any advice because I had no idea what was going on with the bait, never felt the bottom and was completely lost!?

This is simply unfamiliarity & inexperience with the presentation.

Fish it more and you'll 'get it'.

IMO, you'll benefit from it as well.

A-Jay

[Bird]

Weightless Senko is a really good heavy cover bait but prefer wacky around docks. 

 

I don't consider this technique to be finesse and used on light tackle though. 

 

Like a Gamakatsu EWG 5/0 - 4/0 which requires a MH rod and fast retrieval casting reel to get them out of the rough, that's my preferred way to fish them.

 

Oh, really like ZinkerZ.

[Beeno]

28 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

This is simply unfamiliarity & inexperience with the presentation.

Fish it more and you'll 'get it'.

IMO, you'll benefit from it as well.

A-Jay

Agree ^

you just need to fish soft plastics more and more takes a wile to get used to it but just like power fishing you had to continuesly throw a spinner bait or a crankbait over and over till you finally started catching them the same with plastics you just have to get used to it by Continuously practicing that presentation.