Having problems with a Senko

[ajschn06]

I've been trying to fish a Senko worm a bit lately and keep running into one problem- the darn thing is constantly getting tapped by all of the little panfish that are around.  It's very difficult to a) fish it effectively when that is happening and b) know when to actually set the hook.  Anyone else run into this?

[BrianMDTX]

I get tapped every now and then, but normally when fishing from the bank and it’s been worked in close. But it’s not often. 

 

Are you rigged wacky style or a T rig? 

[plawren53202]

In my experience the taps are almost always sunfish, so if I feel them I will give the line a slight pull. If I feel weight, then regular hookset. Seems to me that the bites I get on a Senko are more often just weight on the line or the line starts moving off to the side. Of course, when in doubt, hooksets are free. No doubt that in certain locations I do have sunfish nibbling sometimes, especially wacky rigged.

[garroyo130]

Are you catching bass where these panfish are? 

[ajschn06]

6 minutes ago, garroyo130 said:

Are you catching bass where these panfish are? 

There's panfish everywhere- it's a very small lake.... so yes

[mrpao]

Well if there's panfish then bass will be around there to eat them. That's a good thing.

I agree with the others. I usually watch my line for movement or lift up to feel for  the weight. Panfish will tap at many lures out of curiosity. It's just part of the game.

[Mobasser]

I don't use Senkos much, but use all kinds of plastic worms. Panfish will tap them, then drop very quickly. Some will grab the tail and run off a short distance, then drop it.Sometimes they'll hit it with 2 or 3 rapid taps then stop. I would just ignore them, and retrieve your bait as normal. And, as others have said, if there's small panfish where your fishing, there could be some bass close by also.

 

[galyonj]

1 hour ago, Mobasser said:

Some will grab the tail and run off a short distance, then drop it.

Happened to me yesterday. I hope that's what it was, anyway. Otherwise I swung and missed, and that would be sad.

[Herbert Lorenzo]

There's a lot of exotics in Florida and they do like to nip at the senkos but if in doubt I try a hook set . Seems like a lot of the time it's  easier to feel the bream packing at the bait than the actual bass chopping on it .lol

Edited July 23, 2020 by Herbert Lorenzo
Misspelled word

[TOXIC]

Some of my biggest bass on a Senko have felt like panfish pecks.  That being said, “normally” I can tell the difference.  I actually like a panfish attacking a Senko.  Many times it will get the attention of a big bass and he will steal it from the panfish or hit it as soon as I pull it away.  

[Fishin' Fool]

What size senko are you using? If you are using a 4" up it to the 5". If you are already using the 5" you'll probably just have to deal with it or switch over to a 6" senko.

[schplurg]

I just started using and being successful with stick worms.

 

I think I just get used to the area I'm fishing. One area has a lot of dinks that will try and get my worm. I can see them strike it. I just don't set the hook unless I know something is holding on.

 

It seems like good practice. I mean people here sometimes say that they sometimes hookset as soon as they feel something and they have a hard time waiting for the right moment.

 

I had a tiny dink grab a 5 inch YUM Dinger a few days ago - it was hilariously too big for the fish. It looked like a dog that picks up a log or tree branch that is way too big for it, yet tries to carry it anyways. It was so cute. I pulled slack and he dropped it when he felt that.

[FishTank]

If it swims in fresh water, I have probably caught it on a senko.  I sometimes let it fall to the bottom and fish it back like a jerk bait, instead of popping or lifting it off the bottom.   This seems to stop small fish from pecking.

[txchaser]

Tap tap tap. <--- lift the bait up and see. This was described somewhere here as a machine gun. 

Peck. <--set the hook

Thunk. <---set the hook

Mush/where'd my bait go. <--set the hook 

If you ask yourself which of these is happening you'll start to feelthe difference. Sometimes, anyway. 

 

Apparently, Gary Yamamoto fishes his senkos on 2/0 or 3/0 light wire hooks. With that thickness of hook, it takes very little to set the hook anyway, so you don't lose much if you just reel down some, or give it a little pop.