Senko colors... why so many?

[Fishinfreak89]

Because variety sells. Colors grab our eyes more than the fishes when you move out of natural bait colors like greens browns etc. just sales tactics imo. 

[FishTank]

To me there are three colors of senkos..... light, dark, and green pumpkin black flake. ?

 

Knowing when and where to use them is the hard part. 

[the reel ess]

22 hours ago, Allen Der said:

they only sell bulk packs in 5 colors, so those must be the best sellers.  I use 3 of those 5.

 

Bitters has them $35/100 count and the colors are not limited. According to what I've seen on YT, you can't tell the difference.

https://www.bittersbaitandtackle.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=179_176&product_id=335

16 minutes ago, FishTank said:

To me there are three colors of senkos..... light, dark, and green pumpkin black flake. ?

 

Knowing when and where to use them is the hard part. 

They probably all work. I like lighter, brighter colors for wacky and darker ones like black/blue and junebug for flipping/pitching. But that's just me. I could probably swap them and do just as well.

[king fisher]

Tackle Warehouse lists 120 different Senko colors, but doesn't offer Junebug in the 7 inch size.  Last I heard Junebug was one of the most popular color for all soft plastics nation wide.  They have 120 colors, but don't offer one of the most popular colors in all the sizes?  I'm down to my last pack, I guess I will have to try one of the other 120 colors.     

[FishTank]

34 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

Bitters has them $35/100 count and the colors are not limited. According to what I've seen on YT, you can't tell the difference.

https://www.bittersbaitandtackle.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=179_176&product_id=335

They probably all work. I like lighter, brighter colors for wacky and darker ones like black/blue and junebug for flipping/pitching. But that's just me. I could probably swap them and do just as well.

I haven't tried these but most knock offs or other branded baits like it, haven't done well for me. The original from GYCB has always been my best producer. I have tried several cheaper versions looking for a more cost effective alternative but no luck. The closest I have come is the Berkley General.  I do have some new Senko style baits I am going to post a review on from a small bait company after I do some more testing but they are about the best quality softplastic I have seen... that doesn't necessarily mean that they catch more fish though. 

 

I base my color selection on time of day and water cleararity.

[TOXIC]

I’m sure y’all have been waiting with baited breath for me to respond.? Couple of points, the new owners of GYCB have done a skew study and you will see a reduction in both styles and colors.  Over the years, colors were discontinued and new ones added.  I have friends in Michigan that beg for one of the discontinued colors.  Yamamoto used to offer a custom color option but there was a minimum required order size. Likewise on adding colors, they were always open to suggestions.  I personally requested a color that made it to production, 318 that mimics a northern salamander found here on the east coast in most ponds, lakes and rivers.  I use it and it catches fish.  My personal opinion on the expansive color palette is simple.  When you offer a wide selection, you satisfy a wide swath of customer.  They can feel like it is almost custom made for them and they have a color that not everybody is throwing.  I’ll bet that over my years with Yamamoto, I’ve heard almost every color as someone’s favorite or “secret” color.  I have noticed that some colors truly are local to specific bodies of water as well.  Retailers can’t possibly carry all the colors just like you’ll have a hard time finding a retailer that stocks all of the different styles and sizes of Yamamoto products.  Bottom line is that it is great to have the choices and the ability to throw a bait color you have confidence in.  

[Munkin]

10 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

I’m sure y’all have been waiting with baited breath for me to respond.? Couple of points, the new owners of GYCB have done a skew study and you will see a reduction in both styles and colors.  Over the years, colors were discontinued and new ones added.  I have friends in Michigan that beg for one of the discontinued colors.  Yamamoto used to offer a custom color option but there was a minimum required order size. Likewise on adding colors, they were always open to suggestions.  I personally requested a color that made it to production, 318 that mimics a northern salamander found here on the east coast in most ponds, lakes and rivers.  I use it and it catches fish.  My personal opinion on the expansive color palette is simple.  When you offer a wide selection, you satisfy a wide swath of customer.  They can feel like it is almost custom made for them and they have a color that not everybody is throwing.  I’ll bet that over my years with Yamamoto, I’ve heard almost every color as someone’s favorite or “secret” color.  I have noticed that some colors truly are local to specific bodies of water as well.  Retailers can’t possibly carry all the colors just like you’ll have a hard time finding a retailer that stocks all of the different styles and sizes of Yamamoto products.  Bottom line is that it is great to have the choices and the ability to throw a bait color you have confidence in.  

 

If you have their ear I still want the Dshad in baby bass and natural shad.  I know that at one time I could buy 5" shad shape worms in natural shad on Ebay. 

 

Allen 

[TOXIC]

5 minutes ago, Munkin said:

 

If you have their ear I still want the Dshad in baby bass and natural shad.  I know that at one time I could buy 5" shad shape worms in natural shad on Ebay. 

 

Allen 

As far as I know, the Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm has always been 3.75 in. And it does come in Natural Shad color 306.  You might have been seeing a knockoff.  I remember your request on the DShads.  I’ll make the mention when I get a chance.  

[the reel ess]

8 hours ago, FishTank said:

I haven't tried these but most knock offs or other branded baits like it, haven't done well for me. The original from GYCB has always been my best producer. I have tried several cheaper versions looking for a more cost effective alternative but no luck. The closest I have come is the Berkley General.  I do have some new Senko style baits I am going to post a review on from a small bait company after I do some more testing but they are about the best quality softplastic I have seen... that doesn't necessarily mean that they catch more fish though. 

 

I base my color selection on time of day and water cleararity.

I have hardly used any GYCB Senkos. I've used Big Bites Trick Sticks, Yum Dingers and SK Ochos with pretty good results. I have some Hula Grubs, but even they tear too easily.

[roadwarrior]

Well, time to step up to the plate and try the real deal. If you don't find the Senko better,

it's just a one time experiment.

[NorthernBasser]

On 7/12/2022 at 6:08 AM, The Bassman said:

Different fishermen bite on different colors.

[TriStateBassin106]

I have 4 senko colors. And I only use 2 of them for the most part. 

 

You guessed it, Green Pumpkin and Black n blue. 

[Bluebasser86]

Why?

[Sphynx]

I don't think a single bass has ever purchased a bag of senko's, and I also bet you that every one of those colors has caught a fish.

[5/0]

#s 297, 021, 956, and 208. Although heard that 306 works in foothill lake out here, never tried it though.

[Ben77]

Black and blue fleck

Junebug

Gp green and purple fleck

It's all I need.

 

 

[Koz]

It drives more revenue.

 

Think about it. Most of us could get by fishing our entire lives with one soft plastic, one topwater, one spinnerbait, one jig, and one wildcard lure.

 

But we are compelled to feed the bait monkey.

[Columbia Craw]

Gary Yamamoto was one of the first if not the first plastics manufacturer to truly grasp the nature of anglers and their desire to find that one color that will be better than the other or others. I have my four and no more.

[Munkin]

One of my 2 senko tubs where my spares are kept.  A couple of years ago when Kinami was going out of business Walmart had them marked down to $1 a bag or less. My tournament partner back then and I hit up 17 stores and bought every single pack. After that I had over 100 packs each in baby bass, natural shad, and GP. Getting low on junebug now with only about 15 packs left. 

 

Allen 

[TOXIC]

14 hours ago, Munkin said:

One of my 2 senko tubs where my spares are kept.  A couple of years ago when Kinami was going out of business Walmart had them marked down to $1 a bag or less. My tournament partner back then and I hit up 17 stores and bought every single pack. After that I had over 100 packs each in baby bass, natural shad, and GP. Getting low on junebug now with only about 15 packs left. 

 

Allen 

Very smart move Kinami we’re made by Gary’s son on the same production line as the rest of the Yamamoto line.  I just got my Q4 order to get me through the rest of the summer and my February trip to Florida. 

[WRB]

My take away from the above honest post is if you use a color not common on the color chart buy them now!

Don Iovino was a good friend of Gary Yamamoto and had some custom colors made for a few western pro’s like the late Andy ”Cooch” Caccia for the Delta. Most of the custom colors stayed proprietary and will no longer be available.

Other well known soft plastic companies make custom color runs for anglers, not a big market but good customer relationships. 

Tom

[Munkin]

11 hours ago, TOXIC said:

Very smart move Kinami we’re made by Gary’s son on the same production line as the rest of the Yamamoto line.  I just got my Q4 order to get me through the rest of the summer and my February trip to Florida. 

 

What I heard was Gary did not want to sell to Walmart, Kmart, etc. big box stores so his son created Kinami for it. I remember guys saying they can't be the same as they as cheaper per bag? Told them to count the number of baits in each bag and get back to me.

 

Allen

[Allen Der]

15 hours ago, Munkin said:

 

What I heard was Gary did not want to sell to Walmart, Kmart, etc. big box stores so his son created Kinami for it. I remember guys saying they can't be the same as they as cheaper per bag? Told them to count the number of baits in each bag and get back to me.

 

Allen

 

I always thought the plastic or salt content was different.  was a kinami senko identical to the GYCB senko?

[roadwarrior]

6 minutes ago, Allen Der said:

was a kinami senko identical to the GYCB senko?

 

Yes

[QED]

Intesting academic study on the effect of lure colour on bass fishing productivity:

https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10026.1/11441/1-s2.0-S0165783615001903-main.pdf;jsessionid=8D17D10EEE09E22E7D5E4136C73331DE?sequence=1

 

TL;DR - colour doesn't matter that much except in a couple of corner cases where: (i) certain colours work less well (e.g., firetiger on crankbaits) and (ii) certain colours work better for catching larger bass (i.e., "[i]n our study bright lure colours, orange and white [note: correlate with colours found on golden shiners], had a significant relationship with the total length...").

 

BTW, I didn't double check the authors' methodology nor the accuracy of their regression analysis, so if you have a beef with the study (or studies cited therein), then please take it up with their respective authors.