When and why would you throw a 4" Senko?

[Bird]

As effective as a 5" Senko is in so many scenarios, wacky or weightless, when would you feel the need to downsize and what would be your preferred rigging method?

 

Was I mercilessly attached by the bait monkey when purchasing these little guys. ?

 

Here's a comparison for ya'.

[QED]

I fish a small, nearby lake and the 4" versions work best there, usually wacky rigged.  I also use z-man finesse TRDs on a drop shot rig (instead of senkos) since they are more buoyant.

[Choporoz]

10 minutes ago, Bird said:

As effective as a 5" Senko is in so many scenarios, wacky or weightless, when would you feel the need to downsize and what would be your preferred rigging method?

I always have a few along.   About the only scenario they come out is when I'm trying to beat back a skunk.

  I did cash a check in a tournament a couple years ago when it was late in the day, I was at my wits end, two fish shy of a limit....broke out four inch senkos and actually had to dead stick them to limit.   Painful fishing, but worth it at the time.

[N Florida Mike]

I use them for numbers. If I want to get some smaller fish for a fish fry. 

If I’m taking a beginner or kids. 

Sometimes I just like catching fish, no matter what the size. But occasionally, there will be a big fish . I caught a 8.6 with one once.

I T-rig mine, with a 2/0 wide gap gammy  hook. I don’t do well with wacky rigs. I normally fish them weightless in the shallow, weedy ponds / lakes I usually fish… They cast great, and skip great too! I esp. love them around brush piles or under docks.

[DinkDreams]

I use the 4” wacky rigged, as I fish a lot of ponds and they tend to get quite a bit of pressure. The smaller size and profile seems to help get more bites when nothing else is working. 
 

Caught everything from .25 pounders to 4 pounders on the 4”. I do not fish a Senko of any size weightless TX rigged, so I can’t comment on that.

[NHBull]

I use a lot of 4's

 

Wacky rigged shallow and mostly rigged weedless on a DS

[Deleted account]

T rigged 4" stick bait, weightless, or with a wee bit of weight will out catch most things most days when things get tough.

[Wprich]

Most of my bigger lakes I fish are predominantly spotted bass mostly smaller guys with a few bigger ones around.  I had amazing success this year throwing a 4" Senko on a Neko rig for them only time I've used my 4's.  Was the most effective technique for me in March and April this year.

[KP Duty]

I added a few bags of 4" Senkos to my academy order.  I always wondered if the 4" would produce the famous shimmy like 5".  We'll see....

[DitchPanda]

I've never really used them but the bait monkey got ahold of me several months back and I ordered like 15 bags of 4in dingers in assorted colors.

[Jar11591]

When I’m fishing for smallmouth primarily. 

[Columbia Craw]

Weighted wacky jig head and wacky drop shot.  Zappu  Inchie.

[Log Catcher]

I use the 4" Stick Os when I'm fishing a place where I can catch a SMB. I have used them in tough conditions and caught LMB on them.

[heavyduty]

4" t-rigged weightless, floating with the current for river smallies is a top producer for me. I've fished the 5" the same way on the same trip and they did not produce like the 4".

[Munkin]

The 4" in general works better for me and catches bigger fish. Biggest fish on the 5" went 4.1 but the 4" has caught 4 fish over 6lbs.

[detroit1]

That top one looks like a slim senko. My 4"ers are just about the same dia. as the 5". 

[heavyduty]

1 minute ago, detroit1 said:

That top one looks like a slim senko. My 4"ers are just about the same dia. as the 5". 

Agree. 

[Munkin]

Do they still make the slim senko?

 

Allen 

[NYWayfarer]

When? All the time. Where? Rivers for Smallies and Ponds for Largemouths.

 

My favorite way to rig them is weightless on a 2/0 worm hook. Senko’s and Stik-O’s cast like a bullet. I also wacky rig using O rings and a owner wacky hook.

[PressuredFishing]

Because the fish took the other inch off 

[ChrisD46]

I'd have a 4" Senko Green Pumpkin and Watermelon Red on hand as an insurance policy . I'd also T-Rig on a Gammakatsu 2/0 EWG and wacky rig on a VMC wacky jig head (1/16 oz. weight) to get the ends flapping a little better . 

[Cbump]

I’ve never used one but just looking at the picture I would use that 4” for wacky around docks, same as I use the zoom finesse worm for. 
 

I don’t wacky the 5” or bigger. I like to t-rig those Weightless.