Plastic Swimbait tips - swimming senkos etc

[Davis]

Okay so I found some semi-knock off basstrix after reading an article on Tackletour. 7.95 for a three pack. Still steep but they look cool.

Now I have fished the swimming senko before but it was twirling on the retrieve. I wasn't using a 5/0 EWG though. Will that stop the twirling? If not what will. I purchased some weighted 4/0 hooks for these Bowfin paddle tails. They said 5/0 but I'm going to try the 4/0 for the time being. Any other pointers how how to fish paddle tail type lures or swimming senkos? Fishing is calming down here in the North East so its time for me to start to get some info together on new baits for next year.

[slomoe]

I think screw in weights will increase the potential of this bait, also ewg should keep it bottom down.

[Davis]

Here is the link if anyone is interested in them. There are some cons like the eyes not staying on in hot temps but I decided to give them a whirl anyway. Been having huge success with flukes so it's only natural to try out the smaller swimbaits. I refuse to pay 20+ for the Basstrix.

http://www.tackletour.com/reviewrainwormsbowfish.html

[roadwarrior]

Although this lure can be presented successfully in a variety of ways, the Senko Swimbait is designed to be fished with a weight:

http://www.insideline.net/articles/swim_senko.html

[George Welcome]

Article I wrote for Inside Line:

I use: 3/0 EWG with a 1/8th-3/16th weight - I Tex-pose and then skin hook the bait and will vary tail up or tail down depending on depth desired.

YAMAMOTO SWIMMING SENKO

HYPE OR MAGIC

A day of fishing is so much more than just catching the fish. It involves planning, comradeship, (a very important ingredient to me), alternate plans, (always have to deal with weather), bait selection based on conditions, and of course the catching.

This day's planning started with a phone call from Paul Crawford, a fellow Floridian, avid fisherman, and writer/representative for Yamamoto Baits. Paul wanted to try out a relatively new Yamamoto product being introduced, called the Swimming Senko, on Florida's famous Stick Marsh/Farm 13. With date set, I waited with great anticipation, not only for the opportunity to fish with Paul, a fisherman of some repute, but to also see new bait in action. However, as the weather can do, as the day approached, it was obvious that wind was going to alter our plans. The forecast called for winds in excess of 20 MPH, and the strong possibility of rain. As an alternate location, I suggested Blue Cypress Lake. The lake is surrounded with tall stately Cypress trees and would offer good protection from the westerly winds that forecasters were calling for.

I met Paul at the ramp at Blue Cypress at first light. Paul showed me the Swimming Senko that he would be using and we loaded his gear on board. Leaving the ramp area I turned to the south and smoothly applied the power to the motor. The bow rose, however what was normally a good hole shot didn't occur. As fast as the boat leapt to get on plane, she settled back in the water and the motor raced. First the weather and now a spun hub made it time again for another alternate plan. The day seemed destined to offer us some major challenges but we still had great comradeship and a new bait to keep things bright. Since the entire southwest shore is loaded with various grasses I simply announced that we would go on with the trolling motor and worry about getting back at a later time.

Paul set up his rig with a weightless Swimming Senko. I recommended any dark color as the water on Blue Cypress is heavily tannic stained. I rigged a weightless Senko in watermelon with black flake and the fishing began. I have found that the Senko, so often called the "do-nothing" bait, is an excellent top water jerk bait, and with Kissimmee grass, Maiden Cane, and Bulrush to play in, this jerk bait technique would play strongly for me.

The Swimming Senko is designed to be retrieved much like spinner bait, with varying speeds. It casts extremely well, much like the Senko so Paul had no problem reaching well back into the grasses. However, unlike the Senko, it just didn't exhibit a strong catching appeal for the bass.

Around mid-day I reached an area of open shallow water and was able to change out the hub, putting the big motor back in commission. We continued on and by day's end it seemed that the Senko was the better bait over its newly introduced brother, the Swimming Senko. Returning to the ramp we were able to move along at a good pace with the repaired big motor. As we rode we discussed what seemed the pros and cons to the Swimming Senko. Paul left a fair amount of Swimming Senkos with me and headed off to his home and dinner. What started as a day with some minor setbacks had turned into a great day on the water. We had achieved some tests with the new bait, we had caught some fish, and most importantly we had shared the comradeship of two avid anglers with our day on the water. The Swimming Senko had not performed as I hoped it would, but the testing on my part was only in infancy as it was destined to show me Gary Yamamoto had achieved another stellar success with his design.

My next opportunity to offer the Swimming Senko to the bass came on Ansin/Garcia, which is another of the lakes in the Blue Cypress Conservation Area. This lake is one laden heavily with Hydrilla and coon tail, which at the time was about 2 feet below the surface, and one that we use when winds are up as it offers good protection. Wanting the bait to ride just above the grass I opted to add a 1/8 ounce weight to the nose. Also, due to the heavy grass I decided to bury the hook as we do with the Senko, as opposed to skin hooking it. The first cast delivered a hit, however the hook did not push through the bait so it was obvious that skin hooking was going to produce better hook-ups. The Swimming Senko is made of a more durable consistency than the Senko and requires the skin hooking. Today's bite came on a rapid retrieval over the grass as bass after bass fell for its twisting oscillating action. By days end we had landed over 70 bass up to 5-pounds using what has become a staple in my arsenal of strongly producing baits.

The following day the winds subsided making the Stick Marsh our destination. Moving to the south end of the lake into an area known as the nursery we started to work weightless Senkos. Water depths were in the 2.5 to 3 foot levels with lots of wood to work around. I decided since it was rigged to give the Swimming Senko another try. This time I moved it slowly to get more depth penetration and I increased the weight to 3/16 ounce after a few casts. After three rapid bass made it to the boat, Don Willis my fishing companion for the day made the change. With matching rigs and bait, the catching was on. By days end we managed to place over 80 fish in the boat up to 8.5-pounds and we were firmly convinced that Gary Yamamoto had produced another magical bait and a valuable addition to our Senko line of tackle.

Since that day the Swimming Senko is always rigged and ready on my boat. It has produced 100's of bass up to 12.5-pounds from our south Florida waters. It is a recommended bait to have to all of our clients and I have every confidence that it will produce not only numbers but huge fish also. Mixing the retrieval speeds from fast to slow will quickly show you what the bass want the speed to be. Adjust the weight to achieve the depth you want. The hit and hook set is much like that of spinner bait with many hook sets being achieved by the bass themselves. It is a bait, not to replace the venerable Senko, but rather one to accompany it in your "must have" arsenal of bass catchers. If you can't catch bass with a Swimming Senko in areas of cover, than you probably can't catch bass with anything. If you're wondering about color choice, I have found that the stand-by theory of dark baits in dark water and light baits in clear water work for this bait as it does with any other. If you haven't tried it yet you need to, and as I am saying, you will also: Thanks Gary Yamamoto Baits for another brilliant productive product.

[Davis]

What about in open water with no weeds. Not talking just swimming senkos but swimbaits in general. I have a couple other shad shapped ones sitting in my box never used. They are very very thin though. Is this the time that I should be using a darterhead or a roundball jighead hook exposed? I guess I just need to get on the water and see what these baits can do. I guess having that one bad experience with my swimming senko spinning and turning kind of turned me off at first to these paddle tail baits. Even if it was my fault most likely. Thanks for the article George.

I don't have any screw in weights but I do have some sinker stops from bass pro that I can use.

[roadwarrior]

;D ;D ;D  Thanks George!  ;D ;D ;D

[George Welcome]

When setting hook in plastic: It is critical that the tail either be up or down and that it lay straight.

[.dsaavedra.]

not sure if it was covered in that big article cuz i didnt take the time to read it, but you might also want to try those ewg hooks with the weight molded on the bend. that will definitley keep them upright.

[.dsaavedra.]

not sure if it was covered in that big article cuz i didnt take the time to read it, but you might also want to try those ewg hooks with the weight molded on the bend. that will definitley keep them upright.

just went on tackle tour and those are the hooks that they reccomend.

[George Welcome]

Weighted hooks with the Yamamoto product: the product is too soft to stand up to the abuse of pushing a weighted hook through.

However, it never hurts to try anything.

[Davis]

not sure if it was covered in that big article cuz i didnt take the time to read it, but you might also want to try those ewg hooks with the weight molded on the bend. that will definitley keep them upright.

just went on tackle tour and those are the hooks that they reccomend.

Yes I picked up some 4/0.

Also going to pick up some 5/0 for my larger flukes from Brent.

[Davis]

Weighted hooks with the Yamamoto product: the product is too soft to stand up to the abuse of pushing a weighted hook through.

However, it never hurts to try anything.

That is why you stick the eye of the hook up through the baits nose instead of threading the whole weighted hook through the nose.

Little tip that tackletour shared.

Also this post wasn't just for swimming senkos.....that was just my example of the type of swimbait I'm talking about. It was more toward the shad shapped swimbaits and the basstrix knockoffs.

[mayassa]

Weighted hooks with the Yamamoto product: the product is too soft to stand up to the abuse of pushing a weighted hook through.

However, it never hurts to try anything.

That is why you stick the eye of the hook up through the baits nose instead of threading the whole weighted hook through the nose.    

Little tip that tackletour shared.

Also this post wasn't just for swimming senkos.....that was just my example of the type of swimbait I'm talking about. It was more toward the shad shapped swimbaits and the basstrix knockoffs.

That was a great tip!

[Guest btlva]

Hey man you mentioned you're fishing open water...here is another way you can rig paddletail baits for open water. The bait picture is actually a basstrix with an internal weight. I think the baits you got are solid, so it wouldn't be possible to rig them with an internal weight. So with your baits I would slide on a slip sinker first, then run the line through the nose and out the belly the way I have did with the trix. Tie on a treble hook and you're in business.

The weighted texas rigged hooks are fine, but even if you insert the hook the way tackletour suggests, the first time you set the hook, that weight is going to rip right through the bait anyway. You'd be lucky to get more than a couple fish per bait. The way I rig them the bait slides right up the line easily after a fish is hooked. The bait doesn't get bent or ripped at all. The basstrix paddletail pictured has landed 9 fish as of yesterday and is still very useable, just a little chafed.  Tight lines

[Davis]

Thanks for the tip.

What about a owner darter head on the end of on of those?

Especially if I want to swim them?

Thoughts?

[Guest btlva]

I don't see why a darter head wouldn't work, as long as it had a big enough hook. I like the treble because it gives me a good hookup percentage, similar to a crankbait. I've noticed bass slashing at these baits without engulfing them, and with the treble I still hook em.

[Lightninrod]

Now I have fished the swimming senko before but it was twirling on the retrieve. I wasn't using a 5/0 EWG though. Will that stop the twirling? If not what will.

I use an unweighted, 4/0 GY Sugoi hook(EWG hooks of other makes will work too but the Sugois are my hook of choice for 10 years) on my Swimming Senkos.  If your SSs are twirling, then you are reeling too fast or the SS isn't dead-straight on the hook.  The SS will have plenty of tail action at a slow retrieve.  I've had 4 and 5 lbers pick one up in shallow(where I could see them) water even by dead-sticking it.  They are a fine bait but fish them slowly.

Dan

[fourbizz]

If you are gonna run an exposed hook use one of these, or one similar

http://www.***.com/descpage-RSH.html

trebles on the bottom have a VERY unfortunate habit of gill hooking big fish :-[

[Guest btlva]

If you are gonna run an exposed hook use one of these, or one similar

http://www.***.com/descpage-RSH.html

trebles on the bottom have a VERY unfortunate habit of gill hooking big fish :-[

Don't most swimbaits have trebles on the bottom?

Gill hooking is something I fortunately haven't done with this bait yet but I'll be looking out for it. Oh wait, you said it happens with BIG bass, no wonder it hasn't happenned to me yet! ;D

[Davis]

If you are gonna run an exposed hook use one of these, or one similar

http://www.***.com/descpage-RSH.html

trebles on the bottom have a VERY unfortunate habit of gill hooking big fish :-[

Ordered some Bass Pro XPS Grub heads that are similar in hopes of using them on the Swimming Senkos and possibly the paddle tail knock offs.

But I was looking at those hedz before hand.

[Davis]

Now I have fished the swimming senko before but it was twirling on the retrieve. I wasn't using a 5/0 EWG though. Will that stop the twirling? If not what will.

I use an unweighted, 4/0 GY Sugoi hook(EWG hooks of other makes will work too but the Sugois are my hook of choice for 10 years) on my Swimming Senkos. If your SSs are twirling, then you are reeling too fast or the SS isn't dead-straight on the hook. The SS will have plenty of tail action at a slow retrieve. I've had 4 and 5 lbers pick one up in shallow(where I could see them) water even by dead-sticking it. They are a fine bait but fish them slowly.

Dan

Thanks Dan. That is one question that I was glad to get an answer on. It has been so long that I'm not sure how fast I was retrieving it. I do remember throwing the bait on the hook fast though. So I'm betting that it wasn't straight on the bait. Thanks for your response.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Not to hijack, but....

Biz, what size hooks are on those Revenge heads?

[fourbizz]

speed,

dude, i'm not sure, but a guess, 2/0?

[SPEEDBEAD.]

ok, thanks.

I didnt see a break-down of hook size on TW, so I wasnt sure.