Ika suggestion?

[FishTank]

I still consider myself new at this forum but since I have joined I have found a wealth of knowledge on this site. I find myself often going back to the Senko topic on the front page of the Tackle forum section. I thought it might be a good a idea to have spot at the top for the Ika since it is brought up so often.

Again this just a suggestion. What do you guys think?

[Valascus]

I would second that. Since I have been here the Ika has come up just as much, if not more sometimes than the senko or any of its knockoffs. There are a TON...and I mean a TON of threads concerning it. A search for the term Fat Ika will turn up most of them, but having a sticky with the different rigging methods, techniques, most successful colors, etc. etc. would help a lot of newer folks.

[WhiteMike1018]

Ika's are not necessarily as popular as a lot of people think, at a seminar last week in Maryland i attended a few seminars with Marty Stone and Greg Hackney. At the end of each seminar they had some available time left and allowed open questions. I remember them both being asked by anglers attending the seminar if they have had success with the GYCB Fat Ikas, which both pros responded they had no experience with them.

[Valascus]

They may not be very popular on the Pro Circuit...yet. And even if they were do you think that either of those two would mention Fat Ikas even if they were using them with any amount of success? I don't believe  either angler is sponsored by GYCB. On top of that, why give out a secret about a weapon hat is winning for you?

Besides, while they are not popular mainstream baits yet, they are very popular here with many anglers. My only worry is that if a sticky is added about Ikas that it would appear that the site is endorsing a particular brand of bait...in this instance GYCB.

[RockvilleMDAngler]

Ika's are not necessarily as popular as a lot of people think, at a seminar last week in Maryland i attended a few seminars with Marty Stone and Greg Hackney. At the end of each seminar they had some available time left and allowed open questions. I remember them both being asked by anglers attending the seminar if they have had success with the GYCB Fat Ikas, which both pros responded they had no experience with them.

Wow I was the one who asked Marty Stone since his light-line flipping technique sounded like it could work with an Ika IF the weight could get the Ika to fall straight down.

[roadwarrior]

Small world, hun?

We will look into a sticky.

What I would stress to those that aren't fishing the Fat Ika is this:

The profile, sink rate or float and the action of the tentacles makes this lure somewhat unique, but I fish it just like a Senko. Same places, same speed (slow) and same techniques. This has been my biggest producer for the past two years, in both quantity and size...but especially size.

[Raul]

Ika's are not necessarily as popular as a lot of people think, at a seminar last week in Maryland i attended a few seminars with Marty Stone and Greg Hackney. At the end of each seminar they had some available time left and allowed open questions. I remember them both being asked by anglers attending the seminar if they have had success with the GYCB Fat Ikas, which both pros responded they had no experience with them.

Wow I was the one who asked Marty Stone since his light-line flipping technique sounded like it could work with an Ika IF the weight could get the Ika to fall straight down.

:-?

Preciselly one of the reasons why Ikas are such good baits is because they don 't fall straight down.

[Bassinfreak2]

I would really like to see a thread on IKA techniques myself. RWs methods would be a great place to start. After reading his comments on these baits I have decided to really work at fishing with them this year.  

[WhiteMike1018]

They may not be very popular on the Pro Circuit...yet. And even if they were do you think that either of those two would mention Fat Ikas even if they were using them with any amount of success? I don't believe  either angler is sponsored by GYCB. On top of that, why give out a secret about a weapon hat is winning for you?

Besides, while they are not popular mainstream baits yet, they are very popular here with many anglers. My only worry is that if a sticky is added about Ikas that it would appear that the site is endorsing a particular brand of bait...in this instance GYCB.

I don't think it really would make a difference if they mentioned it or not. Your making it sound like they are some superbait that would automatically get bass to bite, and even if they did mention that they used them I bet you under 30% of the people attending the seminar would even take any intrest, because bass fishing when it comes down to it is all just a big game of confidence. A good example is RoadWarrior, as we know he throws Ika's most of the time because he if CONFIDENT that the bass is he persuing will take that bait, now if he attended a seminar with Marty Stone or Mike Iaconelli and they suggested for him to throw a tube instead of an Ika...do you think he would do it? ABSOLUTELY NOT because he has more confidence and has cuaght more fish with ikas. Get me?

[Valascus]

I don't think it really would make a difference if they mentioned it or not. Your making it sound like they are some superbait that would automatically get bass to bite, and even if they did mention that they used them I bet you under 30% of the people attending the seminar would even take any intrest, because bass fishing when it comes down to it is all just a big game of confidence. A good example is RoadWarrior, as we know he throws Ika's most of the time because he if CONFIDENT that the bass is he persuing will take that bait, now if he attended a seminar with Marty Stone or Mike Iaconelli and they suggested for him to throw a tube instead of an Ika...do you think he would do it? ABSOLUTELY NOT because he has more confidence and has cuaght more fish with ikas. Get me?

I would take that bet. If a Bassmaster Elite Angler tells people at a convention that the lure they are showing today is partially responsible for their level of success, and they show the when, how, and why of said bait that more than %30 of peeps at said seminar would at least try the bait at least once or express some level of interest. I am not saying these are "super baits", but they are highly effective baits and have been for many many people on this website. There is no such thing as a super bait, but there are some baits out there that are well designed and excellent fish catchers. I believe the Fat Ika is one of those baits. I do agree with you that fishing is most definitely a matter of confidence. I throw lures that I am more confident in more often than lures I don't have as much confidence in. Now, that being said, I am also open to suggestions from other anglers. If you do not try new things and broaden your horizons, regardless of your confidence level with certain baits, you will stop growing and learning as an angler. I couldn't speak for RW. He may or may not try it out. If I am not mistaken, he fishes a tube with fair regularity...though that is neither here nor there. I completely understand your perspective on the matter. We just seem to have a difference in opinion.   And that's fine. No disrespect meant.

[Brad_Coovert]

Senkos were used for years before most people knew what a Senko was.  How much pros talk about a bait has no real relation to whether its popular or not.  There are a lot of great baits that pros use and never talk about because they want to keep them "hush hush" or because they are not a sponsor's bait.  There are also a lot of great baits out there that catch lots of fish, but there are a lot of pros that have never fished nor will ever fish them because those baits do not fit that anglers style.  Besides, who has room for all the great baits in their boat?

The first time I saw a Senko was when I bought a ton of GYCB stuff from a retiring regional pro.  I was going through the box to see what was in it and saw all these straight worms called Yamasenkos.  They looked pretty boring to me, so I sold them all.  I should have known something was up by how quickly they sold.  Little did I know at the time.

Also, one thing to keep in mind is that baits like Senkos and Fat Ikas really do not fit the type of fishing pros like to do.  Fat Ikas and Senkos are at their best when fished weightless and fished slowly.  Pros are not slow fisherman.  They want to fish fast and they want to cover water.  Even when they are finesse fishing or slowing down, they are still fishing pretty quickly.  A guy like KVD might explode if he had to fish that slow.

The Fat Ika is a very popular bait.  It is one of the best selling baits for GYCB, even at $7 to $8 a pack.  No, it's not a miracle bait, but it you like to fish plastics like Senkos, then you will like the Fat Ika and it is worth trying.

Brad

[WhiteMike1018]

They want to fish fast and they want to cover water.  Even when they are finesse fishing or slowing down, they are still fishing pretty quickly.  A guy like KVD might explode if he had to fish that slow.

Tre Story

[senko_77]

Ika's are not necessarily as popular as a lot of people think, at a seminar last week in Maryland i attended a few seminars with Marty Stone and Greg Hackney. At the end of each seminar they had some available time left and allowed open questions. I remember them both being asked by anglers attending the seminar if they have had success with the GYCB Fat Ikas, which both pros responded they had no experience with them.

I think that 95% of what comes out of pro's mouths is pure crap.  Most people I talk to have never heard of Ikas before.  If no one throws them, then why does GYCB still produce them.  Easy, people dont want that secret leaking out.  Just like what Brad said, the senko was secretly used for awhile before it got popular.  Give it a few years and the ika will be everywhere

[WhiteMike1018]

Ika's are not necessarily as popular as a lot of people think, at a seminar last week in Maryland i attended a few seminars with Marty Stone and Greg Hackney. At the end of each seminar they had some available time left and allowed open questions. I remember them both being asked by anglers attending the seminar if they have had success with the GYCB Fat Ikas, which both pros responded they had no experience with them.

I think that 95% of what comes out of pro's mouths is pure crap.  Most people I talk to have never heard of Ikas before.  If no one throws them, then why does GYCB still produce them.  Easy, people dont want that secret leaking out.  Just like what Brad said, the senko was secretly used for awhile before it got popular.  Give it a few years and the ika will be everywhere

I don't think you guys are fully understand my point. And i must disagree Ryan, if 95% of what came out of a pro's mouth was untrue than we would be fishing with bamboo sticks with a rope. After all, they are the ones who write up the useful articles for us to read, and provide the weekend angler and others with better knowledge of bass and how to catch them. Just because they are competing for a lot of money does not mean they neglect to share useful information and teach.

Now to think that the pros would lie to someone, if asked if they had any success with a Fat Ika is absolutely obsurd. There is no reason for them to keep a Fat Ika a "secret and not let it leak", and yes Ryan they might lie, but its totally absolutely unnecessary and there are a few good reasons for that.

One is my own personal experience. I have a small lake near my house that i would go to almost every morning last summer and it held some nice size bass but there was this one lunker that held by this tree day in and day out......stay with me

Every other day i would purposely throw a worm at him and he would take it, no matter how many times he seen it it did absolutely nothing. yes, bass have some memory but its very short termed and in crystal clear water they will shy away from lures that have been used with a lot of pressure. But nationwide there is not a chance in hell that bass are ever going to adapt to certain lures etc, lures that were made 40 years ago are still being thrown and catching fish.

Another thing is the pros do not care if anyhting gets popular or not. Even if you were given the same exact equipment than KVD, or say Mike Iaconelli youre not going to beable to do what they do. They are absolute fishing machines and they know that keeping a lure secret is not important to their success. They are there to catch fish and fish only, they are not there to see how many fish they can catch with the secret lure, i mean comon guys i hope your not serious.

And one other thing to keep in mind before throwing your "secret ikas" a bass CANNOT THINK OR REASON, they REACT which means if you throw a lure in front of a bass he is not sitting there thinking to himself, "am i going to eat this or not?, wait NO thats the bait that put a hole in the roof of my mouth". If you throw a lure to a bass he is either going to eat it or he is going to shy away and head for cover.  

thanks -WM

[Hawgin]

[jmik26]

I like fishing the skirted tubes a little better because I can control there fall rate on the water. Both are great baits and they work awesome all year round. I personaly don't care if the pros use them, they work for me and thats all that matters....

[The_Natural]

Also, one thing to keep in mind is that baits like Senkos and Fat Ikas really do not fit the type of fishing pros like to do.  Fat Ikas and Senkos are at their best when fished weightless and fished slowly.  Pros are not slow fisherman.  They want to fish fast and they want to cover water.  Even when they are finesse fishing or slowing down, they are still fishing pretty quickly.  A guy like KVD might explode if he had to fish that slow.

+1

[jmik26]

Can you not mention brands on this forum? My post and profile got edited  :'( . Not trying to sell things just looking to share info with fellow fisherman.

[The_Natural]

Can you not mention brands on this forum? My post and profile got edited  :'( . Not trying to sell things just looking to share info with fellow fisherman.

You can mention brands, but if you are a brand new poster, and your post looks like it is promoting a product in any way, shape, or form; it will be deleted.  Don't feel bad...it has happened to me as well with some foregrip covers that I make but do not sell.  I was bent out of shape about it for a minute, and then got to thinking that it is a good safety net for the site, and benefits us all from spam  

[jmik26]

Thanks for the explanation Natural. Im just glad to be sharing / receiving info with people. Good to see so many IKA fans....

[senko_77]

Ika's are not necessarily as popular as a lot of people think, at a seminar last week in Maryland i attended a few seminars with Marty Stone and Greg Hackney. At the end of each seminar they had some available time left and allowed open questions. I remember them both being asked by anglers attending the seminar if they have had success with the GYCB Fat Ikas, which both pros responded they had no experience with them.

I think that 95% of what comes out of pro's mouths is pure crap. Most people I talk to have never heard of Ikas before. If no one throws them, then why does GYCB still produce them. Easy, people dont want that secret leaking out. Just like what Brad said, the senko was secretly used for awhile before it got popular. Give it a few years and the ika will be everywhere

I don't think you guys are fully understand my point. And i must disagree Ryan, if 95% of what came out of a pro's mouth was untrue than we would be fishing with bamboo sticks with a rope. After all, they are the ones who write up the useful articles for us to read, and provide the weekend angler and others with better knowledge of bass and how to catch them. Just because they are competing for a lot of money does not mean they neglect to share useful information and teach.

Now to think that the pros would lie to someone, if asked if they had any success with a Fat Ika is absolutely obsurd. There is no reason for them to keep a Fat Ika a "secret and not let it leak", and yes Ryan they might lie, but its totally absolutely unnecessary and there are a few good reasons for that.

One is my own personal experience. I have a small lake near my house that i would go to almost every morning last summer and it held some nice size bass but there was this one lunker that held by this tree day in and day out......stay with me

Every other day i would purposely throw a worm at him and he would take it, no matter how many times he seen it it did absolutely nothing. yes, bass have some memory but its very short termed and in crystal clear water they will shy away from lures that have been used with a lot of pressure. But nationwide there is not a chance in hell that bass are ever going to adapt to certain lures etc, lures that were made 40 years ago are still being thrown and catching fish.

Another thing is the pros do not care if anyhting gets popular or not. Even if you were given the same exact equipment than KVD, or say Mike Iaconelli youre not going to beable to do what they do. They are absolute fishing machines and they know that keeping a lure secret is not important to their success. They are there to catch fish and fish only, they are not there to see how many fish they can catch with the secret lure, i mean comon guys i hope your not serious.

And one other thing to keep in mind before throwing your "secret ikas" a bass CANNOT THINK OR REASON, they REACT which means if you throw a lure in front of a bass he is not sitting there thinking to himself, "am i going to eat this or not?, wait NO thats the bait that put a hole in the roof of my mouth". If you throw a lure to a bass he is either going to eat it or he is going to shy away and head for cover.

thanks -WM

Sorry, I should have been a little more specific.  You made some great points btw.  But, what I was referring to is when the pros come off the water and are saying, I was throwing a jerkbait over chunk gravel points to suspended fish, they could have very well been slowly flipping docks with an ika, senko, jig, etc.  They don't want other competitors in the tournament to know what they were doing, and if the ika has been a hot bait for them then they cetainly want to be the only one throwing it.  Sure bass will bite time after time, but you gotta admit there are times when certain things catch wayyyy more fish than others, and I think the bass react to the ika a little differently because they rarely see it.

Just my Opinion

[WhiteMike1018]

Yeh i respect your point Ryan, and everyone else who posted here. Good to kick opinions around once in a while to see whats going on inside those heads of yours ! :0

-WM

[justfishin]

Not all of the pro's power fish all the time. I was with Ken McKintosh ( a great guy by the way ) in "98" on the Lower Potomoc when he etched out second place on a Top 150 Tourney only to be beat by Denny Briar by a few pounds. He dead sticked a split shot rig with a Zoom Centipede in 98 degree heat. Long and tedious days, but it payed off for him. I never drank so much water in my life to try to keep hydrated !

[WhiteMike1018]

Thats probably why he came in second place lol