Sturgeon General Warning:"Senkonlylimitativism"

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Does anyone have any friends with this new affliction?

Seems a few friends of mine are falling prey and I've lost friends because of this drastic disease in the past.

Seems some people can't put down the senko.  They are now "senko only" it seems and the versatility needed to be a successful angler with any consistency will never be achieved.

In a way I am very happy that there was no such lure when I was learning.  I suppose Tom Mann brought the rubber worm to the forefront and many people probably succombed to plasticwormonlylimitativism also but I think that may have been more of a social change than an Epidemic like this new killer of versatility.

Any thoughts?  Any suggestions on how to help a friend get out of being reliant on 1  or 2 baits?  How can you encourage versatility other than slapping a buddy in the cheek with a jig/pigged Largemouth tail?  I mean,...you can only drop so many fish at someones feet and say "Now do you want to put one of these on?"  Hmmm, what to do.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

This is almost surreal ......... Are you making trips to KS and fishing with my main fishn' buddy??? Is my main fishn' buddy making trips to RI???

You just described him to a "T"!!!!! It gets so frustrating sometimes. Especially when there is a good crankbait bite going or any other faster moving bait for that matter. Sense the trolling motor is in the back of both of my boats (for now) I am stuck and can only fish as fast as his senko can fall and get back to the boat .................. FOREVER!!!! There are those days when the number of fish you can catch is limited to the number of casts you can make. He just doesn't get that for some reason. There has honestly been days where I catch 20+ and he might catch 2 or 3

When I first started fish with him, his bait of choice was Crappie jigs. He then saw me catching more and bigger bass on T-rigged plastic worms so he slowly made the switch. (I can't really talk too much though. Up into about 5 years ago, I was either throwing a T-rigged worm or a jig) Then I started catching loads of bass on the weightless senko 2 or 3 years ago and he sooooooooo reluctant to switch. And when he did, he refused to fish them weightless. Finally about the middle of last year, he started fishing them weightless.

So let's just hypothetically say we spot some bass 500 ft. down on the depth finder ........ guess what he is tying on. Yep ..... a weightless Senko. :-[ I seriously don't know why he even carries a tackle box. :-/

I can't wait till I get a T/M up front. I will enjoy seeing him try to fish a weightless Senko with the T/M on high. ;D ;D ;D

[deadeye32.]

Man what a small world, I have buddies that are exactly the same way and it drives me crazy at times.  I personally love trying new baits, presentations, and things all the time just to keep getting better and be more versitile, but I have one buddy for instance that will throw the same da#% white spinnerbait every single day under any condition. I know that there are lures of confidence and baits that I know I could go out and catch fish with every time, but I like to change it up a bit and challenge myself.  I guess we should just be thankful that we have buddies that we can fish with and hopefully they will figure it out.

[flippin4it.]

            I don't just limit myself to the Senko, I guess that makes me a functioning Senk-o-holic. I try and throw spinnerbaits,cranks,jigs,jerks,drop shots,poppers,buzzbaits, just to mask the addiction...........Is there hope?????????? LOL. I throw it all, but I will throw a Senko in tough conditions.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Don't get me wrong,I throw it all the time as well.  When I can get a real good senko bite going though,I use that as an indicator that they are feeding and this would be a good time to try and gain confidence in somthing new or a new technique with an old lure.

But yea, I'm no dummy,it gets thrown plenty in my boat but not thrown exclusively!

[Guest avid]

I am a recovered senkowhatchamacallit.

I never was exclusively a senkophile, but when I first started to fish them I was "hooked".  It took some time to get the senko monkey off my back but even though I rarely throw them anymore, I still "never leave home without them"  It's the Linus blanket of the bass fisherman.

Yesterday was a good case in point.  I was getting skunked on everything.  Out came the Senko's and in came the bass.

I went through a smiliar phase with the sluggo.  When that first hit the market I remember looking at it and laughing. It was just too dumb looking to catch bass.  Then of course the results came pouring in.  I bought some and couldn't believe how effective they were.  Still carry Sluggo's.

Currently I'm like that with the chatterbait, although not to the extent of either the senko or the sluggo.  but still..............................so may lures, so little time.

[Zel]

For Immediate Medical Release. The Sturgeon General advises you to perform an immediate LBH-OSCOPIC SENKODECTOMY on your buddy

The Procedure:

::)While preparing boat (when buddy isn't looking), carefully open tackle cavity,

:-[Extract the afflicting Senkos (without affecting other vital areas such as the Jig'n'Pig or the Tubes).

:-/Place Senkos in automobile to be transplanted back into boat at a later time.

;DWhile on lake explain to buddy the delicate procedure that has taken place, and inform him that is for his own good. Stress that he must be weaned off the afflicting product, because left unchecked the condition will result in another rare disease know as Senkus Inflexiblus, which will stunt his growth.

:'(Of special note: Be sure to wear your lifevest as Senko withdrawal has been know to cause forced wetness.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Hmmm,....An "intersenkovention".

I like it,....bombard him with jig love.  Strip and then overwhelm the senses.  Bass fishing Shock & awe......

[Nick_Barr]

Totally describes my buddy, I can get him to stop throwing the senko, I always encourage him to try something different and he doesnt!!!!!!!!!!

[flippin4it.]

           I failed to mention that I'm becoming a touch of a Ike-a-holic too. Is there a cure for that? I would like to get it under control soon. I'm getting a large Ika and Palm collection.  

[roadwarrior]

Well, I have had the same affliction since 1997. I tried to cure it with the Fat Ika, but that's like switching from opium to morphine: no net gain. This spring I forced myself not to fish soft plastics until April...Last month I caught my first 5 lb bass of the year and then fifteen more. Luckily, I have had some big bass success with the Bomber Square A, but I know I'm just kidding myself...

There is no cure!

[KYbass1276]

I went though that phase with senko's as well throwing nothing but them, but I burned myself out with them and while I still use them I will throw them for a while just to see if the senko bite is on but if it don't produce then cya senko time for something else.  

[RoLo]

Yah, I'm guilty too, there was a time when I did the senko to death.

Okay it wasn't a senko per se, but it was a stick worm (same thing).

Sadly, to this day all my favorite bass lures fall under the blanket category "Plastic Worm".

Though I may be a recovering senkoholic, I cannot deny my ongoing addiction to the plastic worm.

I'm still on the hook, I just moved myself from the barb to higher up on the shank.

Look at me, I'm beginning to tremble just talking about "long cylindrical plastics":

Senko - Zoom finesse worm - Zoom trick worm - Yum ribbontail - Gambler paddletail - Wacky worm

PHEEW, I Am One Sick Puppy

Roger

[airborne_angler]

I am guilty of throwing Senko and Senko knock offs a majority of the time. Why? Plain and simple fact: THEY WORK...PERIOD. And they are almost almost a do-nothing,no brainer to use . The pond I fish has really low water and is choked with weeds. I use it because I can cast it far out towards the open holes in the weeds . I sometimes throw weightless t-rigged plastic worms too. Plastic baits are what I cant peel myself away from. The reaction strike you get from a crankbait or spinner baits are cool but I love to play the "Game of wits" with the fish when I fish plastic worms and such. I love to watch the V-Shaped silouette when the fish dart out from cover to go after my plastic on the fall. The anticipation of the bite is enough to kill you but it almost always happens. Just builds my confidence. I mostly catch dinks in this pond but to me any Bass caught is a good Bass

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I am guilty of throwing Senko and Senko knock offs a majority of the time. Why? Plain and simple fact: THEY WORK...PERIOD. And they are almost almost a do-nothing,no brainer to use .

This is exactly my point. What do you do when they aren't working? People become dependant on 1 or 2 baits and really limit themselves to only catching when they are on. Granted, this is often, hence the issue, but what about when they aren't? I still have lots and lots of confidence in this situation. Does the "senko only" angler?

The "no brainer" part also adds to my point.  There are people that can fish 1 lure 8 different ways in search of a pattern.  They can do this with many different types of lures.  These "tools" and pattern finding strategies never get developed in the "senko-only" angler.

[K_Mac]

One of the fundemental truths of addiction is that a person will not recover until he or she is ready. Interventions, switching drugs/lures, beating with large numbers of big fish/facts will rarely have any positive effect on the addict. My Father-in-law has a very serious addiction to spinnerbaits/heavy line. I have spent years trying to show him the error of his ways. I personally have some C-rig dependency issues. In the interest of public service I offer the following:

How do you know if you are afflicted with single lure dependency? Honest answers to these questions may help:

1. Do you have 10 rod/ reel/lure combos in the boat but use only one?

2. Do you often continue to use one lure when those around you are catching more/bigger fish on something else?

3. Do you find yourself using that lure even when you said at the beginning of the day you were not going to use it?

4. Do you continue this lure even when fishing freinds and family tell you there is a problem?

5. Do you lie when asked about use of this lure?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions you may have a problem. Most experts would recommend a 12 step program to begin the road to recovery.

Now repeat after me: "My name is (your name here) and I am a (your lure of chioce here)holic."

[.ghoti.]

Addiction is such a harsh term, let's call it "presentationally challenged", and admit that we've all been there, at one time or another, with a variety of baits. To put a positive spin on it, it's a good way to learn a type of bait, as long as you don't get stuck in a rut.

[Raul]

Don 't get me wrong but I can 't find a justification to limit yourself to a senko all the time, I got a big bunch of them however I rarely tie one on.......am I the weird one ?

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Yes Amigo, yes you are..................... but that's besides the point!

[razyrsharpe]

there is no cure for being a senkoholic.  the first step toward recovery is admitting you have a problem.  we just have to deal with it.  does anyone know a good 12 step program?

[cravenfish]

I have a friend who has become sick with chatterbaitidous. He put down a Senko and picked up a chatterbait, now he cant stop. Please send HELP!!!! :-X :-X

[mgmoore7]

I am addicted!!! Help me please. :-/

I know it and try to stop but I just can't. That pole with a 5" green pumpkin is like a magnet to my hands.

I try to try something else, but I can't help myself, they work and it is too hard to try something else.

Seriously though, the senko style bait can be fished easily in my lake from a 10' jon boat and it catches fish. I have tried everything else and I went almost fishless for over a year after I moved there on my lake until I found the senko. Before senko, I tried all the old standbys that worked in the past on other lakes but they did not work on mine.

I need to get more serious and give other lures more time. It is funny that when reflecting on a 2 or 3 hour trip that was not very successful, I find that I will fish the senko for 75% of that time and try 2 or 3 other lures for the other time. If I would give the other lures equal time I am sure the results with those lures might get better.....

[move]BUT .... I AM A D D I C T E D[/move]

[Vyron]

Senkos catch fish like crazy. I can count on my fingers the times senkos didnt produce fish for me.

I start with senko and when i catch a nice bass ,i have less stress so i start 2 experiment with other lures.

About the no brainer , senkos can be fished in a variey of ways. It not so "no brainer" lure

I ll give an example. In tough situations i let the senko sit on the bottom and lift only the head of the senko.It takes practise 2 do this.

[ww2farmer]

I joined the senko bandwagon rather late, this is only my 3rd year using them. So I had confidence and skill with other lures before picking them up. They are just another tool to me, I'll put them away as quik as I am to use them if I feel another lure/pattern is going to be on. Honestly I REALY love shallow crankbait fishing and would prefer that if the fish would play nice and bite them.

[Madhouse27]

K-Mac has helped me to realize that I indeed have a problem. I took the self test and it appears that I am a gruboholic. I certainly need to get some help. Perhaps a new bait will help take my mind off grubs and begin the healing process. Hmmm maybe if I start throwing a Senko....what could the harm be in that