Fishing Senkos

[jenga]

I have heard that Senkos work very well for smallies but I have not had any luck on them.  I have been fishing them texas rigged.  I was wondering is that the right way to rig them or is there a better way.

Thanks,

Jenga

[roadwarrior]

I think you will have much better luck with GYCB Single Tail Grubs, Single Tail Hula Grubs, Fat Ika and 3 1/2" tubes.

BTW, I fish Senkos a lot, but they seem to be much more productive for largemouth bass.

[JCrzy4Bass]

I've tried Senko's 4-5 times with no luck fishing about an hour to two each time.  But last night I landed my first with it being weightless on a pond texas rigged.  I let it float top water in a spot where they had been hitting a couple times and it grabbed it as soon as it hit.  I think it just depends on the mood of the bass, cause I throw it in topwater spots all the time when they hit my crankbait but don't take it to see if they will bite.  I just haven't had success much with them.  But after last nights catch I will probably try weightless at ponds and lakes more because before I was using 1/16 and 1/8 ounce bullets with no luck.  I prob wasn't fishing them correctly though.  I'm a newb so.  Just learning the ropes and I want to cover all the bases.  Good luck with the grubs if you decide to use them.  You may also want to try scents on your worms as well (read that in a few postings here).  Don't know exactly which ones but I'm sure someone else will chime in on it.  Later man.  Hope my rookie knowledge was worth something.  If anything maybe try the weightless senko depending on where your fishing?

[brian_82]

< i caught that smallie on a 5inch white senko rigged wacky. But it was on a bank that is 0 to ten feet in a couple steps. Plenty of boulders to make caves ledges and all that, its kind of a unique place.

[IdahoLunkerHunter]

I have been fishing senko's and tubes mostly for smallies. I have been rigging them texas rigged S-Carolina on a 1/8 oz bullet. Black with red speckle and watermelon chartreuse have been working very well for me. Its a slow retrieve with a couple jerks. We don't have a very little crawdad population in my lake, if any. I only know of them down by our dam. Try to imitate what the bass are feeding on and go from there. One moment I'll be fishing the watermelon chartreuse and then I'll see some shad skipping around the top of the water and i'll throw on a gold/watermelon shad bait and fish it along the top... works everytime.

[Mobydick]

They work very well in the big creeks I fish in. I rig them wacky style, i've had more luck that way. I usually am throwing a natural shad color in clear water, junebug in murky or stained water.

[TOYOTAGUY2006]

I USE SENKOS PRIMARLY ALL THE TIME IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH I LIKE IN THE CLEARER WATER THE SMOKED ROOTBEER WITH RED AND GOLD FLAKE OR THE PUMPKIN WITH GREEN AND BLACK BUT I CATCH TONS OF SMALLIES ON SENKOS I LOVE THEM JUST WISH THEY WERE MORE DURABLE BUT AS FOR THE EFECTIVENESS OF THEM ITS WHAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH AND WHAT WORKS IN THE AREA YOU ARE IN

[milkshake]

i use senko's alot on a shakey head jig i fish lake cumberland, dale hollow, norris lake, cherokee to name a few. have had real good luck with yamamoto watermelon red/green flake color.  grubs and craw's work well also.

[Banor]

Smallies will smash wacky rigged senkos in a heartbeat.  The problem is finding smallies holding in water shallow enough to properly work a wacky rigged senko.  RW is very correct in his bait choices.

It's been my experience that longer worm shaped/presented baits do not work as well for smallies.  You want crawfish/creature type baits or small minnow immitations.  Or in my neck of the woods on the great lakes you want gobie immitations.

If you are looking for smallies, put away the texas rigged worms and pick up a texas rigged grub or hula grub or tube.  Again, dont rule out the drop shot.

B

[wismallie]

Senkos and there knockoffs work great for smallies anybody who says different is doing something wrong. I prefer texas rigged with little or no weight.

[roadwarrior]

wismallie,

So far I have only run across two of your posts, but both of them contain a lot of "attitude." Maybe you should get a little better feel for the Forum, there are a few guys on here that ocassionally catch a fish or two and some of them are pretty good size.

I'm glad you and others have had good success with the Senko, it's a great bait and has produced most of my DD largemouth. I certainly wasn't questioning the validity of your post. However, as bshaner pointed out, some of us think there are much better alternatives when smallmouth bass are your target.

[wismallie]

Didn't mean for my post to have attitude. I'm just pointing out that smallies will hit senkos just like largemouths if your not catching them you doing something different then me.

[wismallie]

now I got more time to make a better reply.

Senkos do work good or better for smallies as more popular baits like grubs and tubes in the right places the problem is grubs are rarely not a good choice to use senkos aren't a very good bait lots of times. Grubs are much more versitile though and work good in just about every situation senkos don't. In deep water senkos don't perform as good because I believe adding weight to them kills the action and a weightless one takes forever to reach deep fish. In heavy current senkos also aren't as good as other baits slow falling senkos catch fish the current pushes them around to much to sink right. If you are fishing calm, and shallow water say under 10 feet senkos do work good at least they do for me.

[Banor]

Smallies will smash wacky rigged senkos in a heartbeat. The problem is finding smallies holding in water shallow enough to properly work a wacky rigged senko.

B

wismallie,

reread that sentence please.  thanks.

Jenga,

To properly answer the question you asked directly... it is my opinion that the most productive way to fish a senko for smallies is target the flats cruising smallies with a wacky rigged senko.  (That's a senko rigged with a small hook right in the middle of the worm and no weight.)  It is also my opinion that T-Rigging a senko with weight will work, however it is less productive for smallies and I suggest you try the presentations that RW and myself have offered for you.  T-Rigging a senko with weight is EXTREMELY productive for largies though.

I looked past your question and assumed you wanted to know how better to catch smallies.  Hope you dont mind  

RW,

In the interest of making you jealous...  I just got back from a 40 smallies day, biggest being 4.5#.   ;D.  All on drop shot and tubes.  Now if they'll just stay there for the BFL next week.

B

[roadwarrior]

That drives me CRAZY!

The problem around here is two-fold:

#1 Spring through fall is NOT our season. I fish Bull Shoals for smallmouth, but it's hit and miss.

     (I had a great trip in 2002!) :-/

#2 On the Tennessee River, even on our "BEST DAY", we never catch numbers, never...

[Banor]

We are fortunate enough to have smallies all year round.  It's insane.  I must admit this is my first year targetting smallies on the Great Lakes, but so far it's been a blast.  You really should plan a trip up here.  I'm no expert yet but we can definately get on some 20 to 30 fish days.  I thought St. Clair would be my favorite lake but I'm now getting obsessed with Lake Erie.

I digress, we are hijacking this thread.

Jenga is your question answered?

B

[tritz18]

Ok I fished wacky rig with a Gary Yamoto for smallies and I had great success. They seem to like the watermelon colored and the pumpkin colored worms. I know it has been explained what wacky rigging was but a tip to keep worm in good condition after multiple strikes is to get a small black o-ring with a tool such the ones you can find bass pro shops (just search O-Wacky Tool)

This is be far the best way to fish senkos and gets you many strikes ;D

[Bizzo]

Tritz18, are you fishing in a lake or a river? I am wondering how to use plastic baits in the river I fish in, seems like it would be difficult in the current.