Rivers and Senkos

[FryDog62]

For stained river water I’ve had great luck with Yamamoto “Blue Pearl Silver Fleck” which is basically white with flecks.  Also try Kalin’s in “Baby Bass” it’s mostly green but has a white underside on it. I have found that worm to work really well in both clear and murky water.  The white stripe is subtle enough in clear, but really shows up in stained water.  Great garlic smell and salty taste (goes great with beer;)...less expensive and more durable than Yamasenkos too.

 

Probably 90% of the hundreds of smallmouth I’ve caught in the rivers in the past 5 years have been on those two colors... the biggest fish too.  

[Wurming67]

Senkos bass fishermen best friend,thank you Gary Yamamoto 

[Sam]

10 hours ago, Fairtax4me said:

Anybody have color suggestions for stained/murky water vs clear water? 

Junebug for stained/murky water is an option.

[LCG]

I don't fish a senko much, plan to do it more this year, but when I do it's usually wacky rigged on a pond and the Junebug colour works well. 

[InFishingWeTrust]

Last year I had good success rigged both ways on the Shenandoah. Even got a buddy fishing them.

[TnRiver46]

I've been throwing a black knock off senko for the last year or two regardless of water color. They like it in clear or muddy water, from fast current to dead still water 

[FryDog62]

On 3/30/2018 at 5:34 PM, Fairtax4me said:

Anybody have color suggestions for stained/murky water vs clear water? 

I’ve had every bit as good of luck with Berkley Maxscent General and Kalin’s WAC-O-Worms... except they are more scented, less expensive and last longer than Yamamotos. 

[Lord Castlereagh]

Hi, All:

 

I'm going Potomac River fishing tomorrow for smallmouth.

 

What is "weightless TR"?

 

Have to know this before heading out tomorrow.

 

Thanks

[Choporoz]

Can't speak for OP, but I assumed he meant Texas Rigged, when he wrote 'TR'...though there are nitpickers out there who might say that there's no such thing as weightless TR....so, I further assume that he meant that the hook enters the 'head' and rigged so as to be 'texposed'...but without any additional weight

[Fairtax4me]

Good advice on colors and alternative stick baits! I'll try to put some of that to use in the next few weeks. 

Only thing I don't like about Yamasenkos is they tear up too easily. If I'm careful with them I can usually get 3-4 fish on one but then they're trashed. But I cut the chewed up parts off and use the rest on a ned rig or weightless on ponds. 

 

 

[bowhunter63]

Rig them both ways,Wacky and Texas Rig.I started using the o rings and saves alot of baits.Smallie killers

[Graham]

 

On March 30, 2018 at 6:34 PM, Fairtax4me said:

Anybody have color suggestions for stained/murky water vs clear water? 

I really like dark pumpkin with purple black and emerald flake

 

wacky style with 1/8oz hook

[FryDog62]

Use these, they work way better than o-rings... the worms last much longer, easier to put on, don’t need to mess with a tool to put them on either.

http://cadmansjigs.weebly.com/wacky-worm-sleeves.html

 

Or if you want to Texas Rig and have the Senko last longer, use screw lock hooks like these.  They are actually what Gary Yamamoto uses himself (yes, another company's Hooks). 5/0 balances a 5 inch worm for a perfect horizontal fall:

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_Twistlock_Light_Hook/descpage-OTLL.html

 

Or same thing only weighted:

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_Weighted_Twistlock_Light_3pk/descpage-OWTL.html

[Bronzeback23]

Wacky all the way 

[charliepff]

Wacky is always my fallback on rivers. The first time I used it the water was low and super clear. There were huge grass grow fields in the slower current with pockets on them. The first cast into a pocket I caught a 3 lb. fish. It works amazing. Just make sure to pay attention to your type of hook to avoid gut hooking fish. 

[MikeInWyandotte]

Here's another twist for wacky that I use in the Detroit River... which moves a massive amount of water with a very strong current.  Because of this, weightless simply doesn't work, just can't get down quick enough in the strong flow... especially when most of the smallies being targeted are in 8 to 16 feet if water in most places.  Rig it wacky on a drop shot.  For me, I'm generally using a 3/16 to 1/8 oz dropper set anywhere from 6 to 24 inches beneath the hook.  Depends upon where the fish are in the water column.  Always cast 20-30 feet upstream of my target area.  By the time the current brings the bait into the target area my dropper is bumping along the bottom.