How Long Do You Let The Senko Sit On The Bottom?

[jmed999]

Guys, I cast my Senko wacky rigged out and let it completely sink then I let it sit for a minute, then raise the tip of my rod up to about 12 o’clock, then let it sink again. I do this over and over until I have the Senko reeled all the way in.

My question is about how many seconds do you let it site on the bottom between each drag?

Thanks!

[Sam]

Depends on the water temperature but I would suggest considering the following:

1. Cast out and reel in slack.

2. Put rod tip to 11 o'clock and keep a finger on the line.

3. After the Senko reaches the bottom lift rod tip about an inch which will move the bait about six-inches.

4. Let it sit for about 5 or 10 seconds and repeat back to you. The fish will tell you to go slow or fast so experiment.

The wacky Senko will rise and flutter like a butterfly as it drops to the bottom which drives the bass nuts.

You can raise your rod tip higher to get a larger arc for the bait.

You will have to experiment every time you go out or change locations to see what the bass are seeking that day or in a specific location.

The great fun of fishing a Senko is watching your line move right to left. When that happens reel in the slack and cross his eyes with a hookset over your head.

If you wait too long to set the hook you will deep hook the bass. Set it too soon and you may lose him. So you will have to determine how long to allow the bass to run with the Senko before setting the hook.

Also, be watchful for the following: Line moving TOWARDS you after you feel the Senko being picked up. It will happen sooner or later. Also, the bait never reaches the bottom. Sometimes a bass will inhale the Senko on the way down to the bottom so be ready for anything after the Senko hits the water.

Now go out and experiment and let us hear back as to how you did.

[Catt]

30 seconds

[senile1]

I vary my soak time. I would start with varying the time between 5 and 30 seconds, increasing it until you get a bite. Only after not getting bit would I increase it to a minute or more.

[Alpster]

Guys, I cast my Senko wacky rigged out and let it completely sink then I let it sit for a minute, then raise the tip of my rod up to about 12 o’clock, then let it sink again. I do this over and over until I have the Senko reeled all the way in.

My question is about how many seconds do you let it site on the bottom between each drag?

Thanks!

Most of us are just too impatient to fish very slowly. Sometimes I will let a worm sit still (dead stick) for several minutes while I get a snack or study my humminbird, etc. I have goten lots of bites after some lengthy dead sticking. Always move the bait slowly after such a long pause. I think bass will study the bait for a while before taking it. Most strikes come as soon as it moves gently.

Ronnie

[Jim_M]

Most of us are just too impatient to fish very slowly. Sometimes I will let a worm sit still (dead stick) for several minutes while I get a snack or study my humminbird, etc. I have goten lots of bites after some lengthy dead sticking. Always move the bait slowly after such a long pause. I think bass will study the bait for a while before taking it. Most strikes come as soon as it moves gently.

Ronnie

I have yet to catch a bass on the basic Senko worm, regardless of how it's rigged. Yet every time I read a post like Ronnie's I am compelled to try again in the morning.

Jim

[SDoolittle]

I usually let it sit for about five seconds. Then I reel it in and change baits to something I can fish faster.

[Glenn]

There's no "right" answer that will apply every time. I let fall and if it's not hit by time it gets to the bottom (maybe even before then), I reel it in and throw again. I've caught a bazillion fish that way!

My buddy, on the other hand, fishes it more like Ronnie...sometimes waiting 5 mins or more...just letting it dead-stick until the line swims off. He's won tournaments that way, so there's something to it.

As Sam said:

You will have to experiment every time you go out or change locations to see what the bass are seeking that day or in a specific location.

[Wisconsin Heat.]

if you cant hook em, or you know your on fish with no bites, wait up to a minute, otherwise its usually under 10 seconds for me.

[grimlin]

When i first started fishing stickbaits I was fishing them too fast for the most part.I'm like Alpster,I fish them painfully slow sometimes. My big one of the year came off a curly tail worm sitting for over 3 minutes before she decided it looks good enough to eat.

Couldn't tell you how many times I lost my focus on what I'm doing and a couple of minutes later my line starts swimming off.

[deaknh03]

Whenever I let it sit on the bottom, I end up gut hooking the poor fish, but it is a great method to catch them.

[K_Mac]

I almost always use a Senko/knock-off wacky rigged. I always concentrate on the fall, usually with some sort of weight. If that doesn't work, I will go weightless using the same technique. If the fish require something that needs to set in one place very long, I will go to a ribbontail worm, finesse worm, Trickworm, drop shot, or a jig with a trailer that has a lot of movement.

I have shown a lot of people how to fish a wacky rigged Senko. Very few of them have the patience required to let it do what it do best-fall with an enticing wiggle. That is where a Senko really shines IMO.

[shootermcbob]

I have gone with Roadwarriors suggestion....let sit for 30 seconds on initial fall, move 6-12 inches and let sit for 10 seconds, repeat back to the bank.

My catch rate has gone up since working this bait in this manner.

Does take some getting used to, but I always throw the senko out before I leave an area.

[LWD]

hi I do a super slow retrieve when fishing senko. I let it pause, reel crank it 2-3 times then pause again. Sometimes I just cast out dead stick it and let the wind drift do the moving of the bait.

[Brand0n]

I usually let mine just sit for a bit. I fish weightless texas rigged tho. I throw it right in weed patches and let it do it's magic. Caught a 5lber today with my line out for a few minutes talking to someone. ha

[jignfule]

Let the fish tell you. We went out last week had a slow day until we started dead sticking. Caught all our big fish that way. NOT the most exciting way to fish, but if that's what the big ones want I'll give it to them.