There's no wrong way. The most accepted way is weightless T-rigged. But I've only used them wacky style. That's because I already use Trick Worms weightless T-rigged everywhere I fish. I was looking for a different presentation. And I was sure the fish haven't seen wacky.

X2. Some of my biggest bass have been on a T-Rigged plain ol' watermelon senko.

Hootie,

 

I too have rigged Senko's every possible way, except a bunch of them on an A-rig, and nothing.  I find they aren't very durable as well so I'm going to move them out of my fishing tackle box and into my bow fishing tackle box.  Perhaps I can catch more with Senko's rigged to the bolt on my crossbow.

Hootie,

 

I too have rigged Senko's every possible way, except a bunch of them on an A-rig, and nothing.  I find they aren't very durable as well so I'm going to move them out of my fishing tackle box and into my bow fishing tackle box.  Perhaps I can catch more with Senko's rigged to the bolt on my crossbow.

Trick Sticks seem to be more durable. Yum Dingers are tough too.

I fish them once in awhile but if I  try to use them at a high pressure area, they don't want anything to do with it.

A buddy of mine and I sight fished yesterday at one of my private ponds and picked them off the beds like flies with several different color wacky worms.

X2. Some of my biggest bass have been on a T-Rigged plain ol' watermelon senko.

agreed  100% watermelon / red flake and black and blue when all else fails they always put fish in the boat. they offer so many colors and i now only buy these 2 no matter were i'm going.  i will say there not the most exciting bait to fish but i can't think of a day  were i don't have one rigged up.

Yep, if they don't work for you then no need to use them if you don't want.  No fun forcing yourself to throw a lure you have no confidence in.   Personally, I feel like I can catch a fish on a wacky rigged senko in a mud puddle lol.  You can catch em so easily in some of the lakes around here with those that sometimes i feel like I use them TOO much and don't work on other techniques I like enough.

No, I would never do that. They now have a new home in my buddies tackle bag.

Hootie

 

Good. There's still hope for you

I know everybody loves these things, but for the life of me I can't catch anything with them. I have fished them deep, shallow, wacky rigged, Texas rigged, weighted and weightless. I have fished them in cold water, warm water, pre spawn, spawn and post spawn. I have fished them extensively, not just a few casts and move on. I have tried several brands including the number one brand. I give up, they flat don't work for me. I have never so much as gotten a nibble, never mind caught a fish. That's Hootie's rant for the day.

Hootie

 

Hootie,

 

I don't know quite how to put this, but maybe you're just too...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...old?

 

 

I fish in some pretty dirty water (southern end of Lake Champlain) and the wacky-rigged Senko is one of my favorite things.  'Course, I'm young.  Really, really, really young.  

 

 

Tight lines,

Bob

No, I would never do that. They now have a new home in my buddies tackle bag.

Hootie

That way if you're with him and he starts catching them, you can bum one. ;-)

i dont catch many fish on plastics period but this year i plan on catching at least one fish ona senko and a shaky head

I may use a senko or facsimile there of a few times a year, it's just not the kind of fishing I enjoy.

Hootie,

 

I don't know quite how to put this, but maybe you're just too...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...old?

 

 

I fish in some pretty dirty water (southern end of Lake Champlain) and the wacky-rigged Senko is one of my favorite things.  'Course, I'm young.  Really, really, really young.  

 

 

Tight lines,

Bob

 

Watch it kid.....lol...jk.

 

Hootie

 Hey Hootie I use to think the same thing... but i started fishing a pond where all they will take is a senko so I started to work with it a lot and perfect it.  now I catch more fish on senkos than anything everywhere. 

 Hint# 1 - always leave slack in the line ( it falls more naturally and gives them a chance to play with it)

       # 2- worms don't jump around the bottom

       # 3- they have it more times than you think you just have to hook 'em

       # 4- and most importantly only Gary Y senkos work 100% of the time ( have had luck with others but you can't compare)

 

I like your posting name . I agree with you it's Yamamoto all the way for me when I need stick worms . 

Hootie, I caught 5 decent size fish on a wacky rigged Senko-type worm this morning. I wouldn't have caught but 1 otherwise.

I like them. I fish in Texas where water clarity is usually stained to dirty and still catch them. I use mostly green pumpkin, followed by watermelon/red and black, but green pumpkin gets bit the most. Mostly 5", but I have caught them on the 4" too. And for me it has to be Gary Yamasenkos, although I've tried other brands but lack confidence in them. I only Texas rig them, weightless, and try to resist the urge to impart action to them. Cast and let fall slack, let sit for a few seconds, then sweep the rod tip up and repeat, sort of like fishing a Texas rig worm but even slower. Lots of times, it'll hang like you're snagged and sometimes I am, but sometimes it's a fish. The only thing I hate about the Yamamoto brand is how they basically rip apart after catching a fish, so you're replacing them a lot. I use some super glue on the head end and that seems to help, but I still tend to rip them up fishing in brush where they're constantly coming into contact with sticks.

image.jpg

Likely

 

 

 

 

April 15, 2015

 

5" YUM Dinger (Watermelon Red Flake)

 

I wouldn't go as far as saying I or the fish love them... but they seem to work. (This is my first year fishing a Senko Type bait). Do you fish pressured waters?

 

WolfyBrandon

Yum F2 stick worms are my favorite because of their durability. BPS Stick-O's are creeping up there in my list because I used one for 45 minutes the other day, caught a couple nice ones, and put it back in the bag to use again later. Seems pretty tough.

Senko's have good action, but are fragile as crap!

 

 

 

False. I fish a lake with at most 4 inches and catch fish on a senko.

I fish them in from clear to sludge and they catch fish.

 

 

 

I would agree with you except some of the guys I fish with fish them successfully. It's me man, it's just me. Something wrong with me....dang it!!

Hootie

Likely

 

Most of the time when I see people not having luck with stick baits it is because they are working the bait. 99% of the fish I catch on them hit on the initial fall, very few hit it when "worked". In fact, I have pretty much quit working them back to the boat. If I don't get bit on the initial drop then I'll pop it up about 6" off bottom and let it fall, if that doesn't work then I reel it in and make another cast. 

I will agree AND disagree. I have used Senko's, Yum's, Stick-O's etc...along the bank line in very shallow water and there's no real "fall shimmy" time to speak of. When the bass are close to the bank, often I will cast as far down the bank as I can about 3-6' out from the edge, and just slowly work it back to me. Sometimes it gets hit on entry, often times it gets nabbed up as it passes by a waiting bass. Out in deeper water, mine will likely be nailed on the initial fall as you are describing, but if it isn't, I will still let it set...give it a tug...let it fall and set...tug/fall/set...and it will get hit on the way back. Same with the Ika.

 

 

 

Have friends that kill it on the Fat Ika's, only way I can catch a fish on one of these is to stick a nail weight in it.  Why because I can't fish that slow! IT'S BORING!  I feel ya on this one.  As long as you're catching fish other ways I see no problem in freeing up extra space for baits you know you can catch fish on.  

I love Ika's...I only had 45min to fish the other night before dark, so I headed over to a local impoundment and tossed an Ika and caught a 15, 16, and 18".

 

Hate Senkos.   I just don't have the patience. 

Sometimes I'm not in the mood either. When I'm calm and chillax'ing...I can stand there and work a stick bait for hours. I will tell you that I rarely let it sit for 30seconds after the fall shimmy. I will sometimes let it sit for 15sec, sometimes just let it sit long enough to watch my line drop to the surface of the water, but there's no wrong way to do it.

 

 

 

My favorite color senko is green watermelon red flake.

I love Green Pumpkin, Watermelon, and Dark Purple with blue flake.

Dark greens work almost all the time...but I will throw dark purple and sometimes black and white Yum F2 when the water is sludge.

I've caught more fish on senko then anything else.

Either pegged or unweighted trig skipped under docks or brush overhangs. Rigged whacky and skipped into the center of downed trees. Unweighted, tossed (I prefer to skip as I think it looks like baitfish scattering and it does attract fish from some distance) up on grass and pulled to edge, let sink. I do use scents. Rarely do I fish to boat. 2-3 "hops", reel and repeat....

Me too...my most productive bait last year was a Dark Green YumF2, followed by a 3" Powerbait tube with a 1/4oz jig head and a gold #4 Jig spinner. These 2 baits accounted for probably 75% of my Bass last year.

 

 

 

 What size of line are you using?

Doesn't matter...but I generally use 12 or 14# original Stren Mono

 

 

 

...now the rage bait is from Yamamoto also..the Fat Ika

I'm on fire for the Ika's right now. Doing a 4/0 WG Gamakatsu weightless unless there's weeds...then I'll use a 1/16-1/8oz bullet with an Eagle Claw rubber Bobber Stopper in front to guide the weeds over the bait.

 

 

 

 

Rigged tentacles backward or forward?

My Ika's are rigged traditional. (tentacles backward)

 

 

 

Yep, if they don't work for you then no need to use them if you don't want.  No fun forcing yourself to throw a lure you have no confidence in.  

 This for sure...I have never caught a fish on a wacky rigged Senko...but since I'm on the bank, I generall cast out as far as I can and work it back parallel to the bank. Wacky has never shone me love in this manner.

That blows me away.  I have caught by far more fish on senkos than anything else.  I have found wacky rigged works best.  Throw it let it fall on a slack line, pull it up let it fall a couple times, re cast.

That blows me away.  I have caught by far more fish on senkos than anything else.  I have found wacky rigged works best.  Throw it let it fall on a slack line, pull it up let it fall a couple times, re cast.

 

Fishing from a boat?

Both boat and from shore.

Sounds like I need to dedicate more time to the wacky rig. I tried it a few outings and had no luck, so I bagged it. Maybe I need to go exclusive for a while.

That blows me away.  I have caught by far more fish on senkos than anything else.  I have found wacky rigged works best.  Throw it let it fall on a slack line, pull it up let it fall a couple times, re cast.

 

SHHHH!!! Don't tell too many people. The fewer that use them, the fewer fish have seen them and the better they'll work. I think that's a lot of their appeal to fish. They haven't seen stick worms much. Fish think they're alive and won't spit them out even when they feel you pulling. And they're generally quality fish.

Haha. I use a gamakatsu drop shot weed less hook

I used to feel the same way then I acquired some 1/16 weedless wacky jig heads and some 3" yamasenkos in watermelon gold flake.i found them in a plastic sack while walking the bank cleaning up trash. Caught so many dinks I ran out of senkos in less than an hour. Was a good way to spend an hour. Still not my favorite way to fish tho