The "price per bait" of some of the "premium" brands is kind of ridiculous.  75 cents to $1 per plastic is nuts.  I think 25 cents is a nice sweet spot, and companies like Zoom, Yum, and Berkley's Havoc line will always be around to give us some solid plastics to use at a cheap price.

Part of me has always wondered why the price of the Senko hasn't come down with all the competition, but it seems that everyone is willing to pay the premium for the bait and Gary is laughing his way to the bank.

This thread kind of summed up for me though why he doesn't need to lower the prices.

It has just a sad trend to see bass bait prices rise pretty much across the board, not by a little bit either, while the economy has tanked.

Studies have shown that when the economy tanks people look to fishing to pass the time and not think about the negative like not having a job.

But you are keeping the fishing industry employees employed.

I've tried looking for an alternative to gyb but they all fall short. they are the best.

 

Most guys say they only last one fish. but I make them last. I rig them thru the head and when I catch one I'll get one more fish on it. then I flip it over and rig it thru the tail. then when that's spent I wacky rig it bam baby.

I only buy them on sale, but then that's how I aquire most of my bait and tackle. They do work, but really I like strike king cut-r-worms better. I think the best stick bait of all are Megabass Dot Crawlers, but if you think Senkos are expensive and not durable enough, don't even think about Dot Crawlers, even if they are on sale.

After having fished with a few different styles of soft plastics and a handful of different brands.  I can comfortably say the name on the packaging doesnt tell the whole story.  I've fished a few different GYs and the only ones that have worked are the senkos and swimsenkos.  And I've only had luck with a couple different colors.  That said, I've caught more on green pumpkin Yums.  As long as I keep catching them, the swimsenkos are the only ones I'll spend extra on.  Theres times when Yums just arent getting bites.  I throw the swims on the hook and they bite!  

After having fished with a few different styles of soft plastics and a handful of different brands.  I can comfortably say the name on the packaging doesnt tell the whole story.  I've fished a few different GYs and the only ones that have worked are the senkos and swimsenkos.  And I've only had luck with a couple different colors.  That said, I've caught more on green pumpkin Yums.  As long as I keep catching them, the swimsenkos are the only ones I'll spend extra on.  Theres times when Yums just arent getting bites.  I throw the swims on the hook and they bite!

The swim senko is an awesome bait, I got really lucky to find my favorite color being cleared out at a local shop. So far I have not seen a bait that is like it, the yum swim in dinger just seems different. Oddly the swim senko was pretty durable for me.

i use 5'' stick baits but i wacky rig them 97% of the time , so Senko's are out . i use Big Bite Baits Trick Sticks in the 25 ct. pack , my favorite color is the '' Tilapia '' , great action and good mix of softness but still durable ...

I like the Yamamoto senko and it works. But I use SK Shim-E Sticks and Dingers. I do notice some difference with the Yam's with some Megastrike slathered on. It's the bait I use when I can't buy a bite, but I don't use it exclusively. 

 

For those that speak of the durability (or lack thereof) of the Yamamoto Senkos.....a warning....don't use the SK Ocho's....those things are just slightly more durable than Play-Doh...they work, but man I get bluegills pecking them off the hook.

i use 5'' stick baits but i wacky rig them 97% of the time , so Senko's are out . i use Big Bite Baits Trick Sticks in the 25 ct. pack , my favorite color is the '' Tilapia '' , great action and good mix of softness but still durable ...

Why are Senkos out if you wacky rig them?

I thought that was how the majority of folks use Senkos.

Why are Senkos out if you wacky rig them?

I thought that was how the majority of folks use Senkos.

cause they fly right off on the cast !! the senko is way to soft , and i don't like the o-rings and other ways to rig them . i just use durable baits , i use an Owner 1/0 wacky hook .

cause they fly right off on the cast !! the senko is way to soft , and i don't like the o-rings and other ways to rig them . i just use durable baits , i use an Owner 1/0 wacky hook .

 

 

Try this. I caught around 60 fish on my last Senko. They last way longer this way. A 4 day fishing trip and I went through 2 Senkos total.

 

 

Well, I finally found a solution and it is a cheap one. I didn't come up with the zip tie idea nor the vinyl tubing idea. "thebig1" is the one who showed me the tubing idea....and to give credit where it is due, I know someone else said something about it before in another thread. I've tried it on 5 trips now with other people also using it and it's worked extremely well. It's a combination of a 5" Senko, Gamakatsu 1/0 Offset Shank Worm EWG hook, and 1 small 1" inch piece of vinyl 3/8" inside diameter-1/2" outside diameter tubing (the kind you get at Menards or aquarium tubing). I've found that anything less a 1" inch piece of vinyl tubing doesn't seem to work nearly as well.

After making this thread the "thebig1" posted that vinyl tubing works better and that he's had the same Senko for 8-9 years. Well, I tried his method for 2 trips on my own and then a guys fishing weekend. We all used 5" Senko's with the vinyl tubing and worked even better than the method I had tried before with the zip ties. We caught 94 fish over the weekend, bass, northern, sunnies, rock bass, and perch and did not lose 1 Senko. I still have the Senko from that trip.

 

Why are Senkos out if you wacky rig them?

I thought that was how the majority of folks use Senkos.

most people texas rig them, if they wacky rigged them the hook would rip out on the cast unless you used o- rings , zip ties , or the tubing mentioned . i don't like to do all that so i buy baits that work for me , most all other stick baits stay on the hook when you cast them ...

Try this. I caught around 60 fish on my last Senko. They last way longer this way. A 4 day fishing trip and I went through 2 Senkos total.

 

 

Well, I finally found a solution and it is a cheap one. I didn't come up with the zip tie idea nor the vinyl tubing idea. "thebig1" is the one who showed me the tubing idea....and to give credit where it is due, I know someone else said something about it before in another thread. I've tried it on 5 trips now with other people also using it and it's worked extremely well. It's a combination of a 5" Senko, Gamakatsu 1/0 Offset Shank Worm EWG hook, and 1 small 1" inch piece of vinyl 3/8" inside diameter-1/2" outside diameter tubing (the kind you get at Menards or aquarium tubing). I've found that anything less a 1" inch piece of vinyl tubing doesn't seem to work nearly as well.

After making this thread the "thebig1" posted that vinyl tubing works better and that he's had the same Senko for 8-9 years. Well, I tried his method for 2 trips on my own and then a guys fishing weekend. We all used 5" Senko's with the vinyl tubing and worked even better than the method I had tried before with the zip ties. We caught 94 fish over the weekend, bass, northern, sunnies, rock bass, and perch and did not lose 1 Senko. I still have the Senko from that trip.

 

tcbass :

Do you use a small drill bit to drill through the tubing first so you don't roll / dull the hook point ?

If you are simply sliding the hook point in between the senko and the tubing (parallel to the hook point) - how is your hook up ratio ?

Any special tactics / tips to slide the tubing on the senko ?

tcbass :

Do you use a small drill bit to drill through the tubing first so you don't roll / dull the hook point ?

If you are simply sliding the hook point in between the senko and the tubing (parallel to the hook point) - how is your hook up ratio ?

Any special tactics / tips to slide the tubing on the senko ?

I just slide the hook between the tubing and Senko.

Hook up ratio is great. No noticed difference.

If vinyl tube rolls or dull your hook point, you're using crummy hooks.

If vinyl tube rolls or dull your hook point, you're using crummy hooks.

use a good hook like Owner Wacky hooks !!!

If the higher priced spread catches more and better fish I don't see a reason to get cheap over a few buck, the intent is to catch fish.

I'm not a fan of those kinds of baits, hardly ever use them, they all work about the same for me, I have the same confidence with all of them.