I was fishing a 5 inch Senko wacky rigged at my favorite pond today. I was tossing it on the outside of some weeds when I saw a bass attack something on the top of the water in the middle of the pond. So I retrieved my bait real quick and threw it out there to see if I could get him. Nothing. So I reeled in very quickly to get back to fishing the weeds. The Senko looked like a frog hopping across the top of the water as I brought it in, and I'll be danged if a bass didn't strike it! I tried this method again, and again a bass struck it but missed, so I let the bait sink and he (I assume the one who missed) took it as it sunk. 

 

Anyone else try this? 

I have had smallmouth hit wacky rigs while reeling quickly back to the boat. They usually get a look at it and then when I rip it back they follow it in. Pickerel are really good at doing this too. I don't use it as a go to technique but it does happen.

The other day in the evening, when the water was muddy after a rain, the only way I could catch a bass (LM) was on a wacky senko cast out and retrieved noisily along the surface for a few feet to get their attention. Then I let it sink, and that's when they nailed it. Caught 6 fish that way in 6 casts. Um, maybe it was five. Anyway, simply casting out and letting it sink didn't work at all that day.

Makes sense.  It's a similar presentation to using a skip cast to imitated fleeing baitfish on the surface and that's been effective for years.

there's a lake i fish sometimes that is choked with lily pads, i mean the whole way around it.  aside from the obvious frog, there's not a whole ton of other baits that these fish see.  i'll rig a senko weightless, but texas rig style, and swim that thing over the pads and through the holes and clean up.  i'll usually hit the frog through there first and if no takers, hit the same spots with that senko and sometimes catch the ones that passed on the frog!

I fish a Ragetail Space Monkey in much the same way - unweighted, buzzed across the surface.  Very effective in my local pond spots.

That is the only way I can summon the patience to fish a wacky senko.  Cast it, let it sit, pop it twice, then burn it back on top and let it drop back down right where I loose bottom visibility at the bank.  I seem to catch about 70% where I cast it, 10% on the burn back, and 20% right at the bank.  I will say that even with two o-rings, the worms that get hit on the surface rarely last more than one good hit.  I will also sometimes cast past cover I want to fish and burn it back so it drops right where I want it.  I do this when the cover is something I wanna get right up next too, but is too snaggy to want to risk casting that close too.  

I've tried it with a weightless T-Rigged Rage Bug, used it like a hollow body frog and it has done really well. 

 

I've had misses on topwaters and thrown a wacky rigged Senko and Super Fluke and caught the fish. 

 

I'm assuming they think they hurt the bait and it's floating down wounded and they gulp it down. 

I've skipped wacky senkos under docks and had bass  blow them up on top of the water. 

8 hours ago, Bunnielab said:

That is the only way I can summon the patience to fish a wacky senko.  Cast it, let it sit, pop it twice, then burn it back on top and let it drop back down right where I loose bottom visibility at the bank.  I seem to catch about 70% where I cast it, 10% on the burn back, and 20% right at the bank.  I will say that even with two o-rings, the worms that get hit on the surface rarely last more than one good hit.  I will also sometimes cast past cover I want to fish and burn it back so it drops right where I want it.  I do this when the cover is something I wanna get right up next too, but is too snaggy to want to risk casting that close too.  

 

 

You need to try the tube method with the Wacky Rigged Senko. I've had one Senko last 10-12 trips and more that way. 

Lots of times around grass. The nice thing is, if they miss it on the surface you can just let it sink and let it become it's own follow up bait. 

On 2017-07-31 at 10:41 PM, tcbass said:

 

 

You need to try the tube method with the Wacky Rigged Senko. I've had one Senko last 10-12 trips and more that way. 

 

What is this tube method you speak of...? I'm intrigued.

Here's the link:

2 hours ago, adam lancia said:

 

What is this tube method you speak of...? I'm intrigued.

 

Here's the link:

 

 

 

Heres a pic since the old ones are gone now. 

 

 

If I have a bunch of vegetation growing just under the surface of the water, I will bring the bait back in with a steady slow retrieve.  Just fast enough to keep it moving and prevent it from sinking. 

4 hours ago, tcbass said:

 

Here's a pic since the old ones are gone now. 

 

 

I have tried two places near me but cannot find a tubing that is a good snug fit but is still able to slid on the worm without ripping it.   Once time the guy who wandered over was very weirded out by my test fitting, the second time the guy was a fisherman and was interested in the idea, but they didn't have any tube in stock that worked.  

I use  3/4" inch piece of vinyl 3/8" inside diameter-1/2" outside diameter tubing (the kind you get at Menards or aquarium tubing. 

 

I have noticed that not all 5" Senkos are the same thickness. This works with pumpkin green and cinnamon brown. 

 

 

Here's the tubing. 

 

 

Cool, thanks!  I swear I checked that size, but it's cheap enough to order some to try.  I was checking with a watermelon red/black flake. 

I have had Bass hit my wacky rig senkos while retrieving them on the surface. That's my indicator to switch to a topwater bait.

You are experiencing exactly why Yamamoto developed the Swimming Senko and the Hula Swimmer.  Texas rigged and pulled along the top of the aquatic grass and/or letting them fall in the holes, will get viscous strikes.  Wacky rigging in grass just gets you fouled in the grass in my experience.  

19 hours ago, Bunnielab said:

Cool, thanks!  I swear I checked that size, but it's cheap enough to order some to try.  I was checking with a watermelon red/black flake. 

Just use clear heat shrink. It's a lot easier to work with and still makes a senko last a long time. 

11 minutes ago, rippin-lips said:

Just use clear heat shrink. It's a lot easier to work with and still makes a senko last a long time. 

 

 

I tried heat shrink, didn't work as well for me.