I plan on using more tubes, senkos and grubs this year. Id say mainly for smallmouth.

 

What do you use for a setup for 6 to 20 FOW normally as far as weights go? Ive usually used tubes with the weighted hook, what other ways can you rig tubes? Weightless with a 2/0 hook, add a bullet/slip sinker, or other ways? Just trying to get the best basic methods used.

 

For grubs, I usually only fish them on a standard jig head. Whats a better way?

 

Senkos, Ive never even tried for smallmouth.

 

I guess I also dont know when to weight or run weightless....   Weightless for slow fishing, cold water?

I fish senkos weigtless. Deadly !!

I don't fish Senkos... I use caffeine shads instead.  They "shimmy" to the bottom nicely when fished weightless with an Owner twist-lock hook but can also be actively fished through sparse weeds in jerk bait fashion.

 

Grubs I fish on a mushroom jighead exposed point or small wide-gap weighted swim bait hook.

 

Tubes I fish as my grubs with internal weighted exposed point tube jigheads or the same weighted swim bait hooks I use with grubs.

 

Good fishing...

oe

Senkos I always use weightless. Texas rigged around cover and wacky rigged when sight fishing or in clear water with finicky fish.

Tubes I fish several ways. Jighead with exposed hook in open water. Texas rigged around cover. Split shot rigged in clear water for finicky fish. Retrieve depends on forage in trying to imitate. If I'm using craw colors I use small drags, hops, and shakes. If the main forage is baitfish I swim them and use longer hops.  Grubs I fish with jigheads in open water and Texas rigged around cover. And I retrieve grubs like tubes and change my retrieve based on what I'm trying to imitate

Try using the Owner Twistlock Light hook for Senkos, similar to what OE mentioned above.  Weightless or with the 3/32 oz belly weight, experiment.  Use 5/0 on a 5 inch Senko - that keeps the weight near the center of the Senko so it falls horizontally (like a wacky worm fall) but then you can twitch it, swim it better than a wacky on the retrieve.  

I fish senkos weightless, or use a 3/16 or 1/4 ounce weight when I Texas rig them for deep water.  The smaller size weights lets them sink slower in deeper water.  I hardly ever fish a senko wacky rig style, there is just too much vegetation.

 

I fish tubes Texas rig style also.  I weight it with a 1/16 or 1/8 weight when fishing in, and around vegetation. Rarely with an exposed hook.

Good advice here.

 

Note the number of anglers who use a Senko weightless. And, for a very obvious reason that it is the falling sort of shimmering action of these baits that is its primary attraction. To nose weight (say, T-Rig) or otherwise weigh down a Senko (say, a keel weighted hook) means most or all of that particular quality is overridden or neutralized as it dragged down through the water to the bottom.

 

Once on the bottom, I'd personally have a list of several other plastics where I like the action better than a Senko.

 

But, falling? It is in a class with just a few other competitors.

 

Oh! Just in general, if you know that the fish are feeding on the bottom and not somewhere higher in the water column, I think the general consensus is that you want to get your lure down there relatively fast, get to where the action is. You don't want to waste time letting something drift down, shimmering or no, as you are spending too much time where the fish aren't located. Your riggings should reflect this as will things like wind and waves that often require adding weight.

 

Brad

I depart from a few of the folks here in a couple different places. I don't fish senkos as much as I used to now that everyone is doing it. Once upon a time (3 years ago) I could land 5 bass in 5 casts, but now they see senkos all day every day. That doesn't mean they won't bite, though. For senkos the only way I throw them is weightless, texposed, with a 3/0 ewg. The shorter hook allows for a ton of tail wiggle with just a slightly nose down fall. If I'm fishing on the bottom or it's too windy, I throw other things. That's just what has been working the best for me. If I'm in a low pressure spot with a tough bite I'll wacky rig them but that's pretty rare. Aside from a slow fall I will also switch them like a jerkbait in shallow or shallow moving water, killer for smallies.

 

Grubs I just throw on regular old tungsten jig heads sometimes I'll use them as a more subtle trailer for spinnerbaits or chatterbaits. 

 

Rarely I will Carolina rig tubes, but more commonly on 3/16 or 1/8 Zonas rattling or silent tube jigs. Truth be told the tubes very rarely come out of the bag. I Texas Rig with a flipping weight for more vertical presentations and a jig and craw if I'm trying to upsize or for more horizontal presentations.

 

My most common presentations when the soft Plastics come out usually involves either a Carolina rigged Berkley Power Worm or a power worm on a 4/0 lightweight belly weighted screw lock. Within a few more weeks year there will be enough grass on the bottom of every waterway in driving distance that a Shaky Head is usually a waste of time.

Stick baits I either go weightless t rig or 1/8 oz wacky rig.

 

 

I am getting ready for my annual trip to St Clair for smallmouth.  Everyone knows how much of a senko junky I am since I'm sponsored by Yamamoto?.  I have almost quit throwing tubes!!  There's 2 ways I rig a senko for smallmouth when I use weight.  Most deadly: 1/4 oz Gamakatsu Football head rigged hook exposed.  Second:  A Bullet screw in weight and a 4.0 Gamakatsu EWG Hook T-Rigged for weedy areas.  I fish side by side with dedicated tube throwers and equal or exceed their fish catches. 

What do you guys think once you add in a little bit of current to the water? What are the best option then?

For the deeper (20ft.) stuff, I'd go with the basic tube and grub jigs. I doubt that I'd even consider throwing a weightless stick worm deeper than 10ft.-12ft. as it'd just take too long to get much deeper. I have, however, used one on a C-Rig worked with a lift/drop retrieve.