Is the 5" senko the GOAT?  Fishing this weekend I was set up to target both Largemouth and Smallmouth. I was making my way between a couple of my largemouth spots when I saw some smallmouth cruising around in open water about 8 feet deep.  I threw every smallie bait I had rigged at them. Ned craw, tube, dropshot and jerkbait. They'd investigate then bugger off. 

 

For the hell of it, I threw a weighted wacky rig I was using on the Largies. They'd follow it down, let it settle, stare at if for a second, then suck it in.  Four smallmouth in that same area did this.  

 

If I didn't have that rig ready to go, I probably would have never thought to try it. Maybe a 4" Senko, but that's not on my top 5 either. 

 

P. S. MY buddy was fishing the bay at the same time and said most of the smallmouth were even snubbing live leeches.

 

 

Its wacky, but they just hit it.

It kills on the river when nothing else will. Crazy but i learned not to question it. Just throw it. 

If you have the patience to throw it year around, you'll catch fish.

I have to power fish to get it out of my system but Wacky is a producer in the very clear water I fish.

Thanks for this post, ErieCan. I throw a 4" unweighted wacky rigged Senko more often (after a 2 3/4" Z-Man bait has been ignored), but I'll remember to try deadsticking a weighted 5" when nothing else works.

Just because they are labeled smallmouth doesn't mean they don't like bigger baits. For some reason bigger baits seem to challenge smallmouth into biting. 

13 hours ago, Bird said:

I have to power fish to get it out of my system but Wacky is a producer

When I go fishing this weekend, this is exactly how I'll be fishing.  A fast, aggressive approach will be my first tactic but my secondary approach is going to be a wacky rig around and under docks.  I would prefer to catch some with the first approach but you gotta do what you gotta do.

That's something I will have to try next time I get out and they have lock jaw on me, on most days where I fish, you'll miss tons of bites fishing a wacky rig because it's just too slow, but I guess on days where they aren't hammering power techniques, what do you have to lose? 

Never a first option but always in my bag of tricks. I’ll wacky a 5” finesse worm as well. Dont be afraid to dropshot it wacky either

one of my best producers for river smallmouth in summer is the 4 inch. but  i was thinking last week im gonna try the 5. i dont think it will matter.

I only ever wacky, you all t-rig it as well?

I threw the 5 in general on a long shank hook with metal cage and hooked through 2 crossed o-rings.

Brand new hook and when i reeled it back in while sittin on a rock with my waders on and feet dangling in the water i was just an eyelash of pulling it out when a pike flew out of the water and in mid air snatched my hook and all clean of my #30 flouro leader.

2 hours ago, Bdnoble84 said:

I only ever wacky, you all t-rig it as well?

I’ve only wacky rigged a few times, got stuck 

5 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve only wacky rigged a few times, got stuck 

Berkley fusion weedless wacky. It'll come through the jungle.

6 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Berkley fusion weedless wacky. It'll come through the jungle.

Im big on the o-ring. Also, dont be afraid to use a smaller hook. Same thing goes for the neko rig. In my opinion, a 1/0 hook is overkill. If you oring it, the hook doesnt have to push through plastic.

17 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Berkley fusion weedless wacky. It'll come through the jungle.

That looks a lot like the ones I got stuck and lost hahaha. 
 

but that was well before the fusion line came out, maybe I should revisit one day 

17 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Berkley fusion weedless wacky. It'll come through the jungle.

 

I use the circle hook with the wire cage and the cage gets bent all up after a couple hookups so next time i may try the one you use. How stiff is the deflector?

1 hour ago, throttleplate said:

 

I use the circle hook with the wire cage and the cage gets bent all up after a couple hookups so next time i may try the one you use. How stiff is the deflector?

 

These are what I use as well.  The weed guard is pretty flexible but the way it's designed it just plain old works. 

4 hours ago, throttleplate said:

 

I use the circle hook with the wire cage and the cage gets bent all up after a couple hookups so next time i may try the one you use. How stiff is the deflector?

 

3 hours ago, ErieCan said:

 

These are what I use as well.  The weed guard is pretty flexible but the way it's designed it just plain old works. 

^THIS^ The weedguard is pretty durable too. Made of flourocarbon. They grenerally hold up through a bunch of fish.

On 6/29/2022 at 7:01 AM, Dwight Hottle said:

Just because they are labeled smallmouth doesn't mean they don't like bigger baits. For some reason bigger baits seem to challenge smallmouth into biting. 

This fish ate a 9" pink and white Buford fly I was casting for muskies...

 

On 7/1/2022 at 6:51 PM, Bdnoble84 said:

I only ever wacky, you all t-rig it as well?

Yes.  I seldom Wacky Rig.

It works great.

On 7/2/2022 at 3:39 AM, T-Billy said:

Berkley fusion weedless wacky. It'll come through the jungle.

 

I wacky rig often. Most of the time with an open hook but I do have and use hooks similar to Berkley fusion weedless wacky. There are some spots that I could not fish without it.