I went down to my local pond for some bank beating yesterday.  I was fishing nothing but senkos.  I tried my best roadwarrior impersonation: cast the senko out parallel to the bank 10-15 yds from the shoreline, after it hits bottom let sit for 30 sec, move 1-2 ft falling back on slack line, let sit 10 sec, repeat until the bait is out of the strike zone.  But I got NOTHING!  

I caught 9 bass, but all of them came casting to known/visible cover.  The pond is wrapped in coontail that extends 5-15 ft from the bank.  All the fish I caught came out of that.  Once I get out past that line of weeds the bottom feels pretty much clean.  

So the question for RW and anyone else who has success fishing senkos this way: Are you casting blind or do you know you are casting to some cover or structure?  Are you catching fish out there off a clean bottom?  Do you think RW's method works only with certain kind of pond/lake like whith a particular kind of structure or lots of cover in the right places?  

I'm not giving up on this strategy since I know it works.  

the only place I WON'T cast a senko is in water that's deeper than 10 feet.

Put it wherever you think there's a bass.  90% of the time they hit it on the fall.

Whenever I use this slow drag method, I usually cast into the shallows and then drag it from there into deeper water like off a ledge, into a hole, etc...So changes in depth are what I look for when using that method.

I'd venture to add that Roadwarrior's method assumes that you are unfamiliar with the bottom contour and bass cover,

as is usually the case when bank-fishing. There is no one set depth or distance from shore where bass fishing will be best,

because that varies immensely according to bottom content, cover (weeds & wood) and natural channels.

FatBoy, I think you reaffirmed that "COVER" is the key to largemouth bass in natural lakes and ponds, especially WEEDS.

Speaking for myself, if weeds continue growing down to a depth of 15 feet (ultra-clear water)

that's where I'll be fishing, parallel to the 15 ft depth-line along the "outer weed line". If weeds stop growing at a depth of 2-ft

(very murky water), that's where I'll be fishing, parallel to the 2 ft depth-line, along the "outer weed line".

As for fishing the stick worm, that's a mixed bag.

I personally would rather fish a paddletail worm than a stick worm, and for me a stick worm is usually a W-rigged Tiki Stick.

In my own experience, the great majority of strikes occur on the fall, but my wife fishes with far more patience than me

and about half of her strikes occur while the tiki stick is resting on the bottom...go figure!

We probably have more control over "when" we get our strikes than we might imagine

Roger

i have tried this method alot too with no success...i have cought one fish on a senko....i had a hard time telling which was longer..the fish or the senko.... ;D

You forgot to light up a cigarette after the cast.....seems he always has a Marlboro going when he gets the big bite.

RIG

CAST

LIGHT CIGARETTE

SET HOOK ON MONSTER BASS  

You forgot to light up a cigarette after the cast.....seems he always has a Marlboro going when he gets the big bite.

RIG

CAST

LIGHT CIGARETTE

SET HOOK ON MONSTER BASS  

;D ;D ;D  Maybe that was my problem!

You forgot to light up a cigarette after the cast.....seems he always has a Marlboro going when he gets the big bite.

RIG

CAST

LIGHT CIGARETTE

SET HOOK ON MONSTER BASS

I've got all of that down save for the monster bass part.

Seems like every time I light up I catch a fish or get a bite.

Why is this as soon as i light up i get a strike ,maybe baass are telling us smoking is bad ..funny story when my dad smoked he had a bass  hooked somehow his cig hit the line  he lost it i laughed at him for weeks

RW's tactic merely describes how to hit the "most effective" zone in MOST lakes.  A general place to start.  

Personally I think you should try my method.  Cast it out there, anywhere, lower and lay rod down.  Answer phone, have conversation.  Light cigarette and retrieve rod.  Often, there is something on the other end.  Pro's call this "dead sticking",...I call it the Nextel pattern.

I also think RW was trying hard to help newbies get a fish on and boost their confidence. The advice was very good and will work under the conditions he describes. If you are an experienced fisherman and are good at identifying structure, cover and determining the best baits/techniques for the conditions, then you are ahead of the game.  I think RW's post was intended for those who are having a tough time coming up with a winning pattern. JMHO

PS: I have had some success with LBH's "answer the phone" technique.  

Ronnie

Senkos are junk and will not catch fish, stop using them and go buy you some brush hogs and t-rig em

Senkos are junk and will not catch fish, stop using them and go buy you some brush hogs and t-rig em

Ohhhhh Booooy!  this thread is starting to get interesting

Fatboy, I use the "RW Method" a lot, but I'm always targeting something. Blindly casting along the bank will give you a lot of casting practice, but will not always catch that many fish. If there's a weedline, the outside edge is always my first target. Drop-offs, humps and ledges are my next targets. Wood cover is next.

I think I remember you saying you had one fo those mini pontoons. I use mine all the time. If there's a Farm and Fleet near you, they have Bottomline Fishin buddy's on sale for $100. I've been using one on my little two-man pontoon for several years now. It's perfect for the mini boat. If you get one, turn off the fish ID feature; it's useless. Just use it to locate structural elements. It will be the best hundred bucks you spend on gear, trust me on this one.

Cheers,

GK

The RW method worked twice for me last night.  Threw out the old stickbait, dug for a smoke, got it lit, picked up the slack and had a fish on.

Also works when picking a backlash.