Using Senkos....or something similar

[bassboy]

Hi Everyone....

I bought some Senkos last week...used them for the first time on sunday and actually caught something this time!

However....I lost more than I caught (one 'eye')

 

I guess my question is....were the fish that were biting too small? Or was I being too impatient? I missed probably 4 or 5 before I though enough to delay on my hookset, which got the the above 'eye'. Being the first time using them I dont know if I am 'doing it right' so to speak. I was using a 4/0 hook rigging them texas style.

 

Has anyone double rigged them? What I mean, is rigging them regular, but then tying a snell onto the bend of the hook and using another hook down by the bottom of the bait. kinda like this :

 

 

I am not sure if it will futz the action or not.....or even if its a waste of time.....just thought I would throw it out there and see what people think......

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Bill

[bassmaster4]

walleye on senkos well thats somethign new i think wtg ive never seen an eye caught on senkos not sure if ur fishing it right because i never used senkos but i might just have to try them

[singingdog]

Yep, senkos work well on 'eyes. Don't know why that would be a surprise, eyes eat a lot of the same things that bass do, and senkos work great on bass.

 

A 4/0 is a big hook for a senko. I fish the 5" with a 1/0, or quite often with a circle hook. If you are getting "peck peck" kinds of hits, those are probably small fish. Bigger fish have a tendency to pick them up and move with them. Some days you can hook-set right away, other days you will have to wait as long as 10 seconds. If you wait a long time, it is easy to gut-hook fish. If that is the case, and you aren't fishing really heavy weeds, think about going to a circle hook, either wacky rigged or through the nose of the senko. The circle hook rarely gut hooks fish, even when they are swallowing the bait.

 

The real strength of a senko is the wiggle it does as it falls. The more rigging you put on it (more, or bigger hooks) the less wiggle you get.

[Tacklebuster]

I have never used them before, but from everything I have read about them, I would have to say you have turned a senko into an ordinary plastic bait, and are not taking full advantage of its qualities, by your rigging. Most people fish them by rigging them whacky style, or drop shotting. When fishing them whacky style, a good tip in order to extend the longevity of the bait, is to slide a small rubber band (the kind that are used for braces) down to the centre of the bait, and place your hook between the rubber band and bait so as to fasten it to your hook but not pierce it. You can easily do a search on the techniques described.

Edited July 30, 2007 by Tackle Buster

[cthewrld]

I use them quite a lot for Smallmouth. I rig them Texas or wacky. The key seems to be in getting the right colour. Yesterday, green and white combinations were working very well. All other colours were not producing. I agree that over rigging them takes away from their success. I always fish them on spinning rods and reels with 6 - 8 pound mono. Other presentations just don't seem to do the job. This is a bait that you need to have patience with ..... it falls very slowly. Hence it's attraction to the fish.

[Flippin-Jig]

I have a different approach. I like fishing for largemouth and I texas-rig them with a 5 ought hook. I use 30# braid on heavy baitcasting gear. Ihave caught plenty of smallies doing the same thing. I usually give a fish a couple of seconds with it before setting the hook.

[fishboy]

The big hooks are fine; I quite often rig them Texas style on a 3/O wide-gap with no extra weight.

[bassboy]

Thanks everyone for the info......its most helpful. I dont find using them 'intimidating' so to speak....in fact I am quite pleased with them, as they have netted me more fish than anything else this year. However....they are new to me so I am still trying to learn my way around them.

 

I wondered if the dual rigging would impede their action.....and I did not try it on the weekend and stayed Texas with the 4/0. I did wonder if the 4/0 was a bit big.....and I was actually told 5/0 (which I have also). Glad to see the varied answers though. Will have to try the circle hooks, and also whacky rigging them.

 

Thanks again for all the comments!!!!!!!

 

 

Bill

[singingdog]

Bill,

Although I usually use smaller hooks, using different sizes is a good way to customize the action on a senko: the bigger the hook, the faster the fall. In current, or when I am twitching them more like a fluke, I will use a larger hook. Most of the time I use the smaller, lighter hook for easier hook sets.

 

One trick that works very well for me, if they are short biting and I am missing them: pull in the senko, immediatly wacky rig it on whatever hook you just threw it on, and toss it back to the same place. Quite often that will get a fish out of that spot.

[cthewrld]

Further to my previous post ....... when it comes to hooks, I always use a 3/0 wide gap worm hook.