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Fricking fracking Senko
mlincoln
Member Posts: 5,039 ✭✭✭
I cannot fish Senkos to save my life. I fully acknowledge that they are an amazing lure, well worth the huge price, that there is nothing a Virginia smallmouth would rather hit most days then a pumpkin green Senko, and that watching them do that little sink, float, wiggle thing underwater is astounding. An inanimate lump of plastic should not move like that. Period.
But I can't fish them to save my life. I just can't. I have no idea when I have a hit, can't feel the fish, can't tell when a bass thumps it. My buddy throws them weedless with a unpegged weight on the end and catches bass like I collect the mail. Nothing to it. I throw them hook exposed, no weight, essentially letting the fish catch itself. And I miss fish left and right.
I have tried for years and can't get the hang of it. A few years ago I caught a gorgeous 5 pound James River smallie on a Senko but it was pure dumb luck. I hate to fish spinners because they tear up the fish and I'm worried they won't recover well when released.
Perhaps if I spend my remaining years attending church weekly, living right, and helping little old ladies across the street, after death God himself will let me in on the secret.
But I can't fish them to save my life. I just can't. I have no idea when I have a hit, can't feel the fish, can't tell when a bass thumps it. My buddy throws them weedless with a unpegged weight on the end and catches bass like I collect the mail. Nothing to it. I throw them hook exposed, no weight, essentially letting the fish catch itself. And I miss fish left and right.
I have tried for years and can't get the hang of it. A few years ago I caught a gorgeous 5 pound James River smallie on a Senko but it was pure dumb luck. I hate to fish spinners because they tear up the fish and I'm worried they won't recover well when released.
Perhaps if I spend my remaining years attending church weekly, living right, and helping little old ladies across the street, after death God himself will let me in on the secret.
Comments
I fish mainly walleye and channel cats. My walleye catch numbers shot up when I started using circle hooks.
Or, fish them drop-shot style with a weight on the end of the line and your hook tied in above it. Lower your rod tip, not raise it, to jiggle the worm. Lower, then tighten until you feel the weight again.
Either way, pause for one long second on those light bites before you strike to let the fish get the whole worm into its mouth. On hard hits, that doesn't matter.
If you fishing them "wacky" style, hooked in the middle with no weight, you might switch to a hi-viz line like yellow braid, with a 3-ft fluoro leader. And watch that line! You'll see the line twitch before you feel it.
Or, fish them drop-shot style with a weight on the end of the line and your hook tied in above it. Lower your rod tip, not raise it, to jiggle the worm. Lower, then tighten until you feel the weight again.
Either way, pause for one long second on those light bites before you strike to let the fish get the whole worm into its mouth. On hard hits, that doesn't matter.
This ^^^^
I did try his St. Croix rod and was astounded at how much more sensitive it was. He uses a rather heavy weight too. I throw just the senko with the hook exposed because I love the gentle wiggle as it suspends.
I used a lead-head jig head to catch my nice smallie. Let it fall down by some underwater cliffs and the big one zipped out and got it.