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Senkos, Docks and Timber
By Russ Bassdozer

Jan. 29, 2002

The Bass Tubs of Oklahoma are expert instructors who do bass tank seminars at outdoor sports shows for Gary Yamamoto, educating hundreds of thousands of bass anglers on how best to use the world's finest Gary Yamamoto soft plastic baits. When not doing tank shows, these fellows are hot on the trail of any tournament they can find, big or small, in the Southeast.

If you can't make it to see a live Bass Tubs of Oklahoma show this winter? Well now! Just settle back in a cozy chair, and enjoy reading! We're proud to have five seminars for you here from the Bass Tubs of Oklahoma! We sure do appreciate everything the Bass Tub of Oklahoma guys do for us. I hope you will enjoy their live shows and online seminars on Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits.

Instructor: CHUCK DEVEREAUX

Favorite Bait: 5" Senko, Weighted or Weightless

Favorite Lake: Wants to keep that secret

Hi Chuck! Looks like we've saved the best for last! Chuck, you've been on the bass tubs educating anglers at sportshows for over thirteen years now. How did you first start using Gary Yamamoto's baits?

Hi Russ. I was coming down the registration line at a B.A.S.S. tournament on Table Rock Lake a few years ago, and they gave me a bag of Senkos. Not knowing how to fish them, I rigged them with a light screw-in bullet sinker and tossed them into flooded timber. I did good with them like that on Table Rock, Russ. They spiraled when they fell, wagging their tails and knocking into the timber, and I've been using the Senkos that way ever since.

Which one bait is your favorite Yamamoto of all, Chuck?

The 5" Senko, that is my sweetheart, either weighted with a screw-in sinker around standing timber - or weightless around floating docks, bridge supports and any other man-made structure.

What do you think your favorite bait imitates? What does a bass think that it is, Chuck?

I reckon it imitates a dying shad or an injured shad falling down with that wiggle in the tail. Because water can be cloudy or murky or even muddy, I don't believe bass always expect, need or even care to see everything sharplywith 20/20 vision like we do. Sometimes bass may only get vague glimpses or impressions of food. When shad or other schooling baitfish get disabled for whatever reason, they tend to go on their sides and flutter their tails as they sink down. Now when a bass gets a vague glimpse of a sinking, fluttering Senko, the fish recognizes that familiar fluttering tail and sinking action. It's not a picture perfect imitation, but it's good enough for a bass to bite it.

Is there any particular season you feel your favorite Yamamoto bait is better than at other times of the year?

No. Around floating docks and boat slips I fish the Senko year-round. There is no particular time of day or season that you can anticipate bass will or will not be in such places. I feel that shad, shiners, and minnows constantly move in and out of docks and slips to feed on the algae and plant growth on the sides of these man-made structures. So there is always potential any time of day for bass to show up to feed on the baitfish that show up to feed on the algae growth. Docks and boat slips are like restaurants for baitfish - and bass. 24 hour a day 7 day a week, baitfish and bass may wander in to eat at any time.

Some days my tournament strategy is just to stay on a particular stretch of docks, knowing that individual bass will move up sooner or later to check the docks for feeding baitfish. So you can stay on a stretch of docks, catching a bass every so often as these individuals get the whim to swim up and check the docks. I'm a firm believer not all bass feed at the same time. You have to commit yourself to a good spot so you will be there when these individual bass decide it's their time to come in and cruise through the feeding grounds looking for a meal.

What kinds of applications or techniques do you use with your favorite bait, Chuck?

Part of committing to a spot is also committing to a bait. It is easy for me to commit exclusively to throwing the Senko all day around docks and boat slips. I know the Senko will nail the occasional bass that decide to cruise up into the area at unpredictable times throughout the day.

How do you retrieve your favorite bait, Chuck?

What I like to do on boat slips is to stay outside, and cast parallel to the side walkway all the way to the innermost back support pylon. I watch the line for a pick-up as I let the Senko fall all the way straight down in front of the back pylon. Then I pick the Senko straight up with my rod tip, sweeping it through the open area until the Senko is positioned to fall down straight in front of the middle pylon while I watch the line for a tick or movement - that means a fish! Then I pick the Senko straight up with the rod tip again, sometimes right up to the surface, and sweep it through the open area so it falls down alongside the front pylon. Most floating slips have three pylon supports like that - back, middle and front. On one cast, I fish all three pylons, plus attract any fish in the open areas. In between pylons, I see a lot of fish that follow the Senko right straight up to the surface. As soon as I start to let it fall back down is when it gets nailed. It's that glimpse and impression they get of the sinking, fluttering baitfish. They know that means the bait is highly vulnerable at that moment, so they strike it.

Around boat slips, the Senko covers more water on a single cast than is possible with any other lure. From surace to bottom on all three pylons on a single cast. The Senko simply maximizes the time your bait is in the water. No other lure does that as effectively.

Please tell us some of your favorite colors for your favorite Yamamoto bait, Chuck.

Just like everyone else, I like watermelon pepper (194).  I like Daiquiri (237) and I use white pearl (239) a lot with a red Daiichi hook, and the watermelon/cream laminate (901). I use smoke w/black and silver (177) or smoke w/black and purple (157).

I like to put a red dot somewhere on the Senko with a red dye - on the belly, on the tail, anywhere. This red dot is something that's found often on saltwater soft baits used for redfish and sea trout in Southern Atlantic and Gulf waters. Adding that red dot catches more fish for me.

Performing bass tub seminars for thirteen years, I have a lot of time to experiment with fish's reactions to things. I do shows across the North, South, East and Central USA. Each show, the bass tub is stocked fresh with local-caught bass. Interesting thing is, all bass everywhere react the same way in the tank. There is no difference in behavior among bass anywhere. All react the same. Soft baits that have red dots, they hit it more.

The same thing goes with the red hooks that have recently come out. I've spent many moments just dropping one line with a bronze hook and another line with just a red hook into the bass tub. I watch how many "looks" you get off the bass - more "looks" with the bare red hooks than with the bare bronze hooks.

What can you say about the red Daiichi hooks when actually fishing, Chuck? Have you seen it make a difference?

I see an increase in my catches, just like with the red dot. Let's face it, most crankbaits or topwaters have red gills or a red chin. The round bend of a red hook looks like a gill. The Daiichi hook company says it symbolizes a feeding "gill flash." When the bass go after demo baits in the bass tubs, they open their mouths, suck the bait in, and you can see that red. In the wild, I presume it's the same thing when a bass feeds, it flares its gills flashing red, and other bass rush over to compete for the first one's food. That may be why other bass excitedly follow a hooked one, just an overload of gill flashing signals that appear to be feeding signals rather than fighting.

Where minnows or shad or perch feed on the algae that grows on the sides of a dock, I presume that even shad and minnows can't swallow any food unless they flare their gills and gulp in water, flashing red as a feeding signal.

What kind of rod, reel and line selection do you use, Chuck?

I use a Shimano V rod up to 7' for when I need to make a longer cast. However, I spend the most time pitching with a 6'6' medium/heavy model with a Chronarch Super Free 100. For line, I use Sugoi fluorocarbon from 10 to 12 lb. test. I like to use these medium strengths of lines - 10 to 12 if possible - and the Sugoi fluorocarbon gives me the abrasion resistance to do that.

What kind of hooks and weights do you use with your favorite Yamamoto bait?

I use a Daiichi red offset wide gap 5/0 Texas rig hook without any sinker. I am not putting the bait underneath boat slips and docks, just alongside the outside edges and pylons. I Texas rig but leave the hook point and barb fully exposed. When they grab it, they are practically hooked.

I have not talked too much yet about how I fish the Senko with a 3/16 oz screw-in bullet sinker around standing timber. Here I use a thinner wire 4/0 red Daiichi hook with the point kept just under the surface of the plastic bait. The screw-in weight causes the Senko to spiral as it falls. The important part is I pitch the weighted snagless Senko so it will hit right against the standing tree trunk. As it spirals down, it hits against that tree and comes off it...spirals around and hits off it again...like knock-knock-knocking on the door as it falls and hits and bangs its head all the way down. Bass hear that sound so well, then the Senko spirals out and makes a little turn back....knock! They strike it. 

What is the bite like on your favorite bait?

The great thing about the bite is that it is just a pull. It's not a hard strike or even a complete jerk or anything like that. The great thing is they will not let go of the Senko. Even if I am daydreaming or looking away or something, I may have no idea that a fish bit, but they will be holding on when I return my attention. So I will not lose too many fish that bite, and I can always get a good hookset.

Is there anything else about your favorite Yamamoto bait that you would like to share with our readers, Chuck?

Yes, my parting comment! As a bass fishing instructor for many years, I'd ask a question to all bass anglers, "Do you want to catch more fish?"

Then you need to fish with Senkos. Hooksets are easier and more forgiving to make with Senkos. With other baits, a fish can bite and spit them out before you know it or can react. They do not seem to spit out Senkos. It's like the only thing you have to do is just catch the fish. I wish I came up with the idea! Don't we all!

Now that there's been a year or two for the bait to get out into the market, and for the novelty and the disbelief to wear off...I believe the Senko will be a staple item in every tackle box. Just like a spinnerbait or a crankbait, a Senko will be in every tackle box from now on.

Thank you, Chuck! 

Russ, we appreciate the chance to share our fishing tactics with your readers and the many people who we meet at the shows. We are on the bass tubs to teach, and Yamamoto baits have made that better for us and for our audiences who enjoy seeing and learning about the Senko.

Related Story
Baitfish Senkos
By Russ Bassdozer

Jan. 29, 2002

Instructor: MATT GARNER

Favorite Bait: 5" Laminated Senko in Watermelon/Cream (Universal Baitfish)

Favorite Lake: Lake Eufaula, Oklahoma

Welcome! How did you first start using Gary Yamamoto's baits, Matt, and which one is your favorite?

I first started using Yamamoto baits a few years ago. I have always been a big fan of Hula grubs. Then I started using Ikas and Senkos a few years ago. My favorite Yamamoto bait of all time is the 5" watermelon/cream laminated Senko, called the Universal Baitfish. I won a lot of money in 2001 on that bait, fishing the Central Pro-Am, two of the Everstart tourneys, the American Bass Association national trail, several state and local trails in my home state of Oklahoma, plus this is my rookie year on the Bassmaster trail.

What do you think your favorite bait imitates, Matt? What does a bass think that it is?

You know, I like to think of myself as being able to pattern fish and identify what triggers them to bite. But I am not 100% certain yet what it is when it comes to this Senko. I think it resembles a small injured shiner that struggles to flutter up, then sinks down with its tail fluttering back and forth. That is the best explanation I have to give people right now. Whatever a bass itself may think a Senko looks like, I can tell you it is the best possible bait for me.

Is there any particular season you feel your favorite Yamamoto bait is better than at other times of the year?

Yes, it is best under extreme and difficult conditions, such as during spring when a bad weather front moves through, fish shut off and don't want to bite other baits. In the hottest part of the summer is another example of when fish can turn "off" other baits. It can be so hot that fish become inactive and do not want to bite. However, the Senko falls so slow and stays in front of them so long that at least a few will bite it no matter what!

What kinds of applications or techniques do you use with your favorite bait, Matt?

If I am on the water at all, I will be throwing the Senko. Maybe not throwing it non-stop all day, but I will throw it at some time during every trip. No matter what else I am throwing, the Senko is usually good for at least one or two additional nice fish every day.

What would make me say, "I am going to throw one now," would be if I was around boat docks, any man-made structure, natural channel swings or standing timber. I will usually fish the edges of these structures, away from snags with an open hook Senko.

How do you retrieve your favorite bait, Matt?

Although some guys do cast them, I rarely cast a Senko.  I get the boat in close and pitch and flip the Senko weightless. I let it fall, and if it isn't bit on the way down, just let it go all the way to the bottom. I am usually fishing relatively shallow, so I just use the rod to pick the bait back up off the bottom as high up as I can, sometimes all the way back up to the surface, and just let it fall again. It's the horizontal fall they hit for me.

How deep will you go with them?

Forty-five feet is the deepest water I've fished weightless Senkos. That was the slowest fishing I think I've ever done! The fishing was slow but the catching was good! I was able to win a tournament that way by fishing the channel areas under a bridge, just going from pier to pier, pitching the Senko alongside the man-made bridge pier structures, and feeding line off the reel for what seemed like forever so the Senko sunk on a slack line. Once that Senko got anywhere from 30-35 feet down, a bass would pick it up! I won that tournament real slow with a whole lot of patience and line-feeding!

Please tell us some of your favorite colors for your favorite Yamamoto bait, Matt.

The watermelon/cream laminate we've been talking about, and the chartreuse pepper. I also like the solid white, especially in thick grass. The "bluegill" color 214 is a good one, and of course, 194 watermelon pepper.

What kind of rod, reel and line selection do you use, Matt?

I use the 16 lb. test Sugoi fluorocarbon. I like Shimano reels such as the Chronarch or Calais series on a 7' to 7.5' foot heavy rod to flip and pitch.

What kind of hooks and weights do you use with your favorite Yamamoto bait?

I don't use any weight, and I use the Bleeding Bait Daiichi hooks. These aren't the hooks Gary Yamamoto uses, but I am sponsored by Daiichi and use Daiichi hooks with Senkos. About 4/0 or 5/0 for me.

What is the bite like on your favorite bait?

The bite varies, but mostly I won't feel anything. I keep an eye on my line to detect bites. The routine I have is to feed line off the reel fast enough so that the Senko is always falling in a horizontal body position on a slack line. Because of this, I am in tune with how fast the line should be falling, and any time the line acts any different than this will indicate the presence of a fish to me.

How do you put the hook in your favorite bait?

I put the hook in and bring the offset shank out about 1/4 inch back, then poke the barb straight through. I expose the point on top of the Senko because I am fishing the vertical edges of open water structure. My hook is hardly on the bottom or in snags or cover, so I prefer the point exposed. The hook I prefer has a narrow round bend. It is not an extra wide gap hook. I feel I get a little longer life out of my Senko on a narrow round bend hook whereas an EWG seems to me to tear the Senko more. The way the narrow round bend is to me, there's less area for the bait to travel the hook wire, less area for the bait to twist and ball up, and no sharp wire angles like an EWG. Less ways to tear the bait. Plus I keep the point exposed whenever I can, which seems to tear less.

It's interesting! I've heard other pro anglers give similar advice about the narrow round bend series 50 Gamakatsu hooks in our catalog, Matt. What about the points on the Daiichi hooks? Have you ever had a problem with the point bending or dulling?

The hook has a penetrating needle point that hooks and holds fish well, even with the narrow gap. I've never had a problem with the point bending or dulling. My tournament routine with all hooks includes inspecting the point after every fish or snag, and either sharpening or replacing it with a brand new hook after every 3 or 4 fish.

Yes, Matt, I also sharpen or replace the hooks I use at about that same interval. What can you say about the red color of the Bleeding Bait hooks, have you seen it make a difference?

I have seen days when it seemed to make a difference, especially with a red hook on a solid white Senko.

Is there anything else about your favorite Yamamoto bait that you would like to share with our readers, Matt?

For readers who are experienced anglers but haven't tried the Senkos yet, you really need to keep an open mind about these Senkos, and use them most of all when the fishing is tough. That's when Senkos produce better than anything else for me. A second last thing I would like to say is that Senkos are not just for clear water. They work often in muddy water. The tournament I won 30-35 feet down the bridge pilings was in muddy water. Third, Kentucky bass (or spots) are just not able to resist Senkos!

Thank you, Matt! 

Russ and readers, you are welcome.

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