Ask The Pros
Senko Q. and A.
How Do You Store Your Senkos?
Q. Exactly how do you store your Senkos in your boat? What type of tackle boxes or utility boxes do you use? I love the Senkos but have been all over the map in what type of tackle box to store them in.
Keith Timmons
Oxford, Alabama
A. I leave my Senkos in the original bags to keep them from “bleeding out”. This also helps to keep them out of direct sunlight. Just crack the zip-lock open a little, roll them up and reseal. A full bag will fit in almost all of the Falcon or Plano tackle boxes. Handily, the color of the bait is on the bag, just in case your memory is short like mine! That can be helpful when it comes time to re-order.
Don Roberts
Midwestern Pro
A. I too leave them in the bag. Most days, especially in the spring when bass are shallow and spawning, I will go through several bags of Senkos, especially the 9Ls where there is only 5 in a bag. I will take four bags and stuff all 20 Senkos into one. On any given day, I may have up to four different colors with me. I'll keep these four stuffed bags in a giant zip lock, close by on the deck or floor. I have found it keeps them more organized this way and readily available. It also keeps the colors I'm not using protected when it's raining. Also having each color in it's own bag keeps any of the colors from bleeding onto one another.
When I've used plastic boxes in the past, the salt in time tends to get messy. When it rains it gets ALL my Senkos wet and causes them to get bloated. Another problem I run into is that at some point in the day, or several points, I'll forget to close and latch the lid. I’ll pull up the trolling motor and fly off to the next spot. On the way I hit a crashing wake and then end up with a box full of Senkos all over my deck. I do still use the boxes from time to time to store the Senkos in my fishing shed, but I transfer them to the bags to take on my boat each day.
I think maybe this one is more of a personal preference, and will depend on your style and preferences of how you manage the tackle in your own boat.
Andy Cuccia
Western Pro
A. I have to agree with my fellow pro-staffers. The best container is the one they come in, and I also store these by size in gallon size ziplock freezer bags. When I move to a different fishery I change out the colors I think I will need in the ziplock bag. Storing Senkos in hard plastic boxes can cause them to set into a bend that affects their action; plus like the others said it makes them susceptible to swelling from exposure to moisture.
Marc Marcantonio
Northwestern Pro
A. One more vote for gallon ziplocks. I will take two or three bags of a color, say 208, and put all of the Senkos in one GYCB bag, and seal it. That bag goes into the gallon ziplock. I write SENKOS, and the size on the ziplock, so it is easy to find in my Puma. One other thing I also do is use a quart ziplock to store some hooks by size that I use for Senkos in the bag with the baits. Now, I have everything I need ready to go for Senko fishing in that one bag.
Mike Whitten
Southern Pro
A. Here is a little guide secret of mine: Put the bags (well sealed) in a cooler (the cooler on the boat or a carry type). I put freezer packs in with mine and they stay a lot firmer than if they stay in the sun or in a hot locker. They will last much longer and I personally think the fish hit them a little better when they are colder than the air temperature in the summer.
Scott Hammer
Mid-Atlantic Pro
A. I have just reorganized my rig and have given your question much thought. I found some deep Plano boxes at "Wally World". Falcon boxes would work as well. I took only two packs of each color I use regularly and stowed them in one of these boxes. The lids have a latch - much better for rough rides. I did the ziplock thing for a while but I end up with a mess, hunting for the dark Senko or light Senko bag in "amongst" the 10" worm, finesse worm, lizard, tube, grub, creature, craw and trailer ziplock bag. So as of today, I am bag free except for the frogs. Keep most of your stock at home and only carry what you'll use that excursion. Your boat will thank you in the long run.
Gary Harlan
Southern Pro
What Color Senko Should I Use In Florida?
Q. I’m fishing the canals of Southern Florida using 5” senko baits. Can you advise me as to what colors to use in what conditions?
Wayne
A. Nothing particularly different than your standard worm colors for the area. Watermelon, Junebug, and Pumpkin are favorites in clear water. Black/Blue at night. Most guys find a touch of red flake in 208, Watermelon with Black & Red flakes, work extremely well up on the Kissimmee chain. I like the 326 Golden Shiner on Okeechobee in the summer. Pick your favorite confidence color or something close to it.
Paul Crawford
Southeastern Pro
Q. I am trying to remember the size weight Gary recommended for the Swim Senko…was it 3/16 or 1/4 oz.?
Don Montell
A. This from a recent article by Gary:
“I personally use the 3/16-oz. weight most often,” he says, “but the different weight choices allow you to fish shallow or deep water, and provide more choices for different lures, depending on what the bass may be biting that day.”
I couldn't agree with his statement more. It really is best to have a variety of weight sizes available at all times. On those days when you’re not getting bit, or you can't make contact with the bottom, being versatile and able to change your weight size will be the difference in getting bit or not.
Andy Cuccia
Western Pro
Can’t Seem to Get My Senko to the Bottom
Q. I love using a small Senko but I can't seem to get it to the bottom. I saw Rowland Martin put a small weight on his line in one of his shows but I wonder if that will affect the fall?
Phil Brown
A. You’ve got a couple options: 1) you can place a small bullet weight on the line above the bait which does take away from some of the action. If you peg the weight you will still get a nice glide out of the fall. 2) You can use a weighted hook which will help the fall, this method does help the bait to fall in a more natural/neutral presentation. 3) You can run the bait on a c-rig or mojo. These applications are generally for deeper water presentations, but if you use a lighter weight they can be used in shallower applications also.
Don Roberts
Midwestern Pro
A. You can push a small finishing nail into the Senko which adds a little more weight to the bait. The fact that these nails come in a multitude of sizes allows you to completely customize the fall
rate of your favorite size of Senko.
JT Bagwell
Midwestern Pro
A. To make a smaller Senko fall faster, but to have an even, classic "Senko" fall, use Falcon Lures’ EWG Weighted Hook. When you initially thread the bait, run the head of the Senko further up the line and rig the weighted hook in the center instead of farther towards the head. This creates a faster fall, but is even.
Nick Barr
Northwestern Pro
A. For deep water presentations using the small (9J) Senko, I prefer the drop shot method with the bait rigged wacky. This places the bait directly above the bottom (as far as you want it) and it leaves both ends of the Senko free. This is important because if you gently shake your rod tip that wacky rigged/drop shot bait will do the famous Senko-wiggle even at 60 feet!
The other thing I like about this rigging is that by adjusting the distance between the bait and the weight, I can suspend that fish catching Senko-wiggle in almost any layer of water above the bottom. In fact, you can even reel this rig up off the bottom and continue to shake it in virtually layer of water. Suspended fish won't even notice the weight below as they slam the Senko.
Dean "NaCl" Sault
Western Pro
A. What I’ve found to be the best for me is using Brad Nails. These nails are for air guns. They are basically a straight bar of metal with a little head. You can get them at your home improvement store. I cut the head off with cutters and trim the length depending on how fast and how much weight I need for the current conditions. The great thing about using Brad Nails is you can add as little weight as the lead at the end of a pencil, and they can be inserted anywhere into the Senko or any GYCB bait. This came to me while building a shelving unit in my wood shop at home many years ago. I use it when ever I need to add weight to my Gary Yamamoto plastics to customize a specific rate of fall. You can use the whole Brad Nail or cut back as much as you want till it falls at the rate you want. It can be inserted in the middle of the Senko for a horizontal fall.
Dominick Greco
South Atlantic Pro