Senko baits

[WhiteFeather]

Where can you buy them? What's the best way to rig them? I've had good luck with Sluggo's but have to weight them with pieces of nails. Heard the Senkos sink naturally without any weght.

[GILL FINN]

Dicks Sporting Goods carries a large selection this time of year. The color choices dwindle as the season progresses. Most bait shops will carry some also. Walmart and maybe K Mart carry the Kinami line of baits. These are made by(or at least under the name of )Gary Yamamotos brother. Same manufacturing process, but different colors and they are 7 to the pack instead of 10. My 2 choices for rigging are the weightless texas rig and the wacky rig.

Texas Rig: 4" senko=3/0 EWG hooks...5" senko=4/0 EWG hooks
This year I am also going to try an EWG hook that has a slim 1/32 or 1/16 oz. weight molded onto the shaft for those few deep water (Quabbin) situations that I may run into.
I like to run the hook through the body of the bait, and then skin hook it into the top side. When rigged properly, the senko will sink in a horizontal position with just a little bit of shimmy to the ends.

Wacky Rig: I use an O-ring (size 11 if I can get them) slid onto the middle of the bait. I use a circle hook, size 1 or 1/0 slipped under the ring, and I'm good to go. With the circle hook, you don't "set" the hook on the strike, you just sweep the rod, and reel in at the same time, and the hook does all the work. You can use almost any style of hook with the wacky rig, but you'll have to use a conventional hook set. You can also just put the hook through the middle of the senko, but I find that I am limited to just 1 or 2 fish per bait before they are torn up too much be used anymore .

Colors are a matter of personal taste, but something with a watermelon or pumpkinseed variation to it is a solid choice in 95% of the waters around here.

Good Luck, and keep a camera handy.

[JayW]

Senkos work excellent. You can purchase them at Dicks Sporting Goods but as the season progresses the stock inside also deminishes. The best colors can taken up. I went to the Walmart the other day and they sell them in the fishing department. I also rig them with a circle hook right threw the middle of the senko.