The Senko is arguably the most proven bass catching bait on the market. But what exactly makes this do-nothing bait so enticing to the bass?
In brief, a Senko imitates small earthworms, bluegill, fleeing shad, and wounded shad. When wacky rigged, a Senko can also mimic the breathing motion of a baitfish.
Although these are all ways that a Senko can imitate forage, I will be detailing below exactly what ways a Senko can mimic these bass meals. Certain, rigging, colors, and action all impact the way that a Senko can play a part in mimicking almost any forage out there.
Bait Fish
A Senko can imitate baitfish in ways that you may not expect. As counter-intuitive as this may sound, a Senko jerked rapidly across the surface of the water much resembles the action of a fleeing baitfish. This technique works especially well in surface grass where bass may have a harder time making out what exactly the lure above them is.
Bright, shad resembling colors work best when working a Senko this way. Colors such as white, pearl, and smoky shad all would trigger bites when attempting to mimic a fleeing baitfish.
Senkos also mimic baitfish when fished exactly the way Gary Yamamoto designed the to be fished. When rigged weightless, a Senko flutters softly to the bottom, swaying back in forth enticingly, imitating a wounded shad twitching and swaying its way to the bottom.
When wacky rigged, a Senko inhibits similar characteristics to that of the breathing action of a baitfish. It’s pulsating “arms” when rigged this way help to entice even the most pressured of fish into biting.
Shad
Shad are arguably at the forefront of a bass’s diet and thus deserve some attention when trying to imitate them. A Senko does not really take the exact form as a shad like other baits might but with careful color consideration and technique fine-tuning, it can be used to mimic these bass magnets.
Some colors that can help you imitate a shad with your Senko include; grey, light neon green, clear, black flakes, and other natural colors. All of these mixed accordingly can help resemble a shad color. You can also simply Google “shad” into your search engine and make the decision yourself as to what colors you think might be best to match the colors of a real shad.
As far as action goes, the method of jerking your Senko on top can work to mimic shad similarly as it does baitfish. It’s quivering action as it falls to the bottom is also reminiscent to that of a wounded shad. Adding a small, removable blade to the hook can help fill out the shape of a shad with your Senko and can also add flash in dingy water.
Sunfish
The sunfish (mainly bluegill) is a staple in a bass’s diet, specifically the diet of big bass. Now you may be wondering how exactly a Senko could imitate bluegill. It doesn’t. But the right colors can catch the eye of a big bass looking to eat a bluegill and can cause it to react and eat the slow-moving Senko.
Chartreuse, orange, and green pumpkin are all-natural colors of a sunfish and it can help to match your Senko accordingly when there is bluegill in the area. Dipping your green pumpkin Senko in orange or chartreuse dye (or both) can help catch the eyes of hungry bass looking for a big meal.
The slow, fluttering motion of a Senko in these colors imitates a wounded or dying bluegill fairly well.
Crayfish
Again, a crayfish seems unlikely to be imitated by a Senko. An orange or brown colored Senko when dragged along the bottom actually mimicks the action of a crayfish digging up silt on the floor of a lake. When fluttering down in these colors, the Senko imitates the action of a free-falling crayfish.
Below is a video of me catching an absolute giant using the exact technique that I described above of dragging a Senko across the bottom of a lake, imitating a crayfish digging up silt.
Earth Worms
Imitating an earthworm may seem like the most obvious way to fish a Senko. Whether rigged wacky, weightless, or Texas-style, a Senko almost always has the capabilities of imitating an earthworm.
When floating down through the water column, the Senko mimics the soft, slow, twitching fall of an earthworm that has fallen out of a tree. This is one of the easiest meals there is for big, lazy bass.
Rigged wacky or weightless style, this presentation is one of the most natural-looking lures that you could possibly throw at a fish and thus elicits bites when other baits might not.
A Senko rigged on a drop shot can also catch great numbers of fish as it presents a weightless presentation but is pinned to the bottom of the water column. A four-inch Senko is better on a drop shot since you might be catching smaller fish but more numbers of them.
Conclusion
The Senko is one of the most diverse baits out there and it can imitate almost anything when it’s paired up with the right colors. In short, small earthworms, bluegill, fleeing shad, and wounded shad are all parts of a bass’s diet that a Senko can be used to mimic.
Related Questions
1. Where should I fish a Senko?
A Senko can be fished anywhere as long as it is rigged correctly for the situation. Texas rigs, drop-shots, Carolina rigging, and shakey heads are all ways for a Senko to be fished on the bottom. In shallower water, the Senko can be fished weightless or wacky rigged.
2. What line should I use with a Senko?
When Texas rigging a Senko in dirty water, braid is the best choice due to its lack of stretch. In most other situations, fluorocarbon is best due to its invisibility underwater.
3. What size Senko should I use?
A five-inch Senko is best in most situations but the four-inch version is more suitable for a wacky-rigged or drop-shot rigged bait.
