Best Bassin Technique

[BassinBomber]

Best 2 Google your questions or YouTube,..then try your luck on tying them yourself,..this way your questions can be answered,..this will give you better "hands-on" when it comes to "rigging" your presentations,..then all you have 2 do is hit the water,..JMO!,..then if you have any more questions like we all have at one time or another just ask away!

BB

[qwerfdsa12345]

Sweet. Let me get this straight. Numero Uno: Take a Senko (which is best for winter, 3"-7") in Green, Watermelon, and Pumpkin and cast and let it sink to the bottom. Then, I reel in slack, when line twitches, set the hook. Sound good?

[ChrisB]

I was just trying to be funny. You sound more like a bass fisherman now. The first post was so meaty that I couldn't resist. You have the right idea with the senko. If you want to catch alot of fish go with the 3 inch, but I like the 4-5's myself. Your colors are good. I don't use too many senko's in the winter, or catch many LM for that matter in winter. Good thing is that winter is ending quickly so it won't be long. I like to cast it out, at fishy looking structure, let it sink on a slack line while watching my line. Don't start a conversation and look away from your line or you'll have a gut-hooked bass on your hands for sure. Reel it a little, and let it fall to the bottom again. You will rarely get a senko bite while reeling, thats what I've seen from personal experience.
So now you got a decent overview of Senko's, now onto the 1000 other techniques for bass lol.

[SPARKY101]

Techniques told very good "just dont let it become a crutch bait"been ther done that..and yes u can easily get it hooked into you that your a bassman with a senko..but what do you do when the senko dont produce....,#-o

[bassmasterderek]

Techniques told very good "just dont let it become a crutch bait"been ther done that..and yes u can easily get it hooked into you that your a bassman with a senko..but what do you do when the senko dont produce....,#-o

When does a senko not produce? LOL!

Yeah, once you get the hang of using a senko weightless you can switch it up T-rigged to keep some of the smaller bass off your line! Then transition from senko to any plastic you want and your all set!

[BassinBomber]

Techniques told very good "just dont let it become a crutch bait"been ther done that..and yes u can easily get it hooked into you that your a bassman with a senko..but what do you do when the senko dont produce....,#-o

When does a senko not produce? LOL!

Yeah, once you get the hang of using a senko weightless you can switch it up T-rigged to keep some of the smaller bass off your line! Then transition from senko to any plastic you want and your all set!

Then you'll be ready 2 start "Chuckin-The-Cranks-N-Swimmies",..!!!

BB

[Bisk1tSnGraV]

With Senkos my favorite rigging is to Wacky Rig. For some reason I get bigger bites using that method than just the weigthless Senko. I have done both weightless and weighted Wacky hooks. Though so far early in my fishing adventure it seems the weaightless still produce a little more.

[AaronE]

Techniques told very good "just dont let it become a crutch bait"been ther done that..and yes u can easily get it hooked into you that your a bassman with a senko..but what do you do when the senko dont produce....,#-o

When does a senko not produce? LOL!

Yeah, once you get the hang of using a senko weightless you can switch it up T-rigged to keep some of the smaller bass off your line! Then transition from senko to any plastic you want and your all set!

I fished a Senko last summer at Lake Wilderness, but I fished it like a drop shot. I had the hook connected to a 3 foot "leader" and had that attached to a barrel swivel about 18" above the weight. Since the Senko has such great fadeaway action by itself I didn't want to stop it from darting around. I pitched it into all that heavy cover on the north side of the lake and was catching 12-14" bass on almost every cast, so they liked the action. Now to just get some of those biguns in Wilderness to bite

[HillbillyGeek]

Techniques told very good "just dont let it become a crutch bait"been ther done that..and yes u can easily get it hooked into you that your a bassman with a senko..but what do you do when the senko dont produce....,#-o

When does a senko not produce? LOL!

Yeah, once you get the hang of using a senko weightless you can switch it up T-rigged to keep some of the smaller bass off your line! Then transition from senko to any plastic you want and your all set!

I LOVE senkos, but for some reason, they don't produce on Cassidy. Could be because of all the fishing pressure. No doubt many of the bass anglers are throwing senkos. Or it could be because the water is always extremely stained. Dunno.
They work GREAT everywhere else.

This football from Lake Stevens was caught on a 4" weightless T-rigged senko:

(Yeah, I know I've posted this pic before, but I can't resist disputing the myth "big bait = big fish".)

Here's a chunky smallmouth from Lake Stevens that hit a tiny crankbait:


Then there's this monster than fell for a 1/16 oz grub: :jocolor:

[bpm2000]

(Yeah, I know I've posted this pic before, but I can't resist disputing the myth "big bait = big fish".)

I think you're having trouble understanding that the "big bait=big fish" theory doesn't exclude the fact that small baits will also (eventually, out of many many depending on who's hand the bait is in...) catch a large fish now and then, but the big bait will cull out a lot of the smaller fish for you and concentrate you on the bigger ones.

Nobody throwing swimbaits, mop jigs, 10" senkos, etc will dispute the 3" worm on a dropshot will also catch a beast every once in a while but that doesn't always make it the best tool for them, especially to target the larger fish specifically. Large baits are just another tool in the quest for the lunks.

[Trent Hale]

I would use JIGS if you want PIGS or 10-12in worms. I have caught 12 in bass on 10in worms. The bigger baits will intice bigger fish faster than small baits. Witch would you like a hot dog or a rib eye? But you must use every bait with confidence!!! Just knowing that the baits you use will catch fish is better than switching up every other cast.

[SPARKY101]

I would use JIGS if you want PIGS or 10-12in worms. I have caught 12 in bass on 10in worms. The bigger baits will intice bigger fish faster than small baits. Witch would you like a hot dog or a rib eye? But you must use every bait with confidence!!! Just knowing that the baits you use will catch fish is better than switching up every other cast.

Found a pretty cool jig site check'em out www.dirtyjigstackle.com

[Bisk1tSnGraV]

Found a pretty cool jig site check'em out www.dirtyjigstackle.com

Damn ... my credit card isn't going to like that ... LOL. Great find Sparky ... thanks!

[qwerfdsa12345]

So this is the formula for success:

1. Cast out a 4" watermelon senko t-rigged into a weedbed or fishy lookin area
2. Let it sink to the bottom, then tighten up slack
3. Wait for line to twitch, set the hook
4. Fish on!

No problems here right?

[HillbillyGeek]

I suppose it all boils down to individual preference. I'd rather catch lots of bass, including a few lunkers, than just a few lunkers. Although I will admit that catching only dinks can get annoying. Medium-size fish are still lots of fun -- especially smallmouth.

Catching smaller bass is also a good way to determine if the lure & presentation are working. Once you've determined that you're in the sweet spot by catching smaller bass, you could up-size in an effort to attract bigger fish.

Hmm... maybe I'll have to give that a try this year. For example, when bass are hitting a small fire tiger crankbait, I'll tie on a bigger one (same color, profile, & diving depth) just to see what happens. No doubt I'll catch less fish -- that's a given. The real question is will I catch more of the bigger fish? We shall see...

[tagwatson360]

So this is the formula for success:

1. Cast out a 4" watermelon senko t-rigged into a weedbed or fishy lookin area
2. Let it sink to the bottom, then tighten up slack
3. Wait for line to twitch, set the hook
4. Fish on!

No problems here right?

That pretty much sums it up. The only thing I would change is #1:

1. Cast out a 10" P-Stick (Senko) into a fishy lookin' area

You will definitely have success on this technique. My only advice is to not let the small (4" and 5") Senko become a crutch bait for you like it has for so many bass anglers in this State. It is like a drug for a lot of these guys. The reason they have become so addicted to it is that you can almost always catch a few fish on it regardless of the conditions. Sometimes it is the best tool for the job, sometimes it is not. For example, if the fish are on a good feeding, reaction or moving bait bite (ie. crankbait, jerkbait, spinnerbait, flipping jig, topwater, swimbait, chatterbait, etc.) you could potentially be missing out on awesome numbers of quality fish by meticulously soaking a tiny Senko.

I would recommend experimenting with a few different lures and techniques this season and then let the fish tell you what they prefer on a given day. Don't overwhelm yourself initially but pick a couple other techniques that you find intriguing and that seem appropriate for the body of water you are fishing. There are countless online resources to learn more about these other productive techniques, and I know that the anglers on this site will be happy to offer their advice as well.

Good luck to you this season!

PTSD = PUT THE SENKO DOWN

Hillbilly's approach is a good one as well.

[fishaholictaz]

I would have to say another problem many bass fisherman have is fishing comfort water like a comfort bait#-o Don't be afraid to move out and fish differant areas:-"

BBT

[Bisk1tSnGraV]

That is what one of my goals is this year ... to fish 5 new waters over the season.

[TravisRush]

A guy with some AMAZING jigs: flatlandscustomtackle.com

They are all hand-tied and he will do any color skirt that you would want for a very affordable price.

Sorry, just my .02 here.

[marktfd88]

So this is the formula for success:

1. Cast out a 4" watermelon senko t-rigged into a weedbed or fishy lookin area
2. Let it sink to the bottom, then tighten up slack
3. Wait for line to twitch, set the hook
4. Fish on!

No problems here right?

That pretty much sums it up. The only thing I would change is #1:

1. Cast out a 10" P-Stick (Senko) into a fishy lookin' area

You will definitely have success on this technique. My only advice is to not let the small (4" and 5") Senko become a crutch bait for you like it has for so many bass anglers in this State. It is like a drug for a lot of these guys. The reason they have become so addicted to it is that you can almost always catch a few fish on it regardless of the conditions. Sometimes it is the best tool for the job, sometimes it is not. For example, if the fish are on a good feeding, reaction or moving bait bite (ie. crankbait, jerkbait, spinnerbait, flipping jig, topwater, swimbait, chatterbait, etc.) you could potentially be missing out on awesome numbers of quality fish by meticulously soaking a tiny Senko.

I would recommend experimenting with a few different lures and techniques this season and then let the fish tell you what they prefer on a given day. Don't overwhelm yourself initially but pick a couple other techniques that you find intriguing and that seem appropriate for the body of water you are fishing. There are countless online resources to learn more about these other productive techniques, and I know that the anglers on this site will be happy to offer their advice as well.

Good luck to you this season!

PTSD = PUT THE SENKO DOWN

Hillbilly's approach is a good one as well.

Tag that's some funny $^!# there. PTSD
Couldn't agree more. I see so many guys do the same thing over and over again, and wonder why they keep getting the same results. Example is my clubs May tourney on Potholes. The same guys every year go to the rock pile and catch the same 2lb smallies all day and wonder why they can't break the 20lb barrier and finish no higher than 5th. I call it fishing chicken. Afraid of failure and resting comfortable on complacency. Guys the only way to get better is to fish with different baits, different techniques, different times of the year. Be willing to experiment and fail. It's ok to not catch fish, it will help give you valuable info as what to try next time. How many times did Edison fail in making a light bulb? Fishing is no different. As to one bait or technique, I would go with a jig. Lots of variety of colors, shapes, sizes and you can pretty much fish all water columns with it. Swim it, hop it, drag it, stroke it, rip it off the bottom, vertical just to name so of the ways to fish a jig.

Mark