Favorite Plastics For Smallies

[Greasy B]

I'm havin luck on weightless 4-6" senkos in watermelon/red flake (depending on how picky they are) and weightless 4" tubes in both watermelon and crawdad colors. I haven't had a day this year where a weightless senko wouldn't pick up some fish.

Weightless senko's are a favorite. If the darn things would hold up for more than one or two fish they would be ideal. Can anyone suggest a similar bait that would last longer?

[et84]

Weightless senko's are a favorite. If the darn things would hold up for more than one or two fish they would be ideal. Can anyone suggest a similar bait that would last longer?

This is my problem with senkos too. I wrap mine with duck tape (just a thin little strip) where the hook penetrates through. I usually rig wacky, but I don't know why you couldn't use this trick weightless.

[Jack Jones]

I see a lot about the weightless. How are you folks able to cast a weightless plastic any distance? I'm using a spinning reel. Is that the problem, or is there something I'm missing?

[Greasy B]

One of the good things about a Senko is the weight, even 4" baits cast a mile and yet they sink pretty slow. They also are easy to skip under tree branches with spinning gear.

[Jack Jones]

Makes sense. Never fished them before actually. Most of the plastic worms I've fished were pretty lightweight.

[Greasy B]

Mend it sounds like a good idea, thanks. I'm not one for conspiracy theories but it sure seems like some marketing scoundrels figured out just how fragile they could make a Senko to sucker chumps like me into buying pack after pack. On a good day I can go through 3 packs, the cost is killing me.

[LarrySTL]

If you can use an exposed hook in the places you are fishing them, you can go buy some rubber O rings, slide one of them on where you want it on the worm, and just slip your hook underneath the ring without even penetrating the worm.

BPS seems to have one size of these O Rings. If you go to your local hardware store you can buy a small pack of rings, 5 or 10, for a dollar or two, then figure out what size you need. One you know that size, surf the internet a bit and you can buy a hundred of that size ring for a dollar or two.

[joeD]

I use a 3 or 4 aught off-set worm hook (brand is immaterial) with my white super fluke. I use what I think is an outstanding rod/reel combo with braided line (again, brand is immaterial). Line diameter is about 8 pound test. My fluke rod is 6 foot long. I have it rigged upside down (the hook channel is actually on the bottom, and I have the hook just pushed through the up, non-channel side) and weightless. I can throw it a mile, or a meter. Let it sink, or work it on top. But always weightless. That is what gives the fluke its erratic action. And smallies love erratic.

Unless they don't. Then I use live crawfish that I bought from...(name your favorite LOCAL , SMALL, tackle shop).

[RSBreth]

The ZMan plastics are really tough - the Zinker Z is their Senko type lure. Zman Zinker Z

Another one that seems to hold up pretty good is the Wave Worm Tiki Stik.

One more option is raid the Bass Pro outlet store for the bulk plastics - I have probably 15 pounds of their Stik -O's in half a dozen colors from doing that.

Yum Dingers hold up a little better, too.

But sometimes a really soft Senko is the lure they want more than anything - then it gets expensive.

Oh yeah - Jack, the next time your buying some tackle look at the Senko type plastics - like was said they're pretty heavy and even the 4" ones can be cast a long ways.

[Mitch f]

If you guys are serious senko fishermen you should buy a mold and pour your own, tremendous cost savings. Add salt and scent if you want.