Senko For Smallies

[Gerry Zagorski]

Headed up to 1000 Islands NY for a week later this month and rented a boat for the week. Many people I've talked to reccomend a Senko whacky rigged. I usually drift live bait deep like night cralwers and crayfish and do pretty well. Never fished Senko's before but picked some up a few days ago. This time of year fish are deep on shoals and ledges 20 feet or better.

Any advice on fishing Senkos?? I got some weights to fish it Drop Shot style too.

Thanks guys...

[ScowardNJ]

Hook em Wacky with an octopus style hook, cast it, they sink pretty fast, twitch, twitch, twitch, bang!

[Jigman13]

Hook em Wacky with an octopus style hook, cast it, they sink pretty fast, twitch, twitch, twitch, bang!

X2

[acabtp]

if you want a little faster sink, you can texas rig them and choose whatever sinker size you like; that's how i usually use them. seem to last a little longer before they are too ripped up to continue using compared to wacky rigging too.

[NJ Dave]

http://www.keitech.co.jp/english/

These are supposed to be the new thing. Someone up on LG last week said they out fished senkos which were always a hit up there.
Senkos I prefer to fish wacky weightless with a #3 gamagatsu octopus hook twitched off the bottom.
You can't go wrong though with a simple live worm.
Good luck.

[GetANet]

They also make wacky rig jig heads that work excellent when fishing deep water kinda like a split shot on the hook with a weed gard. You can also drop shot the smaller ones.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Thanks guys.... So let them free/fall and sink down to the bottom then twitch??

acabtp - I heard about how they get torn up whacky rigging too... One way to avoid that is to use small rubber bands... You thread the small rubber band half way up the Senko and and slide your hook under the rubber band instead of hooking it in the senko.

[kcritch]

Thanks guys.... So let them free/fall and sink down to the bottom then twitch??

acabtp - I heard about how they get torn up whacky rigging too... One way to avoid that is to use small rubber bands... You thread the small rubber band half way up the Senko and and slide your hook under the rubber band instead of hooking it in the senko.

Gerry - Instead of the rubber band you can also pick up some plastic tubing at Home Depot (clear kind sold by the foot) and cut it into small rings. Slide them into the middle of the Senko and slip the hook between the ring and bait. There are sizes that fit perfectly around the Senkos. I cannot rememeber the diameter so just bring one with you and test it. The plastic lasts a long time and it allows the bait to slide up the line when fighting the fish.

Tubes on jig heads slowly dragged across the bottom work great too...a little old school but they just work. Insert the jig head into the tube and pop the line tie through the tube.

Good luck.

[ScowardNJ]

Thanks guys.... So let them free/fall and sink down to the bottom then twitch??

acabtp - I heard about how they get torn up whacky rigging too... One way to avoid that is to use small rubber bands... You thread the small rubber band half way up the Senko and and slide your hook under the rubber band instead of hooking it in the senko.

a stainless split ring works also, adds a little flash also

[dboyd101]

if octopus hooks = circle hooks, then correct for wacky rig.

also weightless texas rig across the top of the muck has been working well for me...

[Gerry Zagorski]

Great info here guys, thanks again.

[Lard Almighty]

There's really no wrong way to fish a senko (unless you cast it onto a tree :p ). I've fished it texas-rigged, wacky rigged, drop-shot, shaky head, weighted, and unweighted. I've twitched it, dragged it, jerked it, and dead-sticked it. Every possible way there is to fish it can produce. You'll just have to find out how the fish want it on any given day. Once you do, it can be non-stop action.

[fishfinder]

If your fishing 20 foot it is going to take quite some time for a wacky rigged senko to get down there. I'd look at something like a texas/carolina rig or drop shot if please. Also, I find they work much best on 4-6 lb but to each his own. The keitechs someone mentioned will work great up there. I'd try to stick to natural colors no matter what you use, greens/browns.

[ScowardNJ]

Also, not trying to thread drift away from senkos but the last time I was up there in A Bay(the only time), jigs with tubes and swim shads did well.

[Gerry Zagorski]

If your fishing 20 foot it is going to take quite some time for a wacky rigged senko to get down there. I'd look at something like a texas/carolina rig or drop shot if please. Also, I find they work much best on 4-6 lb but to each his own. The keitechs someone mentioned will work great up there. I'd try to stick to natural colors no matter what you use, greens/browns.

I bought watermelon and green pumkpin so natural colors.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Also, not trying to thread drift away from senkos but the last time I was up there in A Bay(the only time), jigs with tubes and swim shads did well.

Not sure what you mean by thread drift away... I was planning on anchoring not drifting. Is this what you meant??

Got pleanty of tubes too and Banjo Minnows :)

[ScowardNJ]

Ha, sorry for the geek term... thread drift refers to changing the subject of the topic of the thread you started. Like posting about tube's and jigs on a thread asking about fishing senkos.... I'll shut up now :D

Good luck up there!

[jimmythegreek]

If you r gonna fish deeper water, grab some jig heads that are weighted w lead ballheads by the hook eye, makes the fall a little faster and they usually pulse more. They usually hit it on the fall so just ho them slowly. Another great way w live bait is to lindy rig a herring/shiner or even 3 way rig them, u can cover alot of water and work the bottom very efficiently drifting just holding tight to the bottom, its my preferred method for bottom fishing SM,eyes, anything holding tight in deeper water, cant beat the real thing.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Ha, sorry for the geek term... thread drift refers to changing the subject of the topic of the thread you started. Like posting about tube's and jigs on a thread asking about fishing senkos.... I'll shut up now :D

Good luck up there!

No worries Scoward... Getting your drift now ;)

[Mjh609]

There's really no wrong way to fish a senko (unless you cast it onto a tree :p ). I've fished it texas-rigged, wacky rigged, drop-shot, shaky head, weighted, and unweighted. I've twitched it, dragged it, jerked it, and dead-sticked it. Every possible way there is to fish it can produce. You'll just have to find out how the fish want it on any given day. Once you do, it can be non-stop action.

I've seen a bass come half way out of the water to grab a senko that was hanging from a tree branch. So apparently, that works too.

[bubbasdad]

http://www.keitech.co.jp/english/

These are supposed to be the new thing. Someone up on LG last week said they out fished senkos which were always a hit up there.
Senkos I prefer to fish wacky weightless with a #3 gamagatsu octopus hook twitched off the bottom.
You can't go wrong though with a simple live worm.
Good luck.
I would definitely pick up some of the Keitech stuff, as well....just got home from lake george myself, and as NJDAVE said, the swing impacts are great when you need to get deep, or if the drift is too fast....definitely pick up some of their jig heads, too, they are tungsten, and seem to work a lot better than the standard lead heads....green pumpkin, black, and the green/pink one seem to work the best for us...good luck!

[bulletbob]

If you r gonna fish deeper water, grab some jig heads that are weighted w lead ballheads by the hook eye, makes the fall a little faster and they usually pulse more. They usually hit it on the fall so just ho them slowly. Another great way w live bait is to lindy rig a herring/shiner or even 3 way rig them, u can cover alot of water and work the bottom very efficiently drifting just holding tight to the bottom, its my preferred method for bottom fishing SM,eyes, anything holding tight in deeper water, cant beat the real thing.

I live in NY state, and this is how most of the locals do it.. Senkos will work certainly, but so will anything else.. Nothing will beat live bait, and you might get a big walleye or a 20 pound cat, drum, or carp as well with bait.
Gulp is very good too.. You can dropshot, wacky rig, and all that stuff, but why bother really??.. Plain old jig head, NATURAL colored tubes,grubs, fluke,twister,small plastic worm,FinS, Sluggo will work great.. .. Live minnows on a bucktail is also great, and will catch anything in the river.
You can also drift a bait rig "fluking style", but you might hang up more than its worth.. I would go with jig heads personally..
btw, big Smallies will hit very small offerings at times.. If its slow on "bass sized" lures, go to perch sized stuff.. You might be surprised... bob

[Lard Almighty]

Just a quick FYI, lead split shot and weights are BANNED in NY state; steel or tungsten only. Not strictly enforced, but it is the law. Lead jigheads or lure components are still OK.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Thanks guys and Bullet, your are right on. A Lindy rig with a live worm, crayfish or minnow is deadly up there in the summer when the water warms up. Just set your boat on a drift over some 20 to 30 foot shoals in deep water and it's game on.

Spring is a totally different deal.... We've been fishing up there for years and the Panther Martin gold bladed spinner with a black body worked real slow in the shallows bays light these fish up like I've never seen. If you think you are fishing the lure to slow, slow it down more. We've caught tons of Smallies, Pike, an occational Large Mouth and even a few Muskies over the years using them pretty much exclusively.

Love the 1000 Islands and can't think of another place I would rather be this time of year.

I'm pumped and thanks for all the 411 guys.

[bulletbob]

Gerry, if you want to catch some REAL big SMB, get a small hook and worms, and catch a few Gobies, and drift with them for bait...Not sure if its legal, but I certainly don't see why it wouldn't be... bob\

http://www.thousandislandslife.com/BackIssues/Archive/tabid/393/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/296/The-Goby-and-the-Bass.aspx