Senkos in moving rivers

[raptorschild]

I will be floating a River that is similar in size and structure as the John Day. I want to catch bigger fish and less dinks, so i'm thinking about tossing some 4-6" senkos for SMB.

Has anyone tried senkos in moving water like the John Day. I know people have posted in the past about not using them in wind, but what about in tailouts, or at the heads of pools where the tailouts dump in? :bowdown:

[Mr. Sturgeon14]

i have used them in the umpqua which is about the same and they work there. what river will you be floating?

[bass man]

I don't know what river you are fishing but I have fished the Yakima in Washington, it is a fast moving one like the john day(I think), and killed the big smallies on 3" Kalins Charts! I really do not see what the big deal is with a senko, they are way over priced!!! And probably overrated!!!

Just my :twocents:

[BuKuBass]

Wind, schmind on a river. I use a Tiki Bamboo. It's a soft stick bait that measures 5.5" by 5/8s and weighs just under 1/2 ounce. If it lands on top of a dink; you'll won't catch it, you'll kill it.

[raptorschild]

Mr Sturg: Grande Ronde River

Bass Man: I like the Senko becuase it is very heavy without adding weight. If you add weight on this river you'll be retying all day long. I usually fish this river with 4" yamamoto's and catch some nice fish but a ton of dinks, me thinks the Kalin's will do the same, i fish the "yak" all the time, and one good thing about that river is that big fish are more common than dinks, so smaller baits work well there.

Guess i'll just have to give it the old college try and let yall know how it went! thanks

[rob allen]

i don't think you'll eliminate dinks by jumping from a 3 to a 4 inch senko.. if i wanted to big fish hunt and eliminate dinks i'd throw the same stuff i'd fish on the columbia.. 1/2 oz spinnerbaits and deep diving crank baits maybe some jigs 5" spider jigs might try a large top water like a zara spook or a sammy... i think fishing plastics even larger plastics would just get you more dinks

[raptorschild]

My Bad Rob,

I meant 3" grub to a 4" inch senko, but i get your point. I've never fished a spinnerbait for a smally, so i'll give it a try. Any particular cranks you've had luck with?

[BuKuBass]

I doubt if you'll find any SM in the GR other than near its confluence with the Snake; but I've been wrong before. I recall that once back in '88 or was it '89?... :smirk:

[rob allen]

raptor i like normans crankbaits because they are made in America and they catch fish too best price in town is at sportsmans almost a buck less than fishermans...

reds craws and chartuces cover all your bases

[boblag]

I do alot of "drift fishing" with senkos. I would suggest using braided line so you can pick up the slack better.

[raptorschild]

Buku, your probably right....i heard its just a steelhead river. No bass in there.

thanks boblag, i use braided anyway, so i'll give it a shot.

[Hunt'nFish]

If we're talking the Grand Ronde River of E.Oregon.....nope no smallies in there. BUT the native redsides are top notch. Hoppers or a #1 Bud's spinner are my goto's. Stop at teh first grassy flat you find and catch some live hoppers....KILLER. Please C&R what you can. This river can not handle too much harvesting and could be ruined easily. toss behind every rock and eddy you see and let it sink a bit....FISH-ON!
If you can borrow a pontoon to fish out of you'll do better than sitting in the main raft. :wink:

Killed my 1st few deer floating this river in the fall.
Lots of memories formed there.
You'll have fun.
Hunt'nFish

[BassMan]

Raptorschild, I was at the John Day the week of the 4th and senko's were about the only thing I could consistantly catch fish on, I texas rigged them with a gamakatsu light wire #1 worm hook with a 1/16oz bullet weight pegged with a toothpick. I used mostly 3 & 4" senko's green with black flake and purple with red/green flake. They work great fished in the current or an eddy.

[Hunt'nFish]

Tip: EBG showed me a split shot works just as well and you don't have to peg it. Thanks Roger!

[raptorschild]

Hunt N Fish: Washington part of the river....theres a few in there.

[tnj8222]

so where would you put the split shot Hunt'nFish? i got some weighted hooks(resembles a bullet wait below the eye of the hook) was thinking about trying those... all i know is if roger says it works it works and i will swear by!! he hasnt been wrong yet!!!

[rob allen]

I have caught smallies in the Grande Ronde River in october while steelheading there might not be a lot of them but there are certainly some there.

[Hunt'nFish]

Never fished the Wa section, but Boggin's Oasis on up there are no smallies....at least I've never heard of one being caught. I suppose during the wamer summer months it's possible for them to come up river farther, but it's uncommon.

tnj8222, I know what hooks your talking about, I have some as well...slider hooks I think they're called???
But a splitshot butted right up against the senko works just as well and you can take it on/off as wind, weed & conditions dictate.
Hunt'nFish

[raptorschild]

Hunt n fish,

Your right, typically from Boggan's on up its steelie and trout water, but when flows get real low < 500 cfs, those bass push up the river farther. When we put a hurt on the chukars in October we catch a few above boggan's, but this time of year you gotta focus on the lower river.

When you put a split shot at the head of a senko, will it hang up on rocks easily. As you know the GR is all rocks.

[Hunt'nFish]

When you put a split shot at the head of a senko, will it hang up on rocks easily. As you know the GR is all rocks.



No, a small 1/32oz spilt shot on a 3" Senko will not be anymore prone to hanging on rock. Skinning the hook is more important to avoid snagging up than if it has a small split shot.
The split shot must be right up against the Senko...if their is any gap it spooks them and looks un-natural. And a small split shot does not interfere with the senko's awesome casting ability.

Roger "EBG" likes to use small pieces of hollow pencil lead like Texas rig weights w/o pegging. For bigger tube type baits and brush bugs and the like, I made up a pile of texas "bullets" of various weights by running pencil lead through an electric pencil sharpener to "point up" the end and then took a sharp knife to score it and break it to desired length...pretty much weedless when you do that. And a lot cheaper than true cast texas weights.
This is how I rig for crawfish plastics if I'm not using brass'n glass for weight.

Hollow pencil lead is also great for making slip sinkers of any desired weight right on the spot. When I talk about carolina rigging, I usually mean a slip sinker 1.5ft above my bait w/ a small split shot to hold it in place. I know it's not a true Carolia rig...but the affect is the same.
Hunt'nFish