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Just curious, does anyone else use a senko on a flyrod for bass?

6K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  uhmw 
#1 ·
This last summer I started throwing 3" senkos on my 10 weight for bass, and had a blast. Used some of the skip gap work hooks and rigged them texas style, that way they didn't come off on the cast. I also used the bass pro stik-o's since they are a little tougher. I was able to throw them really well, and the bass loved it. Just curious if anyone else has tried something similar?
 
#3 ·
Patrick I used to fish for bass like crazy here in Oregon, and I have used a quite a few senkos, but never a tiny 3" er. I've used some that look like a costco hot dog lol. I liked to fish for big fish; that was just the niche I liked- never got much into tournaments, or trying to scratch-out a limit, etc. Would just fish for one big bite in day, sometimes none.
I guess my question would be: why? I'm up for trying anything, but the size of fish that you generally would catch on a 3" senko (there are exceptions of course!), seem like they would be more fun on a light spinning rod than a 10 wt flyrod. But I'm the guy who has never "nymphed" for steelhead (only "swinged" lol), because I feel like if I was gonna nymph an egg pattern, I'd rather just try a spinning rod and be efficient. You got me wondering what I'm missing though. It kinda sounds fun DS
 
#9 ·
I'm with you. Fly fishing is my favorite form of fishing, but I enjoy conventional gear as well and try to use what makes the most sense and is the most enjoyable. Personally, I'd never use a 10wt for bass. I like using a lighter rod with a Skagit head for casting bigger offerings. I leave Thursday for a month of fishing for bull redfish in the gulf. Those are a lot of fun on a 10wt.

I have found a well balanced Skagit head system allows me to go down at least 2 rod sizes with regard to throwing bigger offerings.
 
#8 ·
Actually, I am going to disagree there. For years I fished bass with a 6 weight, then bumped to mostly 8 weights, but for the last two years, most of my bass fly fishing has been done with a 10 weight of one form or another, and I found myself less tired after a day of throwing the big rod.

The reasoning, I believe, is that it is much easier to throw big wind resistant flies, or heavy streamers (or in OP's case, senkos) with the heavier line mass of a 10 (or, as I often did, overlining with an 11 weight) weight line. That meant less false casting, and the benefit of longer casts when blind fishing lakes off the bank.

I got into streamers and top water stuff - bigger than typical dainty flies, similar in size to what I throw on gear rods - and an 8 weight just doesn't cut the mustard on a lot of that stuff, not without over lining, or over-exerting the casts with that light of a rod.

I caught crappie and lots of smaller bass on the 10, and it wasn't any less fun than catching a bluegill on a 6 weight.

When you hook into a better fish, the 10 weight has way more pulling power to get the fish out of cover, or control their run.

I've been working on my casting a lot this last year, and have tried to get to a point where one, two false casts at the most are done before firing the cast out. The bigger lines accomplish this much better.

For tossing 2-4 inch flies, sure the 8 weight is fine. I've gravitated to bigger flies hunting for bigger bites - my average streamer was 4-6 inches, and I had a few that went to 10 inches.

If you're going to throw soft plastics on a fly rod, a 10 weight is a good rod to do it with. You could toss a 5 inch senko if Texas rigged on a 10 weight pretty easy.
 
#6 ·
A weighted bunny strip streamer would have more movement than a plastic worm and might be easier to cast. I'm not sure, but assuming a senko is a plastic worm. A 10 weight seems a bit much for bass unless their great big ones. A 6 or 7 wt. sounds more like it.
 
#7 ·
I've had great luck with big bass on the 3" senko, and I find the 10 weight cast it well. If fishing structure, you get the line out to the right distance, and then you can just keep moving along the shore and cast, since it always the right distance.

I've tried other flies, but I just don't catch much, where with the senko if I'm not catching something every couple of casts, I move to a different spot.
 
#10 ·
When I used to fly fish a lot I must have tried all kinds of stuff including small plastic worms and little hildebrant spinners. Usually tried stuff like that when all I had was my fly rod with me and the fish wouldn't hit top water. My favorite small bass worm is a drop shot Aaron's Magic Curly Tail Robo Worm. I swear, especially in low clear water they would produce when nothing else seemed to.
That might work pretty good on an intermediate sink tip line and comes in small. They seem to sell out at local tackle stores.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Never ever ever in my right mind would I consider using one , The fly rod god might put the dreaded skunk curse on me for years using that rubber worm blasphemy. I use a fuzzy 3" long green chironomid sinking fly that casts pretty good on my 3 wt :wink: I also tie a fuzzy chartreus extra long San Juan for use in the shallows on the willy that works real good.
 
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