There’s already a ton of content out there on a wacky rig so I probably won’t be posting an article about that technique specifically, however it’s hot and it can be tougher than usual to get a bite right now so I figured I would make a post about the Yamamoto Senko and the three ways I typically rig one as it can be a great lure to use when it’s hot like this and the bite gets tough. I mostly use a Senko when I’m at a pond or fishing shallow water, but you can also use one on a drop shot which I’ll get to in a bit.
Rig #1 – The Wacky Rig
Ok now that I’ve gone and said I wasn’t going to create a post about the wacky rig we might as well get it out of the way as this is one of the three ways I like to rig a Senko. The first thing I’ll cover is o-rings as there’s a few different options for those and some people swear by them while others will say they don’t help at all and you don’t need them. It turns out I’m right in the middle of that particular debate and based on my experience I’ve found they help the lures last a little longer but not so much that you should go and buy the most expensive o-ring setup you can find. O-rings also come in different sizes and you will want to make sure you pick the right size. In my case I use 5″ Senkos and would recommend a standard #10 size o-ring for those, but if you are using really large ones or a really thin worm then you will probably need a different size. I also like to keep a small o-ring tool in my bag with some o-rings on it and just use an inexpensive Yum Wacky Tool that I picked up for a few bucks a couple of years ago. Here’s what one looks like rigged up:
One thing to keep in mind when wacky rigs is when you rig these you will want the tips of the worm to hang down with the hook on top. For laminate (dual-color) lures it’s easier to tell which side is up but either way it does make a bit of a difference. Also you don’t need to go out and buy expensive worms if you are texas rigging a stick worm with a bullet weight and if you are doing that then I’d suggest going with a Yum Dinger as they are less expensive, but for the this technique (and the others mentioned in this article) I’d argue you are going to get what you pay for with a Senko.
Rig #2 – The Weightless Texas Rig
As it turns out the guy that designed the Senko didn’t design it with the intention of wacky rigging it, and he previously recommend using a 3/0 Owner Twistlock Light with it as he believed it gave the Senko the best fall rate. I’m not sure if he still feels this way today, but what I can tell you is this is how I usually rig a Senko as there’s a lot of grass and cover where I usually throw one and as a result the exposed hook can get to be a bit of an issue. I also haven’t noticed much of a difference in terms of the amount of bites that I get or the hookup ratio and that’s been enough for this rig to earn the top spot in my lineup. On the other hand if you aren’t around a lot of cover or grass where you’re at then you might want to try out a wacky rig. There isn’t too much to this rig so I won’t spend too much time on it but I will say the screwlock does seem to help the lures last a little longer and even though it would probably be considered an ‘old school’ technique it’s still very effective.
Rig #3 – The Drop Shot
If I’m in deeper water there’s a good chance I’m throwing a drop shot. My first lure of choice for that is going to be a 6″ straight tail worm and a 4″ shad is going to be my second choice, but you can also wacky rig a Senko on a drop shot and it can definitely work if they aren’t into either of those lures or if you just want to try something a little different. The setup for this is going to pretty much be the same as a standard wacky rig but one thing I will mention is you can go with a hook like the Owner Cover Shot Hook and then throw a traditional worm on it or use the same hook to wacky rig a Senko. I personally prefer a 2/0 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Hybrid Worm Hook on my drop shot setup most of the time but do like to keep some of these available and this is one of the reasons why.
That covers how I typically throw a Senko. Other options like the Yum Dinger are out there and as I mentioned earlier there are times when those might make more sense to me, but the Senko is still my favorite soft plastic stick worm and it’s the one I use the most often. It’s also very effective and can generate bites when other lures aren’t working which makes it a good option to have available when it’s hot like it is now and the bite gets tough.
