The versatility of this soft plastic stick bait is amazing. Yes, the Yamamoto Senko and its wide range of rigging possibilities are most likely endless. Here are two of the most common ways to rig a Senko. All of the tackle mentioned in this article can be found here on our site.
Texas Rigged Senko
This is the most traditional way to rig a Senko. Texas rigging the Senko results in the hook resting on or slightly embedded in the body of the bait providing the ultimate weedless presentation. Add a weight above the hook to cast further, get the bait down deeper or give it a different action.
Go weightless for a slow, subtle, sure way to stick some fish even in the thickest of obstacles. Most worm hook variations will work for easy rigging; for example, something like a Gamakatsu Round Bend Offset Worm Hook or an Owner All Purpose Soft Bait Hook will do the job perfectly depending on your personal preference. Texas rigging is the way to rig a Senko on a shaky head, drop shot, Carolina rig or as a trailer and all can be done weedless or not.
Wacky-Rigged Senko
Wacky rigging a Senko is one of the most unique and fun ways to catch fish. Even within the technique itself there is a wide range of possibilities. Wacky rigging a senko means hooking the bait around the middle of the worm as opposed to the head. This results in a more natural "wacky" fluttering of the bait as it works through the water.
To wacky rig the worm, you can hook right through the worm body itself but many anglers find they go through worms in a hurry as they get roughed up in the water. A popular solution for this problem is to add an O-ring around the worm where you would normally hook the bait. Hooking the O-ring (which tends to be a more durable material) instead of the worm, preserves the worm itself and results in fewer bait changes.
There are many hook choices for a wacky rig, we suggest Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap Hook or a Gamakatsu Wicked Wacky Hook (which has a dual-wire weedguard) and a Senko. Another hook option is the CHT Tackle Double Wacky Hook which has an O-ring already attached and provides two hooks instead of one for an added bite point.
Fishing without a weight allows the bait’s ends to fall slowly, roll, flap, and twitch freely depending on how you work the bait. If you add a nail weight to the head of the Senko it makes the bait fall head down, faster (depending on weight) and the action is uneven, which isn’t a bad way to fish it. This will let you work the bait more on the bottom, dragging or hopping it while still providing a lot of action. You can also add weight and get a different action if you use a weighted jig head such as an Eco Pro Tungsten Flick Head.
There are other brands, some come with a wire weed-guard and others don’t. This will allow the bait to fall at a faster rate, but maintain equilibrium and action on the fall and retrieve. When using an O-ring with any of these hooks it will rotate the hook stance parallel with the bait allowing the Senko to often times slide up the line when you have a fish hooked, without an O-ring and placing the hook in the guts of the plastic will place the hook perpendicular to the bait.