Senko Lures: The Ultimate Guide to Fishing with Senkos

In this article, we will share some tips on fishing with senkos. Senkos are a type of soft plastic lure which are in a categorized group called stick baits. They imitate live baitfish and other food sources for fish.

They are an excellent choice for fishing because they look very similar to worms that the fish already eat naturally. In addition, you can retrieve them at different speeds to match the moods of many types of fish, and they can be cast farther than most lures. This makes them an ideal lure for beginners!

I find the Senko worm to work well and add an excellent addition to any fisherman's inventory in helping you succeed and get that big bass that you very much desire. The shaking and slimy look it gives as it drifts through the water column is beautiful to the fish.

Below I have included all the tips and rigging advice you need to start fishing a Senko on your next trip.

How to Rig Senkos

There are several ways to rig the stick worm to increase its effectiveness

I used to be a die-hard fan of fishing jigs. I would use them exclusively when I was trying to catch bass or any other fish, for that matter.

But then, one day on my home lake, where the water clarity is always crystal clear, and visibility is usually excellent, I hooked into an 8-pound largemouth bass using a Senko worm rigged weightless.

The Senko never touched the lake's bottom, and it took me 3 minutes before I finally landed this giant! Since then, I have been convinced that senkos are one of the most effective ways to catch big fish.

In truth, Senkos are very easy to rig. They can be rigged any way you would do so for other plastic lures, such as the worm.

The Senko fishing lure is a great way to catch bass, and there are many ways to rig them. Here are some of my favorite ways to rig a Senko:

Texas Rigged Senko

When you need this lure to dive nose-first into heavy cover, try Texas-rigging the Senko for the best results.

The weedless qualities of the Texas rig allow you to slide the stick worm in and out of the cover without hanging up in limbs or bogging down in the weeds.

The worm is designed to fall horizontally in a long, squiggly belly flop, which is more natural than the nose-down attitude most soft-plastic baits assume.

How to Texas Rig a Senko

One of my favorite ways to fish is with a Texas Rigged Senko.

Heres how I do it:

• Thread the hook through the nose of the bait.
• Exit the hook shaft from the nose just a little over ¼ inch / 6 mm.
• Enter the hook into the stick bait body, spin it, and insert the tip into the soft plastic bait.
• Directly underneath or through the bait surface, embed the tip at an angle, making sure that the bait stays straight.
• Adjust the bullet weight with the line.

Check out my in-depth article on How To Create & Fish A Texas Rig for more texas rig information.

Wacky Rigged Senko

Whenever you are wacky rigging a Senko, make sure you always have o rings in your tackle box.

You always want to use an O ring with a wacky rig to make the bait much more durable. If you don't, you will probably lose the bait, even after just a single bite.

You can expect to catch three or even four fish with one Senko if you use an O ring with the wacky rig. However, some of your most popular brands can be a bit pricy, so getting more use out of the lure will benefit your pocket in the long run.

How to wacky rig a Senko

Wacky rigging a stick worm is one of the most straightforward rigs to make:

• Insert the line into the hook eye and then pull it back out.
• Take the ends of the fishing line and tie a Palomar knot.
• Thread the tied loop onto the hook.
• After tying the knot and the hook is firmly in place, cut the excess line to tighten the loop.
• Attach your Senko bait to the hook. Push the hook's point under the o ring and make sure the bait is firmly in place.

Jig head Senko

The jig-and-worm rig is fantastic and a great finesse tactic if you are fishing in heavily pressured waters. A stick worm will shake on its own, attracting fish behind the jighead.

The rig's versatility lets you fish it in 6 inches of water or 30 to 40 feet of water. A 3/16-ounce jig head works best for most presentations, but a 1/8-ounce model is best for suspended fish.

A prime target for this tactic is a boat dock next to a dock, so shake and reel the lure back to the boat. Next, allow the worm to sink to the bottom adjacent to a dock and then shake the lure firmly in place for a few seconds before recovering it.

How to rig a Jig head Senko

Setting up a jig head Senko is very easy:

• Attach your chosen jig head hook to your line using a Palomar knot.
• Hook the stick bait through the bottom.
• Thread the worm all the way up the shaft of the hook and onto the jig head.
• The hook should be exposed and sticking out of the side of the Senko.

Drop Shot Senko

The drop shot rig is one of the most popular and versatile rigs to use.

A drop shot rig is usually a longer, thinner worm that works excellent in shallow or deep water using live bait rigs.

Some people prefer to use small sinkers instead of weightless drop shot weights to give their Senkos more depth. Although the weightless drop shot is excellent for shallow water, it can be challenging to fish in deeper waters.

The Drop Shot Senko will work best with a faster retrieval when fishing over deep weed beds or other heavy covers.

It also works well around rock piles and tall grass.

How to Drop Shot rig a Senko

Heres how I use a Senko with a drop shot rig:

• With the hook and line in your hand, you want to insert the loop through the eye of the hook.
• Tie an overhand knot and pull the hook through the loop.
• Tighten the knot.
• Cut the excess Line with some line cutters.
• Face the hook upwards.
• Tie a sinker weight on the line.
• You can then attach your Senko Wacky style, Carolina style, or my favorite Texas-style rig.

Carolina rigged Senko

The Carolina Rig is a very popular way to fish. The reason it has become so popular is because of its versatility and simplicity.

It is easy to tie, easy to use, and does not require any special rigging skills or equipment. That's why it's so Perfect for Senkos.

There are also many different ways that you can rig your Senko Carolina Rig style.

How to Carolina rig a Senko

The Caroline rig is very similar to the Texas Rig, with just a few slight differences. You can use heavier weights with the Carolina rig. It's a great choice if you want to fish deeper waters.

Heres how you Caronlina rig a Senko:

• Hold the line and bullet sinker in your hand and thread the line through the hole on the weight.
• Feed the bead onto the line and up to the sinker.
• Next, tie your swivel onto the line.
• Try to make your lead around 20 inches / 50 cm in deeper waters. Try not to make it too short.
• Attach your Senko to the hook

What Fish do Senkos catch?

Senko fishing is a technique that has been around for many years. It's most popular among bass fisherman and works well on other freshwater species, such as Catfish, Muskies, and Crappies. 

You can use the Senko to catch any fish that's natural diet would be worms. And it's a very popular food for most freshwater fish.

So as you can see, although bass fishing is one of the most popular fishing types to use a Senko. You can use it to catch a massive variety of fish species.

What is the Best Hook For Senkos?

The type and size of hook you choose to use with your Senko will depend on:

• The size of the Senko that you will be using.
• What type of rig setup you want to use with the Senko.
• What type of structure and cover you will be fishing.

Senko Weedless or Not Weedless?

If the area you are fishing has lots of weed, grass, and cover, you will be best using a weedless hook.

I find the best weedless rigs to be the Texas rig, Wacky rig, and Carolina rig.

They can all be used in a weedless or non-weedless configuration with your Senko.

The Drop shot rig is excellent if you want to fish above long heavy grass or around docks.

Best Hook for Senko Wacky Rig

My favorite Wacky rig hook to use with a Senko is a Wacky weedless worm hook.

This hook, like a standard wide gap wacky worm hook, is perfect for landing bites. Also comes with a guard that covers the hook point and protects you from snags.

It's the perfect hook for use in all kinds of structure and cover.

For a 5 inch Senko, I would sometimes use a 2/0 if I felt really lucky but usually stick with a 1/0 most of the time.

Best Hook for Senko Texas Rig

A 2/0 to a 3/0 size wide gap worm hook is the sweet spot for me when using a Texas-rigged Senko.

Try to use the largest hook you can get away with without the stick worm looking too unnatural. I always find the 2/0 is about the right size.

Fish it weedless or not weedless, depending on the water's cover.

Best Hook for Senko Carolina Rig

At a minimum, I use a size 3/0 worm hook, but preferably size 2/0.

Like the Texas rig, my preferred hook is the wide gap offset worm hook. It's an excellent hook for hooking into the plastic Senko worm and has excellent success when catching fish.

This can be rigged weedless or non-weedless, depending on the state of the water and bottom of the lake.

Fishing With Senkos

My Favorite way to fish a Senko is using the lift and drop technique. It's great when you want to fish heavy cover.

How to Fish a Senko

• Cast your Senko to the area of choice and let the bait sink to the bottom.
• When your bait has hit the bottom, gently lift your rod tip and reel in slightly.
• Your bait should lift about 5 inches - 15 inches.
• Let your bait drop back down to the bottom.
• Continue to do this until you feel a fish take your bait.
• Strike only when you get a very positive take. Striking too early could lose the fish.
• Rinse and repeat.

Always remember to present your Senko to the fish as naturally as possible.

Too many harsh movements can scare the fish and hinder your catch rate.

Final Thoughts

Fishing with a Senko is an effective way to catch fish. However, as you have learned, there are many ways you can rig the stick worm.

The best hooks for it will depend on what type of fishing you want to do with them and the situation you are present with.

What’s most important is that it looks as natural as possible when presented and cast into the water. You want your bait to look as natural as possible because this will help attract more fish to take your Senko.

Remember to keep your lures well maintained and clean so that they last and look the best.

Hopefully, these tips have been helpful for you in learning how to use one of my favorite lures!

If you enjoyed this article check out my ultimate guide and review for crankbaits.

Happy fishing and good luck!