[BrittSC]

How do you guys rig your flukes weightless, ie... what size hook etc. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but my fluke turns on it's side when not being worked? If I use a weighted hook it stays upright. Also I would like some imput on how you all fish your senkos. I just started using them this year. Not real confident with them yet.

As always thanks if advance,
Britt

 

[KeithsCatch]

Britt,

Make sure the fluke or twitch bait you use is rigged straight. If you rig it crooked with the hook it will run oddly and fall to one side. I use a 3/O or a 4/O EWG hook. Sometimes I use a belly weighted hook for deeper water.

Senko's I rig weightless 90% of the time. I use the same hook size preferred 3/O hook. With these baits I do not texpose the hook as the plastic is so soft I never need it. The hook comes through this stuff so easy anyway. Plus leaving the hook point barried in the plastic makes it more weedless for me.

You can also rig these wacky very effectively. They are also used on a drop shot rig sometimes and a Carolina Rig sometimes. They are best fished super slow. Barely move them at a time and let it rest. Or move it a foot or so off the bottom and then let it fall back down. Fish hang onto these baits for a long time. They are very effective at catching fish.

The best value I have found is www.alluringbaits.com Don't let people sway you Bass do not care if the bait is made by GYCB (SENKO'S) or Wave Worms, or Chompers or BPS, or Alluring or Berkley or whatever. They all catch fish and catch just as many as the next one.

Try the cheaper ones first and catch lots of fish on them so you know that bass will indeed bite these. Then when you try a Senko and catch fish you will not be locked into the crowd that thinks only Senkos catch fish.

 

[hi steel basser]

With flukes, I always use a 3/0 hook. If the lure is falling to one side or the other, you have it rigged off center. It will still catch fish. They are the most difficult lures to rig in the world, because the slightest change in the rigging will make them roll one way or the other. With sinkos, I don't think you can fish them wrong. I've even caught fish on them using them like a frog over grass.

 

[Texas Bass Pro]

Flukes---Weightless, with 3/0 or 4/0 wide gap hook.


Senkos---weightless or with a 1/16th oz. bullet weight, 3/0 or 4/0 hook.


Most of my hooks are red. I have noticed a differece when I started using red hooks but it just might be my imagination. LOL

I will have to disagree with Keith on the Senko thing.....I will not say you should go out and buy only Senkos but I can tell you from experience that I have used lots of "senko type baits" on the same day I was using GYCB senkos and did a lot better on GYCB senkos. Everytime I know that I'm going to fish with a senko type bait I will bring different brands just to see which one will catch more fish. I will use the same color, hook, weight/weightless, line, rod and reel.

It never fails---GYCB Senkos out perform any other bait that I have used.

I don't care for the price so that is why I don't buy much of them anymore.

Some people swear by Luck Craft baits....I swear by GYCB Senkos.

This is just my opinion.

 

[Texas Bass Pro]

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but my fluke turns on it's side when not being worked?

When the bait isn't being worked it will shift from side to side as it falls in the water after being twitch. The gap in the middle of the bait will cause it to do that as well as the bulk of the bait is focused in the middle. When you start to twitch it it goes strait again and when you stop is takes a "dying" turn either left or right. Even if you use weights it should still go from side to side. That is part of the design.

 

[BrittSC]

Well that helps, cause that's what is happening. It just dies and turns on it's side. Thought maybe I was rigging wrong.

Thanks,
Britt

 

[bassman]

I use Trick sticks from Allurning Baits, I use a 3/0 or 4/0 weightless. I have been using them also on a shaky head and skin hooking them. Been haveing great hook ups and been catching large fish.
The Flukes i use a 3/0 hook and about a 8 in. leader tied to a swivel. keep the bait from rolling.

 

[Ziggy]

I never used a senko until last week. The pro I fished with Friday kept telling me to try one because he had been catching fish on them all week. I finally gave up my trick worm and tried it. Caught my first senko fish. Fished it weightless with a slow retrieve picking it up and letting it fall.

 

[Jared]

I hope yall dont mind me tooting my horn a moment for a change.

When it comes to soft jerkbaits I feel like I can say I am very proficient with them and will catch fish on them any season of the year. I use several different riggings for them though. I only use two soft jerkbaits: Super Flukes and Slug-Gos

First rigging that I use most commonly is weighless, texposed with a 2/0 hook. I dont normally like the bigger (heavier) 3/0 and 4/0 hooks. I like the slower fall the 2/0 gives. I also feel the 2/0 will also not impede the action as much as a heavier hook. This is not to say I will not use a bigger hook ever, I do at times, but most commonly I like the 2/0 hook and what it does for the baits.

There are times when I want to work the bait a bit faster than a weightless texposed rigging will allow. When that situation arises (like in the fall over submerged grass beds when the bass are feeding heavily on baitfish in the backs of creeks) I will put a swivel and then about a 12" - 18" leader between it and the bait. The swivel keeps the bait down without impeding it's action.

Other times i like to ensure that the bait will constantly break t he surface of the water. When Iw ant this to happen I will rig it texposed, weightless and rather than putting the hook in stright down the head of the bait I will enter the hook slightly back from the tip on the underside of the bait. This will cause the bait to sorta nose up when twitched and will force the bait to shoot to the surface. If you twitch it just right it will actually jump out of the water. I like to call this "The Breach" rigging. There are times when this rigging will catch fish that nothing else will even get a glance from.

As stated above, the most important part of softjerkbait fishing is the way the bait lays on the hook. If it is not perfectly straight... either re-rig it or throw it out because it will lose its erratic and unpredictable action.
Also, if you buy a bag of soft jerkbaits and realize that your tails are bent and they, themselves, are not perfectly straight, you have two choices. 1. throw out the ones that are bent (due to memory from not laying straight in the bag) or 2. heat up some water in a pot (dont get it boiling but get it pretty hot so that it is steaming) and hold your bait by the tail and lower it straight down into it. Let it sit in it a sec and then lift it out,s till holding the tail. Hold it up a few secs so it cools. That should remove the memory and straighten the bait out.

As far as senko's... I dont classify them as soft jerkbaits, though I know they can be fished in similiar ways and with those I do always use 3/0 to 4/0 hooks. But I mostly dead stick them.

 

[Texas Bass Pro]

rather than putting the hook in stright down the head of the bait I will enter the hook slightly back from the tip on the underside of the bait. This will cause the bait to sorta nose up when twitched and will force the bait to shoot to the surface.

I have never tried this before. I will give it a shot this weekend just to see what it does.

 

[joe]

Well I am going to have to try some of that. You guys seem to rig Flukes alike. I fish mine with a Gama 5/0 EWG. I get good action out of my Fluke and this is one of my favorite search baits. I fish it on 12 lb Vanish. What type of hooks are you using? Am I losing action? I think it's good, I catch fish alot year round with it. I'm interested in how you guys do it. Jared, I rig mine under the nose too so it will jump. I've caught some toads like that. One tip I have for you guys though is this: Take a 1/8 or 3/16 crimp on bullet weight and squeeze it together. Take a small drill bit and drill out the center and reopen the weight. You can crimp this weight on your hook and you can make it slide up and down the hook with short twitches giving it a different fall and you can make it rock up and down with a really erratic motion.
-Joe