What to try when the reports say "Senko"

[kokaneejr]

Thanks everybody for the advice. Jbird I would love to see a photo of that fly you are talking about. Jay as well that sounds interesting. David I am going to try that technique today fishing a local pond. I am sure that will get my confidence up. Darian I know what you mean and have gone to the dark side a couple times so far this year.

Hairstacker when fishing this early in spring do you still have luck with clousers? Hard to fish worms anyhow in a kayak (at least without an anchor.)

Thanks again for the replies, Hopefully my confidence will grow. By the way I tied a type of San Juan worm last night. Bass worm hook 20 lb test tied on like a san Juan(offset) and wrapped chenille aroung the whole thing then burnt the ends. Looks wormlike. Testing it today ....Craig.

[Adam Grace]

One of my more perverted fly fishing buddies would just fish the senko using his fly rod. He's not what you call a purist. But I'm a little bit of a fly fishing purist.

I like the rabbit strip flies, tied with a heavy dumbbell eyes tied like a clouser with the hook point up, with a double mono weed guard.

[MSP]

One of my more perverted fly fishing buddies would just fish the senko using his fly rod. He's not what you call a purist.

Anyone in particular come to mind I know it's not me cause I use a baitcaster with my Senko's!

[Darian]

Adam,....Does your friend try to cast a wacky rigged Senko with a fly rod

[Hairstacker]

Now Darian, why would you know anything about wacky-rigs?

[Darian]

Cause I'm a wacky kinda guy....

[MSP]

I'm with Darian, when they say Senko throw a Senko! It ain't flyfishing but it's not bad!

Folsom today walking the bank.

[JerryInLodi]

The hardest thing about imitating a Senko isn't the fly, it's the line. I played around casting sinking lines into swimming pools so I could watch what happens. It seems that it doesn't make any difference whether it's a density compensated line, sink tip or full sink, the line does not sink like a piece of mono on a spinning reel or a braided high strength line on a level wind. Fly lines tend to collapse in the center. In doing so, you totally loose touch with the fly. While some LMB grab and run, many just come up and inhale the bait and don't move any further. You'll never feel the grab if your fly line collapses.

To compensate you have to fish the fly, "straight line" which means you have to strip in the minimum amount of line necessary to keep your line from collapsing. How much and how fast depends on all kinds of factors, current, fly line, weight of fly, etc.

I've been trying to imitate the Senko presentation, not necessarily the fly. At first I went with rabbit strips and tried to tie, "worm" flies. However I've found that a well tied woolly bugger is superior to zonker strips and even plastic worms, (yes, I tried them!) The secret is to strip it in using the absolute minimum of line allowing the closest thing to free fall but still maintaining contact with the fly.

At least that's where I'm at right now.

[Adam Grace]

NICE BASS MIKE! quite the fatty

Where you using conventional gear?

[MSP]

Where you using conventional gear?

I'll never tell Adam!

YES!

I know, I'm going to HELL! But I will probably go back next week too! I'm weak, I've been defeated! Anyone need some crappy fly gear?