Senko and Topwater - Kayak Bass Fishing A Small Backwater Creek

Let's go fishing! Tim is in a small creek with crystal clear water that dumps into a big murky water lake. He's targeting post spawn bass with a Senko, popper, dropshot, and swimbait. The bass moved into this creek to spawn but now they're feeding along the lay downs and overhanging brush before returning to the main lake. Whether you prefer a kayak, a bass boat, or walking the shore bank fishing, you'll enjoy Tim's tips on saving money while catching fish.
Tim started the day hoping for a quick reaction bite but it wasn't in the cards. He quickly switched to a wacky rigged senko and caught a ton of fish! The key here is to understand that he was still on the same water. We often push for the reaction bite but when you have limited areas to fish its best to adapt to the conditions. By giving up the topwater and fast moving baits Tim suddenly found himself surrounded with willing fish. While they weren't in the mood to chase, the slow falling senko proved more than they could resist.
Below is a breakdown of the 4 lures that Tim brought on the kayak. He kept it simple but was still able to cover all his bases and adapt to changing conditions. The links go to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item.
Senko...
Worm- Yamamoto 5" Senko: bit.ly/2axAmNS
Colors: Green Pump/Watermelon Lam, Bama Bug
Hook- Owner Weedless Sniper Finesse 1/0: bit.ly/2zXirRH
O-Ring Tool- O Rigger: bit.ly/2wtX7M8
O-Rings- O Rigger Rings: bit.ly/2h5MhX2
Topwater...
-Megabass Pop Max (Mat Shad): bit.ly/2qqfmm1
Dropshot...
Worm- Roboworm 6" Straight Tail (Oxblood Red Flake): bit.ly/2awYSxM
Hook- Owner Mosquito (Size 1/0): bit.ly/2fqYFCR
Weight- Swagger Tungsten 1/4 oz Tie-On Weight: bit.ly/2YAoMuv
GlideBait...
-River2Sea S-Waver 168/200: bit.ly/2aiu8Sh
Color: Warden Hitch
Senko Combo...
Rod- Shimano Expride 7' Medium: bit.ly/2osaj3q
Reel- Shimano Exsence 3000: bit.ly/2iMtscV
Line- Sunline XPlasma Dark Green Braid 16 lb: bit.ly/2OR5i2j
Leader- Sunline Sniper Fluorocarbon 10 lb: bit.ly/2p7fxju
Drosphot Casting Combo...
Rod- Shimano Expride 7'2" Medium Light+: bit.ly/2nTq9FL
Reel- Shimano Aldebaran 50 MGL HG: bit.ly/2uQ4oH8
Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 20 lb Braid: bit.ly/2clBRiQ
Leader- Sunline Sniper Fluorocarbon 10 lb: bit.ly/2p7fxju
Kayak Setup...
Kayak- Old Town Predator PDL: bit.ly/2WyVQka
Graph- Humminbird Helix 7: bit.ly/2SoFl8a
Anchor- Anchor Wizard: Source Locally
NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel...
TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: bit.ly/2TwBWs7
TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: bit.ly/2FVD9Rs
TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: bit.ly/2TvFMBD
TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: bit.ly/38cVi9G
_________________________________________________________________
What we wear...
Sun Mask: bit.ly/2JcA8xi
Sun Shirt w/ Hood: bit.ly/38cVi9G
Light Fishing Pants: bit.ly/2foDx10
_________________________________________________________________
Equipment We Recommend...
Minn Kota Ultrex Trolling Motor: bit.ly/2vFQypW
Humminbird Solix 15 Electronics: bit.ly/2Hazsej
Minn Kota Talons: bit.ly/2F0QBSP
Hot Foot Throttle Control: bit.ly/2ob4kgO
Loc-R-Bar Boat Security: bit.ly/2CMF1NP
Favorite Storage Box: bit.ly/2fvjcFB
Favorite Pliers: bit.ly/2tfxFvw
Favorite Split Ring Pliers: bit.ly/2fT4Qw0
Favorite Wire Cutters: bit.ly/2soB34k
Favorite life jacket: bit.ly/2odXXIP
Favorite sunglasses: bit.ly/2glE3eN
Hero8 Camera: bit.ly/37hVTX4
ElectroSamson Scale: bit.ly/2f7QgQ9
Frabill Net: bit.ly/2FNdnQr
Lure Retriever: bit.ly/2TLTJc6
________________________________________________________________
If you plan to do any shopping, using our links before doing your shopping at Tackle Warehouse is the single greatest way to support us! You won't be able to even see a difference but they'll know you're one of us!
#bassfishing #senko #kayakfishing

[@alwayz_be_cullin]

I’m a kayak angler here in Northern California (Sacramento), so it’s cool seeing you guys show that side of angling community love! Throughly enjoy all the content provided day in and day out; showcasing tips and tricks to help not only local guys and gals around our surrounding area, but also breaking down different bodies of water for folks all over the nation. Just had a great day up at Clearlake last week, looking to head back up soon for another fun filled day. Best to you both, and your families. Be safe, have fun and tight lines out there! 🇺🇸🎣🤙🏽

[@MikesFishingAdventures]

Bass, birds chirpin, calm water, & rainbow at the end. Gat dayummm I'm jealous !!! Always keep the great work guys !!

[@garysharpe2457]

there are a lot of us kayak bass fishermen. I watch your boat and yak stuff. great content!

[@Baddmnkey1]

@ 12:51. Beautiful rainbow and mountains as a backdrop. Gorgeous!

[@jordanspalding6446]

That rainbow over the water at 13:00 was awesome!!

[@jonschemmel1667]

Yes!! We need more kayak fishing videos! Thanks for the fun watch Tim

[@demolitionwilliams7419]

For real!

[@FishTails]

Fun video to watch with all the action while on the Yak! Love it!

[@deansample3690]

Love to see more kayak videos. Thank you for all the content.

[@donaldtruster1064]

Yes more kayak fishing,love it!

[@lv2fish13]

That view at the 12:45 mark is AWESOME! Great video!

[@mtanczos33]

REALLY nice shot at 13:00 with the rainbow in the background!

[@danielmackey6699]

Cool rainbow in the background on the lake (12:48). If it wasn't so far, you might have been able to catch a pb around that pot of gold!

[@reelkayaking9886]

I had 7 in 4 hours yesterday afternoon on a wacky rugged senko. Only going that was consistent. No bigs but all fun!! Keep up the good work guys!!

[@robertjaynes4322]

Tim you and matt have completely changed the way I look at bass fishing , I caught my pb because of you guys !!!!

[@MistaRiceMan]

always diggin the kayak videos. Great video as always.

[@collinstuart3622]

Gotta love these kayak videos

[@Ctatwood]

Dude love your videos! Post some stuff that shows everyday gear we can afford! Your spinning set up is a grand! I wish! Keep up the great work

[@russdennis7026]

Well if the state doesn't give us a pay cut I see a Kayak in my near future. Even though I do well fishing off the bank it's time to access spots that I can't get to on foot. Awesome video Tim! Thanks for sharing.

[@kennethdennis9335]

13:00 How's that for some scenery. I hope Tim went over and fished by the end of the rainbow! lol Awesome!

[@LowellFrancisco]

More fun on the kayak!😀👍

[@marcelorodriguez6008]

The senko never fails

[@justinmatt21]

Love the Kayak Videos! Keep them coming!

[@onurob]

Love the kayak content. I do 90% of my fishing from an Old Town Topwater 120 PDL. Love it! Hopefully I'll be back on the water soon! Keep em coming. 👍

[@rafabonati7757]

Tim, did you notice the guy fishing at the end of the 🌈 around 13:30? Bet he caught a goldfish!

[@ronlewis2448]

I was expecting to see some tether straps for your rods after flipping it last video and losing a couple grand of gear! Love the kayak vids!!!

[@masta819]

Beautiful scenery there! I really appreciate the informative videos you two put out and including what you use in the comment section makes your videos even better. Keep up the great content!

[@shaunhenderson2071]

Yea man! Enjoy the kayak content!!

[@bryanhenderson2634]

Love the view of the mountains, the rainbow and that other yak, could be made into a picture. Great video as always Tim

[@willfarkouh]

This dude is putting on a clinic! Awesome kayak, sick gear, perfect weather, mountains and a rainbow in the backdrop. Got anything else up your sleeve to make us watchers glow with envy? 😎

[@FranktheTank319]

I love these vids where you just go out and fish. Putting the wisdom you teach us everyday into action. You were definitely on some nice bass. Kayak fishing is so much fun if you have some nice places to go.

[@rigoswave6434]

Gotta Loove those kayak and bank fishing videos, Thanks Tim.. good stuff

[@brandon87ize]

The SENKO is a monster!! Has always produced for me over the years.

[@johngfishing8814]

Nice job Tim, thank you!

[@Don-jf3pm]

Tim, I keep forgetting to thank you for the excellent tip on getting backlashes out. It was a few videos back, but for me it was a great tip. Thanks to you and matt for sharing your knowledge.

[@zTwizTiD]

Can you tell me what video that was please, I need that advice lol

[@Don-jf3pm]

Oh my, don't remember,but in a nut shell he said not to disengage your spool but loosen the drag a little. He said when you disengage your spool you can't keep the same pressure on it with your thumb and you keep getting more loops forming. that helped me quite a bit. Sorry I don't remember which one it was.

[@zTwizTiD]

Don that’s ok, that sums it up nicely!! I never even thought of that. Feel bad for missing it cause that would’ve helped yesterday haha

[@zTwizTiD]

Don thank you for that appreciate the reply!

[@j.gordonellis4175]

I really enjoyed this video. I bought my first kayak this past weekend and hope to go fishing it Saturday. I will try the wacky rig when my O-ring kit gets here. No one had them locally.

[@robertyamane9395]

Tim & Matt, I’m one of those who enjoy ALL of your videos as they give me insight into bass behavior during different conditions, time of year and reactions to various baits. I also enjoy your videos on kayaks as I am now thinking of fishing full time on the various kayak tournaments (even out of state). I would like to see you guys do a video(s) on your thinking process as it might differ from when you’re on the boat (much like the comment on having the Bird off so as not to spook or indicate your presence). I often wondered about how much pinging might alert fish to an anglers presence and if they seem to get accustomed to be more wary whenever they “hear” it. Like many of your faithful followers, love the content and believe it has helped me become a better (and confident) fisherman. When you have the chance keep those kayak videos coming, I’ll be watching❣️ Thank you for generously passing along your accumulated knowledge.

[@mecheledawson4262]

Love all your videos but, especially fond of the kayak fishing ones. This one was no exception, those bass looked so healthy and put up a pretty good fight. This is more like our fishing because we don't have a lot of monsters in our waters. Thanks Tim for the tips and tricks and the listing of what you use every time in your comments below. Appreciated!

[@jamesweisenhorn6373]

So, this is just the most recent video of yours I have watched. Good stuff! You have cost me thousands of $! I was sick this past winter, cancer, I have recovered. During the whole ordeal I watched your videos. It helped but, I upgraded my electronics, bought 15 new rods and reels, 2k on new baits, and much more. Had a great day today! 5 fish over 3 lbs. 3.75 LM, and the rest SM. I know it’s not much by your standards but 15 lbs isn’t North East South Dakota is a good day! Thanks

[@stevefaber3459]

Yes more kayak vids, please.

[@carsonridd]

Nice video! Today I fished the color line at my local pond with a whopper plopper. The water was glassy and clear. I used your advice and it became one of the greatest fishing trips I've had in a long time. Thanks for all your amazing tips!

[@CallahanHarry44]

Kayak videos are great. Looked like great fun! Want to get a Kayak setup someday and great background scenery with the rainbow and all!

[@badfishingbissanschlagdril3637]

Nice catch buddy🎣 Thumbs up👍🏼 Greetings from Germany🇩🇪...

[@DoubleBogeyBass]

Definitely love the kayak videos! Nice day on the water! That was a pretty cool shot there towards the end with the rainbow.

[@davidrauschenbach6871]

Tim, Matt and you have had the old town kayaks for awhile now. How about a review update on the upgrades. Thanks as always for the great videos!

[@jordanspalding6446]

I agree. If I purchase a yak I def want a pedal drive. And those old town seem legit

[@braxtonjenks7357]

o rings have saved me so much money

[@Thepondguy85]

More vids of yall in Kayaks would be badass

[@jonathangreen6088]

You guys have some beautiful scenery around your lakes! Thanks for the vid TB!

[@luisrosario8662]

Love waking up in Florida to u guys, im a new angler and learning alot from u guys

[@callahan906]

Great video as always

[@mohamedjadwat1886]

love the kayak content awesome stuff

[@donkukawski8609]

Always great videos and bass fishing..can't beat that view Tim where that creek opens up with the mountains in the background. Hope you and Matt can get out on the boats soon.

[@jackpellum281]

Great content 👌🏽 Very pretty location!

[@MrDamonk81]

Love your videos caught so many bass on great info from you guys. Couple days ago got my first glide bait fish on a gantarel, 6lb 3oz wasnt bad......

[@VerdeValleyAngler]

I love the kayak videos! Please keep them coming.

[@aosmdavid]

Just started getting into kayak fishing, so I would love to see more kayak videos!

[@willianhernandezpineda9521]

Great video brother. And also a beautiful place . Thanks for the video

[@shaunroberts9361]

Nice little vlog Tim. Thank you

[@jacobmiller2405]

I really enjoy watching ya'll just fish. i would like to see more videos like this. Ya'll tell us how to fish, and do a great job at that. I would just like to see you fish while you teach. GREAT VIDEO!!!!

[@krismeliet6617]

That shot at 12:56 with the rainbow is so nice.

[@trevorkylesthingsarbon1195]

Love the kayak vids

[@Patton70]

i love the kayak content!

[@bigdawg-cl2db]

12:59 beautiful shot of rainbow with reflection on water !

[@dennisederer3594]

Excellent video on bass creek fishing. We don’t have much kayak stream fishing in Arizona. Your teaching tips while you were fishing were extra helpful to me a struggling kayak angler. I noticed that you avoided getting too close to the shore and you shut down the graph during the hunt. Can you share what the average distance between the middle of the creek channel and the shore was? That information would be helpful to me in setting up my distance for my casting. Please continue kayak fishing videos as your water time permits. Thank you again for your time committed to kayak angling.

[@brucebroadwater8198]

Nice fishing, looks fun. 13:12 rainbow on the water.

[@natesomers5387]

Tim your the man love the kayak content!!!

[@craiglinn876]

Always love the kayak videos, keep em coming!

[@camhester4251]

wacky rig and straight senko worms don't look like it would catch anything . I was raised on 7" Culprit ribbon tail worms texas rig and I catch lots of fish that's all I know accept frog fishing , I love frog fishing . looks like you had a good day with that wacky rig senko , thanks for the video

[@noway2563]

More vids like this . Thank you

[@dansaldana3450]

Small Back water creek one of the main tributary to Clearlake

[@RabbitHead09]

You caught more fish in this video, than I have this whole year...

[@brennanroyalty6664]

Same here

[@seattle6970]

Loved it! 👍

[@davidbaker9271]

Awesome video dude

[@jplunkers4356]

Bro that rainbow was so cool and then you caught a bass. Love the vids

[@taylordezotelle2043]

At 12:55 look at the rainbow and just how beautiful everything looks

[@RedDirtShooter]

LOVE THESE KAYAK FISHING VIDEOS!

[@andrewgonzales4278]

I have a tip for the poor mans o rings. Use the smallest mini zip ties that you can find. Works great

[@signal11outdoors]

Keep doing the kayak fishing vids! Love them!

[@FishingChanneltv]

so many fish... well done

[@larrybrickman6425]

Hey! LongIslandLarrysHotdogs here. Great to see you on the kayak! btw I have finally been catchin bass! Tight Lines‼️🌭🥓

[@LindustriesOutdoors]

I'm gonna get a kayak here pretty soon so I can start making videos from that rather than the stuff I already do from my boat, this video got me pretty excited for that, looks awesome!

[@mattlee7233]

Good video! This is off topic but we would love to see a comparison of the SLX line up, SLX vs SLX XT vs SLX DC. Love the videos keep them coming!

[@springfield1911guy]

Love the kayak videos. Keepem coming!

[@CanadianBasserman]

Awesome Vid!!

[@ykyaking7413]

Great catches! Hopefully the conditions are similar when I get a chance to head up there!

[@adammolotfishing]

Love it as always. Just picked up a Hobie PA12 360 and would love to see some more tricks from a kayak

[@mikefurness1598]

Looks like you have mastered that Predator PDL and the benefit of being able to go instantly backwards when that fish is on. I love my predator CDL for that reason and many more. I keep forgetting about that trick of turning the fish finder off when I'm in shallow water especially. Got to remember that.

[@GeorgiaBassmaster]

Senko is a bass killing machine! Can you review what is your favorite size whopper plopper? I've caught 4 in the past week over 7 pounds on the 130.

[@ScuffedEngineer]

If they're in Cali it's the 130, across the US is the 110

[@livinglife3230]

Yeah the 110 is the only size I throw

[@mikegardiner3934]

Nice vid Tim! Awesome rainbow around the 12:50 mark. That canal your fishing looks like were you and Matt shoot a lot of videos from the bank. However I know there are tons of those on Clearlake. LOL

[@markphilippsjr]

More like these!

[@jeffreeder8274]

Wow that's so random for the video to be topwater and senko, I had the best day of my life yesterday on frogs and senkos. I am from northern Washington State so I'm catching northern strain largemouth just FYI. I had 28.3 lbs in 5 fish. 8.42lb 6.7lb 4.48lb 4.4lb 4.3lb all on the gavatcho and senko.

[@3rdeyeview34]

Please bring more Kayak fishing. Considering it is making a huge comeback! Love kayak fishing ClearLake for bass!! Meet me at LandsEnd and we can kayak party

[@FishingThePNW]

Nicely done Tim! Looks like a fun time! I got a question that maybe you and/or Matt could shed some light on. When it comes to braid on a spinning rod, is there any link between the number of strands the braid has and how prone it is to getting twisted? I have tries various brands of 6 and 8 strand and didn't have many problems with line twists until recently so I'm wondering if I need to switch it up. I currently have 10 lb J Braid Grand 8X and have gotten some of the worst line twists ever while fishing a drop shot. Also, is it possible to get line twists out of braid? I've tried the tricks that work on mono/fluoro without any success.

[@williamgould7807]

Did you ever recover the stuff you lost when your kayak tipped over?

[@Timmeh2Buck]

Bold move taking an Exsence out on the water after flipping last year lol

[@jesseshumaker2718]

Im' surprised you didnt flip all that overhanging brush, reeds, and vegetation with a man bear pig or sweet beaver, looks perfect.

[@Hoolapoppa]

As a kayak fisherman I’d love to see more kayak vids. I’d like your thoughts on fishfinder setups for kayaks. How do you like the Helix 7?

[@seanlavery8660]

As always love the kayak videos! I fish the wacky senko a lot. Was there any current in that creek? I have trouble having a feel for the senko in current.

[@jessegross1269]

Awesome video , were you dead sticking your senko or how ? Nice bass , Keep up the great videos!

[@greyhunter9287]

Nice video Tim! I was wondering if you guys are still using Megabass rods. It seems like most of your recommendations below are with the Expride, Zodias and G. Loomis. All good rods as I own two of them. I just noticed you included them this year in your high end but it doesn't seem like you use them as much. Have you found over time that they don't stand up to the Loomis and Shimano Rods?

[@chrischrist7982]

Video is great