This Is The ONLY Lure You Need To Catch Bass With All Year Long!

The original Gary Yamamoto Senko is one of the greatest if not the greatest bass fishing lure ever created. From when it first came out to modern day, the senko can catch fish anywhere and everywhere at anytime! Today, we break down the senko and give some pointers to help maximize this amazing bait!
Products in this video:
Gary Yamamoto Senko:
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Gamakatsu G Finesse Weedless Wacky:
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Gamakatsu G Finesse Weedless Stinger:
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Ryugi Talismen:
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Owner Sniper Finesse Weedless:
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G7 Tube:
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G7 Tube Pliers:
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Owner Offest Wide Gap:
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Gamakatsu Hybrid Worm Hook:
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Zappu Bone Rattle:
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Megabass X Bites:
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Megabass TS Destroyer Rod:
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OSP Dolive Stick:
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Get Net Juster Stick:
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Deps Rebound Stick:
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Imakatsu Java Shad:
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Duo Wriggle Stick:
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Raid Fat Whip HW:
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Please check out The Hook Up Tackle for all your fishing needs!
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[@citydogpack]

I like to have the GYB facing down so that the bass can see it’s not a knockoff senko

[@haroldrogers6566]

😂😂😂

[@scottraybourn3593]

Hilarious 😂

[@masonhagen9726]

😂😂

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

Done! You changed my mind - facing down from now on 🤣👊🍻

[@haroldrogers6566]

@@thehookuptackle_usa 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

[@johnjenkins52]

I recently had a highschool tournament at Sam Rayburn and my partner kept trying to to power fish with a jig and so I decided to slow down and pick up the wacky rig and probably out fished him 10 to 1. While it may be boring if your not getting bit, it sure isn’t when your getting hit every 5 minutes. Great video 👊

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

Sometimes it’s just the deal 👍

[@nathanblake3608]

Glad you figured out a way to sell some senkos after ordering so many 😂

[@ReelAZMatt]

My 9 year old caught 5 bass on a senko last night. It was epic. We have another addicted angler!

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

Hell yeah!!!

[@colobisman6132]

I'm uncool because all I use is spinning gear. What is cool is that I catch a lot of fish. Great video on the senko. I use it a lot on my favorite lake and the smallmouth love it.

[@edpelkey7798]

Great info Ben & Geoff! Some thing I like to do are to take a Baby Bass colored senko and take a black indelible marker and apply to end of the tail. It gives it a more realistic look. You can also rub the entire senko it mutes the color to appear as weak prey! You can take an exacto knife and cut the tail into 4 segments. Sometimes I will mix senkos together so they bleed the the colors! If you hold up a senko it will inherently have a slight bend or bow. On a wacky rig place the bow down it will give you more action on the fall. Good luck Boys and Girls!

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

Great tips! Thank you 🍻

[@richardbandas4738]

Your a tactile bassin fan I can tell.

[@Glock-1]

I like these videos every time I watch one it feels like I'm sitting talking fishing with my buddies!

[@timothymason8779]

Thanks for your valuable time and information on Techniques for the Senko. Your video was excellent 👏 👌 God Bless 🙌 😊

[@larrychastain6830]

Great in depth Senko video! I've been fishing senkos for years,always wacky style and have won a number of local tournaments on them. Never knew about pinching the tail to change the color. Definitely will be doing that for now on. Thanks again for a great video!!!

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

Thank you for watching!

[@alcav54]

The owner twist lock light is awesome too

[@DavidBronstein1961]

Thanks for this vid! Reminded me to use T-rig to get Senko into thicker cover without hanging up and I caught 10 fish to 3 lbs today. I personally like the VMC crossover ring but the #7 size, which is great for 5” Senko, is often sold out. One tip: skipping the Senko gives you a gentler entry into the strike zone and spooks less fish. I suck at skipping but the more i do it the less sucky I become and it always gets me a few extra bites. I use 10’ braid

[@lynnskelton7971]

For wacky rigging, instead of buying the sleeves, you can save some money and buy the shrink tubes for wiring at a hardware store or online. Look for clear but black will work. I got a roll and cut them just wide enough to put the hook through them. Slip them on the worm, take a lighter and heat up the wrap on all sides and it will shrink down in the worm. Put your hook in and hade the same as the sleeves. I forgot what size I got but you can take a Senko or whatever bait you’re using to gage.

[@rodcashman4793]

Quite indepth information !! Thanks for sharing 🎣 👍

[@joeybennett2298]

im probably yhay ONE weirdo that thinks senko fishing isnt boring lol....great video!

[@markphilippsjr]

I like the new intro!!!

[@jonesjs8898]

Me too, first time I saw it! I must have a backlog of videos to watch 😮

[@TheFishinMortician]

Very in-depth video! I've noticed differences in wacky hooks myself, good tip on the longer gap hook. I do find certain colors and durability of other companies to produce at time when certain senkos just are not doing it.

[@ewwee2k]

Love the video. Thanks for the info! Now that you bought every color of Senko. Enough for a lifetime 😂 You gotta push them any way you can. 😂😂😂😂

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

I could chum senkos for years and still have plenty 🤣🍻

[@garyalexander7024]

I’ve fished senkos for so long but never thought about the tail crush thing before to bring out the color… I think I love it but I’m an old man and generally prefer old shit to new shit: but sometimes the new shit is the coolest shit and that’s just how shit goes. PS I’m a winter visitor to Yuma AZ., and because I like your videos I made a pilgrimage to your store last winter. The store was great - I met Grif when I was in there; he’s a kayak guy like me. The pilgrimage from Yuma to Peoria is going to be a annual trip for me. So… see you next winter. One more PS… I think ‘cranking’ can be kinda boring. But… positioning your kayak in wind or current (so you only get one shot) and sliding a senko across the top of the water into a small opening - deep into cover - and pulling out a fat one is both challenging and a blast.

[@RobBastien]

Gold! Thanks for sharing that. New subscriber.

[@bengreeninsuranceagency]

Awesome job! Thank you

[@georgeadcock2347]

Great detailed Senko video....

[@gregstott8109]

My favorite senko alternative are the ribbed baits like the Grande Bass Rattlesnake or Hag’s Tornado. On a weightless Texas rig they have so much action, especially in the larger sizes. They tend to catch larger fish as well.

[@grunion721]

Bro you just changed my life with the weed guard tip 😁

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

Sweet! 🍻

[@skywalkerv8700]

Oh a surprise video! Best start to the day, lets gooooooooooooo! Congrats on Encanto btw, the grind is real.

[@seasgarage]

Its not a surprise..... they release vids every sunday, tuesday and thursday

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

I can retire now, I’ve finally mastered that terrible pond 🤣

[@timothythompson6549]

They should make a 12" that you throw with an 8/0 beast hook so Geoff can use em and still feel like a big bait specialist.

[@wpgordone352]

Ben and Geoff , Your Videos are Great !!! Entertaining and Informative to the Maxx , and Ben , you really know your stuff !! I haven't watched a vid of yours yet , that I did not thoroughly enjoy and have learned so much from you guys !!

[@sierra11b]

On the contrary, I don't find Senko fishing boring (free, texas, wacky, neko, etc.) as it's such a confidence bait, virtually year around.

[@livewire2k4]

things to try with the Senko if you've not tried them yet. I know I'm going to get some wtf comments for this but, get blazed like this dude from THUT and hear me out. Chatter turd - speaks for itself, works better than you think. Especially if everyone else is throwing the same chatter with a zako. wacky rigged on a swinging football jig - laugh it up and then slay an 8lber. drop shot wacky rig - This is a deadly presentation on small mouth in 15' - 40' hover rig - get a normal sized jig hook , small nail weight. I'm pushing for Matt to make a mag version of his hover rig setup. tokyo rig - meh, was worth a mention, I guess.

[@jasonjenkyns5083]

"wacky rigged on a swinging football jig". Dude this really speaks to me, after laughing of course.

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

Great tips! Thank you for sharing 🍻

[@alcav54]

I switched to the Ryugi wacky hook a couple of years ago now I’m hooked. See what I did there 😂

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

😜👊🍻

[@damiandebenedetto6068]

For many years I've used the Gama finesse wg for wacky and neko, usually 1/0 size. Caught 1000s on those methods and don't recall missing many. I've even rigged those up for novice anglers on my boat. My feeling is that the fish basically hook themselves with those. I guess I'll have to pay closer attention.

[@nickkerr5714]

3 inch senkos are great on trout

[@edwardwicht5271]

I hit your website up for a couple hundred bucks worth just yesterday. As you all have confirmed in multiple videos, it’s about what the fish want. Sometimes this is just about it. Catching with a senko is better that working on your _____ bait retrieve all day. Thanks for all the advice, quality products, and unmatched customer service!

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

Thank you for your business! 👊🍻

[@firemazer9202]

I was losing more than half my bites using wacky and kahle hooks, with or without o rings although it was worse with them because the bass would steal the senko and leave the o ring on the hook. I finally decided there had to be a better way so I started using 1/0 or 2/0 circle hooks that I had for salt water fishing and then I stopped losing them except for when I occasionally set the hook by accident because I was changing rods and forgot I was using a circle hook after using a Texas rig on my other rod. I first got introduced to senkos by friends in a tourney but I didn't have any on me, so I put two lil John hard plastic worms on a circle hook butt to butt to make it look like a Frankenstein sort of senko that I doubted would work but dang if a big ol 3# almost jumped out of the water to grab it the second it hit the water! After that experience I started buying and using senkos although not the Yamamoto brand. I mainly use Lunkerhunt stiks in Nitro which is their green pumpkin with chartreuse tail that are really cheap at Walmart. I also started downsizing my senkos during the winter and started using Luck-e-Strike curtail worms on my circle hooks when a regular senko wasn't getting bit which saved me from being skunked many times over the winter when the bass just seemed to want something really small, mainly because I was catching dinks from 5-8 inches in a retention pond since I fish those more than actual lakes in central FL.

[@brandonsmith606]

Just wanted to say that I used a yamatanuki as an alternative on Saturday and proceeded to put on a clinic over my son and his friend throwing wacky senkos when everyone else was throwing it

[@Tbowie13]

Ooh I like that TS D. Spinning rod. I love my BlackJack...but since I don't fish for salmon on the great lakes anymore, a heavy spinning rod never occurred to me. You make a great point though!

[@gregstott8109]

I use it for twitching jigs for salmon here in Washington. It has enough power to handle those big coho and chum and I prefer the drag on a spinning reel for fish that make hard runs.

[@icatchfish9387]

I can't believe theres still people buying those tubes/using o-rings when the VMC crossover rings exist. Its better than the other options in every way, better action on the worm because the hook isn't poked through it, less chance of loosing the senko and better hookup ratio because almost the entire hook is exposed. It's the best way to wacky rig hands down.

[@jasonriede6056]

I heard you guys use your old rip senkos for ned rigging 😂😂😂

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

Only griff

[@jonathankim6755]

Is it just me or is the green pumpkin softer than the other colors? Am I crazy?

[@dem0nchild610]

Is it just me or Yamamoto seem different in the new package's?

[@ReactionGiants]

What size G7 tunes for roboworm?

[@FoxXi3]

Wonder what that juster stick would look like cut down a touch on the back of the chatterbait

[@youtubzkoz]

After it's used do this it is great. I literally thought the Java shad was a chatterbait trailer until this video... now I know

[@secretbassrigs]

try a line through weighted wacky hook on a senko/stick or fluke. I like the Yamamoto "D" Shad with it.

[@unfi6798]

Another great class in alternatives. Great show mate. What are your views on Bamboo Rods?

[@crawdad6185]

I've tried wacky style a handful of times for a total of maybe 5 minutes. Probably 75% or more bites come on the fall when throwing soft plastic, so I guess wacky is fine there. The problem I have with wacky style is I think Texas style beats wacky style 2 to 1 on the retrieve. That's why I always give up on wacky after 2 or 3 casts and go Texas.

[@JoseMartinez-dq4km]

Great tips

[@bobnery]

Best wacky hook I’ve found is a Gama B10S

[@Woefman911]

Would free rigging on Bait Caster solve the line coil theory of prefect vertical fall

[@Woefman911]

Ben was flipping us off when showing realis 😮

[@markphilippsjr]

I tell you what ,when you see your line running.... Sinko for the win

[@ItzTuko]

All the bass I fish are like nah we don’t want your spinner bait or you’re chatter bait bro we don’t even want your frog Or your fancy wopper plopper we just want a senko fam

[@youtubzkoz]

What line sizes are you using?

[@dustinwalker8152]

Gotta sale those 10,000 packs of senkos you ordered? Should do video of weird colors that work to help move some of those 9,990 funky colors.

[@chrisserafin5067]

Over order senkos Ben? Just kidding. I conveniently need to restock

[@ronaldcox2741]

What size weight do you recommend when free rigging it?

[@SolidMango-gh3jk]

What size owner sniper hook ?

[@treehunter1]

Hmm… I think I remember you saying you ordered every color of senkos and now this video is uploaded 🤔

[@youtubzkoz]

Yeah and the fact that it's that time of year... not a coincidence... 😂😂😂 it's the best month for wacky coming up

[@DynamoMan-js3cy]

What should I do with all my crankbaits

[@crazycotton]

I swear it’s my most effective lure

[@jimwrigley3304]

Not one person said how awesome these are on a shakey head? Catches a better class of fish than typical shakey head plastics. Thank me later.

[@codystowers74]

I pretty much refused to use wacky rigged Senkos for the longest time until like a week ago. They are just insanely boring to fish, but on a recent trip to Guntersville I absolutely wrecked them on a wacky rigged 5 inch Senko in Green Pumpkin/Red Flake fishing it around BlueGill beds in the shallow flats. If I wasn't cranking offshore ledges or creek channels, I pretty much always had a wacky rig tied on. As bad as I hate to, I may have to put in an order for some more Senkos for this summer 😂

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

👍👊🍻

[@thequixoticangler3364]

If you gotta catch one, the Senko always works. Just gotta figure out how they want it. Yup.

[@Glock-1]

I always use a Texas rig or chicken rig

[@scotsemmens596]

What size tube do we need for senkos?

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

Depends on which senko size. 8-11 usually

[@fishaholic122]

Do u only drink beer on Sundays?

[@davemccann3730]

Looks like a Slug go

[@XxNiteStockerxX]

Do you guys still get these packages or the new Yamamoto Baits package?

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

They all come in these packages.

[@trentfindley7212]

only time I wacky is when my worm tears into a wacky 3 or 4/0 flipping hook

[@alfredliggins8510]

When you're showing the rigging we can't really see what's going on cause you keep moving it all around

[@johnmiller5987]

Do they catch bass through the ice?

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

I can’t imagine why not - but I am certainly not the guy to ask. Anyone here used these ice fishing?

[@locodragon28]

I use vmc weighted wacky it is money!!

[@kryan318]

senko made bad fisherman able to catch fish😂😂

[@nawinchester]

My wife fishes ONLY a GY 5" senko.

[@codycantrell2780]

Those weed guards are the worst. Fished a wacky for years without problems. Tried these one day and lost 5 fish before changing hooks.

[@jasonjenkyns5083]

how does the Steez Sensor compare to the X-Bites for senkos?

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

That would be a great alternative to it

[@jasonjenkyns5083]

​@@thehookuptackle_usa thanks, would you say the X-Bites is closer in power to the Sensor or the 7'3 Utility Player?

[@spencerlord2834]

im about to order xbites what other things can you use with it.

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

It’s mainly my compact jig rod and small Texas rig rod

[@THELEGEND99B]

I’m looking for a travel casting rod that I can do some junk fishing with. You guys got any recommendations for something you have in stock. I love the triza line but it’s sold out at the moment. Best option in the world expedition?

[@IV-fad]

The 6'8M World Expedition is great! I throw crankbaits, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits primarily with it. Also works well for jerkbaits and topwaters. It's very versatile though, rated up to almost an ounce and being 85% graphite still has decent enough sensitivity for Texas rigs and lighter jigs to slow down from the moving baits.

[@seasgarage]

They did a video on exactly this topic not too long ago.

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

If you scroll back through our channel there’s some breakdowns of each line. Some Triza will be back next month as well.

[@Matt-bb5kw]

297 is the GOAT.

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

194J

[@hunterbull7804]

323

[@Matt-bb5kw]

@@thehookuptackle_usa Roland Martin's about to throw hands

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

@@Matt-bb5kw I can take him now 😂

[@bigmac183]

Tokyo Rig???? 🙂

[@akersnl]

How did I miss out on that hat?

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

I think you were 😴

[@LittleRapGuy]

Box sings; boxing; fishing; science/s....

[@LittleRapGuy]

Has anyone invented an electronic lure yet?

[@jimmymoring7415]

Why can't these people just show how to use their product and not advertise 99% of their podcast

[@thetrademarkclan]

Senkos fall apart after one or two fish....there are better worms.

[@docbrown9054]

My God you throw heavy senko gear... you live in AZ not FL... whole point is being forced to finesse.

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

It works for me 👍. You do you boo.

[@kryan318]

hated that gami hook. lost so many fish. worst hook ever

[@thehookuptackle_usa]

Yes

[@seanshanahan8844]

Does the universe ever answer?

[@Tallnerdyguy]

That duo looked like a turd lol.

[@freeyourmindtc]

All this has been said a thousand times. I have wormed fished for over 50 years and used all of the rigs. The key to catching bass is to find the bass. Thats why all pros have electronic gear. You can use every worm rig on the planet but if theres no bass in the area you catch nothing. This guy must be sponsored by senko or something. I love fishing, but you need a boat to find the fish. and all of the gear. Just get out there and take your kids. Peace

[@ethanqualm5718]

One more rabbit hole the senko imitates mosquito larvae almost perfectly the way they swim and so on but the real question you have to ask yourself does that predatory instinct of bass at their earliest inception to life translate into later years as they grow? Does the triggering mechanism of a bass remain? All questions no answers I suppose well just have to ask God when we get to heaven and we'll have to ask why a six pound bass will eat a senko like we'll eat a Snickers bar is it a snack or ingrained into their genetic makeup? Until we know just keep fishing 🎣

[@youtubzkoz]

I mean they made a 3" senko so yeah... and the Ned rig works...

[@kylemayer8486]

The one lure I refuse to throw.

[@soevasive]

Sucks for you

[@fishaholic122]

Love slow and boring!!

[@beastieboy5020]

I disagree you’re wrong. I use the gamakatsu finesse wide gap hook with the weed guard all day every day and I slay the fish on them. I never lose the fish from them spitting the hook. If you’re losing fish it’s because you suck at fishing it’s not the hook

[@rider660r]

You can catch bass with a turd on a hook,they're just a reaction striker. Everyone needs to try fishing for other species of fish that are actually a challenge to catch for once. They're the easiest thing to catch right behind Bream and many times even easier,hence why they have those TV tourneys. There is only one thing easier to catch than a bass or any other fish....that's those dolt bassfishers greenbacks at Bass Pro,etc.