Gary Yamamoto "Senko" Hot

The original senko is one of the best stick bait out there in my opinion. It has a nice fall rate with a "wiggle" that drives bass crazy. All of the colour selections are out there for whatever you need. Stick baits in general are very versatile baits. They can be rigged and fished in many different ways.

These were the baits that really got me into bass fishing. Before I had a boat / kayak I would head over to the marina and throw it weightless under docks and within seconds BAM!.

The Senko is not without negatives:
1st - Durability, don’t be surprised if you only catch 1 or 2 fish per bait. (Note: Save the broken ends they can be used for future rigging = Ned rig, etc)
2nd - Price, here in Canada you're looking at paying 2x as much for GYCB Senkos vs. the other stick baits out there.

Personally I have switched over to "knock-off" senkos because of the above. The off brands DO work but honestly the ones I have used are not on the same level as the Senko for bait action.

This is the first year I've used a Gary Yamamoto Senko and have to say it's my go to bait if fishing is slow. I had been out of the fishing scene for about 10 years, and a friend of mine showed me how to use them and it instantly became a favorite. I have tried the knock-off brands, and although they work they don't have the same amount of action as the original senko. The senko is hands down the best stickbait out there. On the negative side, they break very easily. I agree with the previous reviewer in that you'd be very lucky to have one last beyond 2 fish. I now use them with o-rings and it helps them last a little longer. Their price is quite a bit higher than the knock-offs also, but if you want to catch more fish you have to use the best, period.

The Yamamoto Senko is THE stickbait in my opinion. Every other stick bait tries to be as good as the original. Some get very close, but in my opinion they all fall a little bit short.

While the action of the Senko is amazing, the durability leaves a lot to be desired. You are lucky to get 2 fish out of one bait. Some of the other manufacturers baits are much tougher and will allow you to catch many more fish per bait, but their action is not near as good as the original.

When it comes a time when I need to put fish in the yak, you will definitely find me with a Yamamoto Senko tied on.

The Senko is the stick bait that all other stick baits are measured against. While I like the Yamamoto Senko's action, I do not like the lack of durability. The same soft feel that gives it the fish enticing action, also is its major weak spot. You can only expect 1-2 fish per lure.

In my opinion the best worm on the market. I've caught more fish with this worm than I can count. I have two whole tackle boxes full of these and I've yet to find a color of them that doesn't just drive fish wild. Tons of ways to fish it (weightless, weight-on, texas rigged, wacky)

I've had most of my success with it fishing it wacky style. The fish normally hit it on the fall and they just can't handle the wobble that this worm has while it's falling. Yamamoto pours a lot of salt into the worm and I've yet to find a salt infused worm that produces for me near the rate these do.

You can get them in 3-7". I normally only fish the 5" in these.

Only cons I have are you will blow through them pretty quick, because of the amount of salt they don't hold up well and you can usually only get a few fish with each worm. They are a bit on the higher side for stick worms but like I've said in some of my past reviews I'll pay for it if it puts fish in the boat and it does that for sure.