Senko
Also called stick bait, soft stick worm, dinger
A plain, salt-impregnated soft-plastic stick worm whose only action is a slow, shimmying fall. One of the most effective bass baits ever made.
Senko is Gary Yamamoto's brand and the word most anglers use for the whole category. The bait is a featureless cylinder with tapered ends. It has no tail, no appendages and no built-in movement. Salt loaded into the plastic makes it heavy enough to cast unweighted and gives it a dense, slow sink.
On the fall it shimmies, both ends quivering, and that is the entire presentation. Cast it, watch the line, and wait. Most bites come while it is dropping and register as the line ticking or swimming sideways.
It works everywhere and it is nearly foolproof, which is why it is the bait most often recommended to someone who has not caught a bass yet. Rig it Texas style, wacky style, or weightless.
Watch the line, not the rod tip. On a weightless Senko you see the bite before you feel it.
Related terms
Where this comes up
The guides that use senko and show it on real gear.
Senko is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
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