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Brent Ehrler’s 5 favorite Senko rigs

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Brent Ehrler is considered to be one of the most versatile anglers on the Bassmaster Elite Series. The Yamamoto Senko is considered to be one of the most versatile lures in bass fishing. So what happens when a master of versatility is asked to choose just one soft plastic for Elite Series competition? You uncover Ehrler’s five favorite ways to rig a Senko. <p> “If I could have just one soft plastic in my boat, it would be a standard 5-inch Yamamoto Senko in green pumpkin or some version of junebug or black with blue flake,” Ehrler said. “As long as I have my hook and weight box with me, I can adapt a Senko to match nearly any fishing condition I encounter.”
Brent Ehrler is considered to be one of the most versatile anglers on the Bassmaster Elite Series. The Yamamoto Senko is considered to be one of the most versatile lures in bass fishing. So what happens when a master of versatility is asked to choose just one soft plastic for Elite Series competition? You uncover Ehrler’s five favorite ways to rig a Senko.

“If I could have just one soft plastic in my boat, it would be a standard 5-inch Yamamoto Senko in green pumpkin or some version of junebug or black with blue flake,” Ehrler said. “As long as I have my hook and weight box with me, I can adapt a Senko to match nearly any fishing condition I encounter.”

When asked for his five favorite renditions of a Senko, Ehrler immediately assembled his preferred arsenal, changing only the hook style, positions and weight graduations. <p> “What makes a Senko unique is its ‘shimmy’ or ‘quiver’ as it falls through the water column – it looks very natural,” Ehrler detailed. “No matter how you rig it, that subtle quivering during the fall is always happening to some degree.” <p> From left to right, Ehrler’s five Senko faves include: 1) the classic Texas-rigged weightless Senko; 2) a nail weight Senko; 3) a weightless wacky-rigged Senko; 4) a Texas-rigged weighted Senko for flipping and pitching; and 5) a drop shot with the Senko wacky-rigged on the hook. He clarified he relies on all five rigs throughout a season and this picture does not necessarily depict any order of preference.
When asked for his five favorite renditions of a Senko, Ehrler immediately assembled his preferred arsenal, changing only the hook style, positions and weight graduations.

“What makes a Senko unique is its ‘shimmy’ or ‘quiver’ as it falls through the water column – it looks very natural,” Ehrler detailed. “No matter how you rig it, that subtle quivering during the fall is always happening to some degree.”

From left to right, Ehrler’s five Senko faves include: 1) the classic Texas-rigged weightless Senko; 2) a nail weight Senko; 3) a weightless wacky-rigged Senko; 4) a Texas-rigged weighted Senko for flipping and pitching; and 5) a drop shot with the Senko wacky-rigged on the hook. He clarified he relies on all five rigs throughout a season and this picture does not necessarily depict any order of preference.

<b>Classic Texas rigged weightless</b><br> This version of the Senko is the most popular with bass anglers and consists simply of an offset worm hook Texas-rigged into the Senko with no weight. Cast it out, let it free-fall and the Senko does the rest, seductively wagging its tail as it falls through the water. Ehrler throws his weightless Senko on casting gear spooled with 14- or 16-pound test Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon on a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG Superline hook. <p> “This is an awesome rig in the spring when blind casting around scattered vegetation for spawning fish,” Ehrler said. “Don’t try to work this rig, just cast it out and dead stick it – let it fall on slack line so it can shimmy on its own. Once it hits the bottom, pull it up once and let it free fall again. Then reel it in and cast it again. In my experience, 90 percent of the bites on this rig come on the initial fall.”
Classic Texas rigged weightless
This version of the Senko is the most popular with bass anglers and consists simply of an offset worm hook Texas-rigged into the Senko with no weight. Cast it out, let it free-fall and the Senko does the rest, seductively wagging its tail as it falls through the water. Ehrler throws his weightless Senko on casting gear spooled with 14- or 16-pound test Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon on a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG Superline hook.

“This is an awesome rig in the spring when blind casting around scattered vegetation for spawning fish,” Ehrler said. “Don’t try to work this rig, just cast it out and dead stick it – let it fall on slack line so it can shimmy on its own. Once it hits the bottom, pull it up once and let it free fall again. Then reel it in and cast it again. In my experience, 90 percent of the bites on this rig come on the initial fall.”

<b>Weighted Texas rig</b><br> In this version, the Senko is still Texas-rigged but now a bullet weight is added to make the Senko more pitch-able and flip-able around cover. The size of the weight depends on the cover, but Ehrler typically uses anywhere from 1/8- to 1/4-ounce tungsten pegged onto the line. <p> “The weighted Texas rig is by far the most universal of all the Senko rigs,” Ehrler revealed. “I have one of these tied on in my rod box at all times, no matter where we fish. It’s an absolute staple in my boat. I can cast it, pitch it, flip it and use it in any water clarity on any kind of cover. I generally fish it on 16-pound test Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon, but I’ve used it on braid as well, especially around tough, wiry vegetation in Florida.” <p> Ehrler notes this rig was responsible for his catches at the Elite Series on the Chesapeake in 2015 and the St. Johns River in 2016.
Weighted Texas rig
In this version, the Senko is still Texas-rigged but now a bullet weight is added to make the Senko more pitch-able and flip-able around cover. The size of the weight depends on the cover, but Ehrler typically uses anywhere from 1/8- to 1/4-ounce tungsten pegged onto the line.

“The weighted Texas rig is by far the most universal of all the Senko rigs,” Ehrler revealed. “I have one of these tied on in my rod box at all times, no matter where we fish. It’s an absolute staple in my boat. I can cast it, pitch it, flip it and use it in any water clarity on any kind of cover. I generally fish it on 16-pound test Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon, but I’ve used it on braid as well, especially around tough, wiry vegetation in Florida.”

Ehrler notes this rig was responsible for his catches at the Elite Series on the Chesapeake in 2015 and the St. Johns River in 2016.

<b>Wacky rigged</b><br> Continuing with Ehrler’s display of Senko versatility is the wacky rig. In fact, the next three renditions of his Senko faves are some version of a wacky rig. <p> Ehrler’s recipe for a standard wacky rig is to stick a 1/0 Gamakatsu B10S Stinger hook through the “egg sack” (the smooth area) located about 1/3 of the way down on a Senko. The B10S hook is a specialty hook made for tying flies, but its unique design makes it the best wacky-rig hook Ehrler has found. <p> “The weightless wacky rig is killer for skipping under docks and around bushes,” Ehrler said. “I usually fish it on a spinning outfit with 12 pound-test SX1 braid tied to an 8-pound test leader of Sunline Super FC Sniper. When bass are chasing bream in the postspawn, the wacky rig is hard to beat.”
Wacky rigged
Continuing with Ehrler’s display of Senko versatility is the wacky rig. In fact, the next three renditions of his Senko faves are some version of a wacky rig.

Ehrler’s recipe for a standard wacky rig is to stick a 1/0 Gamakatsu B10S Stinger hook through the “egg sack” (the smooth area) located about 1/3 of the way down on a Senko. The B10S hook is a specialty hook made for tying flies, but its unique design makes it the best wacky-rig hook Ehrler has found.

“The weightless wacky rig is killer for skipping under docks and around bushes,” Ehrler said. “I usually fish it on a spinning outfit with 12 pound-test SX1 braid tied to an 8-pound test leader of Sunline Super FC Sniper. When bass are chasing bream in the postspawn, the wacky rig is hard to beat.”

<b>Nail weight rig</b><br> Also known as a Neko rig, this is a weighted version of the wacky rig Senko, featuring a nail weight in the head for a faster sink in current or in deeper waters beyond 7 or 8 feet where a standard wacky rig would take too long to sink. This rig falls through the water like a Texas-rig, but takes on more of a wacky-rig action once it hits the bottom and the angler begins lightly hopping it. Ehrler uses the same components from the standard wacky rig – spinning gear with 12-pound test braid to 8-pound test fluorocarbon tied to a Gamakatsu B10s Stinger hook – then pushes a 3/32 nail weight into the head. <p> “The important thing with a nail weight rig is to use an O-ring on the Senko,” Ehrler revealed. “When I’m fishing a regular wacky rig, I just put the hook through the Senko. But since this rig has a weight in it, that soft plastic will tear more easily when making casts. The O-ring absorbs the G-force of the cast and saves wear and tear on the plastic.”
Nail weight rig
Also known as a Neko rig, this is a weighted version of the wacky rig Senko, featuring a nail weight in the head for a faster sink in current or in deeper waters beyond 7 or 8 feet where a standard wacky rig would take too long to sink. This rig falls through the water like a Texas-rig, but takes on more of a wacky-rig action once it hits the bottom and the angler begins lightly hopping it. Ehrler uses the same components from the standard wacky rig – spinning gear with 12-pound test braid to 8-pound test fluorocarbon tied to a Gamakatsu B10s Stinger hook – then pushes a 3/32 nail weight into the head.

“The important thing with a nail weight rig is to use an O-ring on the Senko,” Ehrler revealed. “When I’m fishing a regular wacky rig, I just put the hook through the Senko. But since this rig has a weight in it, that soft plastic will tear more easily when making casts. The O-ring absorbs the G-force of the cast and saves wear and tear on the plastic.”

<b>Drop shot rig</b><br> Ehrler is often regarded as an expert in the drop shot department and one of his drop shot secrets is to wacky rig a Senko on a drop shot rig. Instead of nose-hooking the bait, he puts the Senko on the hook (B10S Stinger) wacky style. <p> “Honestly, when I use this technique, I prefer the smaller 4-inch Senko, but I can make it work with the standard 5-inch one, too. It’s a killer on smallmouth on lakes like Champlain, St. Clair and Erie. When fishing this rig I use a 14-inch leader from the weight to the hook to give the Senko plenty of room to shimmy back down to the bottom when I lift and drop the bait. The idea is to keep the weight on the bottom and just lift and drop the Senko so it quivers naturally during the fall.”
Drop shot rig
Ehrler is often regarded as an expert in the drop shot department and one of his drop shot secrets is to wacky rig a Senko on a drop shot rig. Instead of nose-hooking the bait, he puts the Senko on the hook (B10S Stinger) wacky style.

“Honestly, when I use this technique, I prefer the smaller 4-inch Senko, but I can make it work with the standard 5-inch one, too. It’s a killer on smallmouth on lakes like Champlain, St. Clair and Erie. When fishing this rig I use a 14-inch leader from the weight to the hook to give the Senko plenty of room to shimmy back down to the bottom when I lift and drop the bait. The idea is to keep the weight on the bottom and just lift and drop the Senko so it quivers naturally during the fall.”

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