They catch fish and dont wiggle while doing it.

[AustinTXAngler]

Hey guys, I?ve been pouring Bob's 5" stick molds and having good success with the finished product. However, what I have noticed is that the baits I produce do not shimmy as they fall like the original Senko. I use 6oz Calhoun plastic, 3oz popcorn salt, and have tried both 2 and 3 tsp of softener. The fall rate is great with this formula, very close to the real thing. But batches with 3 tsp softener are too soft and limp and don?t shimmy. 2 tsp softener seems perfect in the texture department but still no action on the way down???

What actually causes the bait to shimmy on the fall? Is it the ridges? Because the sticks coming out of Bob's molds don?t have the same deep grooves that a senko has. I am not convinced that the bait has to shimmy to catch fish, because I have been doing great with my baits, I'm just more curious than anything.

Hopefully you guys enjoy looking at fishing pictures like I do. I attached a pic of me and a 3-pound long, skinny Lake Buchanan bass, which I caught on one of the stick baits. The color was called 2AM, which is a golden yellowish puke color with large blue and copper flake. It took big bass of the day honors! I also was out-fishing the other guy in the boat so badly he started asking me for baits! Maybe my first customer? Haha!

Thanks,

[BigZ]

I use the same molds. I like to use 3:1 plastic to softener and 25-30% salt. They are soft and they do wiggle and will outlast a regular senko by a huge margin. I think the wiggle has a lot to do with what type of hook you use. The stix from Bob's have more of a gliding action. Like you said, they catch fish. I like to run them without salt too because I catch most of my fish on a carolina rig in open water. If I am fishing somewhere with lots of structure I'll throw salty ones weightless, but most of the time I am fishing pretty barren reservoirs and need to cover more water. 4" stix on a carolia or splitshot rig are fast becoming one of my favorites.

There is a previous thread in the forum that discusses s?nko-type bait formulas. Check it out at: http://tackleunderground.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=2546&highlight=softener+senko

I've even cheated and added a little #12 Skeet Shot to a bait. it works best if you pour 2 color and add the lead after you pour the first half of the bait... talk about sink rate...

[Reaper lures]

My best advice is -------------------------

DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE SHIMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your baits catch fish!!!! Right!!!!!!!

I see so many people saying this brand does'nt sink as fast a yamamoto or these worms don't have the same shimmy as Yamamoto's.

Bass don't have a stop watch to time the fall on senko's and they sure as heck don't care about the shimmy.

Keep doing what your doing and you will keep catching fish!!!!!

By the way I like a slower fall rate it gives that Bass more time to get pissed off and inhale the worm.

[Mattlures]

softner makes them wiggle. the weight of the salt also makes them wiggle

keep adding both until they come out right. my senko copies fall and wiggle exactly like the originals. i dont remember my formula but I put a ton of softner and salt. When I pull them from the molds they are too soft, but give them a little time and the salt will suck up some of the oils and make them stiffer. also if you make them to stiff you can lightly roll them with a pan on top to break them down a little. I totaly believe that the wiggle is the most important part about a senko. I only fish them wacky style to get the most wiggle.

Matt

[AustinTXAngler]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I think I might have figured out one of my problems. I was only using one mold and I don?t think I was waiting long enough before removing them and they would loose a lot of definition on the ridges. Last night I did some pours using 3 molds at the same time and let them sit longer, then after I removed them from the molds I immediately dunked them into a small pan of water to cool them off rapidly, and then laid them out to dry. I got a lot better looking ridges on the baits this way. I will try them again this weekend and hopefully they will work like I want them too.

Another thing I hadn?t thought of was the fact that they will become stiffer as they age because of the salt. I might tinker around with my formulas some more and see if I cant get it right.

Thanks again for everyone?s advice, you guys have been of great help.

[BigZ]

It's a good idea to let the mold sit for at least 3 minutes before you pop it open. The water will make them hold their shape as you discovered. If they are too hot when you put them in the water they'll deform. I'm off to throw some of the 4 inch baits right now...

[Senkosam]

LC's stick molds do fine and none have ridges. The ridges are a texture-thing and reflect light a little differently than smooth surfaces. Nice, but not necessary for the action you want.

You're on the right track balancing softness with salt content. I've found the same thing about the effect salt has on a bait once completely cooled. It hardens the plastic somewhat. A slower fall isn't a bad thing unless you're fishing in 20' or more but I usually do best in 6' or less and don't mind it. Plus, as a jerkworm, softer is better and you notice that a small turning of the reel handle causes a great side-to-side front tip action, which is just as effective as a quivering drop.

I make and pour two part molds, which I think contributes to the quiver. Flat sided lures quiver, but only with rod-tip action. Completely-round sticks body-roll and tip-quiver as long as the bait is soft enough. Both catch bass consistently regardless of different actions, but Senko's action is to be strived for because even a tiny difference in action can be significant in producing a unique lure.

Sam

[dtrs5kprs]

Have not poured with a mold from Bob's (although they look like a quality tool), but have poured a bunch with Del's mold. I think some of the variances in action, at least in the handpoured baits, are due to the settling of the salt in the tail of the lure. I have noticed, regardless of salt ratio (and more is WAY better), that you will usually end up with more salt in the tail portion of the bait. that obviously throws off the ablance, which is not a bad thing.

You can also make any of those baits, and trick worms, wiggle more by running the hook farther down into the worm before exiting to T-rig. Makes the nose and tail wiggle as the bait falls.

[camrynekai]

I had the same problem with the bait not having any wiggle.

I fixed the problem by pouring my plastic colder and it eliminated all the shrinking the bait had and they now have plenty of wiggle and the ribs are much more pronounced. I also made a snap on plate to cover the fill holes, so as soon as I pour the mold full I snap on the plate and turn the mold flat.........now I don't have baits that are heavy on one end.

[AustinTXAngler]

Man, great idea camrynekai, can you elaborate on the cover you made?

Thanks!

[camrynekai]

I just bent a piece of sheet metal with a roofers hand brake. It works great at keeping the plastic from coming out when I turn the mold on its side. I'm sure that you can find some C chanel at your local hardware store if you dont want to make one yourself.

[AustinTXAngler]

Awesome, I'll give it a shot. Thanks a bunch.