How Much Does Your 5" Senko Weigh?

[Senkosam]

For some reason I thought to weigh my Senko copy loaded with large grain sea salt and compare it to GY's bait in softness and weight. The most I could get it to weigh and still maintain a softness and flex equal to GY's was 11 grams. YUM Dingers weigh 10 grams and are equally soft. Big Bite Baits are stiffer but also weigh 10 grams.

I'm not sure if the extra gram makes a difference but softness is a must and especially for slower falling stick.

Edited March 24, 2013 by Senkosam

[ipt]

this winter i have done extensive senko testing to get the right wiggle. weight is really dependant on the size of the senko.

 

All my numbers and tests are with 5" senkos. I have used basstackle, delmart, and bears 5" sticks

 

using the same formula on each, the BT one weighs about 10.5g, delmart weighs 11.5g, and bears weighs 9.5g. 

 

now the trick is keeping it soft enough to wiggle, but stiff enough to retract and keep wiggling. 

[Senkosam]

now the trick is keeping it soft enough to wiggle, but stiff enough to retract and keep wiggling.

 I had to keep adding softener until the lure was soft enough to counteract the addition of so much large crystal sea salt. I'm tempted to pour some salt into both halves along with a thin layer of plastic and then close them for the final pour. Should add wt. and texture. I can't get it over 11 g no matter how much I stir.

[sfist]

Well I did a lot of testing over time I have come to 10-12 tablespoons of salt , and 2-3 tablespoons of softner in  L.C. medium plastic. They weighted around 10-11 ozs. I know use soft plastic and 1/4 cup more or less no softner and they are great flex, wiggle and sink rate.  Scott

[ipt]

what mold are you using senkosam? a good measure for the proper weight is 50% of the weight of your plastic. i suggest weighing everything out so there is no variance on your formulas. when you are doing a cup of plastic and tablespoons, etc. they are never exactly the same. senkos are the only thing i weigh everything on, i even weigh the softener and colorants

[MonteSS]

Here are my results. Had my pharmacist weight them

 

Real Senko 10.86g
Pickling salt  (2 heaping tblsp per 4 oz + 1 tblsp softener) 11.51g
powdered salt (2 heaping tblsp per 4 oz + 1 tblsp softener) 10.80g
HDS from Caney/do-it (2 level tbsp)11.15g

 

I dont weigh the additives as accurately as IPT but should for consistancy.

 

I use a Dels mold which is same size as real Senko.

 

Use the HD additive if you dont need your baits to be clear. I easily catch 50 bass on one stick when fishing wacky with an o-ring. Baits come out very soft using medium plastic and no added softener. Hooks dont rust either.

 

...Bill

 

[Senkosam]

Same as MonteSS - Del's

Think I'll start ordering soft plastic and go from there.  A lot of salt firms plastic if I'm not mistaken so I might still need to add softener. Of course the final softeness can't be determined in my sticks until they set for at least 48 hours or more, which I think reveals the biggest problem with even GY senkos or other brand sticks - namely that though they feel soft going into the bag, turn out to be much stiffer than thought. I have a few GY bags of crap Senkos that I bought on clearance and will melt down.

Edited March 25, 2013 by Senkosam

[nova]

Let me throw a twist into this conversation. You have to take into account the density of the water in order to calculate the fall rate. Cold water is denser than warm water.

[ipt]

Let me throw a twist into this conversation. You have to take into account the density of the water in order to calculate the fall rate. Cold water is denser than warm water.

 

i have wondered the details about that. I've been testing my senkos in an indoor pool this winter. temperature is probably about 60 degrees.

 

I always assumed it was more dense, but wondered what the affect would be. Sink rate would be slower? Wiggle would be harder to get? Anything else?

[nova]

The denser the water the more resistance the bait will have, hence a slower fall rate.

 

So, if you compare the 50 degree water in my water in May and the 70+ degree water in Fla in May there's a big differance in the fall rate.

 

Everything is relative; so you have to be careful when you tell someone that your baits have a fall rate of such and such.

Edited March 25, 2013 by nova

[Senkosam]

I would think that cold water stiffens the plastic reducing the tip action. I might try freezing a few sticks and checking the action.

[ipt]

i test in cold water, so im going to assume if they wiggle good in the cold, they will wiggle even better in the warm!

[bflp]

The denser the water the more resistance the bait will have, hence a slower fall rate.

 

So, if you compare the 50 degree water in my water in May and the 70+ degree water in Fla in May there's a big differance in the fall rate.

 

Everything is relative; so you have to be careful when you tell someone that your baits have a fall rate of such and such.

But if your bait is the same density as another bait, it should have the same sink rate as the other bait, regardless of water temperature(given the same materials).

[nova]

 

But if your bait is the same density as another bait, it should have the same sink rate as the other bait, regardless of water temperature(given the same materials).

 

Yes. That's why I said all things are relative. If you tell someone your baits fall at a certain speed you have to clear with them about the water temp or they may call you a fibber; or worst yet, tell other folks your baits are junk. and knowing human nature; the later is probably what will happen.

[mark poulson]

You should probably just use scientific terms, like slow, medium, and fast, to describe the rate of fall, to avoid any confusion.

[bass100]

I weighed mine in grains.  GY 5" weighs 169.9 grains and mine from Del's molds is 180.8 grains.  I use Super Soft Sinking plastic from MF and a 1/2 cup of fine salt per 2 cups of plastic.

[Senkosam]

The fall rate in any temp water should be the same. The flex action might not be.

 

I will try the MF sinking plastic. Beats adding a ton of softener!

[smallmouthaholic]

Did any of you entrepreneurs ever consider mixing fine sand and salt w/ your plastisol ? Mix the finest,white sand w/ your salt-50/50 and use in a presto pot w/ a stirrer for consistency.Softener is always necessary when you add any salt and /or sand combo..Course ,granular salt produces a weak and easily torn stick worm. Bear's has the finest salt on the market.

[nova]

I used fine blasting sand once just to experiment. I found it made the bait very stiff even with softner.

[ipt]

The fall rate in any temp water should be the same. The flex action might not be.

 

I will try the MF sinking plastic. Beats adding a ton of softener!

 

mf super soft is the best plastic for senkos in my opinion, and ive tried em all.

 

 

Did any of you entrepreneurs ever consider mixing fine sand and salt w/ your plastisol ? Mix the finest,white sand w/ your salt-50/50 and use in a presto pot w/ a stirrer for consistency.Softener is always necessary when you add any salt and /or sand combo..Course ,granular salt produces a weak and easily torn stick worm. Bear's has the finest salt on the market.

 

ive used a ton of different additives, there are objects that are more dense than salt, but i found they dont quite suspend as well in the baits. you really cant beat the price of salt, and the fish love it too.

 

bears salt is super fine, almost too fine in my opinion, i use a more coarse salt which makes the baits a little bit softer.

[Senkosam]

Diamond brand fine salt in supermarkets is cheap and stays suspended long enough for multiple pours.

[Smallie]

Diamond brand fine salt in supermarkets is cheap and stays suspended long enough for multiple pours.

I agree Frank - I have been using that salt ever since you posted it it some years ago and it works great. It is also sweet to get it at the Supermarket. It was just on sale last week for 69 cents for 22oz package.

[Senkosam]

For texture I've added coarse sea salt to the fine salt.