Ultra Shallow Senko Fishing Tips For Fall Bass

We're in Wisconsin fishing ultra shallow water for big bass! The fish have moved up under docks in less than 18 inches of crystal clear water and have shut down. How do we lure these big bass into biting on a post front day? Come along for a fun day of big bass catching in the MidWest as we put the pieces together and catch a ton of fish in tough conditions!

We started the day out deep and couldn't find any willing fish. We planned to catch them on crankbaits and swimbaits but the bass had other ideas. They'd pulled into shallow docks, often sitting in less than a foot of water along the support beams. When we finally put the pieces together the senko was the only bait they would eat. Typically bass under docks eat the senko on the initial fall but not this day!

The key to the bite was letting the senko soak. After the short fall to the bottom we had to let the senko sit motionless for 30-45 seconds before the tell tale "tick" on the line would alert us to a bite. While it was a painstaking way to fish, it paid off in a big way as we caught monster smallmouth after monster smallmouth all afternoon! Don't be afraid to get out there and fish this Fall. Even as Winter approaches there are big fish waiting to be caught!

Due to the bass' location we had to use much heavier leader than normal for spinning tackle. We ran 12 lb braid like we often do for ultralight combos but instead of going to a lighter leader material, we stepped up to 18 lb Fluorocarbon to give us a fighting chance against the bass amongst the cross members and chains below the docks. Below is a breakdown of all the tackle and equipment used in this video.

The Setup...

Bait- Yamamoto 5" Senko (Green Pumpkin Blk Flake): http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

Hook- Gamakatsu G-Finesse Stinger Weedless Wacky (Size 1): http://bit.ly/2otYTPg

Tool- O Wacky Tool: http://bit.ly/2wtX7M8

O-Ring- http://bit.ly/2MolpRD

Senko Combo...

Rod- G Loomis NRX 852S JWR: http://bit.ly/2dX9zjv

Reel- Shimano Exsence 3000: http://bit.ly/2iMtscV

Braid- 12 lb Plasma Asegai Sunline: http://bit.ly/2LWwBWE

Leader- 18 lb Sunline Sniper: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Budget Combo...

Rod- Dobyns Fury 7' Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2e7HZPF

Reel- Shimano Nasci 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- 12 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Pelican Thumb (1).jpg

NEW PB!! Trophy Smallmouth - Sturgeon Bay, WI

3 new PERSONAL BEST smallmouth bass on one lake!! CC and Tonya both got to catch monster Smallmouth on finesse tackle and Tim's son JD (6 years old) got in on the action with a 5.26 lber of his own!! What an amazing trip! Come along with us for some amazing fishing on world famous Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

We planned this trip over a year ago and were actually en route when Matt got into his terrible car crash. Fast forward a year and we all regrouped and came together for Sturgeon Bay round 2! The weather didn't play nice but we would not be stopped... we pushed through the wind and rain and found exactly what we came there for.

Despite the tough fishing reports leading up to our arrival, we had an amazing time on Lake Michigan. Our group caught several smallmouth over 6 lbs, more than a dozen 5 lbers, and countless 3's and 4's. Wisconsin did not disappoint! If you ever get the chance to fish Sturgeon Bay be sure and make it happen. Thanks for coming along with us on our vacation!

Below is a breakdown of our favorite baits from the trip as well as a couple of the combos that really performed while fighting these monster fish.

The baits...

-Keitech 4" Easy Shiner: http://bit.ly/2bxJK6H (Tennessee Shad)

-Megabass Okashira Screw Head: http://bit.ly/2EpluSA

-Keitech 3.3" Fat Swing Impact Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v (Electric Shad, Goby, Chartreuse Blue)

Megabass Dark Sleeper: http://bit.ly/2TyR1GT (Donko, Haze, Wakasagi)

-Dry Creek 3.5" Tube: http://bit.ly/2cJwI6r (Green Pumpkin)

-Strike King Half Shell: http://bit.ly/2iR9awm (Green Pumpkin Purple, KVD Magic)

-Outcast Tackle Feider Fly 1/16 oz: http://bit.ly/2G7TBwj (Black)

-Owner Mosquito Light Hooks (Size 2): http://bit.ly/2zQVKx3

Matt's Combo for hair jigs, and other ultralight presentations...

Rod- Conquest 902 SJR: http://bit.ly/2BiGUNi

Reel- Stradic Ci4+ 2500: http://bit.ly/2gu84t7

Line- Sunline Sniper Fluorocarbon 5 lb: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Tim's Combo For Dark Sleeper, Keitech, and Screw Head...

Rod- NRX 852C JWR: http://bit.ly/2hedqsq

Reel- Aldebaran MGL: http://bit.ly/2uQ4oH8

Line- 20 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 10 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

CC with monster 5+ smallmouth-2 copy.jpg