Hanna Robbins 9 pound bass at Anglers Inn Lake El Salto Mexico

I am sure Pete is going to laugh when he reads this because there was a time when I hated the Senko. I’d fish anything else – a Chatterbait, squarebill, topwater or spinnerbait – but if you suggested that I should throw a Senko I’d give you the stink eye.

Maybe it’s because I’m an active person. I like to be doing something. With a Senko, the best way to fish it is often to do nothing. The lure does all of the work. Yes, occasionally I’d tie one on and catch a few fish, but I never felt like I caught fish or as many fish as others did fishing that darn piece of plastic.

Reason number 5,638 why I travel to Anglers Inn International, as I have explained before, is because the guides are so patient. Even the ones who don’t speak much English can teach you how to improve or perfect a technique and boy I needed help. Because of their efforts, I have now learned how to use and fish a Senko.

In fact, if you asked me to choose a single lure for bass at any time, any place, in any depth, I know, I can’t believe it either, I’d answer “Senko.”

7-inch Senko green pumpkin for big bass in Mexico

Is it exciting? No. But it is incredibly effective, and despite my earlier resistance I know now that it is amazingly versatile, too.

You can wiggle it up shallow.

You can “deadstick”(rest it motionless) it in just about any depth.

You can put it on a wide variety of jigheads.

One of my favorite ways to fish it – one that Pete absolutely hates – is the Carolina Rig. He says it’s like watching paint dry. I love watching him cringe as I’m reeling in big fish.

You can also put it on a dropshot rig, which is effective all over, including in Mexico.

On a Texas Rig you can use a surprisingly wide range of tungsten weights (or none at all) depending on the water depth. One of the most popular ways for everyone from beginners to experts to fish it is on a wacky rig with an exposed hook point. For some reason my hookups are better on the Texas Rig. I guess I’m a little bit “different” that way.

My personal best bass, a 9 pound 12 ounce beast from Picachos, came while we were tied up to a tree and throwing out to the deep end of a tapering point.

Near double digit bass from Anglers Inn Lake Picachos Mexico

One of my next best bass, a 9-05, came throwing a Senko up to the edge of a vertical bluff and letting it fall.

It’s exciting to see your line jump as the lure falls, or to feel a fish swimming away with the lure and to know that you’re going to whack him.

My biggest largemouths, described above, came on 6-inch Senkos. My two best smallmouths, both nearing 5 ½ pounds, came on 5-inch Senkos while fishing with Arkansas pro Kevin Short at Bay de Noc near Escanaba, Michigan.

Hanna Robbins Senko Smallmouth Escanaba Michigan Bay de Noc

It never hurts my feelings if there’s a great topwater bite or fish are crushing a big spinnerbait, but I know that those patterns can be short-lived. It doesn’t matter how good or how tough the fishing may be – somewhere on the lake a bass will bite a Senko, and while it’s a great bait for numbers, my history tells me that it’s deadly on big fish, too.

That’s why I never leave home without them.

Three Dog Night may have told us that “one is the loneliest number,” but if you have the right one, it’s not so bad.