The Yamamoto Senko literally changed my fishing life. I was a relatively late adopter and still kick myself for missing out on fish I could have caught – if only I’d listened sooner. Still, over the past 20-plus years the 5” version has caught more bass for me than any other lure. In fact, it has probably caught more than any two or three other lures combined.

Over that same period, I’ve tried to seriously simplify my Senko fishing. As I’ve written previously, the biggest mistake you can make with this lure is to overcomplicate things. I firmly believe that you could be at least 90 percent effective with just three colors – black with blue flake, some sort of watermelon and some sort of green pumpkin. I’m generally true to that concept as the vast majority of my healthy stockpile is in those shades, but I still have others ready “just in case.” I also listen to pros and other experts and observe their choices. 

Here are three more you should consider:

Bubblegum (#229) – When first introduced to the Senko back in the 90s, I assumed it was meant to be worked as a fluke, so I bought fluke-type colors. They eventually got pushed to the back of the shelf or bottom of the pile. Years later, one of my favorite guides at Lake El Salto told me about the grandson of a regular client. The kid, perhaps 8 or 9 years old, insisted upon throwing a bubblegum Senko and beat the crap out of everyone else on the water. Throughout the day, the guide could hear the kid saying “bubblegumbubblegumbubblegumbubblegum.” I’m not sure if it was the lure or the mantra or both, but they catch ‘em.

Green Pumpkin With Chartreuse Tail (#913) – Warning: If there are a lot of bluegill or perch around, they’ll drive you crazy pecking at this thing, but when bass are focused on bluegills – either guarding their own beds or patrolling the brim beds, this is my number one choice. I’ve had huge success with it pitching to buck brush and willows at Buggs Island and around “moon craters” on the Potomac. At other times of year, I think you’re often better off just throwing straight green pumpkin.

General’s Melon (#990) – The General himself, Larry Nixon, told my wife Hanna she doesn’t need to use much else. Dude’s caught more fish on a worm than any five other people you know. That’s good enough for me. It’s a killer just about everywhere.

Why should you trust me? It’s precisely because I’m not Larry Nixon. I’m an average weekend angler with access to the best in the world. I observe them closely and get every bit of help I can get. These extras are worth branching out from my “core three.”