Killing Me Softly

Do you remember the great Elite Series Falcon tournament of 2008?

Records were set and hearts were broken when they averaged 25 pounds a day and didn’t make the cut.

The top 12 anglers all hit the Century Mark, something that’ll likely not be accomplished again in the near future now that BASS cuts to 10 anglers on Day Four – although, for the record, the top 10 all hit a hundy at Fork earlier this year, so I’m saying there’s a chance if they ever go back to 12.

But what I really remember is that tackle was scarce. There were two little tackle shops in town, and while they had solid selections for what was needed, they didn’t have everything in volume. I seriously thought I was going to run out of tungsten weights in certain sizes and then not be able to replace them. It’s like that dream you have of forgetting your homework or having to recite the Pledge of Allegiance naked in front of your middle school class – except this one was straight-up legit and happening.

And in the midst of all of this, some anglers had the audacity to take two 6- or 7-inch Senkos and glue them together. They wanted a bigger snack option for the Falcon grandes, something that might deter those pesky 4- and 5-pounders. And they were brazen about it.

We all know that the Senko is a delicate flower. Its softness and unmatched action (despite the attempts of so many others to copy it) is why people still buy the originals. In bulk. Truth be told, I probably have more Senkos in key colors than I can use in a lifetime, and I still continue to amass more, worried that the roads to Page, Arizona may someday get washed out, or they’ll lose the recipe. So I’m mildly stingy with them. I know that some of you like to use an O-Ring with your Senkos. I prefer not to do so unless absolutely necessary, like when I’m Neko Rigging. I have no earthly idea if it truly makes a difference, but I think it does, and I can afford to use more than a few Senkos each time out, so I forgo the additional rubbery hardware. 

Still, I go through a lot of Senkos. Some of them are lost while battling fish. Others are lost to short strikers. Still, others get snagged and left behind. And every time I have an empty Yamamoto Baits bag it feels like I’ve accomplished something significant and yet at the same time I’m a little bit sad.

One time at Lake Picachos, our guide tied us up to a tree and we got bit literally every cast if we threw a soft plastic. Sometimes we’d miss the hookset and another fish would grab it. My wife Hanna caught a 9-12, and as we paused to take pictures, something grabbed my Senko dangling overboard and took my rod for a ride. Fortunately, I used another rod to recover it – and the fish. I don’t remember how many Senkos we went through that day, but it might’ve been enough to finance one or two months’ truck payments. 

All of this got me wondering – what is the largest number of Senkos anyone’s ever gone through in a day?

And can I beat that mark?

Because while I hope never to run out, if I somehow did – given my stash – it would be the accomplishment of a lifetime.