The Solution is Often One More Bag of Senkos

I’m in Mexico this week, at Lake El Salto, doing some of the painful research necessary for my job as an outdoor writer.  I’ll be honest, we go in June every year (since 2013, with the exception of the COVID-plagued 2020) because I live for the cranking bite. Throwing out a big plug that dives 20-plus feet, bouncing it off the tip of a rock point, and having it go sideways under the weight of one big bass or two midsized bass is euphoric. It’s also not something we get to do much at home. On my home waters of the Potomac River I rarely fish more than 6 feet deep, and the scuffed up skeg of my trolling motor is proof that my preferred depth is a fraction of that, so driving a deep diver is a rare treat, and worth the wrist pain.

But no matter what time I head South of the Border – and I’ve been in October, November, December, January, February, May and June – there’s a ritual in my packing process. I don’t have to take as wide a variety as many guests because I already have about 80 pounds of gear down there, but I always bring some. It’s partially to try new things and partially to restock the staples, but the last step is always to throw in one or maybe two bags of Senkos. Usually 6-inch green pumpkin, but sometimes I mix it up and go with 6-inch watermelon, or either of those colors in 5- or 7-inch.

You see, even on a world-class lake sometimes the reaction bite dies or diminishes and when that happens a Senko is a life-changer. Moreover, someone in your group (usually the person who needs them most) is likely to run out, or (despite my pre-trip packing lists) come with none at all. To that person, you are a lifesaver.

Just as importantly, a bag of Senkos acts as a shock-absorber or padding for your other gear. Put them in your camera bag, or your reel carrier, and they protect everything else. At least that’s what I tell myself. It’s also why I usually end up bringing more than just one “extra” bag. They may be heavy, but they don’t take up much room, and I don’t want to be fishing on Day Six and need to start gluing them back together. Life is too short to use broken or torn Senkos.