Tiki / Bamboo Stick

[Christopher Laurencio]

I could not resist the urge to buy these Senko look a likes I seen in wallyworld this Saturday, they are the Tikki or Bamboo Stick, they are very thick. The color was just to much for me to pass-up.

It's called Sweet potatoe pie and looked very promising.

They smell kinda funny!

But here is the problem, they are heavy enough to cast weightless and all but they don't seem to fall in the water the same way as a Senko, they seem to drift towards you instead of how the Senko pulls away from you when it is falling in the water. Anyone notice this? when fishing non Senkos, I think the direction of the fall is a huge factor in strikes! Maybe I should try Wackystyle?

 

[Bob G.]

Accept no imitations!!!



Bob G.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Bob's got it.....Often imitated, never duplicated. Until someone makes a working replica you are better off sticking with the original. If the knock-offs worked, don't you think that GYCB would have started the price wars by now, there are scads of look-alikes out there for 1/2 the $$. For the most part they don't. Remember, we are talking about a creature that has a brain the size of a pea and no opposable thumbs...so how difficult is it to out smart them? I got my perspective when Fish Fishburne made a spinnerbait out of a golf ball, hit it into a golf course pond tied to a spinning reel with the bail open (duh) and caught a bass.



Whether it be size, scent, salt, smell, texture, profile, fall rate, vibration, reflection, taste, color, shape, or action, they work. They trigger some part of a fishes instinctive pea brain into eating that bait. They work...period.



TOXIC

 

[Casey Campbell]

I saw the Tiki's and thought "Hey, cheaper Senko's", so I bought a few packs and have not caught a thing on them. I went out Monday, went through an entire bag of Senko's and caught nine bass. Something to that Yamamoto magic.



Casey

 

[gone bye bye]

I meant to say that the hook will be centered in the bait more, I dont want to start another tin vs. glass thing....lol



I forgot to log in on my previous post, so I cant edit it....



Mini

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Mini,

What color's work for you, have you tried the "Sweet Potatoe Pie" color, looks real good.



So what you are saying is if I use a bigger hook with the Tiki Stick because of the thickness it may help the action of the fall. (I really think and it's obvoius that the initial fall is what causes most strikes with weightless Senkos) I bought some packages of Slug-O brand 4-0 worm hooks in Wallyworld 1$ a package on clearance. They are a little bigger than I usually use when I T- rig Senko's weightless. I will give it a try. Now that I think of it, maybe it's the density of the bait that's making it fall different than the Senko, it falls much slower and side to side.

 

[gone bye bye]

I use a 3/0 Mustad UltraPoint BigMouth Tube hook designed by Kevin VanDam. I will start with the 3/0 and adjust from there based on how much weight I need. 2/0 for lighter 4/0 for heavier, even up to 5/0.



I like the watermelon, black and different flakes in each. I have been using them since they were called EGO's.....(They changed the name to Tiki Stik)



Mini

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Mini or others,

Have another question if you don't mind, what type hook do you find works better for Senko's and others.

The Wide Gap hooks or the "in-line" worm hooks with the one turn up by the eye of the hook. The reason I ask is the "in-line" hooks seem to be thicker in diameter, do you find the hookset more difficult with the heavier diameter? I do, I am missing a lot of fish on the hookset. The wide gap hook is easier for me to set the hook with but not as weedless and seems to break the Senko queicker.

 

[gone bye bye]

Again, try the hook I mentioned. It is a "wide gap" style, bit noe like a Gammie EWG. The UltraPoint is the sharpest in the industry and it will stay that way no matter how many logs you set the hook into.



If you still are having trouble, by all means drop down to a light wire hook. Like the Mustad Mega-Lite UltraPoints....Daves, VanDam, Brauer, Parker, etc. all cant be wrong.



Mini

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Mini,

My last post was done while you were posting yours, so you kinda answered my quesion before I posted it,



Thanks for the tips.



Chris - CJL

 

[gone bye bye]

No problem, now get away from the computer and go rip some lips!



Mini

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Gamagatsu EWG 3.0 wire hooks. Works for me. I have fished a gammie till the black coating is coming off the hook from fish bites and it will still stick in your fingernail. Any "priemum" hook will do. I like the EWG because it gives you a little better chance of not gut hooking. I like the wire because it saves your bait a little longer.



TOXIC

 

[Steve Rizza]

I ran out of Senkos the other week and started using Tiki sticks.Caught as many fish on each.

One thing I noticed is that Tiki sticks sank alot slower.Must be the lower salt content.





I still go for the senkos first.It's a confidence thing.