"We are all artists when we pick up a rod, and what we tie on the end is our paintbrush."

That phrase may never ring more true than when using Yamamoto's three new laminate Senkos.

Laminate Senkos started in 2001 with basic black/red, green/white, black/blue and green/yellow. In 2002, more dimension was added in rainbow trout and Gary's 297/194J united two top colors into one. In 2003, peanut butter/jelly, black/red flash and translucent brown/purple laminates evolved. Now the next generation of Senko laminates are here:

#927: Smoke w/large Purple & Alpha Jewel ( Hologram); Side B: Blue Pearl w/large Silver flake

Designed with threadfin shad in mind, 927 mimics silver-sided minnows, shiners, smelt as well. The original prototype 927 combined two top-ten most requested colors, 157 and 031, into one - not a bad start! Both 157 and 031 beginnings were gradually adjusted over ten months testing to produce the perfect combination of 927. Over twenty-five minor variations of this pattern were tried while perfecting it over ten months. Some days we'd be tossing a dozen subtly different 927 colors at the fish. As fast as one bass would tear the nose-hooked Texas-rigged 927, I'd toss it to Andreane who'd wacky dropshot rig it in the middle. She'd drop it over and hook up too. All 25 or more 927 color variants we field-tested worked swell. In the final conclusion, we favored light-capturing translucence in the pearl side, enabling more shine to be emitted from the internal silver flakes, not just the external surface flakes.

Although a more opaque solid white belly also produced in tests, opaque white seemed a little like using sunblock because it blocked the silver sheen from reflecting through off the underlying silver metal flakes embedded within the pearl side. So a more translucent pearl allowed more light to reflect off the silver sparkles inside. Mostly the bellies and sides of shad or baitfish flash reflective silver shards from beneath. The tops of the bodies of shad don't reflect as much silver, although the tops emit azurine blue, aquamarine green, lavendar blush and/or black-striped glints at times. So 927 doesn't have as much silver flash in the smoke top. What it does have, painstakingly proportioned, is black and lavendar glimpses that smoke-colored shad backs emit at times. As the Senko turns and twists in the water, think of this combined effect like a car turn signal blinker - flash on (pearl w/silver), flash off (smoke w/black & purple), flash on (pearl w/silver), flash off (smoke w/black & purple).

#926: Dark Green Pumpkin w/large Purple, large Black & small Emerald flake; Side B: Transparent Amber w/large Black flake

Dark muddy and full of purple and small emerald flakes on top. Amber brown underneath. Basically a dark green "black/brown" effect in a Senko. Count on 926 to be at its finest in dirty and shallow conditions - but don't stop there. This bait can put you at your peak performance at any time under any conditions.

#925: Green Pumpkin w/small Red flake; Side B: Fading Watermelon (no flake)

From Texas, Lousiana, across the Deep South to Florida, a new green with red flake (in addition to 208) has long been requested by Sunbelt bassers. But don't let that Southern predisposition fool you, green with red flakes (208 or new 925) is just as phenomenal for Yankee bass up North - or anywhere. If you don't have a bag of 208 and now new 925 in your box, you're leaving bass behind no matter where you fish for them.

One trick with 925 is to leave them in the bag to fade the belly to clear yellowish in sunlight. Take it one step further - put thin cardboard inside to cover both front and rear tips of the Senko. The middle belly section will fade to clear yellowish while the cardboard-covered tips will get no sunlight and therefore not fade, resulting in accentuated tip colors and a paler mid-belly on 925. Next bag, cover the mid-bellies with the cardboard, causing only the two tips to fade to clear yellow accents. Most guys will never take the time (ten seconds) to do this, then expose them to the sun for a day. You decide.

Click here to purchase these new senko colors or the 62 other colors we have in stock.

Printed with permission by Gary Yamamoto Inside Line. Visit their site for other Yamamoto bait information.
http://www.insideline.net

Russ Bassdozer