Great Lakes Bass Fishing Forum

About Fishing Products including Make Your Own => Bass Fishing Products => Topic started by: McCarter on February 06, 2006, 08:19:39 AM

Title: No more Senko?
Post by: McCarter on February 06, 2006, 08:19:39 AM
I just read an article about Gary Yamamoto and his decision to no longer market the Senko line of soft plastic baits.

In the article, it said that only Gary and his pro staff member will have access to the bait.  He has obviously made his money selling what turned out to be the hottest bait on the market for years now.  Now, he wants to make sure that he and his pro staffers will have an advantage over the rest of the field by keeping the Senkos to themselves.

What doesnt make any sense to me is this, there are already a ton of imitations out there.  I know that some do not compare to the original.   But take for example the Kinami Flash.  It is made in the exact same molds as the Senko.  With the exact same soft plastic.  ANd the exact same salt content.  It is made to every specification as the Senko, minus the color selection.

Chompers also makes one that in my opinion is as close to the Senko is your going to get without calling it a Senko.

I can understand wanting to have an advantage over the rest of the anglers, but its not like a soft plastic stick bait is a new lure.  It has already been out for almost 10 years.

What do you all think?

PoorBoy himself :-\'
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: dartag on February 06, 2006, 08:42:20 AM
also remember that Derek Yamamoto is the owner of Kinami so maybe dad is handing it all to the son...  Gary is big into Kobe Beef in Texas.  i think that business is bigger now than the fishing business...  or he could want to retire and fish for fun..  sounds good to me...

better stock up while we can...

i can see it now.   Senkos on the Black Market or Ebay...
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: blakstr1 on February 06, 2006, 09:01:45 AM
Maybe you didn't finish reading the article...it takes a HUGE turn at the end...  ::)

Besides life without a Senko, is no life for me... :'(

Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: Cheetam on February 06, 2006, 09:14:15 AM
What article are we talking about?  Is it online?
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: McCarter on February 06, 2006, 09:26:18 AM
http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/Bagwell/bagwells_bass_tactics_22.html

What a jip.  I didnt read the whole article cuz i got called away from my desk.

That Jeremiah Bagwell sure is a 'funny' guy ::)

the nerve of some people.

PoorBoy himself :-\'
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: blakstr1 on February 06, 2006, 09:39:50 AM
Yeah, Bagwell just might need to be bagged!? :o? Actually he hasn't been writing for a while and this was his big re-kick off article.? Sure is getting a wierd start..
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: dartag on February 06, 2006, 09:43:06 AM
whew that was a close one...  glad i am at work and didn't go out and buy them all.. we would have had poorboy2 here.

think spring
ss
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: blakstr1 on February 06, 2006, 09:49:26 AM
i originally read the article late last night, and about fell over  >:(...i had cut and pasted the article to this board but just before I hit the POST button I read the end...I swore out of relief... :o
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: Cheetam on February 06, 2006, 10:46:10 AM
Doesn't he know April 1 is nearly two months away?  I'm sure he would have gotten less blank stares had he justed waited until then...
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: djkimmel on February 06, 2006, 12:43:17 PM
Comedy is very dangerous if performed by a novice...?!?
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: MBell on February 06, 2006, 04:55:05 PM
If this was for real the headline would have been..

"Gary Yamamoto is an Idiot!"

On a serious note, the senkos are going up to $6.50 a pack, ouch!!  Now every time you catch a 10 incher out on pontiac it will cost you $0.65.  He has something special, none of the knock offs are close.  I pour my own and it is difficult to match what he sells, worth every penny. 
-Matt 
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: Savage on February 06, 2006, 07:00:28 PM
I'm not trying to push any baits here, (honest) but the Case Soft Plastics versions are the two closest I have ever found.....

I have not bought a true Yama-senko in years.  Not abig deal unless you consider that every bag of Case Magic sticks I buy, I save $2.00.  Now every 7 bags I buy, I have saved enough dough to go out and pick up a Lucky Craft Pointer.  Hmmmmmm......... ::)

See for yourself below, which one is a real Senko?
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: MBell on February 06, 2006, 07:37:45 PM
My guess is the yama is on the right. If you want some more knock offs I've got some pointers only $10  ;D.
-Matt

(http://www.geocities.com/mibassclub/pointers.jpg)

Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: Bulletproof on February 07, 2006, 01:50:53 AM
I like the tiki stick as well.
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: djkimmel on February 07, 2006, 01:58:33 AM
Quote from: Savage on February 06, 2006, 07:00:28 PM
See for yourself below, which one is a real Senko?

I'm guessing the one in the middle?
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: blakstr1 on February 07, 2006, 06:33:34 AM
I like the Tiki Bamboo stix for bedding LM, they are the big stix, i had heard they were being discontinued though..seriously!  (maybe this is a bad string to post about something being discontinued..)
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: Savage on February 07, 2006, 08:18:51 AM
What color for bedders, white?
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: blakstr1 on February 07, 2006, 08:21:56 AM
no, obviuosly the tiki's have the wave pattern to them, i've got a brighter green color with black wave, maybe i'll put a picture up here later..
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: yukonjack2 on February 07, 2006, 02:48:12 PM
I'm thinking the next yamamoto creation after the laminates - the college series - Spartan, big blue, buckeye(boo),...insert your own favorite here.....
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: carolina chip on February 07, 2006, 04:25:43 PM
Carolina Tarheel Blue  :D  ;)
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: blakstr1 on February 08, 2006, 06:56:42 AM
Pictures of the Tiki Bamboo Stix, notice the picture shows the difference in size between a Bamboo Stix and a 5" Kinami.
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: blakstr1 on February 14, 2006, 08:04:17 AM
OOPS!!  I didn't mean it!!  A retraction about the Senko debacle...


Senko Article Retraction


Hello,

After a very interesting week following the release of my Senko article (prank), I would like to request that you please remove the article. While there was pre-approval for the article, the
severity of the after effects could not have been known prior to its release. If possible, will you please leave the link active and simply direct readers to a previous Senko article that I have written? If not, please delete the entire article and anything related to this article.

While the article was well received by some, it was not well received by all. As a result, I feel that it is in the best interests of myself, Gary Yamamoto and Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits to have this article is deleted as soon as possible. Employees at various GYCB facilities have been bombarded with questions and emails in reference to the article and this is unfairly causing a very challenging work load. It also caused undue stress to some customers and that is not fair to them either.

I sincerely apologize for any trouble that this article or its removal has caused you or your
website.

Thank You for your cooperation.

Jeremiah T. Bagwell
Bagwell's Bass Tactics
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: DennisB. on February 16, 2006, 11:29:54 AM
some store down south had a run on senko's big time. I have a friend in Arkansas that spent 200 dollars on what he could find just to find out later that it was a joke.
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: MBell on February 16, 2006, 03:04:22 PM
Thats funny, I thought that might happen when I first read it.  At lot of senkos being returned in the next few days. 
-Matt
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: blakstr1 on February 16, 2006, 03:10:33 PM
I think JT Bagwell should pony up some $$$ for those affected, or whoever was in charge of so-called approving his post!
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: Savage on February 17, 2006, 04:41:48 AM
Wonder which bait company will come out next and say they are discontinuing their baits to boost sales?

In the pic I posted a few days back, the Senko in on the left, and the Case Majic Stick is on the right.  Fish can't tell the difference either.  The only thing that can is my wallet! ;D
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: Cheetam on February 17, 2006, 08:56:25 AM
This whole thing was a direct rip-off of the "Fairwell Tour" ploy bands like Kiss have been playing for years...you know the one, where they announce "this is the final tour, you will never see them go on tour again" and they sell a lot of tickets.  Then, the next year they pull the same thing, but this time its the last tour "with makeup" or the last tour with the original band members or the last tour prior to rehab...
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: djkimmel on February 18, 2006, 12:53:20 PM
Yeah - the guy is either a little dingy... or it was a planned publicity stunt. I'm not sure why you'd need a publicity stunt for Senkos though - maybe the knockoffs have put a real dent in sales??
Title: Re: No more Senko?
Post by: Savage on February 18, 2006, 01:30:46 PM
I'm sure the knock-offs are taking sales away, since the Senko was the original and only option on the market for quite some time.  I think Yammy will have to eventually lower his prices, or be forced out of the race.  When you can buy baits that work just as well for 2 bacon double cheeseburgers less, why would you not?  Don't get me wrong, there are some really BAD copies out there, but IMO, Yum, Case, and Venom all have really really good copies.