Forward-Facing Sonar (FFS for short)—is it fair chase? Is it cheating? Is it just a tool? Since you and I are fishing from the bank, do we really even care?

I have a few views and concerns, but I also have my own “Forward Facing System”—and for several thousand dollars less. It’s a bit primitive compared to the multiple screen mounts on many of today’s bass boats, but effective, nonetheless. And yes, I’ll share my new breakthrough, 100 percent guaranteed bass-catching system—a rod, a reel, and a Senko!

I’m finding that the older I get, the less I’m impressed with much of today’s breakthrough tackle and technique discoveries. Having a few years on the water behind me, I see today’s “newest, latest, greatest, must-have tackle and techniques or you won’t catch a bass” concepts more equivalent to building a “better mousetrap,” rather than some kind of earth-shattering new ideas or tackle. So, sorry for what might be an anticlimactic tip or technique, but this system nevertheless produces with great consistency and success.

You might be thinking that a Senko or Senko-style bait is far from a new concept; it’s certainly one of the most copied bait designs in angling history and has oft been written about and is the subject of countless videos. But the focus of this article is directed on a particular way to use this bait, rather than the bait itself, which needs no accolades. I view it as a search tool for the bank angler, much the way boating bass anglers depend on their electronics to locate active bass.

This article is not about specialty retrieves or specific tackle such as rods, lines, hooks, etc. Most bassers are already well versed on how to use a Senko. Rather, let’s look at why this bait can be successful with this technique.

Lots of things are happening in the bass’s world. The one piece of the puzzle that’s hard to determine is bass location at this time of the season, and even on particular days. Here’s where this technique will add a few bass to your day’s success.

My rig is simple: I normally use a spinning rod and lighter braid—normally in the 10- to 20-pound range, depending on water conditions.

As far as a bait, I prefer the drop rate of the original Senko, but there are countless other brands to choose from; you might have your own favorites, so pick yours.

Bait size kind of depends on the waters. If I know there are bigger fish present, I use 5-inch Senkos, as I feel they have a bit more action on the drop. But if the waters are smaller, or if I know the bass might be on the smaller size, I’ll go with 4-inch Senkos. Colors? Natural shades are perfect; I hate to say green pumpkin, since everybody uses it, but for good reason—it’s very effective. I vary colors a little, but color to me is not that concerning. The way the bait drops is what brings in strikes.

As far as rigging and hooks are concerned, my go-to rig is simple: wacky hooking. Hook-wise, I use wacky-style hooks rigged weightless 90 percent of the time. If the waters are exceptionally deep or I’m dealing with strong winds, I will tie on a wacky jig head, but I prefer the slower drop rate of the weightless version.

The system is designed to determine the depth of active bass. In all my testing, the Senko proved to be the most consistent test bait, and there aren’t too many bass that can leave this bait alone. Since bass can be at any depth, on any given day, at this time of year, this search bait is always at the ready on my outings.

Simply work the water in front of you by casting out and letting the bait slowly descend into the depths. Don’t work the bait; there’s no need to be jiggling or twitching the rod. Rather, from its splash on the surface until the bait reaches bottom, let the bait fall unhindered by additional imparted movement. This technique requires a bit of patience, and if you’re a “run and gun, beat the banks” bass angler, you might struggle with this technique.

For the mechanics of this technique, begin with your first casts close in, then keep moving out. Let the bait slowly sink to the bottom, then reel back in; you don’t need to work the bait all the way back with this dropping system.

The critical part of this technique is using a countdown system as the bait drops. So, if you start connecting with bass at the count of 5, for example, if bass seem to be connecting with your bait in that 5-count depth, then this becomes your target zone while making your way around the lake or pond. (Just a quick point here: You need to catch a few bass at a particular depth, because one fish usually doesn’t determine a pattern.)

Once you’ve determined with consistency the bass’s active range or depth, you can switch to other style baits if you choose; possibly other baits that work those active depths that are not as slow moving or time consuming as the Senko. I’ve used this system with great success trying to determine proper running depths for other, faster-retrieved baits such as crankbaits or spinnerbaits. Or, if you’re content with the Senko bite—fish a Senko all day long—then keep the bait on!

A little advice before we go: Wind and weather conditions in the Midwest can change quickly and often. So, while you might have locked in on some active fish early in your day or outing, bass can and often will change their active depth and locations. Not a problem! Just return to your searching mode with the countdown system until you find active bass again.

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