When it comes to bass fishing, using the right soft plastic bait can have a dramatic impact on your success. With an endless amount of options available, the Googan Baits Lunker Log and the Yamamoto Senko are both popular brands. While both baits are effective at catching bass, there are some subtle differences in design, action, and cost that should be taken into consideration.
This article will give you a detailed breakdown of the similarities and differences between the lunker log vs. the Senko.
I’ll be honest, these baits were a lot more similar than I was expecting. When the Senko went against the Dinger, we saw a huge difference. That wasn’t the case here.
Brand and Market Presence
Lunker Log: Created by the somewhat newer company, Googan Baits and the original Googan Squad, the Lunker Log has quickly become popular among stick baits, especially with the younger anglers or people active on social media. Googan has done a great job marketing and making themselves known in a short amount of time, partly because they make great baits.
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Senko: The original Senko, which was created by Gary Yamamoto, is the most popular and classic soft plastic stick bait brand in the US. It’s so popular that “Senko” is often used to refer to other brands of stick baits, sort of like how people call any brand of Ibuprofen “Advil”. They catch a lot of fish, it’s that simple.
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Design, Durability, and Action: How They Catch Fish
The Lunker Log is known for having a subtle quiver when it sinks, which is enticing to bass. The worm is about as soft as the Senko, maybe slightly more rigid, and it’s also salt-impregnated. In terms of fall rate, they both were very close, with the Lunker Log just a hair slower and not a perfectly vertical drop. It had slightly less bend when fished wacky style, but probably not enough to make a measurable difference in my opinion.
The Senko is well known for its quick and clean vertical fall, thanks to its density and salt content. This, combined with slightly more action on retrieval, makes the Senko very effective when wacky rigged. This brand is by far my favorite for wacky rigging, they just move so nicely in the water when you fish them this way.
In terms of durability, both stick baits are about the same. I do not believe that one is going to last you longer than the other, as they are both high quality and fairly strong, at least for a soft plastic bait. It took about equal force to rip each one in half.
Fall Rate Comparison Video
Here you can see the subtle differences between the two baits. The Senko is the lighter color on the left, and you can see how it has a slightly faster and more direct fall vertically.
Cost and Value: Which is Cheaper?
For a 10 pack of 5′ Yamamoto Senkos, you’re going to be looking at a price point of about $7.99 on average. For an 8 pack of Googan Lunker Logs, expect to spend about $6.99. That means that Lunker Logs, $0.874 per worm, are more expensive than Senkos, $0.799 per worm. So while it’s a very slight difference in money, one of them is more cost effective, so it might influence which one you pick.
Versatility and Use
Both the Lunker Log and Senko are great for versatility. You can use various rigging methods such as wacky, Texas, or Carolina rigs. While the Senko’s slightly quicker fall rate and better action might give you an advantage in certain situations, the Lunker Log compares closely in presentation. This is the opposite of when we compared the Yum Dinger to the Senko, as they were significantly different in most areas.
Summary
Comparing the Yamamoto Senko to the Googan Lunker Log, we see two very similar stick baits that are great choices for bass fishing. Senkos are known for being the higher priced stick bait, but it might be surprising to find out that the Senko was actually the more cost effective and cheaper option. When compared under water, there was no significant advantages on either side, besides arguably a more direct vertical fall and slightly more action with the Senko.
Based on this information, it can be concluded that the Yamamoto Senko is the better bait all around.