It’s the ultimate showdown, two of the most popular bass stick baits going head to head; Yum Dinger versus the Yamamoto Senko. While they might look similar, you’ll see in this article that these two different brands function significantly differently, and while they both catch fish, each stick bait has unique qualities for bass fishing. In this article, I will show you side-by-side videos of their fall rate, Texas rigged, and fished wacky style.
First Impressions & Physical Characteristics Between the Senko and Dinger
Yum is a highly reputable brand that focuses on baits, especially soft plastics. They are one of the most popular brands amongst anglers. One notable thing about these baits compared to Gary Yamamoto Senkos is the freshness of a new pack. Soft plastics are covered in oil to prevent them from drying out and keep them flexible like they are designed to be.
With Yum worms, I notice they are very greasy and fresh when you open a new pack. While Yamamoto Senkos are also fresh when opening, they seem less oily. That may not be important for everyone, but I look at them from a quality perspective between the two brands.
Senkos are also salt-impregnated, whereas the dingers are not. Whether salt makes a difference in your catch rate is up for debate. In my opinion, I do not think it makes much of a difference in the amount of fish you catch.
From a material perspective, Senkos feel slightly heavier, denser, and flimsier, which is supported by the video you will see later. This does not mean that Senkos are of higher quality. I put this to the test by seeing how much force it took to pull each one apart. My results found that both were about equal when it came to strength. Therefore I would conclude that neither one of these has a higher chance of being ripped when you’re fishing.
Price Difference Between Stick Baits
For an 8-count of 5′ Yum Dingers you’re looking at a price point of about $3.50. For a 10-count of Yamamoto Senkos, you’re looking at about $7.99. However, these prices can vary. Overall, you’re going to be paying roughly about twice as much money per worm for Senkos versus Dingers. So the Dingers have the best price point by far. This is a pretty significant difference when you’re selecting which bait to go with.
Keep in mind that both are made with high quality, so it’s not like buying a cheaper knockoff Amazon brand. I think of it kind of like iPhones versus Android; they both are well-made and do the same things, but you pay a lot more for an iPhone because it’s an iPhone.
Stick Bait Buoyancy: Why It Matters
As you can see in the video below, the Yum Dinger was significantly more buoyant and had a much slower fall rate than the Senko. So does that mean one stick bait is better than the other? No, what it means is that one is better than the other at certain bass fishing techniques and conditions. Let’s break that down further.
Fall Rate Between the Yamamoto Senko and Yum Dinger
The biggest difference between the two was the fall rate. As mentioned, the Yamamoto Senko sinks significantly faster than the slow fall of the Dinger. That means that it has faster and better action and, therefore is the best stick bait for conditions that call for a more action-based style. For example, warmer weather, pre-spawn, or fishing deeper water.
In contrast, the Yum Dinger has a much slower fall than the Senko, therefore it has more appropriate applications as well. For example, this is the better option in cold weather and winter fishing, as well as during spawn. Additionally, fishing in shallow water where you don’t want your bait falling too quickly.
Wacky Rig Action
Building off of the faster action seen in the fall, this also means that the Senko has all-around more action. When you watch the video below, you’ll see that the Senko simply looks better on a wacky setup. It moves better and it looks more enticing to fish, especially for bass. The Dinger appears a lot more stiff on a wacky rig, however, as we discussed before this can be advantageous in certain circumstances.
In general, we can conclude that the Senko is better for fishing wacky style, especially in conditions that call for more action to get the fish to bite.
Texas Rig Action
Interestingly, the results were not what I expected. The Senko had a strong tendency to go tail down and stand upright, which ruined the presentation if you’re trying to catch bass. In fact, overall I did not like how the Senko performed here.
In contrast, the Dinger increased its value here and showed that its great option to fish Texas rigged. It had a nice subtle presentation that was well controlled without going going tail-up like the Senko did.
Pros & Cons
Yamamoto Senko
Pros:
- Faster Sink Rate: better for warm weather/water, pre-spawn, or deeper water.
- Better Wacky Rig Action: More enticing movement, targets bass effectively.
- Strength: Even though it’s flimsier, it matches the Dingers strength and durability.
Cons:
- Higher Price: Expect to pay about twice as much per worm compared to Dingers.
- Less Buoyant: Not ideal for slow-falling applications such as shallow water.
- Suboptimal for Texas Rig: The tail side tends to go downward, which hurts the presentation.
Yum Dingers
Pros:
- More Affordable: Costs about half as much per worm than Senkos.
- Slower Fall Rate: Best for cold weather/water, winter, and shallow water.
- Improved Texas Rig Performance: Subtle and controlled, moves enticingly.
Cons:
- Stiffer on Wacky Rig: Less action compared to Senkos.
- No Salt Impregnation: Lacks salt, which may be desirable for some anglers.
- Not good for Faster Action: Slow movement may not be effective in conditions where fast action is desired.
Differences & Similarities Between Gary Yamamoto Senko and Yum Dinger
Each stick bait catches fish, that’s the biggest takeaway here. I’ve been throwing both of these brands personally for a long time, and I have not noticed that one catches more fish than the other. However, as we have discussed above, both lures have their unique strengths.