I have a few questions when it comes to dead stickin senkos:
- Does it work in shallow water for cruising fish
- Does it work in a grass bed on the bottom
- What season is the best time to dead stick
- Do you need to see the fish crusing in shallow water before you dead stick?
- Do you guys use scent when your dead sticking?
- Whats the deepest you will dead stick?
- Why does it seem like Dead sticking only works for Hybrids and Stripers?
- Would something that floats up, like a Elaztech Zero be better?
- Why does something with almost no movement appeal to bass?
- Is it important to have a color bait that stands out on the bottom when dead sticking

Dude, just go fishin, you're over thinking it.

Leave everything else at the house except for 3 colors of senkos (10 or so of each color but cover the spectrum of natural, dark and bright) add the scent of your choice and spend at least 8 hours on the water that day throwing nothing but this bait and figure them out.

If you figure them out and catchem good that day, write it down in your fishing log or file it away in memory and build on that experience.

An average keeper size bass has a brain the size of a pea.....

PJ, how long have you been fishing (not to be a smart a..)This will go to my answer.

About 14 years. I fish ABA tournaments on the Potomac river and am sponsored by two companies, Backwater custom baits and denali rods

So i take it you didnt earn the sponsorship by deadsticking......

well hopefully someone will answer those questions, as I would like to know as well.

dead stick would probably work in all depths but i usually throw it andywhere 8 ft and less. it is great in grass, timber or just anywhere and it works all year round. you do not need to see fish cruising to fish a dead stick. i find this a very good tool when the fish are slow and have caught some really nice fish on it when nothing else that day was working. for me i would throw it in some shade of green or in black/blue. i have never caught a hybrid or striper on a dead stick worm all have been largemouth. but you need to go try it yourself and spend time on it to see how it will work for you. hope this helps out.

deadsticking is deadly. yes it works in grass. i deadstick in 6ft and less. i think it appeals to fish that are in negative or neutral feeding moods hence the bites on a motionless bait. i like a sinking type "senko" bait because i believe the natural fall of the bait has alot to do with its effectiveness. deadsticking for me works best in fall and spring. when the fish are shallow. you dont need to see the fish. its more about just making quality presentations in productive areas. as far as color, i think its better to match the bottom than to have something that contrasts it. watermelonseed is great in grass. actually i am usually deadsticking watermelon something most of the time..i do like white in the prespawn and shad colors inn the fall.

I'll try and answer a few from my experience.
-I use it more for when the fish are slow and don't seem to be very active
-I use it in grass, timber, rocks, structure, etc.
-I use it all year long, but have more sucess in spring and fall.
-I use a scent, usually megastrike or something similar.
-I usually will dead stick about 10ft or less.
-I have never caught a hybrid or striper dead sticking.
-I want my bait to sink and stay on the bottom and let the natural current work the bait.
-I feel the bass see the non movement as an easy meal.
-I want my bait to be as natural looking as possible, I try to match the bottom of the lake.

Hope this helps.