Swimbaits Part 6: They Work

When we started this website the goal was to teach anglers everywhere how to catch more and bigger fish. My fear is that we are slowly getting off track. I don’t want this site to be about giant bass on the West coast. I want it to be about big fish (whatever that means to you) in whatever place you happen to be from. I firmly believe that the concepts taught here will apply to you, no matter where you are. I do however understand that to many anglers some of these principles seem far fetched.

I too started out with very little confidence in myself and even less confidence in giant baits. And perhaps you’re right, you may be from one of the few lakes where swimbaits just don’t seem to work like they should. However, it is much more likely that after you commit the time and figure out what you can do to tweak these techniques, that you will catch better quality fish more often.

This is a short clip geared toward reminding you that swimbaits work on “ordinary” fish too. Its not all about giant bass, its just about catching quality. On a day when I was catching 1-2 lb fish I was able to catch a little better fish by increasing the size of my bait. No matter where you live there is a bass in the lake capable of fitting a swimbait in its mouth. Notice also that this fish was caught with just the stock hook. No added hooks were needed to hook the fish. When a bass is in the mood to feed, nothing is going to stop it from getting at its prey.

I’d love to hear some stories from other anglers. I get quite a few emails, private messages, and calls from guys around the country telling me about the fish they’re catching on swimbaits. Its time to give back and share a little, encourage some of the other anglers that read the site that haven’t experienced your level of success yet. I don’t care if its an 8 lber or a 2 lber, let’s hear about it.

Understanding Sink Rates

Why does everything have to be so complicated? If it gets any worse our fishing lures are going to need manuals to explain how to properly use them. One of the topics that confuses a lot of anglers is sink rates. In this instance, the sink rate of various swimbaits and how that effects their use.
Just a few short years ago swimbaits came in two forms, floating and sinking. As the market grew so did the demand for more options. Now you have fast sink, slow sink, suspending, and the most difficult to understand of all, ROF rated baits. ROF’s or “Rates of Fall” is a great system once you get the hang of how it works. Its not complicated, but a quick briefing will make your decision making quite a bit easier.
This video will shed some insights not only into what different sink rates are, but more importantly, how to apply them to different conditions. While many of you know exactly what sink rates you like and what you use them for, not everyone does.

Did this help? Let us know by leaving a comment or by sending a message via the Contact page. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the topic.

Advanced Swimbaits Part 2: Hooking the Fish

Since fisherman argue about nearly every topic presented to them it should come as no surprise that they argue about how and when to set the hook on swimbait fish. What makes this particular discussion so interesting is that both of the anglers involved have proven their method’s effectiveness. I (Matt Allen) believe that a hard and immediate hook set is the key to putting big bass in the boat consistently. On the other side of the fence you have my good friend Sieg Taylor. Sieg prefers to continue reeling then slowly applies hard pressure to the fish. While I staunchly oppose his method I must admit that I’ve seen it work for him on numerous occasions. Take a look at both approaches and then decide for yourself.

Let’s start with my approach:
When I am reeling and feel a fish “tick” my swimbait I hit them hard, really hard. I don’t believe there is any reason to wait. I don’t drop the rod and rear back, I don’t speed up my reeling, I simply swing high and to the side as soon as I feel pressure. I’ve personally seen too many fish suck a swimbait in and spit it back out quicker than the angler can react so why take your time and increase the likelihood of this happening to you? I believe that swimbaits target big bass and that big bass are inherently more cautious than small bass. Waiting to set the hook allows the fish too much time to realize something isn’t right. Setting the hook hard and fast allows you to bury the hooks deep while there is still time. Here is a prime example of my hook-setting style.

Sieg Taylor’s Approach:
Sieg and I spoke over the phone and he had some great insights to share. When asked how he sets the hooks he responded, “I don’t, I let them eat it. Once I know they’ve eaten the bait I reel hard and heavy, then swing them into the boat. Whether they’re 5 pounds or 10 pounds I swing them in.” He went on to share some of his experiences that led to his hook-setting style when he said, “When I won a Won Bass Pro-Am I actually saw it happening. I saw a 9 lber bumping the head of the swimbait over and over again. She would bump one side then the other. She was moving so quickly I could hardly see her motions. Instead of swinging I just kept a steady pace, that is when she inhaled it. The key is to keep reeling at the same speed. If the cadence breaks, you’re in trouble. If you swing and its not in their mouth, they’re gone.” Here is a prime example of Sieg’s hook setting style. If you watch closely you can see the fish has been on for several seconds before he leans back on the rod.

**Sieg asked that I add the true weight of this fish. Upon being weighed she tipped the scales at 8.56 lbs. Those Clearlake fish can be very misleading but Sieg wanted you all to know the final weight.

In closing, I’m not sure there is a right answer. Neither of us will waiver on our methods because we’ve both proven time and time again that they work. The next time you’re on the water give both methods a try then come back and share your experiences with the group. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Until then, make your next day on the water a great one!

Beating the Bank for Giants: Part 2

In recent years technology has really spoiled a lot of bass fisherman. There are 21-foot bass boats with 250 horsepower motors that are nearly whisper quiet at an idle, new electronics with ten inch displays that literally show you a scrolling picture of what the bottom looks like from one side of your boat all the way to the other. Guess what? You can also mark that fence line you just found on the picture with a G.P.S. point so you can come right back to it and make an exact parallel cast to it on your first attempt. All of these luxuries have made the learning curve of bass fishing much shorter.
That said, not everyone is blessed to have all of these tools working in their favor, especially young anglers. Some of the young anglers don’t even want these items and would rather stay with the basics. For them and for a growing percentage of bass fisherman, bank fishing is the only option. Just because you don’t have any of the new toys doesn’t mean that you can’t take bank fishing to the next level.
When planning a trip to target giant bass from the bank, you’re going to have to take a few things into account. Some lakes are going to have limited shore access whether it be reeds, lily pads, grass mats or unsafe slopes. Then you have the problem of a lake having too many spots to choose from and you can find yourself trying to hit as many spots as you can, not spending the time to slow down and fish a spot effectively.

Choose a lake where you know you can reach prime structure targets. Points, flats with deep water access close by and creek channels all play a part in a giant bass’ life. If you have access to a topographical map of the lake you are planning to fish, you already have half of your work done for you.
Look for points that intersect with creek channels and/or have deep water access immediately to the side. Points that are adjacent to flats are also prime feeding grounds. If the flat breaks into deep water quickly near the point, you have yourself a trophy bass magnet.
More than everywhere else, launch ramps probably have the largest concentration of giant bass. Locally our lakes are stocked with hatchery raised rainbow trout. The trout trucks back into the water using the launch ramp and guess what is there waiting for thousands of pounds of easy to catch, completely disoriented meals? You’ve got it, it’s the true giant you’ve been hunting and you knew right where she’d be and when she’d be there. In the rest of the country ramps still represent an area where tournament-grade, snack-sized bass are released regularly. Look for all of these things and focus on those areas. Remember, you can not cover the whole lake effectively while bank fishing, so slow down and pick a few prime areas apart. Get out there, do some research and go stick a giant.

Submitted by Adam Hinkle