I'm slowly losing confidence in swimbaits.

[SethB]

agree 1000%. learn how to catch fish.

[colbypearson]

agree 1000%. learn how to catch fish.

That's the deal.

[SwimbaitsatLMV]

So a giant point that apparently got lost is... if you catch bigger fish on conventional gear, why switch? If 10 pounders are on an all day spinnerbait bite, why the hell would I throw a Hudd? Just because you own swimbaits doesn't mean that's all you can throw. Sure, you should fish them a lot to get them dialed, but if you truly have been and you're not getting bit, it might be time to just fishthe regular gear.

[Triv]

Good thread

[Neo]

For what this kid has in swimbait gear he could have had a used kayak and could get off the bank and start learning some really basic boat positioning skills. Having solid fundamental skills are what made the guys we all consider good sticks good sticks. There is absolutely no shame in learning to catch panfish and at the same time learning how to clean them. Fish are food….

[Bronzeback Bomber]

agree 1000%. learn how to catch fish.

That's the deal.

 

+1. Go fish with traditional tackle and get a bite down. Learn how and why are there and then start mixing in swimbaits to build confidence. The idea being can you get them to eat swimbait when I know a particular bite is going. An example would be getting on a spinnerbait or chatterbait bite on points. You know they are eating reaction baits on points... can you get them to eat a triple trout... freestyle shad.... matt's gill. Bottom line learn the how and why about bass... then you can learn how to use swimbaits to target the biggest fish around.

[Acuna]

Don't forget, we do this to have fun. If you aren't having fun, it is okay to switch it up. It is okay to want to catch fish. If you don't like something, don't do it. Listen to your gut. I do it ALL the time, from baits to location. That intuition is your subconscious processing information around you and telling you what to do.

 

I enjoy throwing swimbaits, and I am throwing one at least 90% of the time. There are times when I will have a jig or giant soft plastic tied on. Heck, I even fished a tournament a month ago and broke out the old conventional gear gathering dust in my garage. It was an enjoyable change of pace, even if some of the fish I caught were smaller than my Mother.

[Bassindon69]

That's right. Key, fun.

[TangledLines]

I recently got into throwing swimbaits/FW fishing just as fall started to roll in. I did it for the sole purpose of filling the void for when I can't go out on the ocean and catch bigger sized fish. I've been on a drought, as of late as well. But I still try to get out there as much as I can. Patience is definitely something I've learned so far... and it's building pretty strong. I think time on the water is more important, especially during the colder months. Also, throwing your bait without any concern of losing it increases hookups. Chess is a hard game to play, but you'll get it. I just hope I do too. I can't wait till "fishing" becomes "catching." I think I've already forgotten what a bite feels like cuz I'm the only fool on the bank swinging for the fences.

[Get_Biggens]

Glide baits. As soon as you start feeling down, a follower pumps me back up so much. Believe every cast can do it

[stkbass]

If you're not getting bit for almost a year...you need to change something.

 

Try these things if you havent already..don't want to get too technical..just keep it simple. Be confident and don't give up.

 

1. Find/Ask for local help and tips

 

2. Research your lakes (get topo maps, plan out your day, fish different depths and areas depending on time of year and time of day)

 

3. Change timing (find prime areas or areas you think may hold bigger fish and fish those areas during different times..low light, morning, evening, night, afternoon)

 

4. Change place (try other lakes/ponds..lakes with report big fishes caught, sometimes smaller lakes and ponds can produce giants )

 

5. Change how you are fishing your swimbait. (Presentation is very important. Try to put your bait in an ambush point/area. Fish next to cover, structure changes or right next to the bank, parallel weedlines, rocks, trees, bushes, etc. Fish it deep to shallow, from open water into a weeds/cover, over points, drag bottom, bump rocks, pause the bait, rip the bait from weeds, tick top of weeds, slooooow down, speed up, change cadences, change cast angle, change retrieve depth. Put it in a vulnerable area where there's almost no space for it to escape. Bass love it when a bait has no where to go. They take advantage of that.)

 

6. Change baits (downsize, or try other style baits)

 

Once you land a fish pay attention to the time of day, weather conditions, your angle of presentation, the bait itself, how you worked the bait, was there a trigger?, how did the bass bite your bait, where did it come from roughly, what type of cover, what depth, and...any other things you noticed. After that, repeat and fine tune if needed.

 

I think that's enough for now...

[FishDr]

That's right. Key, fun.

 

Unless you have the "I'm going to make swimbaits work and I don't care how long it takes and if I get skunked on X trips, that's fine, 'cause my goal is to stick a swimbait fish" mentality, you're not going to have fun once you've lost confidence in the baits. Take a break, and then come back to it.

 

As others have said, why not take your conventional gear with you and when you get on a hot bite (say a hot topwater bite or a hot spinnerbait bite in good conditions - relatively clear water), then put down the conventional rod and throw a swimbait that works the same area of the water columns. For a topwater bite go with something like a wake bait (I'd throw a Slammer but I'm biased - lots of good wake baits) or for a spinnerbait bite you might go with some kind of slow-sink bait. Why do this? You know the bite is on and you know you're fishing in the right area. Stack the deck in your favor!

 

Now with all that being said, you do want to understand that you can go a long time throwing swimbaits on good water in good conditions and not get bit. You are not typically fishing for a lot of bites, just good ones, and sometimes they are few and far between. I think my record number of skunked trips in a row was near 10 (spread over about 6 months) but I stuck with it because I love catching fish on swimbaits and knew that when I did finally stick a fish, it was going to make the row of 10 skunks fall away like water of a Lunker Punker's back!

[Buttholebill]

Try fishing at night.

[SwimbaitsatLMV]

Jeeesssuuuzzzzz you guys crack me up. Does anyone ever look at the date of the threads they pull up?

[stkbass]

Jeeesssuuuzzzzz you guys crack me up. Does anyone ever look at the date of the threads they pull up?

 

 

Muhahah I did now...That OP probably quit throwing swimbaits by now.