SPRING SWIMBAITIN'

[Murphangler]

As the water warms up and the fish run shallow, most people will turn to squarebills and the like to catch bass.

 

For you hardcore swimbaiters, how shallow have you been catching them in the spring and what adjustments (downsizing, floating/sinking) are you making to achieve your success?

[thedonnguyen]

Are you talking about bed fishing? Most of the bass in my area are staging for spawn or are already on beds, which is why I ask

[JTSwimbaitMan]

There are fish on beds where I have been fishing. When we see a nice one we catch it. But for the majority of our swimbait fish they have come in channels near the bedding areas. My friend caught some today fishing the floating JSJ gill in 3 feet of water for some spawners and some wandering fish.

[Ceaser]

bellys in the dirt in prespawn, if theres water to cover their backs, they will hold up and eat swimmers

[Mason]

Shad type baits in early spring. Start shifting more towards bluegill beds as the gills start to bed and mix of the too on into summer.

[NorthTexasSwimbaiter]

Shad type baits in early spring. Start shifting more towards bluegill beds as the gills start to bed and mix of the too on into summer.

 

+1. For my area, there are a lot of fairly big shad and bluegill. Prespawn, the fish hardly bat an eye at the bluegill baits for some reason, but the shad style baits get torn apart. Once I see fish on beds, I find it best to switch over to bluegill baits, but the shad style ones still work fine. This time of year, you're liable to catch them anywhere between six inches and twenty feet. It just depends on the mood of the fish. 

 

And, as JTSwimbaitMan said, I did catch a few on a JSJ floating gill this morning. Nothing over four, but early morning topwater is really addicting.

[basshole8190]

been throwing a baby wake and the hardgill alot lately and theyve been chewing both of those pretty well the last 3 weeks

[Murphangler]

Good insight on the shad vs. bluegill performance.

 

Thanks to all for the response, I have never connsidered throwing a swimbait to a bedfish - typically here we would put something on the bed to force a response, if someone has experience usingh a swimbait on beds, i'd love to hear about it.

 

Many my questions was geared towards pre-spawn and post spawn fish that are in transition from bedding areas to secondary or main lake points.  Also, if there is a preference between glide baits or straight simming baits for this application.

 

Thanks again!

 

Murph

[R8R]

We try not to encourage bed fishing, let the fish spawn or catch them in prespawn or post spawn in transition areas.

[scoopdaloop]

We try not to encourage bed fishing, let the fish spawn or catch them in prespawn or post spawn in transition areas.

 

Amen. The amount of stress placed on a fish when pulling them off a bed.... 

[Rogervang]

Don't like to bed fish. Just yesterday I sat on a rock staring at an at least 7+ for about 30 mins and it staring back at me.

[Murphangler]

Don't like to bed fish. Just yesterday I sat on a rock staring at an at least 7+ for about 30 mins and it staring back at me.

 

That must have been sweet....get any pics?

[Murphangler]

I appreciate all the responses, and the conservation first values all have shared.  I will be sure to follow, thanks!

[Rpaine95]

I have a couple buddy's who use a hudd on a bed to draw out the female because the bait is to big for the male to defend the bed against. But they don't like hooking the fish with a hudd, they use it as a tool to locate the female and then throw a more high percentage bait in there. 

[Rogervang]

That must have been sweet....get any pics?

no pictures. Just observing the fish And how they were reacting to everything.