When do you guys put down the swimbait?

[Ong Jim]

Also, I'll have to put away the swimbaits due to health reason from time to time.  I've had recurring tendinitis in my right shoulder since I was a little younger and when it flares up, repetitive activities like weight lifting and throwing heavy baits only make it worse

Same here. I was just out at Berryessa yesterday and the cold weather paired with developing arthritis on my elbow made it difficult to fish swimbait. Made a handful of cast and the pain just wasn't worth it. Went finessing instead.

[JeremyW]

I can honestly say I never put down a swimbait (anymore) You can catch bass all year long on swimbaits as long as you clue into the right baits for the right time. Im not after catching fish by the numbers (not trying to be cocky ) but that beacme way to easy and for me if im not challenge I wont do it. So now im only after the bigest fish in everybody of water I fish , I personally would take 1 DD fish of 600 5 lbs with out even a 2nd thought . ( my goal is to smash every lake record that I fish) and yes I know swimbaits is not the only way BUT it is for me .

[R8R]

Swimbaiting is extremely hard mentality to keep using if your the type of person who likes to catch fish. I still have my conventional fishing gear and as of right now my mentality is to catch big fish, and the gear I bring to the body of water i fish is swimbait gear. This year was a tough year for me not many fish but I did reach a few goals that I will never forget, so in the end this year I was ok with all the decisions that I made. Even by taking a break from fishing for 4 in a half months (during the summer) By fall I was refresh and ready to fish again. So the only time I will put down a swimbait rod is when I'm taking a break from fishing, or I have an itch to catch a spotted bass which is my favorite fish I like to catch when not swimbaiting. So I want to catch a spotted bass, throw some baits for 15 to 30 mins and I catch a couple of spotted bass and now it's out of my system and I'm ready to fish for swimbait fish. And last and probably I need to do more is go over potential new spots and really pinpoint by using a jig by feeling what the structure really is like, is it mudd, have some rock or boulders or is there brush piles or whatever is down there that a graph can't really provide. Right now I am ok with this approach and may change in the future, maybe lol.

Edited December 29, 2015 by R8R

[aikenyounggun]

I'm sort of in the same boat as some of the guys above, but for different reasons. I picked up swimbait fishing to chase DDs, like lots of guys. On the other hand though, I tournament fish a lot. I'll have a big tournament or will be prefishing for one from mid-January until the beginning of May, then I may get a week or so off. It started to grind on me, all the travel and non-stop pressure to perform, even though the pressure doesn't really bother me. I give the backstory, cause when I get the chance to throw swimbaits, I throw them all day. It's my release. I don't care if the best swimbait fishermen in the world met me at the ramp and said "it's gonna be nearly impossible to catch a swimbait fish today".... I'll go chucking. I'm not a good swimbait fishermen, but have gotten a good bit better over the last two years. It brings a lot of enjoyment, and is a great change of pace.

 

So short answer to the question, I don't ever put them down when I'm "swimbait fishing".

[jcolo4sho]

You can occasionally find me at the lake on late summer nights on my boat with a cold bottle of whiskey, some rock n roll, and a drop shot rod.  I ain't gonna lie.  It's fun catching 20+ dinks with an occasional 5-6lbs on light tackle.  However the focus typically turns into getting sideways versus having the line in the water.  

[Nufo]

This is a loaded question and it depends on your personal goals.  Are you out to catch giants or just get bit?  Booth are ok.

 

My personal approach is to catch giants and I feel that you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.  If I put down the big baits, then my chance of catching the fish of a life time drops off exponentially.  With that said, my life revolves around being able to fish when the conditions (regardless of season) elicit the best chance of catching a giant.  

[MarkH024]

I still, and always will fish some conventional stuff. I split my time probably 60/40 (swim/conventional) now and growing more on the swimbait side.  But, I still like to jerkbait fish, flip docks/strucure, punch mats in the summer, frogging will always be a must, and I thoroughly enjoy squarebill/wake crankbait fishing with my Dobyns 705cb Glass.  I rarely pick up a spinning rod these days. Finesse and methodically slow fishing is not for me even though as Jcolo said the occasional drop shot bite can be fun and sometimes the ticket to a succesful day.  Swimbaiting is just another tool for me.

Musky fishing is always a competitor too on the right waters 

[clh121787]

You're sweet, and congrats on getting to ten posts. Short of hard water, there's always fish that'll eat a swimbait, if presented right in a timely manner. It's not a numbers game or a single technique. So you should probably put it down now and save the money.

Seriously - hope you did ok with the tornadoes down there.

Thanks for your condolences Im fine Thankfully. Some aren't as fortunate. My prayers go out to them. And you're right I could quit, definitely would save some money. But fishing isn't a fad or a flavor of the week, or even a hobby. It's My escape, My high, my therapy, My time God time, My competition to outsmart peabrained fish. Ive never been one to limit my self or put a ceiling on my goals. I have fallen short many times but I've yet to give up. Fishing is one of the few things I have been madly in love with since my brain has been developing memories. No way in hell I'll ever stop fishing or throwing swimbaits. Been chasing these fish a long time. I'd have a void in my soul if I quit now

[thedonnguyen]

when the frog bite is on

[derds126]

When conditions aren't ideal. Swimbaits are my favorite way to catch fish but when I'm out on the water I'm targeting the best fish, or at least trying to. Makes no sense to me to throw an 8 inch bait all day to catch a few two pounders when the giants aren't in the mood for a big bait just to keep your pride. My last trip out I started drifting live minnows(bring on the live bait hate lol but its the most effiecient way I've found to check a spot), found a key area, anchored, casted a blade bait and was catching quality fish. Storm front began to come through and I switched to a swimbait and caught my two biggest fish of the trip back to back on my first two casts with the swimbait. All your lures are tools and understanding the timing and when to use them is something I've really been focused on this year and I feel it's made me a better angler.

[derds126]

When conditions aren't ideal. Swimbaits are my favorite way to catch fish but when I'm out on the water I'm targeting the best fish, or at least trying to. Makes no sense to me to throw an 8 inch bait all day to catch a few two pounders when the giants aren't in the mood for a big bait just to keep your pride. My last trip out I started drifting live minnows(bring on the live bait hate lol but its the most effiecient way I've found to check a spot), found a key area, anchored, casted a blade bait and was catching quality fish. Storm front began to come through and I switched to a swimbait and caught my two biggest fish of the trip back to back on my first two casts with the swimbait. All your lures are tools and understanding the timing and when to use them is something I've really been focused on this year and I feel it's made me a better angler.

https://www.instagram.com/p/--GXzWH-bY/?taken-by=derdyderds

 

Pics or it didn't happen

[Rogervang]

NEVER!

 

ok, maybe youll catch me throwing a frog in the summer.  

[Shaunfishon]

Swimbaits 24/7 Water is my coliseum Bro   High Kick!!!!

[SPEEDBEAD]

When you know you know.  Sometimes the swimmers just aren't gonna work for whatever reason.  I have no qualms about putting down the swimbait stick for one reason or another, I've even done a little finesse fishing this year and thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

This.

 

Learned this in the not too distant past. Sometimes, you have to put them down. Like Nufo said, it all depends on what you're doing.

[High Power Swimbaits]

When you throw the swimbait with no strikes and think a giant bass might just be eating something else like a jig or there might be a.better tool that day or situation. There are people who fish swimbaits most all the time pounding their chest talking about swimbaits constantly getting out fished for big.bass by guys using dropshots and shakey heads.

Edited December 31, 2015 by High Power Swimbaits