HELP WANTED

[BamaChild]

I am new to the swimbait game! I am a hogan with swimmers right now and I need help. I live in Slabama as some may guess. I fish a lake that has mainly small shad and bluegill. The predators include Striped bass, spotted bass, and largemouth bass. The lake record Largemouth is 10lbs with the average around 2 lbs. The water clarity is around 5-7 feet with a slight green tint. The lake is mainly featureless with the exception of docks for the most part. I am only able to fish the lake during the summer I was wondering if I could get some of my questions answered, anything helps. It is worth noting I have a stout swimbait rod and reel already.

1. What swimbaits should I buy?

2. Where should I focus my fishing? Docks? Occasional small structure? Coves? Etc

3. What does a swimbait bite feel like?

4. Recommended line for said swimbaits?

5. How should I retrieve the bait?

6. Any advice?

Thank you very much.

[jhillman88]

for me the soft baits are better in murky water. Magdrafts, magslowls, and chatterbaits with 5,6.5,8 inch gambler EZ  swimbaits as the trailer. 

[mcaetano2905]

for me the soft baits are better in murky water. Magdrafts, magslowls, and chatterbaits with 5,6.5,8 inch gambler EZ  swimbaits as the trailer. 

To me 5 to 7ft is clear water. I fish small lakes usually without much structure and bass smaller than that. My advice on baits are:

 

Mattlures U2 Bluegill

Keitech Swing Impact Fat 4.8"

Spro BBZ-1 Shad

MS Mini Slammer

River2Sea S-Waver 168

Jackall Gantarel Jr.

 

Start with those baits or just select 3 of them: one for topwater, one for middle water column and one for the bottom. Try to match the size and color of those shad and bluegill.

 

After you catch some fish try 7" MS Slammer and Huddleston 68 and see if it works. In my lakes it doesn't. I've fished a 7" Slammer for countless hours in the best areas of the lakes for years and only got 1 bass. A nice 4lb bass, but just one... Big fish in my lakes feed on the abundant pumpkinseed. Most are 4" long...

 

I would say: start with a BBZ-1 Shad, a S-Waver 168 and the Keitech 4.8. Then, after you have confidence try the more expensive baits if you can. Really learn how to work the S-Waver using just the reel. Make quick 1/2 reel handle turns and 1/4 reel handle turns to make it glide further and just keep the rod parallel to the water and pointed at the lure while working it. Fish it parallel to the docks making it glide under the docks. It's great and I almost broke my PB this year on it this summer.

 

Concentrate on the docks and if you have some weeds or trees fish those too. Drop offs and points are great. The coves are good for fish feeding on bluegill, specially if they have weeds. 

 

Visit www.tacticalbassin.com and explore the website. They have good info on swimbait fishing.

 

Good luck!

Edited December 28, 2016 by mcaetano2905

[mcaetano2905]

As for line, I don't have huge bass here and use 12lb test for all swimbaits. I never had a bass break my line even though I used 6lb test for spinnerbaits  for some years and I've been fishing for almost 20 years now. I used 12lb test for the 7" Slammer and even fished an 8" hudd in a few trips without any problems.

 

A swimbait bite may feel a lot of different ways: sometimes it's just a small tick, other times they slam it. Sometimes you don't feel anything, its just added weight. To learn how to set the hook watch this video: https://youtu.be/aR9QzybInoQ

Edited December 28, 2016 by mcaetano2905

[Rogervang]

I am only able to fish the lake during the summer.

Night fish. Pickup some wake baits. Spro rats and blackdog g2 shell cracker are fun little baits to fish. A steady retrieve with some pop and pause and you'll get some good hits. Fish it where the bait fish hangs out.

[BamaChild]

Thank you all so much for the advice.

[Top Ramen]

I am new to the swimbait game! I am a hogan with swimmers right now and I need help. I live in Slabama as some may guess. I fish a lake that has mainly small shad and bluegill. The predators include Striped bass, spotted bass, and largemouth bass. The lake record Largemouth is 10lbs with the average around 2 lbs. The water clarity is around 5-7 feet with a slight green tint. The lake is mainly featureless with the exception of docks for the most part. I am only able to fish the lake during the summer I was wondering if I could get some of my questions answered, anything helps. It is worth noting I have a stout swimbait rod and reel already.

1. What swimbaits should I buy?

2. Where should I focus my fishing? Docks? Occasional small structure? Coves? Etc

3. What does a swimbait bite feel like?

4. Recommended line for said swimbaits?

5. How should I retrieve the bait?

6. Any advice?

Thank you very much.

 

 

A lot of this is thoroughly covered in the noob thread pinned at the top of the forum.

 

Also, welcome to the forum.

Edited December 28, 2016 by Top Ramen

[waynem]

Use the Search button!  I spent at least 50 hours looking at old posts before I even signed up on this site and I'm glad I did.  There is an absolute wealth of information that will answer most of your questions and will provide a solid footing.  I actually think that some of the most knowledgeable SU members posted their best stuff more often in the past.  Its understandable that they would get tired of reposting the same information over and over.  Combining the older information with the current posts will give you a great approach to swimbaiting.

[Fishing434]

Use the Search button!  I spent at least 50 hours looking at old posts before I even signed up on this site and I'm glad I did.  There is an absolute wealth of information that will answer most of your questions and will provide a solid footing.  I actually think that some of the most knowledgeable SU members posted their best stuff more often in the past.  Its understandable that they would get tired of reposting the same information over and over.  Combining the older information with the current posts will give you a great approach to swimbaiting.

 

Unfortunately many are no longer here... but agreed