How do you fish Mattlures hard gill

[Hammerdown]

Was wanting to know how you fish your hard gill/ strong shad?

Do you fish it like a crank?

Turn and burn ?

Or throw 1/4 and half turns working it like a glide? 

 what are you favorite conditions and location to throw ?

And how do you reduce getting snagged on cover?

[Fallof74]

I caught a 5 and a 6 today and lost a giant burning my SS Mattlures just under the surface, creating a wake. But the fish in my lake are keying in on the bluegill because they are spawning. I think it just depends on the conditions. Today was more of a reaction type retrieve. 

[tHeINFamoUS]

Burning em on the surface seems like the worst presentation ever until you start getting bit lol.  I wasn't sold until I was chucking along a weed line, heard a splash behind me (fish breached the surface) and I tried to reel in as fast as I could to cast at the active fish and I got whacked about 10 feet into the retrieve.  

Its a bit different for me on the delta though, I burn and stop in the am and once the sun gets up, the tide and current kinda dictate the retrieve. I like a moderate stop and go in the 3-4' depth range if the bite /current is slow or a quick retrieve and long pause in the 1-2' depth range in current and/or shade. Not sure what kind of cover you're fishing but I don't shy away from letting it get hung up on hydrilla, ripping em from the weeds can draw strikes.   

 

 

[Hammerdown]

6 hours ago, tHeINFamoUS said:

Not sure what kind of cover you're fishing but I don't shy away from letting it get hung up on hydrilla, ripping em from the weeds can draw strikes.   

 

 

Mostly hard cover standing timber in about 30ft of water. 

[bigpoppabass]

1. I think a Tru floater is a must own.  Try rigging it with a heavier back hook so bait has a feeding posture. Twitch and pause around pads works in calm conditions when most SBS don't. 

2. Like others have said, use  it as a structure type bait tring to imitate what bluegills do near docks rocks, beds, pads etc. They don't swim very far.  So a straight retrieve is my least fav in open water. 

P.s. I almost returned to Matt a floater that slowly sank. Instead I had Matt test a second floater I purchased.  This very slow sinker has turned out to be my fav.  First time I used it a seagull dove on it.  I think lesson is to take advantage of their realism by going slow with em. 

[waynem]

Its such a versatile bait that its hard to choose a particular technique.  Pre-spawn/spawn is a fantastic time to throw it when the bass have a bad case of gill hatred.  Later on fish it around areas that have nesting bluegills with bass lurking around the edges. Work it around places that usually hold bluegills- docks, submerged trees, etc.  Also through open lanes in pad fields.  Vary the retrieve and figure out what is working best that particular day.

One of my favorites is to find large 5-8 foot deep flats that have milfoil type weeds with at least 18" of open water over the weeds.  Just swim it along steadily like a bluegill casually swimming along.  Bass will come up out of the weeds to blast it.  

[Hammerdown]

Thanks for replying got my first swimbait fish 

[d-camarena]

Congrats

[JoshPerkins802]

Hell yea man! Way to go