Swimbaits aren't something you hear a lot about in Pa, or even anywhere in the East. Swimbaits can be a very effective way to trigger a big bass to strike or it can even be used as a search bait. I'll share my techniques with you here:


Using Swimbaits as a search bait

When I fish a new body of water (especially when I'm not using a boat) I will throw swimbaits to search for fish. Even if you don't get a strike, these baits will pull lunkers out of hiding. Be prepared to follow up with another bait if you see a follower. I usually throw a texas rigged plastic (like a tube or worm) or a small jerkbait. 


You want to throw these baits around quick depth transitions, weed lines, structure changes and flats (especially during spawn). A good strategy to use is paralleling the shoreline or the areas mentioned above. 


Get those lunkers to bite!

Nothing is more effective at getting a lunker to commit than a swimbait. If you used the search technique and are still coming up short use this next technique to get the big one!


Look for a cloud of baitfish in or near deeper water and cast your swimbait to it. Let the swimbait fall under the cloud of fish and hold on tight. The bait should get nailed as, or just before, it hits the bottom. If it doesn't get picked up, slowly roll it across the bottom, just above the ground. Slow down your retrieve and let it hit the bottom occasionally. Big bass are smart - they are going to be watching the small ones chase the bait and will be waiting in the depths for a stunned fish to hit the bottom. The big bass won't be wasting energy chasing fish around so don't waste your time swimming your bait in the cloud. 


Styles and Rigging


With the hundreds of different styles of swimbaits out on the market today it can be hard to pick that perfect lure. The short answer is: There isn't just 1 perfect swimbait. 


When I am choosing a swimbait I like to keep things as simple as possible. I'll look at the area I am fishing and try and figure out which baitfish are dominant in that body of water. Once I figure that out, I'll find the swimbait that matches the baitfish both in size and color. Usually something as simple as all white will be enough to cover most situations. As far as size goes, I'll throw two sizes - 3 inch and 5 inch. Most baitfish don't get much bigger than this, so no need to waste your time and money on other sizes. 


I'll rig a swimbait 1 of 3 ways, depending on where and when I'm using it.


Texas Rig - I use this a lot when I'm throwing into bait clouds and also when I'm fishing beds during spawn. 
Weightless - Again, I'll use this when I'm throwing into bait clouds. I don't like to throw swimbaits weightless when I'm going to be cranking them as they tend to twist.
Weighted hook - I use these when I'm searching for fish and running the bait pretty quickly. The faster I want to move the bait, the more weight I'll use. 


Swimbaits are a great way to find some quality fish, so don't be afraid to use them. Just keep it simple and follow some of my techniques and you'll find fish! 

Have fun and stay safe out there!
-Nate