My So-Called Swimbait Life
Now that I’ve caught a few fish on swimbaits and glide baits – including the “bargain” S-Waver, the middle-priced Bull Shad, and the more expensive Taddo Eon – I’m fully committed to learning more about the technique. I know that there will be a window when my “seat time” pays off, although I suspect that there will be some frustrating hours before that happens. With each additional cast I learn something new, but sometimes it feels like “one step forward, two steps back.” I may have more questions now than before I attended the Swimbait Universe Gathering. Here are some of the knotty issues I’m still trying to work out.
Big Ticket Swimbait Questions
The biggest issue of all, of course, is when and where to use them. Of course there are purists who solve the problem by using nothing else, but I’m never going to be that guy. Instead, it’s going to come down to figuring out which lakes, which seasons and which days they’re in play, and then making the most of it.
The second issue, which piggybacks onto the first, is which style/s and model/s to use for particular situations, based on forage and conditions. Right now I don’t have all that many of them, so the choices aren’t paralyzing, but I still don’t always know when I want a swim or a glide or a wake or a countdown. Even within the categories, if I commit to the glider I’m not necessarily sure whether I want one with a wide glide or a narrow gait.
Finally, I need to figure out how to convert followers into biters. This has been the most illuminating – and the most frustrating – part of the whole process. I’ve seen groups of fish that I never knew existed, and while they’ll nose up to the lure in a mesmerized fashion, generally they’ll just sink away at the boat.
Second Tier Swimbait Issues
I’m still a bit dubious every time I see a 2- or 4-ounce lure cannonball out of the air and splash down violently. Even when I manage to tame the ruckus a bit, I still have trouble believing that every fish in the zip code has not fled. I need to get over that, and realize that in some circumstances the splash functions as a draw, not a deterrent.
I need to work on my casting overall. I find that when I bomb cast one of these big glides they often tend to knuckleball all over the place. In open water that’s not necessarily a negative, but if I’m trying to fire down a line of riprap, or along the edge of a boathouse, it’s flirting with disaster.
I also need to learn to feel what my lure is doing when I can’t see it, either due to distance, low light or chop. When I’m looking at the lures I feel like I’ve substantially improved my ability to make them do what I want, but when they’re out of sight, it’s less intuitive. It needs to become second nature.
Finally for this category, I need to be ready to lose a lure that cost $150, $200 or more. They’re not showpieces, they’re tools, and I need to put them where the fish live. I certainly will work hard to retrieve them, but if it becomes a lost cause I need to avoid looking back.
Swimbait Gear Hangups
The long handles on my swimbait rods are like nothing I’ve ever used for bass before. I understand their purpose, but need to get used to them – I still find the butt section getting caught in my shirt or jacket on occasion. I may also need to buy one with a shorter handle for flinging lures in close quarters.
So far I’ve been fishing the big glides on 20-pound test Berkley Big Game Mono, partially because I’m cheap, and partially because I’ve been afraid of snapping one off on the cast with fluoro. Many swimbaiters seem to prefer Izorline copolymer. I may try that, and if someone I trust convinces me I may just bite the bullet and go all-in on fluoro.
Perhaps most importantly, I need to really dial in my Livescope to convert followers to biters (see above) and a large swimbait, as opposed to a tiny lure like a hair jig or a 2.8” paddletail, seems like the perfect way to take that next step.
Fortunately, the research is the fun part, particularly with the occasional reward to keep the hunt compelling.
