Going to be doing some heavy hog hunting this spring and was seeing if anyone has some tips for big swimbaits. I have already caught some nice fish on swimbaits before, but im going to be throwing 7 to 9 inch baits so the game changes. So anyone have some tips for retrives and other useful info. Also i am 98% theres nothing i can do, but is there any techniques i can do to stay away from pickerel. I love a good fight, but i'd also like to keep my bait in decent condition for a season or two.
Last edited by lunkerhunter2366 on Wed Mar 28, 2012 11:12 pm; edited 1 time in total
Last edited by lunkerhunter2366 on Wed Mar 28, 2012 11:12 pm; edited 1 time in total
For swimbaits I like using bait casting gear. A lot of bites will come on the drop, with spinning gear it can be hard to detect these bites. My favorite swimbaits are made by Big Hammer....they are pretty durable and should last through a few pickeral attacks before they are useless.
As far as retrieve you need to first understand how your bait acts in the water. Try using it in some clear water first and see how it swims while you are barely moving it along. Some swimbaits sucks and have no action with a very slow retrieve. From here toss it out, let it sink until the desired depth and retrieve. I usually start with a medium retrieve and cover a lot of water before experimenting with different color/retrieves. If the water is warm you'll be good with a faster retrieve. Cold water=slow retrieve because the bass will be more lethargic.
I'm not sure if you are talking about your standard soft plastic swimbaits or something else. ...such as the jointed ones. Using a scent may help as well and don't be afraid to use a "swimjig", which is a swimbait with a skirted jig head on it.
As far as retrieve you need to first understand how your bait acts in the water. Try using it in some clear water first and see how it swims while you are barely moving it along. Some swimbaits sucks and have no action with a very slow retrieve. From here toss it out, let it sink until the desired depth and retrieve. I usually start with a medium retrieve and cover a lot of water before experimenting with different color/retrieves. If the water is warm you'll be good with a faster retrieve. Cold water=slow retrieve because the bass will be more lethargic.
I'm not sure if you are talking about your standard soft plastic swimbaits or something else. ...such as the jointed ones. Using a scent may help as well and don't be afraid to use a "swimjig", which is a swimbait with a skirted jig head on it.
there are some other threads too........
http://www.mafishfinder.com/phpBB2/swimbait-suggestions-needed-t5515.html
http://www.mafishfinder.com/phpBB2/swimbait-suggestions-needed-t5515.html
Im talking about baits like huddleston, storm etc... I got a couple jointed BPS swimbaits
http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shopsreg;-Z9R-Swimbaits/product/10202507/117914?cmCat=CROSSSELL_THUMBNAIL
(I know BPS can be a hit or miss with items), but i've tied on this lure for shits and giggles and it looks very VERY good in the water compared to some expensive swimbaits. They also sink pretty slow for a 2oz lure so i am confident they will catch quailty fish. I just want to put it threw some test any make sure hooks wont break or the bait itself. I've already got a decent setup for throwing big baits so i just need find out how bass like to hit it. Thats the only problem... I already plan on pitching stealthly into strike zones, but i just dont know if i should be riping the bait or working it as slow as i can. I figured early spring i would retrive it slower, than in late spring to early summer i would retrive faster and towards the mid to end summer retrive slow again. So throw a guy a bone if i got the right idea or if im going the wrong way cause this is my first serious time trying to target big gals with big swimbaits.
Also this bait will flutter with action with the smallest of twitches and will swim at very slow speeds so it can be fished however wanted.
Last edited by lunkerhunter2366 on Wed Mar 28, 2012 11:13 pm; edited 2 times in total
http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shopsreg;-Z9R-Swimbaits/product/10202507/117914?cmCat=CROSSSELL_THUMBNAIL
(I know BPS can be a hit or miss with items), but i've tied on this lure for shits and giggles and it looks very VERY good in the water compared to some expensive swimbaits. They also sink pretty slow for a 2oz lure so i am confident they will catch quailty fish. I just want to put it threw some test any make sure hooks wont break or the bait itself. I've already got a decent setup for throwing big baits so i just need find out how bass like to hit it. Thats the only problem... I already plan on pitching stealthly into strike zones, but i just dont know if i should be riping the bait or working it as slow as i can. I figured early spring i would retrive it slower, than in late spring to early summer i would retrive faster and towards the mid to end summer retrive slow again. So throw a guy a bone if i got the right idea or if im going the wrong way cause this is my first serious time trying to target big gals with big swimbaits.
Also this bait will flutter with action with the smallest of twitches and will swim at very slow speeds so it can be fished however wanted.
Last edited by lunkerhunter2366 on Wed Mar 28, 2012 11:13 pm; edited 2 times in total
Ohh ok. I have buddies who throw BIG swimbaits for bass. They are trout imitation swimbaits, up to 10-12 inches long. My buddy had an 8 incher that the fish would not touch...they would swim up to it and then turn away. This being said, buy a few of different sizes. He also told ne that 90% of the time the fish take it by the head. I guess with 7 inch baits you'll be fine, but he buys ones with a hook on the nose.
yea i typically will use soft swimbaits around that size when the bass are spawning in like may, I usually reel it in at a craw pace. if u use these tho u gotta use a swimbait hook thats got the proper amount of weight attached to the bottom of the hook, otherwise it rolls over and looks sloppy. just slowly reel in the bait, maybe throw a few twitches and stops on the retrieve an make sure theres some slack in the line when u retrieve it. I've caught some good bass doing this but dont be suprise if u pull in some small bass on them. Also, its good to use a heavy flipping stick so u can set the hook properly otherwise u will lose a lot of fish.
I'm planning on using these they come in from 3 1/2" to 8" size and come in different colors and will not break your wallet .
http://www.lftlures.com/categories/soft-plastics-lft-live-magic-shad
http://www.lftlures.com/categories/soft-plastics-lft-live-magic-shad
I posted a report from Lake Chauncy on Sunday. I have committed to using big 7" & 9" MS Slammer swimbaits this entire season. Being a tuna fisherman I know all about patience and don't mind throwing a big lure all day as long as I know when it gets bit it is going to be a good fish. I chose to use MS Slammers because unlike most swimbaits they are made of wood. Most of the lakes I fish have toothy critters such as pike, pikerel, and even some tiger muskie so spending 25 to 50 bucks on a rubber lure was out of the question for me. The other thing I like about the MS Slammer is that they can be fished multiple ways. They can be waked real slow across the surface which is deadly at night and in low light conditions or cranked down 1-2' under the surface. They are a big lure so a lot of vibrations are given of and they can call fish in from a a long way off.
This past Saturday I caught my first swimbait largemouth, about 2 pounds, and a 24" pickerel. Heres where it gets bittersweet. I hooked into and lost the biggest largemouth I have ever seen, easily pushing 9 pounds. It hit a 7" MS Slammer being waked on the surface and charged the boat and I couldn't reel up the slack fast enough. I also had a 36" class pike or muskie follow it right up to the boat but wouldn't commit to eating it.
On Sunday it was a little bit colder so I was working the Slammer subsurface and again hooked up but lost another nice bass in the 6-7 pound range. I have since swapped out the stock hooks that the lures come with to better Owner trebles. I am by no means an expert on swimbaits but I have done the research on swim bait nation and the MS slammer is the easiest and most time tested swimbait available.
Here are some of the pictures.
This past Saturday I caught my first swimbait largemouth, about 2 pounds, and a 24" pickerel. Heres where it gets bittersweet. I hooked into and lost the biggest largemouth I have ever seen, easily pushing 9 pounds. It hit a 7" MS Slammer being waked on the surface and charged the boat and I couldn't reel up the slack fast enough. I also had a 36" class pike or muskie follow it right up to the boat but wouldn't commit to eating it.
On Sunday it was a little bit colder so I was working the Slammer subsurface and again hooked up but lost another nice bass in the 6-7 pound range. I have since swapped out the stock hooks that the lures come with to better Owner trebles. I am by no means an expert on swimbaits but I have done the research on swim bait nation and the MS slammer is the easiest and most time tested swimbait available.
Here are some of the pictures.
@ tunameltdown, just bought the MS Slammer 9" perch the other day, can't wait to try it out this year. I have only heard good things about this bait. What color has worked best for you and do u night fish with it at all?
The 9" Slammers are huge! Don't get me wrong, they catch fish but they are a big bait and you better have a good rod in order to cast it. I have been favoring the 7" bluegill color, it's similar to the perch color only brighter. I bought 3-7" slammers in bluegill, baby bass, nitro purple. A single 9" in Hitch. I got that because I thought it would resemble a big pond shiner around here. And I also got the MS eel in Perch. I want to get a 9" perch and one in the trout color. Many people think that the trout colors only work in California but I have a friend on the cape that has been crushing bass on both 7" & 9" trout colored slammers since the state has stocked trout. I bought the nitro purple for night time use. From what I have read nitro purple and the all black are the best colors for night time. I have not been able to use them yet at night but I hope to soon.
Make sure you ditch the stock hooks and replace them with something better and don't worry about the paint getting chipped, because it is going to happen. I bounced mine of a rock the other day and it lost quite a bit of the paint on one side but it still swam good and was still getting bit. there are pictures of a few slammers on the internet that have caught hundreds of fish with little to no paint left on them but they still produce fish.
From Left to right.
6" Perch MS eel
7" MS Slammer Baby Bass
7" MS Slammer Nitro Purple
7" MS Slammer Bluegill
9" MS Slammer Hitch
Last edited by tunameltdown on Thu Mar 29, 2012 11:14 am; edited 1 time in total
I started throwing swimbaits this season too. I only have 2-3 smaller ones like 4 inches. This thread has inspired me. I just ordered the bluegill pattern 7 inch slammer. I've never paid more than 12 bucks for a lure until now. I can't wait to get my hands on it.
I started throwing swimbaits this season too. I only have 2-3 smaller ones like 4 inches. This thread has inspired me. I just ordered the bluegill pattern 7 inch slammer. I've never paid more than 12 bucks for a lure until now. I can't wait to get my hands on it.
Awesome! It's a tough pill to swallow, the initial cost of the slammers but from what I've seen in only 2 full days of fishing them has been worth it. Like I said before though, make sure you swap out the hooks for something better to avoid missed fish.
