Swimbaits are easy to use – and they catch fish!
By Mark Martin
Cast. Retrieve. Repeat. Except for setting the hook and fighting a fish, that’s all there is to catching fish with swimbaits.
To tell you the truth, I was skeptical of the fish-catching ability of swimbaits when they first came to market many years ago. I thought they were just too simply made and too easy to use to work so well.
But it only took me a few casts to realize I was wrong. And it doesn’t matter the species I am targeting, be it walleyes, bass, panfish, trout, you name it. Swimbaits fool them all.
That, however, is not the end of the story. There is a little more to catching fish with these lures than anglers may recognize.
Implications are everything
So what, exactly, is a swimbait?
In a way, it’s a cross between a softbait lure and a lipless crankbait. Many are made of super-pliable plastic, which is molded around a large-gap hook with a lead head. Overall, swimbaits resemble minnows, shiners and young-of-the-year fishes. At their rear end is either a paddle- or curly-cue tail; the former resonating a tempting “thump” as it swims, the later a veracious flash and vibration.
Some come as just soft-bodied baits that you skewer onto the jig head of your choice. Either way, the end result of catching fish is equal, no matter which style you choose.
It had to start somewhere
It’s been nearly two decades since I first started casting swimbaits on a regular basis. One of the more notable stories of catching with these lures was while fishing a charity tournament event in Northern Lower Michigan. I was the only professional walleye angler fishing alongside some of the finest bass-fishing professionals in the world.
My bait of choice during the one-day event was a 1/4-ounce 3-1/2 inch-long Northland Mimic Minnow. And with that one lure I was able to prove a walleye guy can hold his own amongst a large pack of some of the best in the bass industry. To boot, a trophy-size 6.42-pound smallmouth—the third largest of the event—was scooped up in my Frabill net, as well several more smallies and countless hefty rainbow trout.
How to fish ‘em
I fish a swimbait nowadays nearly identical to how I started to way back when.
First, I prefer casting them on superline, with Black-colored 8-pound-test Berkley FireLine being my preference.
What’s the reason I prefer superline, you ask? The no-stretch properties of this line allows me to feel every pulse of the lures paddle- or curly-cue tail, as well it’s easier than ever to detect when the lure’s ticking the tops of the weeds, rock, or wood — a signal for me to speed up the retrieve and get the lure up and out of cover and swimming just over it.
Superline also lets me achieve great hook sets when using such light line, as the hooks on most swimbaits are quite large and it takes a little more gumption to get the point to pierce a bony jaw.
A longer, medium-power fast-action rod, such as a 7-foot 2-inch Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye spinning rod, allows me to make long cast. And the beefier in the butt of this rod aids in getting good hooks sets, as well. I couple the rod with an ABU Garcia Orra Power Finesse Spin spinning reel for a perfectly balanced rig.
Why the need for long casts? Whether I’m fishing clear water or stained, I like to make lengthy casts when using swimbaits, allowing the lure to free-fall a few seconds through the water column before starting my retrieve. And as for the latter, it’s merely a slow and steady retrieve that works best.
That’s the beauty of swimbaits, the best action is no added action; just that aforementioned stable retrieve. There’s no lift and fall or no hopping along bottom.
And there’s no refuting a strike when fishing swimbaits as the bait is usually an engulfed.
The devil’s in the details
Swimbaits come in so many different sizes, shapes and colors it can be overwhelming when picking one out. As with any lure, however, it will depend on the depth I am fishing, as well the shape and size of the forage at hand.
These baits work great in water 12 feet and under. I find the lightest-weight lures won’t sink too quickly, and, have the most life-like action.
With that said, I generally use 1/8- to 1/4-ounce swimbaits more often than not. This weight bait tends to be shorter in length, measuring in at 2 to 3 inches. There are also shorter, 1/32- and 1/16-oncers on the market. These tiny versions are great for panfish whether it’s crappie, bluegills or perch.
For the most part, in water deeper than 12 feet, I use the 3/8- to 3/4-ouncers, no matter the size of the forage base in a lake.
As for shape and color of swimbaits I choose, that depends on the waters I am fishing.
In waterways where shad, bluegills, and crappie are the main forage, the short fat profile of Berkley’s PowerBait Pre-Rigged Swim Shad or one of the many Storm’s WildEye Live series or will work great. Where shiners, perch, and other slender-shaped forage is present, Berkley’s PowerBait Rib Shad or Gulp! Alive! Nemesis baits, coupled with a VMC DHHJ Hammer Head Jig, will do the trick.
Color, on the other hand, depends on water clarity. I prefer the naturally-colored baits such as bluegill, perch, and shiner in clear water. Brightly-colored swimbaits, like Firetiger, for example, work wonders in tannic or muddy water.
As for choosing paddle- or curly-tail, I let the fish decide. I find changing often is best.
Last but not least, when attaching a swimbait to FireLine, I tie it on directly with a Palomar knot; that is not using a snap, as well forgoing the use of a leader of monofilament or fluorocarbon. The fish do not care about FireLine tied right to the bait when attacking a swimbait.
Cast. Retrieve. Repeat.
Looking for a technique that’s easy to use to catch more fish than ever this year, no matter the species? Then by all means, tie a swimbait directly to superline and make a long cast and give it a slow, steady retrieve and hang on.
Yes, it really can be as easy as that.
Mark Martin is a professional walleye tournament angler and instructor with the Fishing Vacation/Schools, who live in southwestern Lower Michigan. Visit his website at markmartins.net for more information.
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