Brutal!

[JB]

Hey, we just got back from the cattle pond here, temp at 40 with a steady 20 mph SouthEast wind. Got the boat loaded and the water had a great murk to it, perfect for a spinnerbait, except just alittle to early (water temp 39) or so.
Supposed to get snow tomorrow, so it was super nice n sunny to get out today..
Denny bought a pack of storm swimbaits, bluegill with a chartreuse tail.
About the 3 inch size. Neither one of us had ever thrown that brand or size, and first cast Denny nails a keeper, whitish in color from being deep all winter.
We fished a ledge that was way off bank but will only 5-7 feet deep.
He ended up with 3 and I got skunked for the day, but had a few questions bout swimbaits..
Most of the fish that hit (i had two that hit and i missed at the boat)
merely picked up the swimbait and swam towards us.
I'll have to read the achieves in here more about swimbaits, but
basically I was surprised to see them swimming towards us with the bait.
I knew from past readings that most anglers let the swimbait sink to the bottom and from there you work it slow and hop it off the bottom.
The problem with this big pond was all the vegetation and slime that grows couple feet thick (still there this time of year, it gets worse in summer).
So, everytime we let it hit bottom, the lure gets covered in green stuff.
We were forced just to swim it along.
My question is this, after the strike do you hesitate and keep reeling, and then set the hook straight up or use the usually sweeping motion like a crankbait.
I had a nice one on that hardly felt much of a bite, then saw the line coming right at the boat, then lost it.
Of course I realize the low water temps and early spring conditions have the bass sluggish, but was interested to find out who on the forum has the swimbaits figured out ..thanks for any info..