A little more about swimbaits

[cassidyta]

I had posted some info on swim baits earlier in the year. In the referenced article, I discussed types of baits and rate of fall.
http://www.bassfishin.com/bassfishingforums/showthread.php?t=22900

Based on several of the recent questions, I figured that I would repost it and add a some more info.
As far as rods go, I like an 8’ rod. As I have said before, the Dobyn’s champion swim bait rod. My reason for a heavy 8’ is simply that I throw big baits. I have several 12-13” baits that I will toss with this rig. Some of these baits will weigh in excess of 8Oz. I need to be able to make a long cast, and an 8” rod does the trick for me. This is a heavy rod weighing close to 10Oz, but it has a great balance point on it so it does not feel so heavy.

I like to use a Shimano Calcutta 400 as my reel. Again this is a heavy reel. As I stated in another post, this reel is over 9 Oz. The thing that I like about them is their line capacity. I can spool up a little over 150 yards of 20 lbs mono on it. I also like the 5:0:1 gear ratio. I have no desire to swim my 5 oz bait fast. I believe that a common mistake is to swim the bait too fast, bringing it out of the strike zone.
As far as line goes, I have used just about everything over the years and FOR ME, 20 lbs mono has become the best solution. I stress for me, because I know plenty of folks who use fluoro, poly, and even braid. For me I like the added stretch that I get from the mono. I have a little more confidence that I won’t pull the bait out of the fish’s mouth as quickly with the mono. I know many folks who use a smaller diameter line as well, but I like the confidence in knowing that I can free my pricey lure from the weeds with the 20 lbs test. My brand choice has been Andes line. The only real reason is that I used it and it worked well for me. It does have some memory issues, but being that I am throwing big baits, the memory is not that big of a deal.

I seldom perform an overhand cast when I am tossing the big baits. I find that I can make a decent cast using a modified sidearm. My friends call it a slow pitch softball swing, but it has worked for me over the years. While the bait is heavy, the large profile means that the wind will affect it greatly. My lower profile cast will often keep the bait out of the wind. The second advantage for me is that I can use my hips more than just my shoulders. (If I am tossing an 8 oz bait then I am really trying to lug just shy of 3 lbs with each cast) No matter how I cast, it is important to me to wait before I ever reel in the bait. I have had many strikes occur 5-10 seconds after the cast while the bait is dead sticked on the bottom.

The hook set is the key to landing a swim bait fish. Do not swing for the fences when trying to hook into the fish. Most everyone will tell you to just keep reeling. The theory is that it is because this is what a real fish would do. It would try to swim away. Personally, I do like to use a hook set, but it is a light pull to the side. Similar to how I would do a crank bait. The second big mistake that I see is that folks will try to muscle in a fish. I know that this is the key to all fishing, but it is amplified with a big bait.

The last thing that I cannot stress enough is to retie constantly. For me, I do this after every fish or after 20 minutes casting without a fish. These heavy baits put quite a strain on your knots. No one wants to watch a monster fish get lost with a $50 lure in its mouth.