Fall Bass Fishing with Swimbaits

Since all of the recent posts have been dedicated to concepts and techniques I thought it was time to put up a post with some actual fish in it. These fish are a perfect example of what you can do with a swimbait in the fall.
Not only can you catch a lot of fish, but you can catch fish of all sizes. It doesn’t matter what part of the country you’re in, if the bass are actively pursuing baitfish a swimbait can help you put more fish in the boat. Its also important to note that though both of these baits are designed to imitate a trout, there are no trout in this particular late. Again, proving the theory that bass are willing to eat large meals, even if they don’t know exactly what they are.
The fish in this video were caught on a 8″ Huddleston Deluxe Swimbait and a 7″ Triple Trout Swimbait, both are available from Tackle Warehouse at the links provided. The 2nd to last fish in the video was just under 3 lbs so don’t feel like these baits are too big for the bass in your lakes.

Night Fishing 101: Swimbaits

A few short years ago the word “Swimbait” was virtually non-existent on the web. Today swimbaits are a hot topic on virtually every bass forum and the interest continues to rise. With all of the information out there its shocking how little has been spoken about fishing soft swimbaits at night. While I may not be the world’s leader on the topic I have seen my share of success and feel that I can shed some light where others have chosen to remain silent.
I intended to keep this video short and give a basic overview of the topic but as is often the case, I got to sharing information and the time went by quickly. The key tip to remember from this segment is that virtually any swimbait will work at night if you can cause the tail to kick at ultra-slow speed. Do not be afraid to modify your baits to achieve this and don’t get stuck on a particular brand.

While most of my largest night fish have come on swimbaits that are 7″ and longer, I have seen some absolute giants caught on smaller 5-6″ baits as well. Do not be afraid to experiment but remember that when all else fails, slow down. If you go slow enough, the bass will come to you.
If you’re in need of a few baits to help you get started with your night fishing adventure I recommend tackle warehouse. Four of the five baits I mentioned are available here: Swimbaits at Tacklewarehouse

Cold Water Swimbait Fishing

Late last night I received a video from a member of the Tacticalbassin community. He sent it as a follow up to “Swimbaits Part 6″. He wanted to further show the power of swimbaits on small fish. You may recognize Ryan from previous videos as he contributes to the site on a fairly regular basis.

What makes this video unique is both the size of fish (fairly small) and the water temperature in which the fish were being caught. As you’ll see he was able to produce a small limit of fish very quickly using an Osprey Swimbait on a high-speed retrieve in 44 degree water. Yes, you read that right… 44 degree water thanks to snow runoff. So for those of you in the Northern states, this ones for you:

For those of you who are curious about the bait he is using, its an Osprey 6″ Tournament Talon Swimbait. The specific color appears to be Chartreuse Shad though I’m sure he could have done it with a wide range of colors. Here is a link to the baits direct from tacklewarehouse: Osprey Tournament Talon

I hope you understand the importance of this video. These fish were caught in very similar conditions to lakes around the entire Northern half of the United States. The water was cold, the fish were small, and Ryan wasn’t trying to imitate a trout. This can translate to nearly any body of water, you can make these baits work for you.
Last but not least, as a disclaimer… I too use the Osprey from time to time. Believe me, it will produce giant bass as well as dinks so don’t feel like you don’t have a shot at a big bass. On my boat this bait has produced fish under 2 lbs and fish over 10 lbs in the last two years.

Swimbaits Part 6: They Work

When we started this website the goal was to teach anglers everywhere how to catch more and bigger fish. My fear is that we are slowly getting off track. I don’t want this site to be about giant bass on the West coast. I want it to be about big fish (whatever that means to you) in whatever place you happen to be from. I firmly believe that the concepts taught here will apply to you, no matter where you are. I do however understand that to many anglers some of these principles seem far fetched.

I too started out with very little confidence in myself and even less confidence in giant baits. And perhaps you’re right, you may be from one of the few lakes where swimbaits just don’t seem to work like they should. However, it is much more likely that after you commit the time and figure out what you can do to tweak these techniques, that you will catch better quality fish more often.

This is a short clip geared toward reminding you that swimbaits work on “ordinary” fish too. Its not all about giant bass, its just about catching quality. On a day when I was catching 1-2 lb fish I was able to catch a little better fish by increasing the size of my bait. No matter where you live there is a bass in the lake capable of fitting a swimbait in its mouth. Notice also that this fish was caught with just the stock hook. No added hooks were needed to hook the fish. When a bass is in the mood to feed, nothing is going to stop it from getting at its prey.

I’d love to hear some stories from other anglers. I get quite a few emails, private messages, and calls from guys around the country telling me about the fish they’re catching on swimbaits. Its time to give back and share a little, encourage some of the other anglers that read the site that haven’t experienced your level of success yet. I don’t care if its an 8 lber or a 2 lber, let’s hear about it.