Big swim baits, little swimbaits, and all sizes in between
by P.J. Pahygiannis
Pros like Paul Hirosky rely on swimbaits to catch big bass! |
Is there anything worse than being in a tournament throwing a swimbait and having countless bass come up and nudge the bottom of the swimbait? What about if a bass warily follows your swimbait back to the boat only to pounce on it as your bait is coming out of the water?
The reward of your efforts, when it comes to throwing a swimbait for a day, could be larger than life. Taking the chance to throw a swimbait on your home body of water for a day can be one of the most rewarding things, but that’s only if you’re committed to catching the biggest bass in the lake. Then again, your chances may go up slightly if your home waters contain the ever so popular large trout or other large baitfish, which require even bigger swimbaits to imitate them.
According to 3 time Bassmaster winner and Bassmaster Elite Series competitor James Niggemeyer from Van, Texas, when it comes to swimbaits such as the Strike King Shadalicious, he has this to say about why swimbaits, such as the shadalicious, work so well. “It has a tremendous visual appeal to bass and has the ability to draw fish from long distances to strike because of its natural look and action, “ He says when it comes to why swim baits just work so well when it comes to catching big bass. “It Works well in deeper water on structure when used with a lead head like a Strike King Red Fish Magic flats jig head. I have done well with it and it’s become really popular lately on an umbrella rig. I tend to use a keeper called a Change-up or a weighted hook when I need it to be more weed less.”
Former Bassmaster Elite series competitor and Bassmaster opens champion Paul Hirosky thinks that the swimbait is beautiful in many different ways. “Here comes the beauty of the swimbait. Fewer but bigger bites, the "money" bites. No wasting time catching, culling, re-rigging with smaller fish. Swimbaits let you cover water quickly at different depths while appealing to the biggest fish in the area.”
What conditions?
Niggemeyer and Hirosky both talked about what parts of the country and what conditions swimbaits work the best in.
Both anglers agreed that they will work in clear to moderately stained water. “The Shadalicious is very versatile for a lot of applications, though is best in clear to moderately stained water,” Niggemeyer said. He also says swimbaits are really good in all stages of the spawn.
In many of the waters around Hirosky’s house in Pennsylvania, he has also found some of the same success he had with swimbaits that he had back in the western states, even though Pennsylvania does not have the numbers or the size of Trophy bass that the western states he visited do.
“After I was exposed to swimbaits in California at a few Elite stops I couldn't wait to get home to PA and try them. Within days of getting home I was catching them here with the same baits as out in Cali. So they do have applications just about everywhere when you "need" a big bite.”
Why are they better?
Swimbaits definitely have an advantage over some of the more traditional baits. I think it helped boost the weights in some of the tournaments and made more guys big fish hunters instead of numbers catchers,” Hirosky said.
The way a swimbait looks and moves is a large and important factor as well. “It has great action, realistic look, a wide variety of colors and made of a nice plastic material for which this bait is designed for,” Niggemeyer said, while referring to the Strike king Shadalicious.
Swimbaits are another important tool when it comes to having the power to draw bass out of crystal clear. “It’s one of the best baitfish imitators in clear water and when fish are keyed on bait,” Niggemeyer said.
The right combination
To effectively use and get the most out of swimbaits it takes the right equipment. You need equipment that can handle the size of the swimbait you’re throwing, but can also handle the cover you’re fishing your swimbait around.
Hirosky does not use just one combination when it comes to throwing swimbaits. “There are lots of different combos I use based on size and conditions but I will give you the most common. I use a 7'6" MH All-Star rod with a Chronarch reel, and 15lb Seaguar Fluorocarbon line.”
There is not just one set-up that is correct for fishing swimbaits, there are several that are out on the market that have different actions and purposes when it comes to swimbait fishing. “I use a 7' St. Croix Legend Tournament Med/Hvy rod, Ardent Edge Elite reel (6:5.1 gear ratio) and anywhere between 12 and 20 pound Gamma Flurocarbon line depending on the size and cover I am fishing around,” says Niggemeyer.
Successes and Memories
When it comes to where Hirosky has had his most successes and has had the best luck with swimbaits, it all goes back to the 2007 Bassmaster Elite series event on Clear Lake. “I still think it goes back to the second day of the Elites Series event on Clear Lake when I just stopped resisting and halfway thru the day started throwing that thing around and totally committed to it. That was kind of like the "first kiss" moment for me that I'll never forget.”
Niggemeyer still remembers his biggest limit on a swimbait very well. “Usually they play a role or have complimented my bag in some way, however if I recall correctly I caught like a 21 or 22 lb bag in an BASS Elite event day 2 on Guntersville all on swimbaits. The biggest was around 6lbs. in that limit.”
Which Swimbait?
Ever since swimbaits showed there powers on Clear Lake back when the Elite Series visited there in 2007, hundreds, if not thousands of swimbaits have come out on the market. When it comes down deciding what type of swimbait to throw and choosing between hard swimbaits, soft swimbaits, or hollow belly swimbaits, it can be a tough choice.
"I don't like hard swimbaits. I don't know why but I just don't. As far as hollow belly versus other soft swimbaits it's just a matter of conditions and what I am trying to accomplish and where I am fishing, geographically and on a given body of water," Hirosky says. When it comes to which swimbait Hirosky favors first, “My favorite is still the BassTrix,” says Hirosky.
James Niggemeyer favors the Strike king Shadalicious as his swimbait of choice. “3.5 and 4.5" are my favorite sizes though I have caught fish on all sizes,” and when it comes down to why the Shadalicious is his swimbait of choice, “The head and tail shake or wobble as its reeled through the water,” Niggemeyer says. And when it comes down to Niggemeyer’s favorite swimbait colors, “Green Gizzard and Blue Gizzard.”
When it comes to choosing which size swimbait to throw on any given day, it’s best to base it on the size of the bass you are looking to catch. “Size to me is a function of the size of fish you want to catch. Every step up in size increases the odds of bigger bites but eliminates a percentage of smaller bites. That's not saying small baits don't catch giant bass sometimes,” said Hirosky.
When it comes to the deciding choice of choosing which color swimbait to throw once you get out on the lake, the conditions should dictate your choice. “Color is a function of water clarity, forage, or effect. An example is using the Matt Lures bluegill for spawning bass. Swim it through the bed or sit it there and it is awesome. Most of the time I am trying to replicate the local shad on the lake,” Hirosky said.
When it comes to choosing what weight swimbait you should use, it all comes down to depth, and how much action you want the bait to have. “I like to use the lightest amount possible to give the lure the most mobility and action. Something like a 1/8, 3/32, 1/4 all the way to 3/8oz being the heaviest. Typically I use heavier for deeper depths and structure,” says Niggemeyer.
Where?
When you find what type of cover the bass are holding to on the particular day that you are fishing swimbaits, it’s possible to catch some huge bass if you succeed. Hirosky’s biggest five bass limit caught in a tournament on a swimbait weighed an amazing 25 pounds.
“I fish swimbaits just about anywhere and everywhere. Above grass, around wood, scattered pads, open water, docks, even for smallmouth,” Hirosky said. “Generally I fish them in less than 12 feet of water but have caught pelagic schoolers over open water in 40+ feet.”
“This is a really good bait in the Prespawn, Postspawn, schooling or busting fish and even skipped under docks,” said Niggemeyer.
“Swimbaits are great from prespawn right through the fall. It is easier to say when not to use try them. My least success seems to be during post frontal conditions and muddy water,” says Hirosky.
If you can put all the pieces of the puzzle together and find the right combination, swimbaits can be very deadly. “In the spring you can fish it for Pre spawn fish all the way to post spawn for fry guarding fish. Works well around the shad spawn and bluegill beds also. Fall...it’s great for fish that have made the fall migration to the backs of creeks and are chasing shad,” says Niggemeyer.
Something different
Anglers are tinkerers by nature, and Paul Hirosky is just that. After he started fishing Hollow-belly swimbaits he came up with a few modifications. "I like to cut a slit in the head and put a lead tube head in it, 3/8 or 1/2oz and glue it back closed. It casts a mile and I use it for schoolers or to work down steep banks and bluffs.I like to add little rattles to it. The thin glass worm rattles inserted into the plastic. Especially if the water is a little more stained. I will fasten a thin tube like you get with a can of WD-40 and attach it to a can or aerosolized fish sent like Bang Shad scent and spray it into the back of a hollow swimbait. The scent stays longer and trickles out."
About the author: PJ Pahygiannis
PJ is an avid bass fisherman, boy scout and currently still in high school. He fishes almost every day and enjoys learning and using such techniques as, pitching and flipping, frogs and finesse tactics. His favorite body of water is the Potomac River in Maryland, where he fished his first tournament. PJ is a member of the NAFC, FLW and BASS, as well as the Fish On Bass Anglers.
