Swimbaits and Adapting to Change

[fishnislife]

-Ever thought about throwing swimbaits?
-Thinking about doing so this upcoming season?
-Are you a big bass hunter already and looking for a good read?......well check this out.

http://fishingnetwork.net/swimbait1.htm

This is an awesome article written by Sean James, an elite SoCal guide. He knows his bass and I would consider him a true big bass hunter. They know how to do it down in Cali. This comes from one of the forums I was a regular on when I lived down in Cali.
If you guys are interested in a couple of good articles on swimbaits let me know, I have a ton.


fishnislife

[danielt]

Lots of people toss swimbaits up here and its not really a "big bass hunter" bait. Our state record is only 11.5 and I dont remember the last time I heard a person catching anything over 7. The cool thing about them is they catch bass of all sizes. Good read tho.

[Anonymous]

Really, the state record is 11.5? No way, I didn't know that. (Actually, I think it is 11.56)
And here is a picture of an 8lber. just so you can hear of someone catching one over 7. This is my buddy Sky last year. A lake I'm sure you know of (without saying). I know of a 10lb+(last year) in this lake and I can almost guarantee that this fish will only take a Hudd or SPRO BBZ(maybe a big beefy jig). At this lake I have also been followed and struck at by big fish, only by tossing a Hudd, once by a 6lber and another by a 4lb+ fish in the same pack. Nothing else even got their attention.


Fish look small? He is 6'4".

And yes, you can catch bass of all sizes on swimbaits if your using SBT's or ones under 6". But if you want to tackle "big bass", then swimbaits should be your go to bait. I have never caught a bass under 2.8lbs. on a swimbait. And yes, I would consider someone fishing a swimbait to be a "big bass hunter" because they should be expecting to catch big bass on them.


fishnislife

[danielt]

is that a cottage lake senko bass?

[Anonymous]

You smell.
And no senko this day.


fishnislife

[danielt]

Why cause I exposed cottage? You can catch those bass on a senko tho.

I just dont know that throwing a 12" huddleston all day up here is worth the time and money since we dont have the same numbers as Cal. You could target those same big bass with a 1/2oz jig.

People should continue to throw swimbaits but its a whole different ball game then what you would do in cali.

[Anonymous]

I'd like to see it. You catch a bass like that on a senko and I will consider you an amazing bass fisherman (or really lucky). In fact if you catch one that size this year (with anything), I will consider you an amazing bass fisherman, but we all know that ain't gonna happen.


fishnislife

[danielt]

You are right I probably wont cause I wont be on cottage lake. The only thing I seen Dez throw on those lakes is a senkos and hes caught his fair share of 6 or better bass (lost a 7 on the first cast). There is no reason why those bass wont hit a senko. Just because its "big" and what you call "smart" doesn't mean it wont hit a stick bait. People like Roger an ex guide and Dave Newby have caught lots of 8 and 9# fish on stick baits and jigs on silver.

I guess since I will probably never catch an 8# bass on a swim bait or a senko in washington state so I should just give up now because your way better than me.

Hunting one big fish is more of a numbers game than skill. If you take one super big bait and throw it all year you may only catch one 10lb fish and that's it. But at some point the chances of you catching it are good. Just like if you buy a lotto ticket every week for a year your chances are better than a person that only buys once.

I wish you good luck and never doubted your fishing skills just doubt that fact that a 12 inch huddlesten has its place in washington.

[bpm2000]

just doubt that fact that a 12 inch huddlesten has its place in washington.

lol I hope more people think like you!

But in all seriousness, you're partially correct - its just a means to an end. You can toss 5" senkos all day and you might get that big fish after weeding through all the 1~4lb fish. Or you can toss the 8~12" swimbait all day, see fewer 2lb fish (but they WILL still hit it), but stick some pigs during the year. Do I think you could catch that same fish on a senko? Hell yea. But do I think a swimbait might be a more effective path to that same fish? I think so.

People should continue to throw swimbaits but its a whole different ball game then what you would do in cali.

The conditions and fish are different, but bass are bass, and they DO get to DDs here. Other than throwing to match the hatch, I don't really see what would be so different. And even that is out the window since using trout baits where there are none gets bit, and using shad baits here gets bit. Different ball game yea, but its not *that* different.

Hunting one big fish is more of a numbers game than skill.

***IMO*** People like Dave and Roger catch big fish because they've been fishing forever, are skilled at what they do, and they come across big fish from time to time. But to substantiate a claim that a senko is going to catch a trophy sized fish just as readily as a swim bait based on their experience I believe is wrong. I bet if they switched to swimbaits and just went after trophy fish all day their #s would decrease but their quality in catch would rise as well.
Remember, its just fishing guys

[danielt]

But in all seriousness, you're partially correct - its just a means to an end. You can toss 5" senkos all day and you might get that big fish after weeding through all the 1~4lb fish. Or you can toss the 8~12" swimbait all day, see fewer 2lb fish (but they WILL still hit it), but stick some pigs during the year. Do I think you could catch that same fish on a senko? Hell yea. But do I think a swimbait might be a more effective path to that same fish? I think so.

BPM I agree with you. As far as skill v.s. numbers I meant actually going out with the intent to only catch the one biggest bass in the state. On the Roger and Dave comment, those guys (are great guys and i dont want to take anything away from that) just fish a big fish lake and catch them all big and small. But it goes to show that it is possible to catch those big bass on a senko where as Fishinislife said "I'd like to see it. You catch a bass like that on a senko and I will consider you an amazing bass fisherman (or really lucky). "

People should continue to throw swimbaits but its a whole different ball game then what you would do in cali.

The difference Im speaking of has more to do with the fact that these guys are hunting 15, 17, 20, 25lb bass and they catch a lot of them. Up here 7, 9 and 10 is HUGE and you cant go out and catch a hand full on any giving day.

My bottom line is that its a great article on hunting big bass but washington is not a big bass state. The topic is based on people starting to throw swimbaits and its really nothing new at all. If you were going to do what these guys are doing then thats great but dont expect the same results. A 12" swimbait isnt going to grow 20# bass that were never here to begin with.

[HillbillyGeek]

I wonder if anyone has tried to introduce the Florida largemouth strain here in WA. I suspect that it has been tried, but the WA weather conditions do not favor this strain.

[bpm2000]

Yea I think our growing season/temps would make for some unhappy florida strains hehe.

[Anglinarcher]

I wonder if anyone has tried to introduce the Florida largemouth strain here in WA. I suspect that it has been tried, but the WA weather conditions do not favor this strain.

Florida Strains have been tried in several Western States, but they cannot take the cold water.

A cross has been tried, but the cross does not seem to grow as well, or take the cold any better.

Even in Florida, where the strain comes from, they consider a 10 LB Bass to be a very good fish. Only in California, where they get the warmer water year round, and get fed hatchery trout (LOL), do they seem to get that big, that often.

I do use the big swimbaits, up to 12", myself, but normally for Tiger Muskies. It is interesting that I have never caught a bass on one in Idaho or Washington, but I have caught Tigers. I guess I just don't have the "skill". And yes, the lakes that had the Tigers also had big bass in them, well if you consider an 8 lber a big bass.

[Anonymous]

But it goes to show that it is possible to catch those big bass on a senko where as Fishinislife said "I'd like to see it. You catch a bass like that on a senko and I will consider you an amazing bass fisherman (or really lucky). "

That statement was personally directed at you to get you going. Not to say that senkos don't catch big bass if people throw them. I have caught plenty of nice bass on senkos and they are one of my favorite baits to throw. I just think your mentality fishing for bass is different than mine at times. Your like a base hitter and look for the consistant catch. I like to go for the homerun and try to catch the biggest fish in the lake. That's how I see a body of water when I get on it. Where is that monster. I too like to get into a bite and catch plenty of fish but I try very hard to do what it take to put me in the right situation to catch that monster bass (hit that homerun). Different strokes for different folks. And no one here is talking skill level or who's a better angler, just the matter of what drives us. And I have never stated anywhere that a big swimbait is all that I will throw this year. I think your girlish figure is miss reading me. "Going big", doesn't mean swimbaits all day. Swimbaits do have there place and time. They do have there place in Washington and they work.
To me a big bass is anything over 4lbs. A monster is 8lbs.+


Now back to the thread at hand!!!

Here is another great article that I came across last year:
http://proxy.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassm ... 708_Public
This is from an article in Bassmaster Magazine. Good read for those of you interested in learning more about swimbaits and new ways to fish them.



fishnislife

[zen leecher aka Bill W]

I wonder if anyone has tried to introduce the Florida largemouth strain here in WA. I suspect that it has been tried, but the WA weather conditions do not favor this strain.

I think WDFW tried them in Hutchison, Shiner and another in that general area 20 years or so ago. I think it was Bobcat.

The lakes were closed to fishing during that period. WDFW gave up and opened the lakes up about 10 years ago...maybe a bit earlier.

[dilbert]

It has probably been mentioned before, but here is a book for those of you that like big bass hunting. I read it a couple of months ago and it was a really good book.

Sowbelly: The Obsessive Quest for the World Record Largemouth Bass

[bpm2000]

also check out bill siementel's big bass zone.

[cavdad45]

Interesting thread going here. Here's my input:

1. Throw the swimbaits if you wish, but the 12 inch size may be too large. Stick with 7-8 inch rainbows because that is what the state stocks in most lakes and the older bass are tuned to hitting those hatchery raised prey. Or try a 4-5 inch bluegill, crappie, or perch looking swimbait.

2. I am amazed at everyone's doubt about bigger (larger than 7 pound) bass in our waters. Every year I see more than a dozen bass over six in my boat and usually one or two over seven. I don't claim myself to be a great bass angler, but I get my share. I see others with large bass like these too, so it doesn't take an elite angler to catch a prize. They are out there, it's what lakes you fish and where, when, and how. There are plenty of lakes with a potential 10+ pounder to be had.

3. Florida strain largemouth would not do well up here because our water temperatures in the winter drop below the strain's viability for survival, as well as reproductive capability (egg formation and development). The ones that do survive will do about as well as its northern strain cousin due to our short growing season, but not likely because of the Florida strains inherently short life span.

[A9]

I've seen an 8-9 lb largie in a VERY popular lake that people overlook way to often for bass....

They are definitely here...Just takes the right offering to get em to bite..

[danielt]

Interesting thread going here. Here's my input:

1. Throw the swimbaits if you wish, but the 12 inch size may be too large. Stick with 7-8 inch rainbows because that is what the state stocks in most lakes and the older bass are tuned to hitting those hatchery raised prey. Or try a 4-5 inch bluegill, crappie, or perch looking swimbait.

I agree 120% that was my original point exactly.

I also agree with you as far as the 6-7lb bass go but to see or even catch one at 8 or above is very rare and I consider those HUGE bass for washington state. Where as the guys that do real big bass hunting in CA consider those small

But I smell, Im girlish and I couldnt catch a bass with a senko to save my life!