What Am I doing wrong- *Swimbaits*

[Gamec0cks5]

Ok ok yeah another swimbait fishing question. Let me start out with listing what I have

Spro 4" Shad (Killer Gill)

YUM Money Minnow 4" (Hitch)

Castaic Sunfish 6"

Castaci Bluegill & Baby Bass 5"

Storm Shad Swimbaits

Mann's Hardnose 6" (Black Back/white)

Sebile Magic Swimmer (Bluegill)

Ok so I've been fishing them SLOW, around our man made structure we have put out in our lake. I am using a Abu Garcia Orra SX matched to a Shimano Crucial CRC70MH 7'

I have only caught a few fish on them. Our water also isn't crystal clear could that be the problem? Should I be throwing them on spinning tackle instead? HELP! :'(

Thanks Guys

[hmongkidBee]

no stick with baitcasting gear trust me.  Just keep doing what you're doing.  Sometimes change up your retrieve.  Burn the swimbaits sometimes, or give it a few jerks in your retrieve.  They're very versatile baits.

[D4u2s0t]

One thing i've learned, that many have not, is that you should never force a bait that isn't working.  If it's not working, try something else.  Eventually you will learn what works for you, and what doesn't.  Some people swear by the fat ika, I have never caught a single fish, nor had a single strike on them, even in areas where I know if I throw somethign else i'll get a fish.  So why bother throwing the ika?  Seems silly.

That being said, you may not be doing anything wrong, the fish may just not want a swimbait. 

[fishEguy]

Our water also isn't crystal clear could that be the problem?

Doesn't have to be crystal clear, but should have at least a few feet of visibility. Also wind is your friend.

[Hammer 4]

Are the hard baits ss, floaters, or fast sinkers..?

How deep is the water you fish..?

Depending on your answers, I may have a good suggestion for you..

[Chaz Hickcox]

no stick with baitcasting gear trust me. Just keep doing what you're doing. Sometimes change up your retrieve. Burn the swimbaits sometimes, or give it a few jerks in your retrieve. They're very versatile baits.

The Rod and Reel are all personal pref.  I can twitch the Castaic Rock Hards back better with spinning, but that's only because I am uncoordinated with my left hand.  As far as everything else goes kidbee is absolutely right.  Even the Platinum series seems to work better burned, sometimes.  With the original hard headed series I use a solid steady retrieve which seems to be money for me, and I am in heavily stained, normally muddy, water.

[Chaz Hickcox]

One thing i've learned, that many have not, is that you should never force a bait that isn't working. If it's not working, try something else. Eventually you will learn what works for you, and what doesn't. Some people swear by the fat ika, I have never caught a single fish, nor had a single strike on them, even in areas where I know if I throw somethign else i'll get a fish. So why bother throwing the ika? Seems silly.

That being said, you may not be doing anything wrong, the fish may just not want a swimbait.

Also true....

[Gamec0cks5]

Are the hard baits ss, floaters, or fast sinkers..?

How deep is the water you fish..?

Depending on your answers, I may have a good suggestion for you..

I have a Tru-Tungsten Shad 4" bait in wake/slow sink

The Spro is a FS as well as the Castaic Soft plastic one

Our lake is 13' max it averages 8' though this time of year we have about 2' of visiblity. We are getting ready to fertilize the water and then it gets down to 12"-20"

[Hammer 4]

For those depths, I'd use a slowsink..to shallow for a FS imho..

The TT can be fished in the upper water column, hold the rod tip high, slow roll it the bait, making sure it's where you want it to be, which should be the upper 1/3 of the water or so..then on slack line, give it a Slight twitch, this should turn the bait about 180 degrees, you can do this easily with the BBZ SS..reel in the slack, and start over again..alot of times that "twitch" will get a strike.

If your fishing soft baits, and the bottom allows it, try "bouncing" the bait off the bottom, do this at a slow pace, if the fish aren't goin for it..speed up a bit. Sometimes burning will get a reaction strike, sometimes not...you need to vary the retrieve to see what the fish want.

Are you getting any follows at all..?

[Mattlures]

I think some better baits would help alot. Keep the money minnows and rig them weedless throw them where they shine,through the weeds. (Basstrix are much better)

Go buy a little 6in weedless Hudd fish it slow. drag it on the bottom. Swimbaits are not like regular baits. A walmart jig or plastic worm might get bit as good as a premium jig or a Robo but "lesser" swimbaits do not produce like good ones.

[=Matt 5.0=]

I think some better baits would help alot. Keep the money minnows and rig them weedless throw them where they shine,through the weeds. (Basstrix are much better)

Go buy a little 6in weedless Hudd fish it slow. drag it on the bottom. Swimbaits are not like regular baits. A walmart jig or plastic worm might get bit as good as a premium jig or a Robo but "lesser" swimbaits do not produce like good ones.

Straight from the man! 

[Gamec0cks5]

For those depths, I'd use a slowsink..to shallow for a FS imho..

The TT can be fished in the upper water column, hold the rod tip high, slow roll it the bait, making sure it's where you want it to be, which should be the upper 1/3 of the water or so..then on slack line, give it a Slight twitch, this should turn the bait about 180 degrees, you can do this easily with the BBZ SS..reel in the slack, and start over again..alot of times that "twitch" will get a strike.

If your fishing soft baits, and the bottom allows it, try "bouncing" the bait off the bottom, do this at a slow pace, if the fish aren't goin for it..speed up a bit. Sometimes burning will get a reaction strike, sometimes not...you need to vary the retrieve to see what the fish want.

Are you getting any follows at all..?

Yeah I've had some short bites but I haven't been able to see followers. So should I have gotten SS instead FS?? I figured it would be better to have it down deep....

[hatrix]

If your fishing soft baits, and the bottom allows it, try "bouncing" the bait off the bottom

That's the only way I have really have success with swimbaits. I kinda fish it like a jig but faster and pick my rod up a lot higher. They usually grab it on the fall as usual.

[AnthonyB]

I usually fished my swimbaits slow but on a pond i was fishing i made a bad cast so i started reelin it in the make a better cast and got bit as i was burnin it back to me. other fish like the slow retrieve so just change it up with your casts to find what they want.

[rebeav]

I think some better baits would help alot. Keep the money minnows and rig them weedless throw them where they shine,through the weeds. (Basstrix are much better)

Go buy a little 6in weedless Hudd fish it slow. drag it on the bottom. Swimbaits are not like regular baits. A walmart jig or plastic worm might get bit as good as a premium jig or a Robo but "lesser" swimbaits do not produce like good ones.

I have been trying to mix the hollow body in when I am fishing weeds etc. I can not get them hooked. They knock the dog out of it and then they are gone. How do rig them for this? I guess it depends on how they hit it is how to determine how to set the hook . I know in the fall when we use the big heavy swimbaits we just keep reeling until they load up.

[midnighthrasher]

Here's what i would do. Buy a Tru Tungsten 4 inch swimbait in the color that suits you and a some Berkley hollow belly swimbaits in pearl. Both those swimbaits produced more big fish last year than any other lures with me and my friends. The TT swimbait produced a 4-10 and a 4-2 leading to a tournament win and a another really good finish.  From all the ones I've tried the TT for hard swimbaits and the Berkley Hollow bellys are my favorites. Evevryone that ive suggested them too has said the samething that I do.

[unageo09]

We were using a Storm Swim Shad today and caught a couple largemouths and 2 smallmouths around rocky areas. We also caught several white bass. We were using a medium to slow retrieve. Occasionally I would twitch the rod too.