Swimbait Question

[C0lt]

please don't jump on me if this has already been asked, because I wasn't exactly sure how to search for it because im not 100% sure how Im going to word this;

 

I fish a couple reservoirs and large ponds that I know for a fact have a ton of bait fish and large bass. I wan't to get into swimbait fishing, and Im going to pick up a 6 inch hudd in yellow perch and rainbow trout. My only question is; what is going to make the fish go after these baits? I see tons of similar sized perch casually swimming around areas where I have hooked up with some hogs, and Ive never actually seen a bass go after them. What would make a bass actually go after my swimbait if I don't ever see them chase the real thing in the shallower water?

[SPEEDBEAD.]

-Make your bait seem vulnerable.

-Fish it in areas where you've known big bass to frequent.

-Fish it adjacent to obvious ambush points.

 

Most of all, FISH IT. Too many guys pick up a swimbait thinking it's going to be a magic bullet. If you give up after 15 minutes and start throwing a crankbait, you'll never effectively learn what to do and what not to do.

[BassSlayer71]

Yeah, the idea is to make it look easy to eat and put it where the bass can't resist.  Its' no end all be all bait and sure has it's time and place just like anything else.

[deep]

I see exactly what you talk about, adult bass and 'gills hanging out together in close proximity (20+ ft visibility). Well, guess what, those bass aren't looking to feed on those 'gills right then and there. (This is my signal to go into finesse mode, which btw doesn't always imply tiny baits and light line). When the bass goes into feeding mode, they won't be cruising near the shoreline, but rather on spots on spots looking to whack a meal.

 

As for swimbaits, some of them are more proven than others, not because they look good to us, but because they have "triggers"- for lack of a better word that makes the bass bite.

 

Be prepared to get skunked, not once, not twice, but for weeks on end. If you are observant and prepared to learn, soon you'll be fishing for the biggest fish in your reservoir instead of hoping for them.

[primetime]

Perch are not a favorite food source as they are spiny, but a Bass will eat a spiny bluegill or perch if it looks WOUNDED...keey is to make your bait look like an easy meal, A bass would much rather feed on Shiners, Killifish, Shads, Crawfish, Leeches, Hellgramites etc....A tiny perch is one thing, but 6" yellow perch is not something a Bass is going to expend energy chasing if you are just chucking and winding without making it appear wounded.

 

I am not an expert with swimbaits by any stretch of the imagination, but I have found that I do much better if I really focus on slowing down and letting it flutter and appear exactly like a dying baitfish....You don't need a $20 bait to look injured.