Jointed Swimbait Retrieve?

[papajoe222]

I just picked up my first jointed swimbait, a 6in. one. and was wondering how you guys work them? I'm not concerned with what equipment/line to use, just things like rod tip up or down. moving the bait with the rod or reel, etc.

[RDB]

I mostly fish the single jointed glide baits and I don’t think you can’t really fish them wrong.  Sometimes they want a slow roll and other times they want something more erratic.  However, I move the larger swimbaits with the reel, not the rod…they can wear you out pretty quickly.  I most commonly slow roll early in the retrieve and shift to quick half turns of the reel or short burns mid retrieve to make it flair side to side, then back to slow roll closer to the boat.  You will likely get a lot of followers and IME, those quick burns often will make them commit.

[Hammer 4]

2 hours ago, RDB said:

I mostly fish the single jointed glide baits and I don’t think you can’t really fish them wrong.  Sometimes they want a slow roll and other times they want something more erratic.  However, I move the larger swimbaits with the reel, not the rod…they can wear you out pretty quickly.  I most commonly slow roll early in the retrieve and shift to quick half turns of the reel or short burns mid retrieve to make it flair side to side, then back to slow roll closer to the boat.  You will likely get a lot of followers and IME, those quick burns often will make them commit.

Pretty much the same  way I fish em. And I agree work the bait with the reel, not the rod, although I've tried giving mine a very small easy pop with my rod, but never caught any fish doing that so far.

[Born 2 fish]

You can find them all different ways. You can burn them stop and go steady retrieve with a couple quick bursts of the handle then a pause. That’s what I do with my bullshads any way. 

[Dwight Hottle]

23 hours ago, Born 2 fish said:

You can find them all different ways. You can burn them stop and go steady retrieve with a couple quick bursts of the handle then a pause. That’s what I do with my bullshads any way. 

 

X2 Also watch the bait boat side to see how it responds to rod movements & twitches. Then compare those movements to working the bait just with the reel using exaggerated partial winding motions then stopping. Mike Bucca likes to burn his bullshads as a topwater presentation. Jointed swim baits are like jerk baits in that you have to try different retrieves to see what works best. 

[WRB]

What 6” jointed swimbait, slow sink, 2 joints?

Tom