Massachusetts/East Coast Swimbaitin'? Is it worth it?

[Basshole18]

Over the winter and a little bit of last season I picked up a ton of swimbaits. Some soft plastic/hollow, some hard plastic/wood, and some soft plastic and weighted and pre rigged. I have been throwing them a lot with very little success. How does anyone else do out here on the east coast and what could I be doing wrong? I have had a few days that the bite was unreal and caught several 5 pound fish. I have not been throwing any huge swimbaits either. Most are under 6" or 7" and all are under 2oz. so I doubt they are too big for out here. I just seem to catch much better limits with larger flippin' jigs and t-rigs. I usually go to a swimbait when the wind picks up a lot and I already have a good limit (in a tourney). When do you guys pick up the big stick? I am just wondering what kind of experience everyone else has had and when they believe "optimum conditions" are for the swimbait. Thanks!

[HOIST-N-HAWGS]

This has to be a personal preference. They have produced a number of fish the past few years 7lbs and up, if you browse the threads you'll find one that Buckmanjr landed a 10.2 LM w/the MS Slammer. If you have the patience to throw 4 oz + lures all day/night looking for one or two monsters, then yeah they are worth it. You must put your time in w/these lures and I would say they have there place in New England.

They are not just moster fish lures, fish as small as 10" have hit a 9 and 12" SB's. If your the type that enjoys loading the boat with numbers then swimbaits aren't the way to go. The smaller swimbaits may be a good starting point such as Matt Lures perch and or bass. These have produced numbers in the past for myself when the conditions are right. Yet in my experience a the more traditional lures pruduce more consistantly in the North East.

[Bassnajr]

Try early in the morning and at dusk....

ajr

[wagn]

Had my first fish on a Yum money minnow yesterday. Not really a full sized swimbait, but a great way to get your feet wet. Not a huge fish, but it was my first time fishing anything swimbait like and it was great to get a fish so soon

[buckmanjr]

As Paul said, i got the 10.2 on the 9" rainbow trout slammer, on a lake with no trout in it. The same lake i have gotten MANY 12-16" fish on the 9" purple nitro slammer. I rarely throw the 7" slammers anymore because I HAVE been getting good numbers with the 9". I would deff. stick with the swimbaits, MS slammers are excellent lures. $30-$50 but they will last you a lifetime.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Go Buckman, Go Buckman....... ;D

I am putting out an open invite to fill my front seat.  Anyone who is willing to throw these big baits in our Lake X for the entire trip, step on up.  Make me a believer.

Yes, the larger fish are there to be caught, trust me.

Anyone?

[RobbyZ5001]

This is no jab on buckman or any other member, but I was wondering if you caught them in a private lake/pond or on a legit public lake?

[buckmanjr]

Legit public lake....with waterskiers and other jerks on jet ski's   ;D

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Go Buckman, Go Buckman....... ;D

I am putting out an open invite to fill my front seat. Anyone who is willing to throw these big baits in our Lake X for the entire trip, step on up. Make me a believer.

Yes, the larger fish are there to be caught, trust me.

Anyone?

Done.  

While I dont have a ton of them, I can cover the water column top to bottom.  

[wagn]

Went out again late last night and caught 4 bass on swimbaits. Nothing huge but my confidence is growing. I think it may be time to graduate to using some larger swimbaits for larger bass

[masssilversrt4]

Where might one get these swimbaits.. I have plastic ones by storm and such but some of those look to be wood/plastic baits??