What do you think is better?

[FR0G]

Catching a big bass on a large swimbait, or some finesse technique like dropshotting?

[roadwarrior]

Well, if you enjoy "the fight" there is no comparison.

I sure would like to drag in a teener, but for average

5 & 6 lb bass, smaller lures are much more fun.

8-)

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

It's all the same rush for me.

Whether it's an 800 lb Tuna on stand up gear or a 6 lbr on a wake bait, it's all the thrill of the run.  The success of drawing the bite.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Well, if you enjoy "the fight" there is no comparison.

I sure would like to drag in a teener, but for average

5 & 6 lb bass, smaller lures are much more fun.

8-)

Have you caught a 4-6 lbr on a large swimbait? Totally different than on the other kids stuff (poke poke). I see your point though, using a 7'11" HEAVY rod, does take away from the weight/fight aspect with fish under 6 lbs or so. I think it's the thrill of a new klind of fishing and the thrill of knowing when one boils, it's MOST LIKELY the bigger one in the group.  

Whatever it is, when I pick up the old jig or worming rod, I feel like it is way inadequate and it's like a drug withdrawel.  I HAVE to put it down and pick up the big rod.  Every cast with the small rod and I feel like I could be missing THE cast w/ the big one,lol.....

I'm WAY addicted

[CWB]

Wouldn't matter a bit once I grabbed that hawg and got it in the boat.

I like fishing a swimbait vs. a drop shot but that's a personal choice.

[jax]

There is one advantage to being new to the sport. I don't care how or where I catch one. I'm happy as a kid in a candy store everytime I catch one. I haven't caught enough to even begin to discern which way I like better. Shoot I'm still happy just casting different lures!

Hard bait or soft bait. I'm in heaven. Big fight or little fight I am happy as can be.

I know. I'm easily amused!

[Raul]

How big ?  :-?

[roadwarrior]

Have you caught a 4-6 lbr on a large swimbait?

Well, Mattlures Baby Bass is not considered a large swimbait, but the bigger bass I have landed on this lure never had a chance to do anything once they were hooked up. I lost a few fish initially until Matt explained to me that you don't "play" fish with this lure, you fish with equipment that allows you to pull them straight to you! Fish_Chris has reported the same thing with most (all) of his swimbait hawgs: they can't close their mouth!

So, my point is that there is no fight to speak of. Your point, I think, is the excitement in the strike and boating a big bass. I understand exactly where you're coming from, but that's not what jazzes me the most.

8-)

[Raul]

Well, Mattlures Baby Bass is not considered a large swimbait, but the bigger bass I have landed on this lure never had a chance to do anything once they were hooked up. I lost a few fish initially until Matt explained to me that you don't "play" fish with lure, you fish with equipment that allows you to pull them straight to you! Fish_Chris has reported the same thing with most (all) of his swimbait hawgs: they can't close their mouth!

Yup, you just muscle 'em in as fast as you can.

[.ghoti.]

There is one advantage to being new to the sport. I don't care how or where I catch one. I'm happy as a kid in a candy store everytime I catch one. I haven't caught enough to even begin to discern which way I like better. Shoot I'm still happy just casting different lures!

Hard bait or soft bait. I'm in heaven. Big fight or little fight I am happy as can be.

I know. I'm easily amused!

Now there's the right attitude.

I'm an old fart, who's been fishing as long as I can remember. I still get a charge out of any fish I catch. A good day on the water for me is a day on the water. A fish is just icing on the cake.

To answer the original question; neither. I don't like drop-shotting. It's been a dink magnet for me. And, I don't much care for those big-arsed swimbaits. Fishing for me is fun and relaxation. Tossing around those giant sized baits is neither fun nor relaxing.

[Randall]

With light line all the fun and rush is in fighting the fish after the strike. With a swimbait you get the chance to see the strike sometimes if the bait is high in the water collum and that is the best part of swimbait fishing. I have caught a 13lb bass on 6lb line and a 15lb 12oz fish on heavy braid. With the light line fish I can remember best the fish jumping multiple times,  diving under the boat, and pushing the line to it's limit praying it would hold to wear down the fish. With the swimbait fish I can best remember the strike which seemed to come out of nowhere five feet from the boat, putting the reel in freespool as the fish dove under the boat so the hook wouldn't tear out after I set the hook and the first and last jump where I realized just how big the fish was before I pulled her across the surface. I am not complaining about either way I caught these two fish but they weren't the best as far as having fun fishing. If you like the thrill of topwater fishing you haven't really seen anything until you have seen a ten pound plus fish come up follow and hit a swimbait on or just under the surface.  For probably about the next month I should have great conditions at Varner for big fish to hit swimbaits on top or high in the water. Every day right now when I leave the lake I can't wait to get back because I know that there is a huge strike from a big fish just waiting to happen. It might not weigh fifteen pounds but I will take a ten pounder hitting a topwater bait over any other type of fishing. I guess it all depends on whether you like the strike or the fight but my vote is for the strike from a huge fish at the surface.

[FR0G]

I like the feeling of wondering if I am going to get the bass in or not with dropshotting, but the swimbait bite is just sooooooooo awesome. They just wanna yank the rod out of your hands. And every fish, you are thinkin a double digit.

[Jim McC]

What is drop-shotting?

[roadwarrior]

What is drop-shotting?

"Fishing Articles" at the top of the page has several articles for you. This will get you started:

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/dropshot_bass_fishing.html

8-)

[loomis spookwalker]

Man, I would fish a swimbait anytime rather than finesse fish.  You cover more water with a swimbait rather than dropshot/jig fishing.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Have you caught a 4-6 lbr on a large swimbait?

Well, Mattlures Baby Bass is not considered a large swimbait, but the bigger bass I have landed on this lure never had a chance to do anything once they were hooked up. I lost a few fish initially until Matt explained to me that you don't "play" fish with this lure, you fish with equipment that allows you to pull them straight to you! Fish_Chris has reported the same thing with most (all) of his swimbait hawgs: they can't close their mouth!

So, my point is that there is no fight to speak of. Your point, I think, is the excitement in the strike and boating a big bass. I understand exactly where you're coming from, but that's not what jazzes me the most.

8-)

Yup, you nailed it. I'm just a topwater FREAK and this is the mack daddy of topwater hits (freshwater anyway). The "hit and haul" theory also makes your reply make more sense now too. I still let 'em jump though,lol, I'd rather lose one or two and get some cool video. I know I'm the rare case here though, I guess it all depends what you're fishing for, ....keepers or footage,lol.

It's pouring, the leftovers from the hurricane are here,....c'mon Matt 5.0,...get up!!!! Get the Gore-Tex,.......It's time to wake and bait 8-)

btw RW- I got my first one on the baby bass a few weeks back!! woohoo