Swimbaits

[bassfan]

Last spring I had the opportunity to head down to Texas to fish Lake Fork, and the hottest lures down there seemed to be swimbaits. These are a class of lures I have no experience with. I know these are normally thought of as California or Southern lures, but I was wondering if anyone has adapted this technique for fishing up North. If so, I would love to hear about it!

[markgoetsch]

I haven't tried throwing the monster ones but from 3"-6" will work anywhere you go for both smallmouth and largemouth.

[Cheetam]

I've thrown around a few (the Sebile Magic Swimmer 95 and 125, Tru Tungsten 4", Reaction Strike rEvolution Shad 4" and rEvolution Bluegill).  They all look great in the water.  I haven't caught any huge fish on them, but I have caught some decent fish on them.  They may seem pretty big, but I think they match the size of most of the panfish we have in MI.

[Waterfoul]

We threw some around on Mitchell last spring... up in the shallows mostly.  Most of the ones we were throwing were the Shadalicious from Strike King.  Well, it was one of the best days I've had on the water!!  The big bass and some really nice pike were all over the things.  Nearly every cast garnered a strike and I'll bet between the two of us we caught nearly 100 fish that day.  Have not had anywhere near that kind of luck on them since, and not for lack of effort.

[Mike S.]

I bought the Strike King Sexy Swimmer last year.  I had great expectations of it, and lo and behold, never even had a strike on it.  Looks pretty in the box, though.

[bigjc]

Swim baits are working for me about as well as chatterbaits did, I catch every species on them except bass.  My first year throwing chatterbaits I caught several pike, a few walleye and a dandy tiger musky on belleville (my best ever on Bville), and last year I caught some dandy pike on swimbaits, and not all that many bass, mostly $money minnow by Yum

[karol]

 got some lunker city shakers. mostly 6" and some 4 1/2" from the company itself and picked up some kalin saltwater bullet head jigs, one pack of 1/2 and one pack of 3/4. and after watching the swimbait strategies from in- fisherman i'm all set to go. smallies and walleye's and pike and muskie all like them. can't wait..karol