OK, I just saw Jay Yellas won FLW Angler of the Year yesterday and I knew he won the Wal-Mart Open using swimbaits on my home lake. So I've been thinking of investing in a few swimbaits and learning to add this techique to my arsenal.

My home lake is heavily pressured, full of summer boat traffic (skiers), clear (usually to 8 or 9ft), very green colored water even though it's clear, & a smaller bass population than most. Most of the bass I see never get over 2-3lbs. There are bigger but just not many. Better anglers catch them but not I.

The main bait of choice on this lake from what locals tell me seem to be finesse jigs, crankbaits, finesse tactics (dropshot, etc). These tactics work all year round for most of the time.

So....

When Yellas won the Open using swimbaits exclusively on this lake, the tournament was during the shad spawn so the fish were really aggressively chasing shad and baitfish. He fished them around docks and other areas.

Now you know why I'm interested in swimbaits. What do you recommend for tactics, where to use them, what kind of retrieve styles, etc.?

mattlures baby bass series, any of them

mattlures baby bass series, any of them

+1

OK, but how do you retrieve them and where do you use them?

(before someone says on a lake or a pond.....be serious please) :

I have had some success with the Baby Bass fishing structure in deep water with a steady retrieve, just fast enough to wiggle the tail. You can try a couple of things regarding initial depth. Sometimes I simply allow the lure to sink all of the way to the bottom before beginning the retrieve; sometimes "about" half way and other times I start reeling as soon as it hits the water.

If bass are busting shad in open water, a shallow retrieve seems to be the ticket, but you can't reel too fast or the bait turns on its side. You need to play with it a little in clear, shallow water or a swimming pool to see just how the Baby Bass performs. Also, I initially had problems with hook-up and landing. The key is a quick, hard hookset and MAXIMUM retrieve- you cannot allow ANY slack EVER during the fight.

Now that's good information there....thanks RW!

I'm still leary to the whole swimbait craze.  Don't know why, just the idea of throwing a bait that looks like 1,000 other baby bass in the lake and hoping a bigger bass will bite.  Yellas used a dark brown back and yellow belly paddletail swimbait on this lake.  I'll probably try the varying colors first.  I see baby bass buy the numbers in this lake.  I think if I throw something a little different, my chances at a reaction strike will be better.

I like the tip on retrieving and hookup.....that's valuable info.

Now that's good information there....thanks RW!

I'm still leary to the whole swimbait craze. Don't know why, just the idea of throwing a bait that looks like 1,000 other baby bass in the lake and hoping a bigger bass will bite. Yellas used a dark brown back and yellow belly paddletail swimbait on this lake. I'll probably try the varying colors first. I see baby bass buy the numbers in this lake. I think if I throw something a little different, my chances at a reaction strike will be better.

I like the tip on retrieving and hookup.....that's valuable info.

I think the difference here between all the baby bass in your lake and the lure would be that the lure may seem injured. An injured baitfish will get gobbled posthaste.

Until the bass in your lake get used to seeing those swimbaits though. Once that happens they will become another "stand-by" that doesn't pull in the bigguns anymore.

mattlures and castaic both catch fish, believe it.

If you are going to fish with swimbaits only you need a lure for the different levels of the water column. MS Slammer for the top and Mattlures for the middle and bottom are a good starter.

dont think of the other 10,000 baby bass in the lake. Those bass are stiaying close to the shore and hidding in cover until they are big enough to hold thier own. Think about what happens to those real baby bass when they venture away from the safety of the shallows. Imagine one of those bass out in deep water swiming past ambush point. It wouldnt last long would it? thats the point. fish my baby bass like its one of the stupid one and it will get eaten.