Catching fish is catching fish...looks good to me. Nothing like a fluke bite when they're really going after it. Need to work on my swimbaiting! Thanks, Matt.
Catching fish is catching fish...looks good to me. Nothing like a fluke bite when they're really going after it. Need to work on my swimbaiting! Thanks, Matt.
Matt, how do you negotiate lay downs and mats? It's hard to get the swimbait close to the tules when there is even just one broken tule laying in the way of your retrieve. Some tules have patches of matted weeds against them. I would think you would have to be running the swimbait at least a foot away from the tules to not get hung up, right?
very good question and im glad somebody took the time to think about it then ask.Originally Posted by Ian
when i fish a swimbait i dont fish in conventional. most people think of it as a repetitive cast bait thats used for covering water in hopes of a big bite. if it pays off; cool, if not; i'l go to a worm. not me. i fish this bait like i fish a plastic worm on a rockpile. i like to pick pieces of structure and cover apart. while i talk about "burning bank with the motor on high", im not necessarily throwing down the bank like a mad man; however i do pick the perfect angles apart and the perfect lines. i want to move fast but at the same time not wear out my welcome by showing the bait too much to the fish. every cast you make, the switch of the trolling motor, stepping on the deck and shifting of your boat weight are negatives. too many negatives and you're screwed. if i go down the bank and see a perfect opportunity 5 boat lengths away from me, although i know in my head i can take a chance and make it, i'll often wait for the perfect line and coast into the best zone possible taking a stealth approace. its all about being precise and methodical.
when i approach a tule line i look for areas of ambush. i want to imagine myself as a fish and how i would relate to cover to conceal myself on the hunt. im concerned about sun angle and how it creates shade lines and its own soft cover "points", soft cover in general and wind direction.
in the morning i may go 100 yards on a tule stretch and not find any useable water. nothing that really stands out as a key ambush spot but in the afternoon that stretch could be absolutely off the charts as totally different shade lines appear. you need to remember this kind of stuff as you approach an area. a lot to think about but it definitely makes the difference. dont feel the need that you "have" to cast down a stretch just because it looks awesome. a lot of times you'll be just doing a WHOLE lot of casting. a lot of times this will open up doors for spot specific type swimbaits but thats a whole 'nother subject in itself
everything matters but without dragging it on any further, to answer the question, the biggest thing is understanding the environment, understanding fish location and knowing what your bait can do intimately.
which way did the wind blow yesterday?
what areas are prone to more sunlight than others?
shallower vs deeper areas?
if we're talking the fall bite, grass is starting to break up. you'll see a bunch of stringy patches everywhere and all those coots will be scootin' around them. you cant miss it. you'll have a hard time casting without those suckers blowing up your water triggering the whole flock. gotta use logic. if you know the wind on our lakes in the afternoon generally blows from the west, there's a good possibility that west facing tule points on the north easterly banks will be caked in this stuff which will in turn make throwing a treble hooked bait a nightmare. like i said before, its all about picking the right casts and knowing what your bait can do. it never fails though. you'll always find that mystery tule that grabs you EVERY time! if you do screw your cast up ; just leave and come back later. a lot of times whatever fish may have been positioned around that spot may re position giving you another shot. sometimes you screwed the spot up for the day. it happens. the last few trips i've been fishing really tight to cover.
this question is actually a lot harder to answer than you'd think. a lot of its just knowing.
hope my ramblings helped.
Nicely done!
Thanks!
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