Swimbait success???

[Col Forbin]

I was wondering if any of you have had any success with the swimbaits here in ky. There seems to be alot written about them on here, but not really any success stories. I have seen some nice baits that I would like to try - The link AndyG posted on here had some that caught my eye. Just wondering if any of have experience and success with these on Ky waters. If so, what size, and depth did you fish them. I don't want all of your secrets, just if it is something I should throw in the rotation.

[birdstrike]

I've tried several over the years. Never did any good. It's hard to keep using a lure you have no confidence in. If I could catch a decent fish or two, I guess that would all change

[EZGO]

I have had really good luck with a rubber shad with that paddle or thumper tail. These baits are 3-4 inch in white or chart with flake in them, in my personal exp, the chart are a killer on the small mouth and the white are a killer for hybrid or wipers and the white bass. I fish the baits in river systems and do quite well. Panther Martin makes a good bait along with storm, calcutta I think its spelled that way. Try this website www.actionplastics.com. The shad baits I typically use I buy at a local gas and bait shop or just a gas station.

[UYKY]

see prev posts - basically i have had success here on cland and also at dale. both ultra clear but fish have been caught in clear and stained water. i use the skinny dipper and little dippers rigged on "swim bait heads" or plain jig heads. make sure the shank of the hook is long enough. i use the lemon ice and the bad shad green as far as colors. i have caught largemouth, smallmouth and spots. i prefer using a 6'6" loomis mH rod with 8# flourocarbon. it is really fun to catch them this way!

[Swift1]

Yes ,thats what Im waiting for is for everybody to start fishing swimbaits exclusively and when I roll up on a lake and pull out something (crazy) like a spinnerbait or a crankbait the fish will not know what to think and have to eat it out of pure curiosity . I think that there is a time and place for everything. Out west were 8 to 12 pounders are common and they feed on 1 to 3 pound trout, 12 to 16 inch swimbaits rule and make sense. Bring the same bait to some of the lakes around here and you will run fish up on the bank trying to get away from an alien rainbow trout . I know they make way smaller swim baits and I can maybe see a little smaller bait catching on around here in some applications .......J.

[thebassman30]

Wait it out this year. Swimbaits will be the most talked about baits. All you have to do is look at other fishing forums, especially ones that get more traffic than ours. Every other post is about swimbaits. Look at Cabelas, basspro, the only swimbaits you could buy a few months ago were the storms- now they carry huddleston, osprey, 3:16 mission fish, castaic. etc.

A bass is a bass, west coast or not. They have to work. Some of you mention having no confidence in them. Did you not watch the re-run of the bassmasters clear lake tounament?- they talked about the dedication it takes to throw these lures for hours without a bite- then comes an 8 pounder.

Ive been reading everything I can get my hands on about them. Basically, they can be fished at any depth or speed. But they seem to work best with a slow roll in relatively shallow water. www.swimbaitnation.com has a great forum for browsing for info- and there are several KY anglers who frequent the site that fish swimbaits exclusively.

Great post Andy.