Swimbait setup and general question.

[USA-RET]

Local lake has turned off to slow presentations...having to work way too hard to get pickups on Senkos and lizards...so I switched to small swimbaits (3"-4"). Having plenty of action but about 1/3 of the fish that hit come off before I get them to shore. Really starting to annoy me.

I'm using a couple of outfits that I'm guessing are not suited for swimbait fishing..6'7" MH Steez with a TD-Z spooled with 10Lb Yo-Zuri and a 6'9" Kistler LTX II MH -Alphas spooled with 12LB PLine Fluroclear.

I'm guessing that I need a heavy power rod and maybe a braid spooled reel to provide better hooksets. I'm assuming that the combination of my MH rods and the little extra strech in the line isn't burying the single hook past the barb. Was going to go with a 7'1" H rod and a reel spooled with 20LB Power Pro....ya that that will solve my problem?

This evening I had 12 bass hit my swim bait...4 got off on the retrieve and of the 7 I did land, 3 of them had the swimbait drop out of their mouths as soon as I beached them.

[xxlbass]

Try a 7" Senko this is a bait people are reluctant to throw and big bass like big forage. Depending on how big the fish are where you are fishing would determine what kind of swimbait setup I would want to fish. I would recommend no braided line when swimbait fishing. Then I would probably use 20lb Yozuri Hybrid on a Calcutta/Conquest 300-400 matched with a nice stick that can handle 2-8oz baits. For light swimbait fishing you can use your regular setups, but for targeting larger fish you have to have the beef to gain leverage on these beasts. Some people use flippin sticks with a curado and 15lb test. It all depends on what you feel confident in. My setup is a Daiwa Blacksheep 250 I'ZE on a G-loomis SABBR965C I throw 20lb Yozuri Hybrid with confidence. Good Luck!!

[Lightninrod]

I too wouldn't use braid for 'underwater' swimbaits. For the smaller ones, I use 15-20# test Seaguar's Carbon Pro fluro and for the heavier ones, Maxima's Ultragreen in 25# test.

To help with hooksets, slather a gob of Megastrike attractant on the bait. You want the bait to be 'greasy' so it slides in the Bass's mouth.


Dan

[throwinmetal]

make sure the hooks are sharp

[K-DOGG]

I agree with the non-use of braid on swimbaits. I prefer fluorocarbon but will also use mono.

[KoYak]

make sure the hooks are sharp

I agree with this statement. Only one of SB's (take into account, I only have a few) came with sharp hooks. The Rago BlueGill uses owner hooks and that thing is supper sharp!

Mike