more often. The action of the S-Waver and baitfish profile of the soft plastic swimmers both setup well for late spring to early fall.
The biggest question is where to fish them and the great thing about swimbaits for smallmouth is that there is no wrong answer here. They can be fished in the shallows around docks and all the way down to 60 ft of water along steep banks. The real question comes down to locating the baitfish, because the smallmouth will be nearby.
ROD, REEL AND LINE
Since the majority of these baits are smaller in size than your normal largemouth swimbait gear, I’ll downsize slightly. The great thing about the boot tail swimbaits, Keitechs and even the S-Wavers is you can use them on standard baitcasting equipment that you would use for fishing jigs and other baits. I prefer a 7’2” or a longer, heavy-action rod, quality reel and 15 to 17 lb Seaguar AbrazX fluorocarbon.
SPEED IT UP
The aggressive nature of smallmouth really allows you to fish swimbaits quickly many times of the year. Especially with the S-Waver, I have had my best success fishing it very quickly back to the boat and it seems like the faster you are working it, the harder they will hit it. The same goes for Keitech swimbaits, a steady and fast retrieve is one of the best ways to trigger a big smallmouth.
SLOW IT DOWN
Other times fishing slowly along the bottom is your best bet for smallmouth. The MC and KGM baits on a heavy jighead, excel in cold water, when retrieved
18
just above the bottom. I suggest making contact with the bottom as much as possible.
DEEP SUS- PENDED BASS
Suspended bass
have a reputation
for being the
hardest to catch
and the reputation is well deserved. Smallmouth and spotted bass are notorious for being nomadic as they chase baitfish in open water. Swimbaits are a great way to catch them, but it requires patience, good electronics and paying attention to your surroundings.
In my region, Kokanee are a popular sportfish for anglers and prey for smallmouth. If I notice a group of kokanee fisherman in certain areas, I know they are catching something and will explore the area with my electronics to look for suspended kokanee and bass. It doesn’t work all of the time, but has led me to some untapped areas. The other key is determining what depth the kokanee (or trout) are and ensuring your bait is in that zone. Some experimentation may be required to determine the rate of fall for each bait, but it will be worth it as you count down to the magic depth, begin your retrieve and hook a big smallmouth.
BOTTOM BOUNCING
Another way I have found success is by fishing a Keitech 3.8” and 4.3” Swing Impact Fat on a swinging football jig. The ability to make contact with the bottom and achieve the swinging action from the jighead make these already active swimbaits even more appealing. I like to the drag them along the bottom and alternate my retrieve speed to trigger a reaction bite.
Using swimbaits for smallmouth has become one of my favorite ways to catch them and the chance at true giant keeps me throwing them. By selecting the right bait style and matching it with the correct retrieve, I have found that smallmouth love swimbaits.
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