Will Swim Baits Be The Demise Of Skilled Bass Fishermen?

[Guy Kelley]

Or Put It Another Way............Any Dummy Can Do It

OK, Now that I got your attention;

And now that y all want to skin me alive with a dull fillet knife;

What is challenging about just chucking and winding a swim bait all day until a limit of bass hang themselves on a swim bait?

I grew up with a fly rod and reel in my hands trying to imitate the hatch with a dry or wet fly, then moved on to L/M trying to do the same thing, with some limited of success. But the challenge to me has been learning the moods, locations, and real understanding of what it takes to catch with consistency a large limit of fish.

As I have gained knowledge of what it takes to do this I started to realize just how much I don't understand about it. Because all baits are different, each lake or delta is different, and weather pattern is different. with each adding its own set of patterns to the puzzle. Guys like Dobbin's, Van Dam, Reese, Ikenellie and a few others have really figured it out and are pretty consistent in what they do. Yeah You Too Cooch!!!!

But now we come to swim-baits, that take a lot of the guess work out of it. True they have their own set of problems with em, but it seems to me that after awhile it is pretty easy to figure em out on how to use and when and were, then its just a question of time until we get on em.

Its not like making a jig look and act like a craw dad. Or a zoom fluke into a minnow or a top water into a wounded fish, or any of the other baits we have been using to imitate with a certain amount of finesse and true skill (frogs) into what the fish see as pray.

I have left a lot out on other baits and I could go on and on about this. And I have just now started to use the smaller swimbaits myself (bass-trix)..........But with the larger ones in use are we as skilled fishermen leaving something out to be learned by there use and are we starting to forget the skills needed to truly understand the reasons what it takes to put a limit in the live well , by missing out on all the rest. Are we getting lazy by letting the bait manufacturers do it for us??? Like I said what skill dose it take to chuck and wind all day vs. a 4" fines worm dropped on the head of a bass at 40 feet down that you spotted on your finder???

Any yes I understand the new tool in the toolbox concept.

I am just kind of curious on where this might be headed in a few years as they get better (manufacturers) at giving us baits that really take the guess work out of it??????

No I am not trying to insult swimbait fishermen as dummies.

[fourbizzle]

Yeah thats why everyone is out there cathing 15 lbers Pick up a huddleston and spend some time with it and come back and tell us just how easy it is. Alot more frustration and heartbreak then big fish.

[fourbizzle]

BTW I have been swimbaiting for the last couple of yers and in that time my two biggest fish and biggest sack came on a big worm.

[sTony]

Hold it a second now, you're implying that there isn't a skill set to fishing swimbaits and I'd argue that for sure. Thre are a lot of chunk and wind baits out there or I should say baits that can be approached that way and certainly a swimbait could be one of them. But, nearly every chuck and wind bait out there has multiple ways to successfully fish the bait way beyond merely throwing it out and retrieving it back. Swimbaits certainly fit that mode and many more.

You still have to learn how to fish the baits to make them effective and that requires skill. It's not like you can just go out and buy a swimbait and start catching hawgs on it. Still gotta learn the baits and techniques. And there are many baits and ways to fish them.

sTony

[David Rogers]

I just started trying swim baits this year and I took about 6 tries for about 1 hr each time to finally get two on a 3:16 mission fish, it was a 2.5 lber and 3.5 lber. A couple of times I was right on top of a school and could not get one to bite and than dropped a drop shot on there head and smoked them. I think the fish have to be in the mood to eat a swim bait, I have got a lot to learn about them. The first time I threw a worm I cought 3-4 fish at Shasta in about 2 hrs, it took 5 hrs to catch 2 swim bait fish for me. I must say the 2 swim bait fish I did catch were just a chuck and wind but they are alot like a spinnerbait, you can slow roll them bounce them off rocks or just burn them. I have talking to alot of people about these, there are 3 kinds, wake baits, mid depth and bottom walkers, the mid depth ones like the Osprey can bottom walk but the hooks at the bottom keep them from being a true bottom walker but again I am new to the swim bait scene. Next year I will be using them alot, I want to do what Steve Kennedy did at Clear Lake, truthfully I will be happy if I can get have of the weight he got each day.

[Joe W.]

If fishing swimbaits is easy I must really be unskilled because I've been throwing the damn things for almost 2 years now and I'm still waiting on that giant limit of swimbait fish and I'm still waiting on just ONE double digit swimbait fish. I've had a hell of a lot more success bass fishing in the past two years on everything else that isn't a swimbait. If it was just chucking and winding, I'd be a freaking expert but that is far from what I am and that is far from the case with swimbaits.

[fishyd]

You are seriously mistaken about swim baits. Alot of people throw them but not alot of people catch quality fish. There is no difference in imitating a crawdad with a jig or a bait fish with a swimbait. They both take the skills and the know how. In fact I beleive a swim bait is more difficult to use properly.

[Guy Kelley]

Hold On Guy's Don't Burn Me In Effigy

Yes I am stirring the pot here and I know it, But I am currious as to what you (users of) thought about it all.

This post is NOT MENT TO INSULT OR PUT DOWN ANY ONE OR ANY BODY WHO USES OR FISHES WITH EM AT ALL OK !!!!!!

[mac (Doyle McEwen)]

I understand what Guy is saying..If you read all the posts about swimbaits by those that use them regularly, they seem to just chuck and wind..Of course we all pretty much know there has to be more to it..No doubt that has worked for some but probably not on a regular basis..I am just starting on using them myself, I don't have very many and I don't have any of the really expensive ones..Chances are I never will have..There is a lot to learn to be really effective at fishing them..I figure at the rate I am going now, I might have a decent handle on it by the time I am 85..

I don't think they are going to make all other styles of baits obsolete..No doubt they have and will continue to catch fish and very often large fish..In a sense all they have really done is give us another option..That and make their innovators a lot of money..

mac

[Darkman]

first it was the Plastic worm and then it was the Crank bait (on the list of dummy lures) now Swim baits...

there is a lot more than chunkin' and windin' the Gummy bear
or the Hard candy out there.

I think you will find more folks out there that disagree with you.

its another tool that has to be learned and understood...like other baits out there.

[G-Ko]

There is a skill set involved in "effectively" fishing swimbaits and "fishing" swimbaits.

It is similar to every techique. You could give someone a spinner bait and have them fish it by casting and reeling and they could catch a 11lber on it. Or drag a drop shot worm behind the boat and kill them with a huge limit. Do they know what they are doing? Maybe, but as previously mentioned it is a tool to add to the arsenal.

Anyone can throw a frog, but would you say Bobby Barrack is "skilled" at it? I think so. How about Gary Dobyns with a jerkbait?

I agree with you that swimbaits can get people a better quality fish without much knowledge, but ultimately an angler must be skilled at it to make it work each day out on the water under different conditions.

Greg

[dtacker]

To answer the question... I don't think they will. I believe there will still be plenty of times where you'll need other techniques to win, or at least fill a limit. To me swimbaits are just like any other technique... for example...
Lets say Team A fishes an event and they throw a ripbait, a staysee 90 in table rock shad, all day and catch 18 pounds. Their technique was short rips with a long pause, say 5-8 seconds after each movement of the bait. Now, lets say team B also fishes a Staysee 90 in table rock shad all day, but they're using longer rips and shorter 1 second pauses. Team B weighs in 14 pounds.
Same bait, same water, same day, different presentation one works well, the other still works... but it's drastically outfished.
There is still a presentation aspect to swimbait fishing...
Remember when they used to tell you not to change rod direction, speed or direction with a spinnerbait? You wanted it to come in as steady as possible? Now you see people adding jerks, fluttering, fishing fast and slow... (old example but it's the first thing that came to mind)
The same can be said for a swimbait. There is no doubt in my mind that if you fish a swimbait slow and steady for long enough, you will eventually catch bass. BUT, there is usually an opportunity to produce better results.

Hope this answered my view and sorry it was so long, haha, Nice subject though, puts a lot of people into thought...

[Mike]

Now when Senko's came out! That is when any idiot can catch a big fish/limit!

[Joe W.]

Now when Senko's came out! That is when any idiot can catch a big fish/limit!

Tell that to Delta Dan!


I don't believe that about senkos though. There is many ways to fish that bait just like any other plastic bait. If a senko is an idiot bait then so are all plastics.

[bassenvy]

the big difference between cranks,blades,worms,jigs and swimbaits is that swimbaits cover ground from 1"-20" (if not bigger) and come in many different weights,actions,realistic paint jobs,and anatomically correct shapes.

Guy it seems from the looks of previous posts your stiring the pot to provoke free advice. Best I can give is to put your time in there are many tricks to learn with patience being the hardest

[BassManDan]

What a super awesome question!
Really thoughm swimbaits are in essence a dummy bait. Of course that is not to say that certain techniques or skills are needed to fish them, but there is nothing in the swimbait world like a jig pressure bite, a swimbait is mostly is "chuck and wind" compared to other techniques.
I'm sure fellow devout jiggers will agree that a jig is probably the lure that requires the most dedication, in respect of feel and intuition, but also there is something to be said for you devout trophy hunters that will go on 4 fishing trips for 1 huge bite, I know I don't have the patience or dedication for that.

What is comes back to is the recent post "can a Clear Lake tournment be one without a swimbait?" at least for part of the total bag, and a response to that of "most tournaments can't be one without some type of swimbait" from the monsterous Hudds to a small basstrix.

There are people, and will continue to be people, who go out with swimbaits and outfish me, but I will continue throwing jigs primarliy and use my small arsenal of swimabaits when I can.
My feeling is that the swimbait craze, to some extent, is like any other, eventually it will change. that doesn't mean die off or stop catching fish, but something new-fangled and super effective technique will take the bass fishing world by storm. We'll just have to see what kind of staying power the swimbait revolution has.

To the jig, the most consistent lure on the planet!

BassManDan

[Lugnut]

Will Swim Baits Be The Demise Of Skilled Bass Fishermen?

Wow, That is pretty harsh....... I typically only fish club tournaments, and occasionally fish a few other events throughout the year. In no way do I think of myself as some great fisherman, but I do feel I have some skill. I have tried to work on learning how to fish different baits in effort to make myself a better angler. Even if they are just "club" events I still want to make a good showing. Becuase of this I just recently started to throw swimbaits. I must have put in about 10-12 hours of actually throwing swimbaits over several trips before I caught a couple solid fish. The main reason I was able to catch these fish was because fellow nutcases like BASSINDON took the time to explain different things to me. I now have much more confidence in these baits, but I still have many, many, many things to learn about them. I guess what I am trying to say is. Do you think any of these guys have skills? Aaron Martens - Drop Shot, David Fritts - Crankbait, Zell Rowland - Topwater, Gary Dobyns - Jerkbait, Bobby Barrack - Frogs...............I could keep going all day with names. BASSINDON, Bub Tosh, and all you other folks that have been slaying with your swimbait skills here in the Motherlode. Please keep posting your pics and sharing your knowledge.

[RMARX]

This is FUNNY! I agree with Mike The Senko is the dummy bait! I fished four days last week at Pedro and got ONE bite.

[MIKE TREMONT]

My experience is there is a little more to it than just that. If it were that easy, anyone with the stamina to huck those buggers all day would be on top most of the time.
I have a couple of acquaintances that are very efficient with swimbaits. They don't give up information, unless they slip or it's the obvious. But a long cast placed perfectly and landing soft as a raindrop, then pulled past that fish at the exact speed, at the right depth, going in the right direction...
I'm sure there's more to it, cause I've been throwing these things for a number of years now, and have only caught a handful of fish on them.
Good luck Guy. I feel and understand your pain .

[bassindon69]

The only reason that I do Swimbaits only is I DON'T get pumped by catching 20 - 3 lb fish anymore (been there done that). I DO get pumped if it is BIG, thats what I am looking for. As far as tourneys go They are NOT the best to use all the time to win. I don't feel I am not skilled because I use just swimbaits but if you do feel that way that's cool too, to each there own. Who wants to work there butt off to catch fish? I do. I think dropping a spoon or dropshot on a fish that's on your finder is way more easy then catching a swimbait fish LOL! The skilled fishermen will aways be on top no matter what they use . If you have no skill and think you are going to go out and win a bunch of tourneys using swimbaits you got another thing coming LOL!

Don.

[DeltaDan]

Now when Senko's came out! That is when any idiot can catch a big fish/limit!

[lionkiller]

BTW I have been swimbaiting for the last couple of yers and in that time my two biggest fish and biggest sack came on a big worm.

HAH! My big sacks lately have very little to do with swimbaits....couple basstrix fish out of all those 5+ers is all. & none of the 8's 9's or the 11...

It does take skill, patience & dedication to stick with the big baits, tho...

What I like about 'em is that they've taught a buncha guys to slow down. You might say: big bait, big fish, but I say: SLOW bait, big fish. Just another crackpot theory...?...maybe so.

[JustinD]

Are you kidding me....Swimbaits require maybe the greatest understanding to get the fish to bite. If your a chuck and wind SB fisherperson then maybe its luck for you but with the right knowledge and understanding of bass movement swimbaits are the deadliest lure ever. Big fish got that way from not being caught so common sense prevails that the presentations must be better that the norm to get them to bite. And usually SB fisherpeople can almost call the times and locations for successful trips....Now tell me that doesn't require skill.

[Andy Giannini]

They are all idiot baits.

How does that sound?

Any idiot can catch them on a jig, crank, worm, swimbait, Senko, livebait.

Its very funny if you think about it.

Not a swimbait guru, and not poking fun at anybody that is.

HAR!

A.G.

[SethB]

Don't be a hater cause you cant do it. I cant believe how many people think you can go out and chunk a swimbait all day and get bites. Or if you chunk that same bait for two or three days with out a bite when you do get one its gonna be a big one. For all of you that think that. Go ahead and wear your self out. Chuck and wind until you cant do it no more and see what you come up with. I'd be willing to bet not much. Most of the lakes where swimbait fishing was easy have been pounded so hard that you really have to know what you are doing to get on some fish. Then there are the lakes where there just isn't a huge population of fish big enough to make swimbait fishing worth you time. There are sooooooo many times where a jig/dropshop/darterhead/whatever rig will out fish a swimbait. Joe blow with a hudd aint gonna do crap against almost anyone worth his flippin' stick or dropshot rod. My 8 year old son out fishes me all the time cause I'm looking for swimbat fish. I can catch fish on just about any technique out there I might not be good at it but I can do it. It took me a lot longer to learn how to gets bites on a swimbait than any other bait. Swimbaits are no magic bullet. Chuck and wind all you want be sure and tell us all how you do.

[brambo0311]

Swim baits are harder to fish than you think. There is allot of modification to start with. And I use it as a locator all the time, not just to catch fish. Its a good tool to keep tied on a rod. I throw the triple trouts 10" most and its allot more complicated than you think. Although I wish they were never invented at 95 bucks a pop myself. But they are your best chance at a fish over 10lb. But I get my limit first then throw that for the kickers.

[parker]

you gota find the lunkers first or no matter what you throw you wont catch em that takes skill

everytime i throw a swimbait it lands with a huge splach and makes tons of noise

[AlSegal]

I`ve wondered about you. Not any longer.

[snapitoff2002]

Personally, I hope the prices stay high. I don't make much money, but I invest in baits I like. I probably have over 3K in swimbaits! They get wasted from just a few fish. But, if everyone could afford them, it would probably make those fish a little more wary. Just recently I heard of a Spotted Bass taken near my area that was a half lb from the record. The person who caught it is a young swimbaiter. He has learned how to get em' in most situations. I wouldn't have expected him to keep it, but he did. That fish would have been a record in the spring. I love the fact that I can pull a fish from deep water, and expose where they are at. It is a good tool, not just for catching them, but locating. I haven't had much luck locating them lately though

[bassaddicted]

Damn I have to say, why do you have to refer us as IDIOTS why not dude, guys, chicks, bros, fishermen, and so on why all the hate.
Just curious
If your just kidding my bad did catch it

[RMARX]

I don't know, custom rods, 200+ dollars for some baits, days and days with one or two fish, rain or shine....Maybe we are idiots!! But once you put in the time and figure it out, there is no going back! Like I said four days last week one bite that ended up being a 12.90, that makes it all worth it! The chunkers will catch some fish, and if they are paying attention, the "lucky" fish may teach them something, there is so much more to this than running around the lake and getting excercise. From a tourney stand point they are teribly unreliable, Bassindon and I fished 100% two years ago at pedro, and all we had in the boat was six swimbait rods, a dozen different swimbaits, and the net, we ended up weighing one fish, that was the big fish of the event, but we could have easily caught a squack limmit to make the top five, but we commited to throwing big all day and ended up splitting 500.00 for big fish! Make no mistake there will be some huge limits weighed in with swimbaits, but it is Hero or Zero in most cases, and I am totally OK with that. I am proud to be an Idiot.

[biteme]

This thread should be closed. I thought it was a joke when I first looked at the topic.

[Noluk]

ACKKK where is the love for all of the lure makers out there...

Yes swimbaits work so well all you have to do is throw it out and turn the handle. The big fish will find you. No more worrying about bait balls, structure, water tempature, weather or seasonal patterns. This will be equal to the revolution of the Kevin Van Dam spinnerbait. With the KVD spinnerbait everyone could catch limits and win Bassmaster Classics, no skill required, just chuck and wind. With the new swimbaits, you just catch giant limits over 30 pounds, and all it takes is a monkey turning the reel handle.

Bada Bing Bada Boom another teen fish.

Act now and order the super pack of 3 baits for 250.00 bucks and we will throw in a free bonus pack of 5 inch roboworms for when you get too tired to reel in another double digit fish. Have a credit card handy, operators are standing by.


On a more serious note. I am not a big swimbait fisherman. I am simply not good enough with that bait. In most cases, you get one cast in a particular area where the bait will have it's maximum potential. Miss your mark by 3 feet... try again tommorow. Sun at the wrong angle, shadow go across the structure wrong, or even a few feet wrong in depth or speed of retrieve and your not going to get bit. Even worse, your probably going to "kill" that spot for a while. You might be able to work the edge and catch a fish or two on a worm or such but the main spot, and the big fish it may have held is an opputunity that is gone until the spot rests. Swimbaits can be a bait of 1000 casts in a day for a 20 plus pound limit. Or it can be a bait of 2000 casts for a big zero. On rare occasions, with perfect presentation and conditions with a smidgen of luck, it is a biat of 5 casts for 40 pounds. The folks who are catching swimbait fish on a minimum number of casts are the ones who have it figured out.

[robertthornton]

You had me till the whole," I used to fly fish". Swimbaits are a tool for catching big bass. Anyone can do it, but all it dose is make a good fisherman better, but I can't deny that its one of the more easy tactics. The key is knowing when not to use them, a trick that the all mighty Gary Doybns still has not figured out.

[JustinD]

I have tremendous amount of respect for fly-fisherpeople. Its a very skilled and refined art form the same way flippin and walking baits are. I began serious fishing by way of fly in New Mexico but after a few days in Cal I was hooked. Now I'm a 4 or 5 day a week angler for the past 3 years and love exploring swimbaits and hard situations just to see if I can figure the puzzle out. Some of the people here on the forum should look at themselves before pointing fingers. I hear people strugglin to catch fish and trying to find more inventive ways of doing so seems like the ticket to me. If I thought fishing in a thong would work you'd all see me out in a cut doing so. Anyone not wanting to trying new techniques is welcome to fish any tourney I fish because your limiting your options from the beginning. And big baits make big splashs but they also catch bigger fish.

[Andy Giannini]

I think the key here, is to call whatever the winning bait may be,

"An Idiot bait..."

"Well of course, its an idiot bait. Any idiot can catch them on...(Insert lure of choice here)."

"I was too busy fishing the tough lures, that require years of learning, and dedicated presentations, to throw those damn idiot baits."

Its really funny if you think about it.

Who is the idiot? The one who caught them (and won) on a so called simple lure/presentation?

Or the one who refused to throw them at all?

HAR!

A.G.

[hammer]

I am slammin them on swimbaits right now at a large wine region lake. No, it is not chuck and wind. I am almost fishing it like a jig. If you'd have told me a couple years ago I would get em in Dec. on swimbaits I would have told you that you were on crack.

There are so many variables with fishing a swimbait it's ridiculous. Water clarity, pount test line, color is another big one that I don't think applies to most lures, depth, speed, rod, etc. etc. etc.

Anyone who has something against swimbaits better stop fishing tourneys now because you're gonna get smoked most of the time. They are a year round bait and you can bet that one of the boats, if not several, is gonna get on em. There are very few times I have gone out since January and not gotten bit on a swimbait and I fish every day.

Peace and I hope you're able to set that spinning rod down soon.

[Guy Kelley]

Thanks too those of you who took the time to answer a what I thought was a legitimate question about swimbaits.

This post was not about slighting in any way those of you who have taken the time and dedication in using and adapting to swimbaits. my hats off to you who do.

Like anything new worth doing, it takes dedication. time and effort to become professional in something that in the long run you feel will pay off.

Also this post was not about learning your secrets or techniques of using this bait in particular. As some have indicated they thought it was for.

As most of you on Western Bass are more than willing to share in the knowledge of bass fishing in general with out being even asked as I have found over the years.

Thanks;

Guy

[mac (Doyle McEwen)]

Andy, you are making way too much sense..When I first started fishing Texas rigged worms while stationed in Tennessee, everyone was slaying them using that technique..Unfortunately, I wasn't part of that everyone..I stayed with them though and eventually learned how, when and where to use them..Now I can't even remember the last time I used a Texas rig..The same thing happened with the Carolina rig..I must have been using spinnerbaits for at least two years before I finally caught my first fish on one..Everyone of these baits and or techniques I have heard tell "even an idiot can catch fish using them"..So I definitely fall into the idiot catagory..I have yet to find a bait that absolutely will not catch fish..Now some most certainly seem to catch more than others, but if the truth be known, it is probably because they are used more than really being more effective..Now of course there are always a few artificials that just seem to fall into the realm of those that no one uses..But if they were really used as much as say the Senko, chances are they would catch fish..

Just how much skill is required to be effective is a very subjective question..I can remember on one fishing trip I had perchased a new Bomber shallow diver in a baby bass pattern..I had never used it and didn't really know a lot about fishing crankbaits other than getting it in the water where we all know the fish are..I had one of the best days of fishing I have ever had..I didn't really target a specific type of cover or even a specific type of structure..I was just tossing and winding..It turned out I must have been in the right place at the right time, because I have yet to match that day of fishing..

mac

[jamescaird]

The skill and challenge and what get's the great results ain't the bait... it's the when/where/why... the "how" is the easier and fun part of the equation...

[ash]

I think most of the bass baits are idiot baits

id·i·ot /ˈɪdiət/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[id-ee-uht] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. an utterly foolish or senseless person.


After all we spend hundreds of dollars to go fishing then we throw our harvest back!!! to me it is all utterly foolish or senseless....

As far as skilled, I personally think there are a lot more swimbaits being sold then there are fisherman consistantly catching fish on them. I see guys buy the baits and the equipment and chuck N wind for a bit put it down and start dropshottin again. I do not think it will cite less skill to fish with.... The internet has that market cornered too well.

[sTony]

Andy,

Didn't ya read the press release. You gotta be pure genius you even be into fishin'.

sTony

[g-man]

All baits catch fish, its the the skills, and knowledge of where, and when to fish them that makes you successful!! sure you can chuck and wind all day and have a good day. But it will never be consistant. The fisherman that study their baits through trial and error, and really learn how to use them will be the guys on top most of the time!

You wanna learn how to be successful in this sport? Read, and study the baits you use. Practice don't make perfect, but it will make you a better fisherman!!!

[brambo0311]

Guy,

you really know how to stir it up, dont you?
This is kinda funny how everyone gets upset. If you dont want throw a money bait, more power to ya. Me on the other hand will allways have at least 2 rods on deck rigged with them. I might not get one on it everyday, but when I do.

[swimbait]

This post is funny

[CN]

This post is funny

I remember when my arsenal was some Creme worm's and a few Roostertail's with dull hook's.But I could catch all the Bass I wanted,yea 4lber was a good fish,and now guy's throw $35.00 lure's

I own a few and just chuckin and grindin has not worked for me so I beleive you have to know what your doing.

Seem's the same people are allway's catching them then the rest of us are still waiting..........has to be something going on there right

Tell me this how long were guy's fishing these thing's before they took off and became the craze they are now.I'll bet it was alot longer than I think it was.

[DeltaDan]

After all we spend hundreds of dollars to go fishing then we throw our harvest back!!! to me it is all utterly foolish or senseless....

You definately have not tried keeping your catch to eat !!


When you bring the Red Snappers/Cabazones/Blues and LINGS up from 60' -140' ..... I don't know about you -- but I am not gona stick my fingers in their mouth to pop their bladder !!


Best to toss them in the cooler and eat them after - once they are boated.

[Steve]

This thread is funny.

I wish huckin and windin worked, I really do.

Swimbaiting is the most mentally demanding technique Ive ever employed, without a doubt. Its also dynamic, it changes constantly. And the problem is that it takes a heck of alot of time (well, at least for me) to make adjustments when the bite changes. It aint easy. Its a commitment, and a lonely one at that.

[BIG DADDY BLUE RANGER]

Yes, absolutely! I think any self respecting SKILLED fisherman should refuse to fish swimbaits on general principal

P.S. you may also want to ask your therapist about the words "fear change"

[Phil]

Well there ya go Dan.
I have tried Senko's many times,sold 100's of them, and have yet to catch fish on Senko's.
Maybe one time and was just luck.
So all types of baits take some tallent or experience. I don't believe there is a chuck and wind bait, a no brainer.

Jigs