Published: July 19, 2008 12:12 am         

Swimbait revolution

There’s a new artificial bait on the market that is taking the fishing world by storm.

If you haven’t tried them already, I suggest making room in your tackle box for a few plastic swimbaits.

Large plastic swimbaits have been available and widely used by tournament anglers pursuing musky and trophy largemouth bass for several years. But recently lure manufacturers like Storm, XPS and Yum have expanded their line of swimbaits to include a large variety of sizes and styles designed to cover most fishing situations.

Swimbaits are made of soft plastic and usually have a kicking tail and often a segmented body that helps them to closely resemble baitfish. Many are also prerigged with hooks that make them easy to use and ready to fish right out of the package. Simply tie the lure directly to your line with a palomar or improved clinch knot. Nothing else is required. With a little practice, tying either of these knots can be easily mastered and both retain 90 percent of the lines breaking strength.

Swimbaits are also great for beginning anglers and children to use because the natural swimming action doesn’t require any special skill. All the angler needs to do is cast and reel in with a steady retrieve and the soft plastic body and kicking tail will do the rest. If you happen to notice a fish following the lure, resist the urge to slow the bait down. It’s always better to speed up your retrieve when a fish is following. This will fool the fish into thinking its prey is trying to escape and many times this will trigger a strike.

Swimbaits are available at most tackle dealers or from mail order companies like Bass Pro and Cabela’s and in the world of artificial baits, they are reasonably priced.

If you enjoy the challenge of catching fish with artificial lures and would like to try something new, I strongly suggest that you add a few swimbaits to your arsenal. I think you might be pleasantly surprised with their ease of use and rate of success.

Recent conversations with my customers and fellow bait shot owners seem to indicate slower fishing action lately. This is not uncommon as spring waters make the transition into summer. Most fish species are finished spawning now and are moving into deeper, cooler water.

This is a good time to try some nighttime fishing. The cooler water surface temperatures and reduced recreational activity can make this a good option. Top water lures and large spinnerbaits that are easy for fish to locate are a good bet for this type of fishing. A strike by a big bass on a top water lure in the dark could be one of the highlights of your season, so give it a try and beat the summer heat.

Ray Nordstrom is a Logansport resident and a licensed guide and tournament angler, and is the owner of Eel River Bait and Tackle in Logansport. You can contact him through the sports department at sports@pharostribune.com.