Swimbaits for Smallies

Swimbaits are not new to the fishing scene, but have become very popular as of late. Some major professional tournaments have been won using these lifelike soft plastic baits. Swimbaits look real and have great action.  Swimbaits have been mainly used when fishing for largemouth bass, but don’t under estimate their effectiveness for smallmouths. Shad color is a favorite among smallie anglers. Casting these soft plastic baits into schools of feeding smallmouths can produce some large catches of nice fish. 

Usually the best size swimbaits for smallies are between 3-5 inches. Rig weedless with weighted or non- weighted hooks or with lead heads that are designed for these baits. You can use more or less weight according to how deep you want your bait to sink. Weighted hooks work well when fishing weedless in a wide range of cover. 

The most important things when fishing these baits are hook size and the speed of the retrieve. Match hook size to bait size, for instance use a 3/0 hook for 3 inch baits, 4/0 hook for 4 inch baits and 5/0 hooks for 5 inch baits.  For the retrieve, the slower the better, especially when fishing for largemouths. Crawling the swimbait across the bottom across points or humps, letting the tail wobble, is productive on largemouths. For smallies, you want a steady retrieve, keeping your bait just below the waters surface. If the steady retrieve is not producing switch to bottom bouncing the swimbait for hooking a smallie.

These baits are a hidden secret when fishing for smallies and often over looked by most anglers. Carry at least shad/white colors and a mix of natural colors in various sizes with both weighted and unweighted hooks to match. These baits are productive Spring to Fall. Take advantage of a slow bite next time you are on the water and give a swimbait a try. You will be surprised at the numbers and size of smallies you can catch if you fish these soft plastic baits.  

- Don Manning (FISH THIS)