ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Matt Allen and Tim Little are well-known big-bass experts who own Tactical Bassin , a website and social media channels dedicated to educating the public about bass fishing .

ore and more anglers are adding big swimbaits to their everyday fishing arsenal . A bait category that was laughed at or thought to be a “ California thing ” is spreading , and we ’ re seeing a proliferation of swimbaits tied on rods nationwide . We ’ ve even seen large swimbaits utilized in major tournament wins east of the Rockies .

A large swimbait is an enticing meal that large bass love to eat . If you want to catch the biggest bass in your lake , a swimbait is the number one bait to target prespawn giants in the spring .

which swimbait does what ?

There are several different styles and types of swimbaits on the market : soft swimbaits , hard swimbaits , glide baits , etc . Just like different types of crankbaits or finesse baits , different types of swimbaits shine in different situations . In this article , we ’ ll focus primarily on soft swimbaits and glide baits for the spring months .

Choosing the correct swimbait for the conditions can seem like a tall task , but using the right swimmer could mean the difference between blanking or catching your new personal best . Understanding

where to fish these baits – as well as which baits to throw in different situations – will make it even easier to catch a giant ! Identifying the correct swimbait starts with knowing the main forage fish in your fishery . Do you have trout or kokanee in your lake , or are bass primarily feeding on threadfin or gizzard shad ? Do you have golden shiners or a lot of bluegills ? Maybe you ’ re fishing a lake that has herring ? A quick trip to your local tackle shop can really shorten your learning curve about your lake ’ s forage base , and if you don ’ t have a local tackle shop ,