Doug and his Swimbaits ...again

[Crankbaiter]

I just sat down and watched 3 new In Fisherman shows that I had saved up on the TEVO.
All 3, had segments where Doug Stagne is casting those 5"in Berkley swim shad and knockin the tar out of big walleye again.
I have given those swim baits a lot of trys the last few summers and just cant seem to make them work. I honestly think it is a very logical presetation and buy into the fact that it should work. However I have not been able to make it go myself. Wondering if there are others who have had the kind of success Doug has had?
Maybe Im doing somthing wrong.

[Crankbaiter]

I just sat down and watched 3 new In Fisherman shows that I had saved up on the TEVO.
All 3, had segments where Doug Stagne is casting those 5"in Berkley swim shad and knockin the tar out of big walleye again.
I have given those swim baits a lot of trys the last few summers and just cant seem to make them work. I honestly think it is a very logical presetation and buy into the fact that it should work. However I have not been able to make it go myself. Wondering if there are others who have had the kind of success Doug has had?
Maybe Im doing somthing wrong.

[ms]

Pike seem to love them. They work for walleyes too, but they aren't something I throw a ton. I have better luck with the ones that aren't the storm jigs. I find that I like a bigger one, but without necessarily a heavy jig.

[ms]

Pike seem to love them. They work for walleyes too, but they aren't something I throw a ton. I have better luck with the ones that aren't the storm jigs. I find that I like a bigger one, but without necessarily a heavy jig.

[foo]

I have very good success with them fishing in small rivers and also fishing in lakes during late autumn over big weedbeds in about 8 to 16 feet.
I have yet to try anything over 4". I am with you though, it sure looks fun on a hot summer day in a big weedbed. I will give it some time in June and July this year. He makes it look easy with picking off the walleyes non-stop and every once in a while something else hits it like the occasional norgie. It is the opposite for me--norgies and bass and crappie pound it and every once in a while a walleye hits it. Editing I imagine, would explain it.

He sure does make it look fun catching those big walleyes in the weeds.

[foo]

I have very good success with them fishing in small rivers and also fishing in lakes during late autumn over big weedbeds in about 8 to 16 feet.
I have yet to try anything over 4". I am with you though, it sure looks fun on a hot summer day in a big weedbed. I will give it some time in June and July this year. He makes it look easy with picking off the walleyes non-stop and every once in a while something else hits it like the occasional norgie. It is the opposite for me--norgies and bass and crappie pound it and every once in a while a walleye hits it. Editing I imagine, would explain it.

He sure does make it look fun catching those big walleyes in the weeds.

[Rich Ziert - KlassAct]

Stating the obvious, first off all media presentations are not real life. . . not even Reality T.V. is really reality. T.V. has the benefit to shorten the time between fish. It has to be that way or you'd fall asleep at the remote. Each T.V. segment you see on the tube can take several days to put together in order to make it work. Also remember that Doug said he was after bigguns. In reality, Time between bigguns can be even further apart. Maybe look at it this way - If we were to belive everything commercials tell us, and if all Large Mouth looked like Mike Ike with a band aid on his jaw, I'd stop fishing for them.;-)


More times than not, swimbaits work best when they are moved only as fast as it takes to put the kick tail, or whatever other action they may have, in motion. Your presenjtation of the bait is more of a time and place rather than your manipulating it in the water. In all things fishing folks tend to present themselves, their baits, boat control their everything, way to fast. Granted, sometimes fast is better, but certainly not all the time.

Peak periods for swim baits are when the preffered water temperature range of the prey we are trying to immitate crosses over with the preffered temperature range of the predator we are trying to fool, and connects with a part of the lake and/or water collumn that is reasonable to find them both there at a specific time of year. I.E. Cisco/Whitefish and Walleye, or Trout and Large Mouth Bass. Swim Baits will work at other times and in other places. It's just not practicle to think they will work all the time or as good however than during peak periods.

[Piggyperchman]

T.V. programs only teach you how to buy baits that never truly out fish your original baits. Find active fish and every bait can look good.

[Darren MT]

I've also given them a good try the past few years, with no success. But it seems like I use them when nothing else is working, after I've already tried the things I have the most confidence in.

I've never tried them when the fish are actually biting, to compare them with something that is actually catching fish. Maybe I should?

[Reno]

While I will agree with Klass Act, I have been surprised at times when I made the effort to use them. While I would much rather fish with a partner in the boat, on those occasions when no one wanted to go, that's when I do most of my experimenting. The best days seem to be in late summer in very thick weeds. As in all TV fishing shows, they make it look all to easy..
Steve

[KlassAct]

Best I've found.

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpageSWMOSPREY-OSFBT.html

Yes they are big, but you are not after small fish.

Search the site for more.

Best supplier I've ever found.

[steelersfan ul]

Tsunami makes some good swim baits too. I think they are more geared towards the saltwater fisherman but should work for freshwater too. I always did well with them fishing for flounder in the Texas bays in the fall. Haven't really tried them fishing for freshwater stuff since I moved back to PA. They make them in many different sizes.

http://www.saltwateredge.com/TSU.html