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Before the advent of soft lures that allow you to go deeper and deeper in search of bass, fishing with swimming fish was the most common practice for this fish. Somewhat neglected nowadays, this type of fishing is nonetheless very productive and has no equal when it comes to deciding whether fish are on the hunt or, on the contrary, apathetic.
Mainly minnows
When fishing for sea bass with swimbaits, the most commonly used lures are minnows or jerkbaits, i.e. rather slender hard lures with a small lip at the front to make them move at a defined depth and provoke their characteristic swimming action.
Between 2 and 8 m deep
While it is undoubtedly possible to fish at greater depths, especially when bass are on the prowl, I fish in areas no deeper than 8m. The vast majority of minnows move between 1 m and 1.5 m, so I choose spots at least 2 m deep.
Ideal for beating the odds
Swimbaits are ideal for beating ground quickly and finding active bass. A number of models are equipped with a large ball acting as a mass transfer and can therefore be cast very far. So, over large areas, multiply fan casts to locate the fish, then move on to another sector. When I want to powerfish, i.e. fish fast in search of active bass, I almost exclusively use this type of lure.
Simple animation
There are many different types of swimming fish, the most common being minnows and jerkbait minnows. While jerkbait minnows are designed to be animated with jerks, as their name suggests, they also work perfectly linearly. So for fast fishing and prospecting, a simple animation on the reel is all you need to get the bites. Depending on the fish's mood, you can make a few pauses, changes of direction or speed, but most of the time jerking with a continuous retrieve in a straight line is all you need.
Focus on speed
I use minnows for fast prospecting in search of chasing fish, but also to decide on bass that are totally recalcitrant to any other lure. In both cases, I use a linear animation at very high speed. When bass are on the hunt, they won't hesitate to chase the lure to attack it, and when they're apathetic, this type of animation is unrivalled for triggering an aggressive reflex. Give it a try... You'll be surprised and delighted by the brutal impact this type of animation provokes!
