How to Fish With Bass Magic Swim Baits
Bass Magic swimbaits are easy to rig and can be fished without snagging in areas where bass look for prey -- deep or shallow, through weeds, along rocky or sandy bottoms or through open water. These are soft-plastic, minnow-shaped baits that swim with lifelike movement when retrieved. They are hollow-bodied, which allows anglers to inject scented jelly that attracts bass and convinces wary fish to hold the Bass Magic swimbait in their mouth instead of immediately spitting it out. These versatile lures can be rigged in several ways and a swimbait, Texas, or drop-shot rig can be effective, depending on the area to be fished.
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Things You'll Need
- Scissors or clippers
- Rod, reel and line
- Swimbait hook (weighted or unweighted)
- Fishing weight (optional)
- Scented bait jelly (optional)
Instructions
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Swimbait Rig
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1
Push the point of a swimbait hook into the nose of the Bass Magic swimbait and out through its belly, just below the gill. Remove the hook. To avoid tearing up the soft plastic bait, do not thread the bait onto the hook at this time.
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2
Gently insert a hook with a spring-like screw lock hanging from the top of its shank into the hole you made in the swimbait's nose. If the hook has no screw lock, insert the eye of the hook into the hole you made below the swimbait's gill, and out the nose so that only the hook eye is protruding out of the swimbait's mouth.
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3
Insert the pointed end of the hook into the belly of the swimbait at the point where the hook's bend crosses its body. Push the hook straight through the body and out the top of the swimbait. Straighten the swimbait along the hook. There should be an open space between the curve of the hook and the swimbait, with the hook's point lying flat along the its back.
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4
Pinch the top of the swimbait and insert the very tip of the hook just under the swimbait's skin. This will prevent the hook tip from snagging on weeds.
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5
Tie the baited hook to the end of your fishing line using your preferred knot. An improved clinch knot (see Resources) is a common choice. Inject scented bait jelly into the tail of the hollow swimbait, if preferred.
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6
Cast the swimbait and allow it to sink to the depth where bass are holding.
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7
Retrieve it slowly, or in a series of short jerks, to mimic a sick or wounded minnow, or speed it through the water to imitate escaping prey. When a bite is felt, set the hook hard by pulling the rod upward and twisting to the side.
Texas Rig
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8
Thread your fishing line through the hole in a bullet weight, nose end first. The weight should slide freely along the line.
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9
Bait an unweighted swimbait hook with a Bass Magic swimbait as in steps 1 through 4 in section 1.
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10
Tie the baited hook to the end of your fishing line using your preferred knot. An improved clinch knot is a common choice. Inject scented bait jelly into the tail of the hollow swimbait, if preferred.
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11
Cast the swimbait and allow it to sink to the bottom or, in open water, to the depth where bass are holding.
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12
Retrieve as in section 1 above or, alternately, bounce the swimbait along the bottom, pausing every few bounces. When a bite is felt, set the hook hard by pulling the rod upward while twisting to the side.
Drop Shot Rig
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13
Bait an unweighted swimbait hook with a Bass Magic swimbait as in steps 1 through 4 in section 1.
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14
Tie the baited hook to your line using your preferred knot. Do not cut the tag end. Leave 16 to 20 inches of line hanging below the hook.
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15
Tie a drop-shot weight to the end of your line below the hook, at the distance you want your swimbait to hover off the bottom. Start at 16 to 20 inches but, if the bass are hanging only a few inches off the bottom, use that length. Inject scented bait jelly into the tail of the hollow swimbait, if preferred.
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16
Drop your line over the side of the boat and let it fall to the bottom or, in open water, to the level where bass are holding. This technique is best for water more than 10 feet deep.
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17
Bounce the weight along the bottom or, in open water, jig the lure so that it dances freely. Pause every few seconds. When a bite is felt, set the hook by jerking the rod upward.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Bass Magic swimbaits come in several sizes -- 2.5 inches to 6.5 inches -- so choose the size that is most appropriate for the bass you are targeting. The hook should be at least half the length of the bait, while allowing the tail to move freely. For a 2.5-inch swimbait, use a 1/0 hook. For longer baits, use 2/0 or larger hooks.
Bass Magic swimbaits can be fished at any speed but, if you are not getting bites in an area where you know bass are lurking, try slowing down your retrieve.
Use an unweighted swimbait hook for shallow-water fishing, or a swimbait hook with a weighted shank for deep water.
To prevent line twists, make sure the swimbait lies straight so that it does not spin when retrieving.
