Is there any retrieve out there other than a slow, steady grind all the way back to the boat? For the most part, I'd say the answer is no. When you watch those Butch Brown videos you can see how big fish love a boring retrieve.

There have been a few times where something different triggered a strike, however. One lake I fish has some heavier weed growth and the fish tend to be a bit more aggressive. My first day out there throwing a 10 inch castaic platinum a 8lber surprised me right at the boat when I was twitching the bait through a weed clump. Another time, a 6lber hit my bait as it skipped across the surface after ripping it out of some weeds.

This reminds me of fishing a lake down in SoCal with Rob, where the fish were eating triple trout fished fast and erratically over the weed tops. But I've never been able to reproduce that bite up north.

Anyone else getting bit on an unusual retrieve with the big baits?

Ive caught two 11's and a 9 lber that bit right after I had shook or ripped my swimbait. Very erratic bites, and they were definitely not a steady slow retrieve. I am convinced they bit because of the way my swimbait acted when I shook or ripped it through the water. I'm so confident in it now, that if I make a good cast where I think there is a fish, I will try to re-enact shaking or ripping the bait.

Other than that, yes slow steady is always good :)

http://www.calfishing.com/gallery/v/members/bigreenjobass/

A lot of my Hudd fish have come after a short bite. I either rip the bait hard like its trying to flee or I kill it and let it fall like its stung. Most of them hit it when I killed the bait and let it fall. the second I turned the handle again they jumped on it. Other than that its slow and steady.

>A lot of my Hudd fish have come after a short bite. I either
>rip the bait hard like its trying to flee or I kill it and let
>it fall like its stung. Most of them hit it when I killed the
>bait and let it fall. the second I turned the handle again
>they jumped on it. Other than that its slow and steady.

I have also caught quite a few on soft baits by killing it after getting bit, but they have all been spotted bass. I think the spots like to stun the big baits before the eat them.

Most of the time though I like a slow steady stupid hatchery trout retrieve.

Lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what have-yous

I have had my best luck wth the slow, steady retrieve, also. I watched video of Bill Siemantel and he snaps it quite often (kind of like KVD fishes spinnerbaits). I plan on trying more of that this year.

I dont know if this really applies cause I havent caught any over about 8 lbs, but I catch 99% if not more of my swimbait fish on the burn. I pretty much can count the number of fish I have caught sub-surface on 1 hand so everything I catch is on top. It doesnt matter what bait I fish, the Hud, The SLammer, the Tripple Trout, The Eagle and a few others, I fish them as fast as I can get away with without it flying out of the water or diving below the surface depending on the bait. Most of these fish come within inches of the shore to. Thats key!! The fish down here sit in like 5-10 feet and face the shore. When they see a trout running the bank, they crush it. If you have ever seen a trout next to the shore, it is usually hauling butt. Thats what I try and immitate.

Slow and boring doesnt work for me, but thats probably why I dont catch the big ones.

Well, my bigger fish have been caught while fishing softbaits on the bottom. Biggest was on a slow retrieve as the bait's constantly bumping against stuff. My second biggest bass was caught as I ripped the bait off of a rock. Again, bottom crawling the bait, bait bumps the rock, I pop the rod; and the fish DRILLED it.

I've caught lots of fish on the Lunker Punker and it's a erratic bait. I've had them hit that bait at my feet.

Have caught a lot of Triple Trout fish rippin' it and burning it around grass. Can't say I've caught big fish doing that, but 5 and 6 pounders.

I fish swimbaits many different ways. I'll fish a Hudd ROF5 with a constant slow crank, but I'll speed it up for a few handle turns; two or three times in the cast. Like slow, slow, slow, slow, fast, fast, fast, pause, "THUNK". Works well sometimes. That change in speed triggers the bite. I do believe in the whole speed change and directional change thing at times. At times, I feel it does produce strikes when the standard straight retrieve does not.

But as most have said, S-L-O-W and steady probably is the standard.

Arden

FIVE POUNDERS ARE SMALL :)!

Ive been throwing a castaic 8 inch trout swimbait and I have noticed if I give the rod a certain amount of jerk on a certain amount of slack line, I can get the swimbait to turn sideways as if it were eating a minnow or even dying a little. This I think would trigger strikes from bass for sure. Watch your swimbait as it gets close to you and experiment with different twitches and actions. I know you'll get something going that the bass wont be able to resist. Im sure you have heard of people doing this in swimming pools, but theres nothing like the lake to try your retrieves out. Good luck to you, and experiment.

Id rather be fishin!