It did not take Yamaha pro Dave Wolak long to fall in love with what has since become one of bass fishing’s hottest lures, the short plastic swim bait.

 Afterall, one of his earliest fish with the lure weighed 10-lbs., 7-oz., and when he then let his partner have the swim bait, he promptly hooked a 12-pounder.  Later, during this year’s Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on South Carolina’s Lake Murray, Wolak used the lure almost exclusively en route to a 10th place finish.

 “They’re amazing lures that can be especially effective now during the autumn,” says Wolak.  “These baits are designed to imitate baitfish, and for the next few weeks bass will be feeding heavily as they follow different baitfish into the backs of creeks and coves.

 “More than a dozen companies are making these swim baits now, and most are similar, featuring a slim, four to seven-inch soft jerkbait-style body with a down-turned boot-type tail that creates a strong, distinct swimming action.  All you really have to do is cast, let the lure sink a couple of feet, and start reeling it back.”

 Wolak believes most anglers actually fish these swim baits too slow.  He prefers a steady, moderate to fast retrieve with the lure  between two and seven feet deep, depending on water clarity.  On occasion when fishing has been extremely tough, he’s caught quality largemouths by letting his swim bait sit motionless on the bottom, then jerking it up suddenly to get a reaction strike.

 “Right now, some of the best places you can use these types of lures are around boat docks, the outside edges of weedbeds and other vegetation, and also on secondary points leading into creeks and coves,” the Yamaha angler continues.  “The docks attract bass because they offer both vertical cover and shade, while the secondary points often hold larger bass that may be waiting there before continuing to the back of the tributary. 

 “The best way to fish points with one of these swim baits is to cast completely over it so your retrieve actually comes across two breaklines, which is usually where bass will be holding.  They’re waiting to ambush minnows and baitfish, and when they see one of these imitations swimming by, they can’t resist it.”

 Although the swim baits are made in a variety of lengths, Wolak prefers models in either 5-inch or 6 ½-inch lengths, which he rigs with a 6/0 or 8/0 belly-weighted hook.  The 3/8-oz. weight on the bend of the hook aids in casting and also causes the lure to sink. 

 He fishes the swim baits with a 7-foot heavy action rod, and with either 16 or 20-pound fluorocarbon line.  He does not use braided line because he believes it may restrict the lure’s swimming action, since the line tends to float.

 “These swim baits are basically shad imitations, so you can really fish them anywhere you think shad might be,” the Yamaha angler concludes.  “They’re effective because of their appearance as well as their swimming action, and you can fish them at any depth. 

 “Many fishermen in some of the Western states use the larger swim baits that resemble rainbow trout and they catch huge bass with them, but the majority of lakes in the United States simply do not have populations of giant bass.  That’s why I believe these smaller shad imitations have proven to be so effective.

 “They look just like the forage the bass are accustomed to seeing, they have excellent tail swimming action, and because they’re weedless, you can fish them just about anywhere.”