and other fishermen out there.

I am getting ready for a trip next week, which entails throwing a bunch of ratty clothes an a suitcase and then hitting the store for a bunch of fishing crap I probably won't use.

Anyways....I have a weakness that involves buying soft swimbaits. I have used several types of these and they look SOOOOOOOOO damn realistic in the water. They come in a variety of types, representing most any baitfish you can think of.

The problem in that I have NEVER caught anything with these and invariably resort to live baits or topwaters to get strikes.

Anyone out there use these successfully???

I have never purchased those and know no one who has caught bass with them.

What type of fishing are you doing?

This is prefall and a very tough time to catch fish. My best bet at this time is a spinner bait or plastic -brush hogs, ugly otter or jig and trailer Eakins rattling black and blue with big trailer.

I imagin they will hit top water very early and late. Can't beat a good buzz bait in a light wind.

I don't chase too many largemouths round here. I have a few nice ones in my pond, but they are pretty damn easy to catch.

I typically try to use those swimbaits when/where other dudes are using live bait for river smallies & walleye. I have a big one that I think would work for muskies but have yet to try it.

The fishin is crap right now here anyway.

I'll be down in the everglades next week hoping to entice some redfish, trout, & snook......maybe even a tarpon. I thought that these would work on the grass flats. Spoons usually work real well, but get hung up to hell in the grass. Some of these swimbaits have a neutral buoyancy that I thought would keep them above the weeds on a slow retreive. With Katrina just passed by, I don't think I'll be able to rely on the old trusty Zara Spook.

Anyway.....I think these are just a gimmick, but the friggin things look so real that I thought SOMEBODY would be catching thins with them.

Nope never used 'em

I use berkley power baits, the worms are best IMHO.

I mostly fish rivers and lakes around the state of Virginia.

ash

you guys actually catch? hmmm...

been fishing a lot more for the last 5 or so years. small rivers, small lakes, some good size lakes, manmade lakes, ect.

power bait, worms, corn meal-

the only time i've actually reeled anything in was on a chartered boat off san diego. a 23 inch rock fish.

i reeled it in, got it on the boat, had it measured, only to have the deck hand throw it back. seems rock fish have to be 24 inches. couldn't that salty **** stretch it out a bit?

oh well, i guess thats why i go "fishing", and not catching....

you could try a fluke or sluggo. I have had luck with both non weighted over weed beds.

Never tried soft swimbaits. I fish small lakes in PA for largemouth and I'm very successful with floating Rapalas but only with a very specfic model/ a swimming Prof. Nage 2 3/4 inch silver minnow, and they're hard to find. I also use a now defunct? spinner called a CP Swing which was made in France in the 60's & 70's. I buy them for a quarter from Idjuts @ flea mkts and garage sales who don't know what they have. The CP's work great over rockbeds for smaller bass when the big ones won't bite. Goodluck on your trip but you forgot to mention cigars in that suitcase!

Oh...you can be sure I'm taking cigars.