12-04-2000, 09:29 PM
THE SWIRLEYBIRD FOR POST-SPAWN BASS<br>by Bill Vanderford<br><br> The spawning season has passed, which has left our “finny friends” weary and hurt. Also, nearly 40% of the spawning-sized bass in most lakes are about to die from the rigors of the spawning process. Therefore, most post-spawn bass act and feel somewhat like a person who has just endured a major operation. They usually don't want much to eat, nor do they feel like chasing their food. Understanding these facts could make the post spawn period pass more productively.It's time to retire the over-sized lures and larger plastic worms for a short while, and take a page out of every successful trout fisherman's book .... “match-the-hatch”. In trout fishing, that means finding an artificial fly that closely resembles the newly-hatched insects on which the trout are feeding. Since bass feed on so many different creatures that live in or near the water, deciding what bait to use can be difficult. Understanding another recent happening, however, can eliminate the doubt.Unnoticed by most fishermen, a simultaneous phenomenon of spring has occurred. The threadfin shad have spawned as well, and millions of one inch-long baby fish are slowly swimming around in the shallows. The recuperating bass have begun to gorge themselves on these tiny baitfish.<br>While most fishermen are still out chunking their bulky hardware in the wrong places, the thinking fisherman can use a “secret lure” that is far more appealing to the finicky bass. It is called a “Swirleybird”, and it was designed specifically to catch post-spawn bass. Though many small artificial baits found in good fishing shops will fool a few bass during the post spawn period, the Swirleybird can be deadly. It has the perfect size, imitates the baitfish well, casts easily, and maintains its attracting qualities from the time it hits the water until the end of the retrieve. These attributes make this lure especially good for novice anglers of all ages and skill levels. <br>These lures are made in several different colors, but that doesn't seem to be the deciding factor to the fish. Usually discovering the proper speed is far more important. This can be accomplished by varying the retrieve until the bass start to strike, then continue to duplicate that action.<br>Light spinning tackle combined with high-visibility four to eight pound test Stren line helps an angler see the strikes better, and allows these lighter lures to be presented properly. Even with these revelations, however, actually catching post spawn bass is never an easy accomplishment. It’s still necessary to make hundreds of casts and cover plenty of shoreline, boat docks, blown down trees, or rocky points in a day’s time to fill the livewell with a decent catch of keeper-sized bass. Nevertheless, this lure and method will continue to be quite productive until the surface temperature has passed the eighty degree mark.<br><br>Let's Go Fishing!<br>Bill Vanderford<br>http://www.fishinglanier.com<br><br><br>Living to Fish and Fishing to Live<br>Bill Vanderford<br>www.fishinglanier.com<br>770-962-241