SWIMBAITS ON MY MIND

Despite having worked with anglers including Brandon Palaniuk, Carl Jocumsen, Chris Zaldain and Steve Kennedy for years, I was always kind of a doubter about the big bait game. I didn’t think it applied to the places I fish, or to my need to get bites on a regular basis. Recently, though, something clicked, and I’ve become obsessed with swimbaits (I’m using the term loosely here to apply to swimmers, glides, rats and wake baits). That interest was piqued during the recent Swimbait Universe Gathering, where I spent more money than I thought possible to buy a grand total of four (yes, FOUR) custom-made lures.

A big part of my interest comes from the craftsmanship involved in building these “garage” baits", but what really fascinates me is the culture. I’ve already interviewed one rodbuilder who went to the same law school I attended, but I’ve been amazed to meet people from every walk of life. While I’m far from an expert, this has inspired me to write increasingly about the personalities and ancillary topics that make up this growing niche. Accordingly, we’re building a standalone web page that contains all of our big-bait-related content. Check it out and feel free to suggest topics for future articles.

Obviously, the place we fish that these lures are best suited for is Mexico — El Salto and Picachos. If you’d like to join us down there (or go on your own), email or call Hanna soon at 703-932-6299. The 2022-23 season is starting now and spots are hard to come by. First up we have a trip to Panama for tuna, roosterfish and other species, and I intend to have a few of these big baits packed in my boat bag to see if they can handle those ocean brutes. There’s one space left on that trip, so if you’re a swimbait freak, a salt novice, or just want to get your string stretched, again give her a yell and let’s get you down there with an amazing group.