Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Sweetwater-Impoundments-Brackish » Slim SwimZ Bassin'
Slim SwimZ Bassin'
Dane Radosevic
Lake Glenbawn, located near Scone (NSW), is home to some of the most brutal and hard fighting bass in the country. These fish hit like freight trains and can create mayhem amongst the seemingly endless array of snags in the form of dead trees beneath the surface. Some incredible bust offs are inevitable. People who think bass don't fight hard have not experienced a true big bass fishery. This lake in particular is one of my personal favourites to fish, due to its natural picturesque beauty making it an absolute joy to be on the water. A diverse range of techniques can be used on Lake Glenbawn, to target this iconic Australian sportfish, including deep grubbing, ice jigging, finesse plastics, jerk baits, spinnerbaits and vibes to the edge. This dam has it all. ?
Leading into the last qualifying round of the B.A.S.S Australia Nation tournament series I knew I needed another good result to keep me up in the top 5 for AOY (Angler of the Year) and I was more determined than ever to do so. I hadn't fished Glenbawn at this time of year before and I knew the bite and technique from the last tournament would have changed considerably. Researching for information on past records, regarding the types of lures and techniques that worked in previous years, helped me immensely when structuring my pre-fish and the techniques and lures I was going to use, with that little added confidence.
Through this research I was confident that a finesse plastic technique would be successful in enticing a reaction. When I heard that ZMan were releasing a new paddle tail soft plastic in a much smaller and thinner profile, appropriately named the Slim SwimZ and aimed at the bass fishery, I was instantly very excited as I knew Lake Glenbawn would be the textbook location to test them out.
Timed with the release of the TT HeadlockZ Finesse range of jigheads, this new combination would be ideal for the technique I was planning to use. When fishing this technique the fish tend to tap the lure, hitting the tail a number of times before hopefully smashing it. The advantage of using the HeadlockZ Finesse jighead is that it locks the plastic onto the hook so the fish can hit it repeatedly without pulling the plastic down the shank. Its ultra-fine, yet strong hook is well equipped to penetrate the fish's mouth with the slightest of pressure.
Tournament fishing requires having a level of confidence in yourself, knowing that you are in the right area, fishing the right technique and of course working the right lure for that particular time of year. After giving the ZMan 2.5" Slim SwimZ a quick trial at the ramp I knew instantly by the action of the plastic that it was going to work for me and I was gaining confidence in it before even catching a fish. The ElaZtech material makes the Slim SwimZ a very strong yet subtle plastic, enabling the tail to beat ever so freely and the overall profile gives it a tight body roll, making it the ideal presentation when employing a slow wind and shake retrieve.
With my technique and lure of choice now sorted, all I had to do was find and catch the target species. Easy enough right? On a big lake like Glenbawn and with the amount of structure on offer, including steep rock walls, standing timber banks and weedy edges, deciding on where to start can play on one's mind. However, I kept calm and focussed on the sort of area that I would be confident in fishing with my chosen technique.
I thought back to the locations that I fished in the last tournament, when it was a deep bite and convinced myself that if they hung around that area out deep, hopefully they would have moved onto the banks close by. With this logic, I started working a bank adjacent to where I filled my bag in the last comp and I was glad I did as second cast with the Slim SwimZ in Bloodworm, rigged on a 1/4oz TT HeadlockZ Finesse jighead, resulted in a cracking bass. The action didn't stop there however, pulling another two fish off that bank in five casts before deciding it was time to move on.
I stuck with my game plan and worked my way around the lake, employing the same technique. This resulted in me pulling fish off every bank that we pulled up to, using a mix of Bloodworm, Watermelon Red and Smoke Hologram Slim SwimZ rigged to either 1/6oz or 1/4oz jigheads. Once I was confident that I'd cracked a pattern and knew that I could catch fish consistently using it, I started to go through other techniques and lures to eliminate the idea from my head, so I wasn't wondering 'could a different presentation work better and produce better quality fish?' By doing this it gave me piece of mind, knowing that the pattern I had worked out was the right one and I could then hone my technique and focus on locating the larger bass.
With my chosen technique refined and lures of choice rigged, I had full confidence leading into the tournament due to a successful and rewarding pre-fish. I stuck to my game plan over the two sessions, filling my bag limit each time and this resulted in a 4th place finish for AOY. The ZMan Slim Swimz proved to be the right choice and I believe this plastic is definitely going to be a hit in when fishing deep suspended fish. I can't wait to use the Slim SwimZ at Lake Somerset this month in the first qualifying round of B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Series Two.