Previously, I wrote that Gerald Swindle will fish “his way” on the final day of the season. He’s doing that and applying a cool confidence factor to his lures.
Taking time, during the heat of battle, to modify lures is a key sign that Swindle has carefully thought out his approach.
He replaced the stock treble hooks on a Lucky Craft Pointer and applied black marks down the sides of the jerkbait. He made the latter move to match the baitfish in his area.
“When using a two-hook jerkbait for smallmouth I always switch out the hooks,” he said.
That’s not a knock on the brand by any means. Smallmouth are notorious for their acrobatic leaps and subsurface runs that do damage to the hook setting ratio. Simply put, they can throw a lure in a hurry.
Swindle spent a few minutes adding Gamakatsu EWG 2X Treble Hooks to the bait.
Alternatively, he’s using a chatterbait, but the jerkbait has landed smallmouth and largemouth.
Swindle’s focus is drifting across a flat with a depression holding deeper water than the surrounding area. He believes the bass are concentrating in the deep water.