In a euphoric post-capture state, Hilly let his guard down on one of the simplest, but best swimbait secrets in his bag of tricks. It was after a streak that saw him, over a couple of trips, boat 10 cod to my choc-topped doughnut.
It was after he dove deep into the cavernous gob of a giant goodoo and pried out his cherished Goodang coloured Jackall Gantarel, before he blurted out those precious seven words.
“Another one on the fleeing fish retrieve.”
“What did you say?” I quickly retorted.
“Ahh um, nothing, just get the camera.”
It wasn’t until we were back at camp celebrating the win, 6 frothys deep that I picked my moment to bring up those seven words.
While sheepish at the start, he eventually spilled the beans on what he was doing different with his swimbait to rack up such an envious tally of green grenades.
So here is his little swimbait secret.
After punching out his cast as close to the bank as his ability will allow, he lets the bait sink to the bottom. Irrespective of the depth.
After feeling the bait hit the bottom, he starts an ultra-slow, and I mean ultra-slow retrieve, barley turning the handle. He then begins to up the speed of the retrieve. At roughly the midpoint of his retrieve he’s at a medium walking pace. The speed increase then continues for the remainder of his retrieve, making his bait look like a freaked out baitfish.
However, just before it comes into view he stops the bait in its tracks and pauses it just out of sight of the boat. Mind you, he does that on every retrieve, so nothing new with the pause.
The real value, he reckons is in the gradual increase in the speed of the retrieve, as opposed to a one-paced slow roll.
His theory is that as a scared baitfish, keyed into its environment, starts to realise they are being tailed by a would-be assailant they’d naturally start to speed up their getaway.
His simple swimbait tactic aims to mimic that very primal baitfish instinct, and, let me tell you, it bloody works!
So, next time you fall into the monotonous slow roll of your swimbait retrieve try adding a bit of speed to spice up your catch rate.
