How to animate a hard bait ?

Fishing is a practice accessible to the greatest number. The best fishermen are distinguished by their analysis but also by their ability to exploit the potential of each bait. Many hard baits are effective with a simple linear retrieval. However, it is sometimes very interesting to animate the different hard baits to optimize their effectiveness depending on the swim we want to give them and the activity of the fish. Whether it's a floating lure, designed to fish on the bottom or between two waters, swimbaits can be animated in different ways.

Why animate your hard bait?

Although most hard baits do not require specific animation to swim, a little help from you can prove to be formidable to decide the following fish. Indeed, accelerations as well as pauses in the retrieval of your baits, whether they are sinking or floating, can decide hesitant fish. Pike are particularly sensitive to the variation of retrieval speed. Animating your lure is giving it life by bringing realism to its swim. Thus, you can imitate a fish that is fleeing, a wounded fish, a fish that is rummaging the bottom or hunting on the surface.

Surface lures

It is impossible to talk about swimbait animation without mentioning the most used surface lures: stickbaits and poppers. Without animation on your part, these lures are simply ineffective. Rest assured, animating these lures is not complicated! Simple regular rod strokes are enough to bring out all the potential of these lures.

The stickbait

The walking the dog swim of the stickbait is excellent for fishing many predators in fresh water as well as at sea. Bass, tuna, pike, perch or black bass love this lure that imitates both a wounded fish on the surface or a small snake crossing from one bank to another. Some stickbaits are easier to swim than others. In my opinion, the Xtreme Pencil 87 from Rapala is one of the simplest to swim and the most effective. Simple twicths (rod strokes) down are enough to make it swim from left to right.

The popper

Easily recognizable by its hollow mouth, the popper can emit a lot of disturbances on the water surface. For this, apply sharp twitchs. In this way the popper emits large "splash" the surface and causes a trail of bubbles behind him. This kind of lure is very appreciated for fishing red tuna on hunt but also for fishing black bass and perch in fresh water. Most often, it is used at the beginning of the season and in summer to imitate a wounded fish or a fleeing frog.

How to bring your other swimbaits to life?

Depending on the swimbait, its swimming depth (floating, sinking or suspending) and its swimming action, some animations are more or less suitable. Some tolerate accelerations or pauses more or less well.

Jerk

As its name suggests, the jerkbait is a hard bait that jerks. It is a very popular reaction lure for fishing for bass, trout, perch or pike. Give sharp impulses with your rod so that it adopts an erratic swim and very attractive. Jerkbaits (including jerk minnows) often come in floating, sinking and suspending versions. The suspending version allows for long pauses. Indeed, at each stop it remains suspended. When bass, black bass, pike or perch are hunting, the jerk minnow is a very good choice! It plays on the aggressiveness and feeding phase of these predators.

Crankbait

The crankbait is very easy to use. A linear recovery on the reel is enough to make it effective. Using nylon can increase its swimming depth and reduce the risk of unhooking. The "stop and go" is very effective on this type of lure. For perch or black bass fishing, bottom tapping is super effective! Indeed, making the lure bounce off the bottom and obstacles raises sediments like a fleeing crayfish and therefore attracts the attention of these predators.

Swimbait

Very popular for pike and black bass fishing, the swimbait lives up to its name. Most often, it is a large lure. It is characterized by its very natural swim. Regularly retrieving it on the reel is enough to make it attractive. However, do not neglect stops near posts to decide on follower or opportunist fish.

Should it be animated quickly or slowly?

Both my captain! There is no miracle recipe. The solution lies in multiple tests. One day the fast animation will be the most effective, the other day it will be the slowest. However, certain fishing conditions are more conducive to certain animations.

Fast Animation

Indeed, when fish are hunting, fast impulses are generally more effective. By animating your hard bait in a lively and dynamic way, you imitate a fish that is fleeing (natural behavior of a hunted prey). Sometimes, a fast animation on the reel accompanied by pauses can also be interesting. This action also called "stop and go" allows to imitate a wounded fish and thus incite the opportunist instinct of many predators. It is a technique widely used for freshwater and sea fishing. Fast techniques allow to prospect larger areas, more quickly in search of active fish whether they are trout, pike, perch, black bass or other predators.

Slow Animation

A slow recovery can be formidable, especially when the water is cold. Pikes are generally the target of this kind of action. They are both follower and opportunist fish that feed in summer and winter. The colder water in winter slows down its metabolism. It therefore seeks to save energy. Be sure to multiply the casts and pass slowly along the obstacles to decide on lethargic fish. Slow swimming is particularly suitable for swimbaits or crankbaits.

In summary,

Like soft lures, the hard lure has its own swim. Techniques such as stop and go, twitching or uninterrupted retrieval can be practiced with any type of lure. Don't hesitate to vary the animations whether you are fishing from the shore, in a float tube, on a boat or in a kayak in order to outsmart increasingly educated predators. Play on the natural aggressiveness of the predator with aggressive swims and color but don't forget to play on its diet. For personalized advice, find us on our social networks Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube.