Pro bass angler Kyle Welcher teaches when and how to fish belly-bladed weedless swimbaits for shallow bass. He also discusses how to rig swimbaits for the best performance around grass, wood, and other cover. A balanced swimbait, paired with a weedless underspin hook, imitates shad to a T while emitting measured thump and flash to stand out and trigger bass.
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Start with the right swimbait. Welcher prefers a 4-inch swimbait as a starting point — it triggers ample bites from all sizes of fish while also generating big bites. Welcher emphasizes the swimbait’s dual action: not only does he want a bait with a strong tail thump, but also one that exhibits a noticeable body shimmy. This combination makes the showcased Rapala Crush City Mayor a highly-effective swimbait for this application.
Welcher’s approach is strategic. He targets his casts tight to cover such as laydowns, overhanging cover, docks, and grass sections. These ideal ambush points are often too thick to fish exposed hook baits effectively. A Texas-rigged weedless swimbait can slide through with ease.
He also offers insights on the ideal times to switch to the weedless underspin. For instance, weedless swimbait becomes a prime choice during high-pressure situations or when fishing for spotted bass. The added finesse of the swimbait, combined with blade flash, gives it an edge over traditional bank-beating baits like spinnerbaits, ChatterBaits, or swim jigs.
The video concludes with a comprehensive guide on how to rig weedless swimbaits on screw-lock hooks. Welcher meticulously details each step, emphasizing the importance of bait alignment and hook placement to ensure optimal performance.
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