Gerald Swindle gets strange looks from other anglers when they see him hurling a buzzbait around grassbeds with a spinning rod. “They think it’s funny — until they see me whackin’ the bass,” the Alabama pro says. What they’re overlooking, he adds, is the dainty, 1/8-ounce War Eagle buzzbait tied to the end of his line. It’s a lure he’s used to finish high in tournaments during late summer and early fall.
But why spinning gear? Because it casts the small lure better. “I started doing this years ago on Lake Guntersville,” he explains. “As I’ve fished around the country, I’ve discovered it’s a pattern that works everywhere when more traditional techniques aren’t getting the job done.”
