Abracadabra! The Magic of the Sebile Magic Swimmer

Conceived by lure designer extraordinaire Patrick Sebile, the Sebile Magic Swimmer is in a class of its own. The jointed body and specifically engineered weight system makes for an incredibly lifelike appearance in the water that you will just have to see to believe. Though it will not magically catch fish, here are a few tips that will help you fool even the most skeptical bass.

Late Fall to Early Spring

In lakes all across the country, cooling water and lake turnover combine to create a shad die-off. During this time, injured and dying shad become easy pickings for big bass looking to gorge. A twitch-pause-twitch cadence, more typical of jerkbait fishing, can draw ferocious strikes from cool water bass. An angler can make the Magic Swimmer pivot 180 degrees with each twitch on a slack line coupled with intermittent pauses. Or, if the fish are feeding more aggressively, anglers can employ a more rapid rip-and-reel technique. Experimenting with different retrieves is especially important when fishing with the Sebile Magic Swimmer since it can be “worked” in so many different ways!

Spring

Despite top-of-the-line polarized shades, oftentimes the biggest, oldest, and wisest bass build beds in deep water where they spawn undisturbed by anglers. For years, pros and weekend warriors alike have used large swimbaits to draw these hidden lunkers from their hiding places. Out of curiosity or defensiveness, spawners will briefly abandon their post to chase away swimbaits, often striking at their tails. The Magic Swimmer’s realism sets itself apart from other similar large swimbaits. It also features a tail treble hook that turns gut-wrenching “followers” into fist-pumping catches. Use a steady retrieve at or below the surface to entice these springtime bass.

Late Spring to Summer

When the water warms into the mid-60s to lower 70s, you may begin to notice small, silverish fish follow your reaction baits back to the boat. This is a telltale sign that the shad spawn is underway! Shad spawn overnight and into the early morning around riprap, laydowns, docks, and other shoreline cover. While many people opt for spinnerbaits in this situation, the Sebile Magic Swimmer can be deadly on these bass. Experiment with different retrieves until the fish “tell” you what they want. If your home water doesn’t have shad, try this technique around other baitfish beds such as bluegill or perch (and remember to match the hatch)!

Conditions

One approach for the Sebile Magic Swimmer is to think of it as a clear-water alternative to the spinnerbait. When the water is clear and calm and the sun is high, try fishing like a wake bait across the surface, or reeling it at a moderate to fast pace to create a “wake” in front of the bait. For bluebird days, opt for a Magic Swimmer in a chrome or otherwise reflective pattern.In low-light conditions such as stained water or overcast skies, use an aggressive. Try hard twitches and rapid handle turns around cover such as laydowns and docks. Bone or other matte finishes are great patterns for these conditions.

Tackle

A common setup for this lure is a Medium-heavy or Heavy action casting rod with a fast action. Though preferences differ, a solid all-around reel is any 6.4:1 gear ratio reel, which will allow you to easily slow roll it, burn it, or anything in between.Your line choice will depend on how you plan to use the bait. If you plan to “wake” the Sebile Magic Swimmer across the surface, then use 15-20 pound monofilament. Since monofilament floats, this line choice makes it easier to keep the bait on the surface of the water, even while reeling at slow speeds. When fishing with a subsurface technique, use 14-20 pound fluorocarbon. Thinner diameter line works best when fishing clear or open water, but increase your line size if you are fishing around grass, docks, or other cover.So the next time you are out on the water or beating the bank, let the Sebile Magic Swimmer be the trick up your sleeve!