Weightless

• Fishing a swim bait near the surface, especially around areas with heavy vegetation, can be productive. Hold the bait so the paddle tail faces down and hold the hook so the point faces up. Slide the hook point into the head of the swim bait, push it down 1/4 inch and push it out the underside of the bait. Thread the bait head up the shank of the hook, stopping when the eye of the hook is flush with the head. Turn the hook so it points at the belly of the bait, slide it into the bait and push it upward until the hook point protrudes slightly from the top of the bait. Push the head of the swim bait over the eye of the hook so the bait rides straight on the hook. Cast the lure around lily pads or other shallow cover, twitching it with your rod tip to imitate a wounded fish.
  
  

Swimming

• Choose one of the weighted Berkley swim baits and work it back to the boat as you would a crank bait. The 2-inch baits are best for crappies and sunfish, while the longer ones are better for fish like bass and walleyes. Cast the bait along weed edges or over weed beds and reel it in slowly, which will give it the most natural action. Every now and again, tip your rod tip forward and speed up your retrieve. The erratic motion may trigger a bite from a fish nearby.
  
  

Skipping

• Given their flat sides, Berkley swim baits make excellent lures to skip underneath docks and trees that hang over the surface. In shallow water less than a couple of feet deep, choose a weightless swim bait. If the water is deeper, use a 3- to 5-inch weighted swim bait. Cast the lure in front of the dock or overhanging tree so that it skips off the water and goes underneath the cover. While the most active fish will be along the edges of the cover, you are more likely to connect with big fish the farther under the cover your lure travels.
  
  

Bottom Bouncing

• Cast a weighted swim bait along weed edges or drop-offs. Choose a weight that is heavy enough to stay in contact with the bottom, though your best options likely will be between 1/4 and 5/8 ounce. Allow the bait to drop to the bottom, lift your rod tip toward the sky and let it fall back to the bottom on slack line. Reel in the slack line and bounce the lure off the bottom again. Most fish will bite when the bait is falling. Lifting the lure aggressively off the bottom is sometimes most effective. Other times, lifting and letting the bait fall slowly is a better option. Experiment until the fish tell you what they prefer.