Swimming Lures "how to?"

[icejunky]

I just picked up a few jigging rapala's and the new jigging shad. I'm new to swimming lures. Whats the best presentation method?

[Pasquatch]

Jig them near the bottom, untipped or tipped with spikes or part of a minnow, depending on what you are fishing for... They swim in circles when you jig them. Don't put too much bait on the tail or nose hooks, it screws up the balance of the lure.

[Rockfish]

I usually drop 'em til they hit bottom then raise them about 6" and twitch the rod a couple of times then pause for about five seconds.  Its amazing how many times a fish spots it hitting and comes over to ivestigate.  I figure a lot of movement right up front will scare them.  Then you have to set up a rythm. A sharp jig, pause 5 -10 seconds, jiggle a couple of times, pause, jig and so on.  You'll have to experiment until you gain confidence and figure out what the fish want.  One thing you can do is just drop it a foot or two below the surface and watch its action as you experiement.  Better is if you have an aquavu and can set it up so you can see your lure.  Its truely amazing (and educational) to see the fish react to what you do.

 
Rockfish

[iceintheveins]

Swimming lures are some of the finest lures around for ice fishing, and are the very best for most walleye applications.
For jigging raps, the #2 and #3 call for six pound mono. For the #5, 8 - 10 pound. For the #7, 12 -14 pound mono with a fluoro leader is best.
I always tip these lures with a very small minnow head or tiny sliver of nightcrawler. You must make sure you don't overweight the lure and ruin the action. For twighlight eyes, it often isn't even neccessary to tip the lure. But if the fish are tougher, tipping makes the difference between few if any strikes and plenty of strikes.
Drop the lure to the desired depth and close the bail. After ten seconds, lift fall the lure about 2 feet. Pause about 10 - 15 seconds before doing anything at all, because the lure is often still gliding. Add light jiggles to aggressive shakes after the pause, and then wait another 10 - 15 seconds. Then repeat the lift fall again.
Also, jumping the lure up and down about 4",  3 - 4 times in rapid succession will cause the lure to swim in a full circle. Often that is better at calling fish in than a single longer lift fall.
If a fish appears but won't take on jiggles and holds, reel the lure up and see if the fish gives chase. Often they will take. If they don't, pause again, then do another lift fall. If they still fail to take they probably won't hit.

Doug Stange is probably the foremost authority on using this category of lures. Reading his articles will get you set.