How to Fish Goby Swimbaits for Smallmouth Bass

Pro bass angler Jonathan Dietz takes to the expansive flats of Lake St. Clair and teaches us how to find and catch smallmouth bass keyed on eating round gobies relating to isolated rock piles. With a background in fisheries biology and a passion for Great Lakes smallmouth, Dietz understands the massive influence of the invasive gobies as a key forage. But this isn't a Great Lakes or goby-specific tactic. His bottom-based swimbait method plays on fisheries nationwide, as sculpins and darter minnows exist nearly everywhere.
TACKLE LISTING (retail links)
• SWIMBAIT - Z-Man Gobius: Buy at FishUSA bit.ly/487Ia4E | Buy at Bass Pro Shops bit.ly/3tfhJev
• ROD - ARK Invoker Limited Edition Casting Rod, 7'2'' medium-heavy: Buy at ARK: ARK Invoker Limited Edition Casting Rod
• Check out ARK Casting Rods at Tackle Warehouse bit.ly/3NkTm64
• REEL - ARK Fishing Gravity 3 Casting Reel, 8.1:1: Buy at Tackle Warehouse bit.ly/454kaym
• LINE - P-Line Tactical Fluorocarbon Line, 12-pound: Buy at FishUSA bit.ly/3Nn8ShA
• FISH FINDER (bow stack-top) - Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 126sv Chartplotter/Fish Finder Combo: Buy at FishUSA bit.ly/3RzlIMo | Buy at Bass Pro Shops bit.ly/3se2B0l
• FISH FINDER (bow stack-bottom) - Humminbird HELIX 10 CHIRP GPS G4N Fish Finder/Chartplotter: Buy at FishUSA bit.ly/3TdZjFD | Buy at Bass Pro Shops (Humminbird HELIX 10 CHIRP GPS G4N Fish Finder/Chartplotter)
• TROLLING MOTOR - Garmin Force Trolling Motor: Buy at FishUSA bit.ly/487Iv7q | Buy at Bass Pro Shops bit.ly/47SHznG
• LIVE SONAR - Garmin LiveScope Plus LVS34 - LiveScope + LVS34 System: Buy at FishUSA bit.ly/3GzO17d | Buy at Bass Pro Shops bit.ly/3se2B0l
• 360 IMAGING - Humminbird MEGA 360: Buy at Bass Pro Shops bit.ly/3tfjF6x
• BOW GRAPH MOUNT - Precision Sonar Over and Under Bow Mount for Deck: wired2.fish/3P...
TARGETING ISOLATED STRUCTURES
While grass beds and yellow perch can be the prevailing pattern on Lake St. Clair, hard-bottom areas consisting of rock and gravel are essential goby and smallmouth habitats. Dietz uses 360 and forward-facing sonar (FFS) to find "rough patches" and put his bait on target. Cross-cueing both technologies produces the best results. It's often the case that bass hug the bottom (where crawfish and goby live), hiding in and among the rock and not visible on FFS. MEGA 360 shows the best rock patches and individual boulders where bass relate so you can make targeted casts. As Dietz demonstrates, it's then common for the bass to rise and reveal their presence on FFS.
LIFELIKE GOBY IMITATIONS
While there are a lot of swimbaits on the market, few match the realism of the real thing. Dietz introduces the Z-Man Gobius, an ultra-lifelike goby-imitating swimbait, as one of his go-to lures for these conditions. He explains why this soft plastic-encased swimbait commonly outperforms other proven finesse smallmouth tactics. And unlike conventional paddle tail swimbaits rigged on a jig head, the Gobius' unique design allows it to snake through rocky and grassy cover with minimal fouling. This makes it especially versatile on fisheries where bass make use of both hard and soft cover, as is the case on St. Clair. Time and time again, clear water and pressure also highlight the need for realism to fool and trigger bites, and the Gobius is a near exact match.
EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUE
While finesse smallmouth tactics and spinning rods are the primary tools of the smallmouth trade, Dietz likes sizing up to casting gear whenever possible. For him, it's all about efficiency. A more powerful setup improves hook penetration while makes landing fish faster so he can quickly get back down and catch other one. He breaks down his equipment setup for his finesse power fishing technique, including rod, reel, and line. Notably, Dietz prefers a speedy 8.1:1 reel for rapid line pickup, essential for imparting erratic speed changes to the bait and reeling in fast to make new casts to hot fish.
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[@Mt10bobby]

I’ve caught over 35 fish on one gobious it’s a great bait. But not everyone is rich and can relate to this 20 year olds video game fishing

[@live2fishofficial]

GOBIUS is going to be the next big bait💯👍🎣

[@Wired2Fish]

Good testimony on the bait. Thanks for sharing.

[@martindraeger2925]

try GRUMPY Goby - the company that started the goby bait crazy!

[@crashdsnowman1]

@@live2fishofficial The Dark Sleeper is already the next big bait.

[@grumpybaits3715]

@@live2fishofficial that bait follows the coat tails of GRUMPY Goby's that have been on the market well before most manufacturres, been leading goby baits since 2019 with more colors and styles than any manufacturer in North America - plus the reason you keep loosing fish is that the hook is covered by the dorsal. Why not use a bait that gives you complete flexibility? You can't drop shot this bait, you are restricted to one technique., one hook size.

[@yengvang8737]

FYI, the darker green pumpkin color of the gobius is a PB&J color. Perfect color too by the way.

[@Fishboy68]

Your graphs and that bait look fantastic!! Thank you for sharing.

[@Wired2Fish]

Thanks for watching. A well-designed bait for sure!

[@geostrong3606]

Thk u sir I fish stclair alot what ur go to color for stclair thk

[@PerryShriver]

awesome great job show your electronics on rock pile.👍👍👍👍👍

[@ChemitasFishing]

I'm waiting for Zman to release a 1/4oz version of this bait.

[@yengvang8737]

I'm waiting for a 4 inch lol

[@jojnut3839]

Great looking bait and underwater footage.... his comment u just can't see every fish repeated is amusing to us old timers what a concept! Yes that's sarcasm

[@Wired2Fish]

Hah! Thanks for watching.

[@tarkanozer9692]

Where I’m from western New York Lake Ontario area we get this really black gobies . It’s scary

[@martindraeger2925]

Its called a Guarder Goby - one or two males guard the nest and commonly turn blackish green - GRUMPY Bait Company has a color called Guarder Goby

[@chaddotter8691]

its definitely becoming a rich mans sport

[@dee8263]

She’s a pretty bait

[@chrischrist7982]

That's not really showing us anything !

[@Wired2Fish]

Can you explain? He talks fish location and why a goby-imitating swimbait is an excellent choice for the fishing situation he's faced with. Then details how to fish it. Preferred lure colors, rod setup, etc.

[@xibfwmz]

Just showing electronics and reading it....

[@artvandelay418]

Can someone tell me the talent in this sport? I don't get it. It's like a pitcher telling the hitter where and what pitch he's going to throw to the batter. What a joke.