I always use some kind of bait when using a spoon or jig because I have to often slow a spoon or jig down and jiggle it to catch fish. The swimming lures are unique in the fact that no bait is often needed for these lures to catch fish. Perhaps these lures look more like something that can be eaten even when the lure stops moving. These lures dart and glide to the side, mimicking a minnow very closely. This type of presentation isn t as bold or flashy as some thing like banging a spoon on the bottom but the presentation seems more subtle and natural.
Different situations call for different presentations.
The only right answer is experimentation. I believe the key to consistently catching fish is knowing what each lure will do and going through the arsenal until you find something that works. Don t try to rationalize why something works or come up with situations in your mind where something should work, just experiment until the fish tell you. Go through this magazine and look through the articles. There will be one author telling you to trigger inactive fish by aggressively jigging spoons.