Fourbizz or any other swimbaiters 2024
SteveF reply :
I know that some say that they wouldn't throw a small swim bait, however I'm not from the land of 10-15 pound bass. I know that a small bass will eat a big lure and that a big bass will eat a small lure, however I would like to know what type of swim bait you feel is the best "all-around":
1) California Tiny "E"
2) Basstrix
3) Huddleston Shad
4) Jackall Wake Jr.
Again, I need my swim bait to be under 1 oz. and relatively small. I know most of you and I believe that I have even heard Fourbizz say that he wouldn't throw a small swim bait, however I would agree if I was from California and had the opportunity at a monster, however a 7-8 pound bass is about as big as I can expect and that is even vary rare.
I'm trying to decide how I'm going to board the swim bait band wagon.
Take care all,
Steve
fourbizz reply :
Under 1 oz, really is an incredible limitation you are putting on yourself. But with those restrictions, these are the baits I would throw.
5" 3:16 Missionfish 1.1ounces. I have had 2lbers choke the 7" all day long.
Huddleston Shad. Tiny bait, will not improve your chances at a big fish IMO but will get you lots of action.
6" Big Hammer/Fish Trap with a 1/2OZ head.
Thats it.
Now let me give the schpeal. It doesn't matter if you live in the north! Granted a 12" bait might not be the best choice, but a 6 or 7 inch bait will get eaten by 2.5lb fish ALL THE TIME! If you have a flipping stick I really do encourage you to try some of the 2oz baits. When you jump up into that class, your options and chances at a big fish really go up! I mean that smallmouth I just put up in the outings section was caught on a bulky six inch bait and she had the whole thing in her mouth, just the nose poking out, and her mouth was the size of a beer can!
I will never say that these little baits won't catch fish, but I think it is pretty much a common conception that swimbaiting gets big fish, and that is why most people are interested in it. It is not because of the little paddtetail or whatever that they get big fish, it is because they are big baits! So if you are looking to just have fun with a different bait, then any of those will do. But if you are trying out swimbaits to get some bigger fish, I really do recomend that you throw some bigger baits.
I honestly think that a jig n pig will get you bigger fish on average than the baits that you listed, for a much lower cost!
IF you decide to move your weight limit up, there are a ton of great baits out there across the price scale that I could point you to.
burleytog reply :
Quoteher mouth was the size of a beer can!
Foster's, Guinness or Budweiser? 
RKS3 reply :
QuoteQuoteher mouth was the size of a beer can!
Foster's, Guinness or Budweiser?
Fosters 32 oz "OIL CAN". ;D
Raul reply :
QuoteI honestly think that a jig n pig will get you bigger fish on average than the baits that you listed, for a much lower cost!
I concur absolutely !
Now if that don 't sound too good then rig a jig with a brush hog as a trailer, that thing is huge and you are not going to go bankrupt.
Remember what Fish Chris said about swimbaits ? small swimbaits are not even worth the trouble of fishing with them, go big or go home.
bpm2000 reply :
QuoteRemember what Fish Chris said about swimbaits ? small swimbaits are not even worth the trouble of fishing with them, go big or go home.
He must have been talking in a big-fish context, correct? I love fishing the small ones for #s and hits.
Mattlures reply :
Steve I wish I could take all of you guys who are sooo wrong about swimbait sizes and fish sizes and fish YOUR water while you all watched. I have heard your exact statements a thousand times and it bothers me every time! Not the statement itself but that guys actualy think that way. Please dont take this the wrong way. I am not attacking you in any way what so ever.
First the average swimbait fish caught out here is no where near 10lbs. The average is probably 4.5lbs. There are a lot of little 2.5-4 lb fish that would bring down the average. 10-15lbers are still rare. Only a handfull of guys actualy catch them with any regularity.
A 6in swimbait is practicaly made for 5lbers. The bait may look big to you but its nothing for a 1lber to eat a 6in shinner.
Now what Forbizz said is dead on on. little tiny swimbaits under 1oz are not big fish baits. They are numbers baits. There for tournament guys. I would consider my baby bass as the smallest big bass swimbait. Like 4bizz said once you get up to the 2oz baits you are actualy using big fish baits. There are a lot of good 6in baits on the market right now. When you hear guys talking about swimbaits, the ones they use to catch big bass, they arent talking about tiny 4in baits. I also agree that a 10-12 in bait wouldnt be your best choice but dont believe for 1 second that your small 7llbers wont engulf an 8in Hudd or a 9in Slammer. They do it all the time. Your just fooling yourself if you think your going to start catching big bass because you start using a 4in Basstrix. You will get bit but Your odds of it being big are poor.
Now as for your rod rating. Thats a whole other thing. Just because your rod is rated up to 1oz doesnt mean it cant handle 1 TINY EXTRA OUNCE!!! An ounce isnt going to break your rod and the diference between 1oz and 2oz on a rod isnt much. You can throw the 6in baits on a xhvy flipping stick just fine. You can even throw them on a 7ft hvy rod. Its not ideal but it will work.
Your bass are NOT too small!
You probably have more big bass than you think you do. Just nobody is targeting them.
Dont be afraid to throw those GIANT 6in baits. (I am being sarcastic)
Dont take my post the wrong way! There are thousands of guys who share your opinions and I try and preach to them on a daily basis!
If you are wanting to catch bigger bass then get some big fish catching swimbaits. The little tiny ones will just catch you more small fish.
If it has to be under an ounce, Go buy some jigs!
If your trying to win tournaments then your on the right track. If your looking for some big bass then you need to expand a little
If you need any help just ask. There are a few guys on here who actualy KNOW what they are talking about. Dont listen to 100's of guys who act like they know. (not specificly talking about guys on this site. Just anybody in general)
Catt reply :
Not only does Matt know how to make swim baits he knows how to fish em
Randall reply :
My two cents is that the biggest swimbaits are way overrated. Big baits are not always more preferable to big fish. By biggest I am saying over eight inches. Size to me doesn't always get you a bigger fish. The key is to match the bait that most of the larger fish are eating at the time and this changes and is not constant. Most times big fish are usually going to get the biggest meal that is easiest to catch and swallow. Now in some cases if there is a bunch of large easy to catch and swallow bait and the big ten to twelve inch baits will be the ticket but not every time. Personally I do better for big fish over ten pounds with five to eight inch swimbaits. If the big fish can get a better easy meal by eating crawfish than it can trying to catch and eat a bait fish then the jig will outfish a swimbait. My advice if you want to catch bigger fish is to understand your forage and it's relationship to the bigger bass then choose your swimbait.
Now after I have said all of that I still wouldn't suggest any of those baits. You can go over a rods rating a little since you can lob cast a swimbait and don't have to sling it the way you would another bait. The rating is a guideline that's all. Go to www.Mattlures.com and look at all of his baits. He has a bunch of different species of medium size baits and chances are he has a bait that matches a big bass forage where you live. Figure out what the big bass are eating and pick a bait that matches it. If the big bass are eating bigger baits then I would get a bigger bait. If you figure out they are eating smaller baits then get a smaller bait. If you want to stick to the list then I would say the Hudd Shad would be my choice.
CJ reply :
Crap....now I get to learn how to fish a spoon and a swimbait this year.
Don't wanna hijack but I'm almost up north.What swimbaits would some of you swimbait guys recommend for the Mid West?I wouldn't be scared.I got a couple rods that could handle them.
edit: Sorry Randall,we were posting at the same time.
fourbizz reply :
Mattlures Bluegill
3:16 Wake Jr.
3:16 Missionfish
Huddleston
SteveF reply :
I maybe was wrong, I would say that our mid-western average bass is 1.5 pounds, and a big bass is a 6 pound largemouth and a 5 pound small mouth. Now keep in mind that one of the best tournaments my dad and I had was a 5 bass limit for a total of 19.64 pounds of all small mouth. Now most tournaments are won with around 15 pounds of bass. I just can not see throwing a 6"-9" swimbait and doing myself any good. Keep in mind that not everyone that wants to fish a swimbait is fishing them to catch the biggest fish in the lake, I would however like to have a bigger than average profile to use once we have caught our decent limit. I caught a 7 pound largemouth on a Spro frog last year, which is my biggest bass ever. I typically catch our biggest bass of the season on frogs, and I'm sure that most guys do that consistantly fish them as well, however they are not a large bait, but they are thrown where the big fish are. I have caught almost all of my 6 pound large mouths and 6 pound smallies on a 4 inch worm as well.
I do not want to test a $300+ rod with a 2 oz. bait, however I would like to try smaller baits, and feel that a lot of the swimbait companies are missing a big share of the fisherman by not offering smaller versions for the guys not on the west coast. No attach at you either here.
Thanks all,
Steve
roadwarrior reply :
Dude!
The Mattlure Baby Bass is the PERFECT size for about 45 states (Alaska doesn't have bass).
8-)
slomoe reply :
Great thread guys. Lots of good info.
SteveF reply :
It has been a very informative thread, I think there has been a lot of good dialog going on.
Mattlures - PM sent my friend.
Lets keep it going.
Steve
burleytog reply :
Guys, a 6" 3:16 Mission Fish isn't that big of a bait. A 7' MH is plenty of rod.
Branuss04 reply :
QuoteNow as for your rod rating. Thats a whole other thing. Just because your rod is rated up to 1oz doesnt mean it cant handle 1 TINY EXTRA OUNCE!!! An ounce isnt going to break your rod and the diference between 1oz and 2oz on a rod isnt much. You can throw the 6in baits on a xhvy flipping stick just fine. You can even throw them on a 7ft hvy rod. Its not ideal but it will work.Your bass are NOT too small!
Well said matt. I have a BPS Extreme 7 MH rated for 1oz. I've thrown some fairly heavy baits with this numerous times. Including a 6" hudd, 9" Slammer (2.5oz), mattlures bluegill, etc, it handles the extra 1-1.5oz's like a champ.
osbornj2 reply :
QuoteGreat thread guys. Lots of good info.
This exchange right here is EXACTLY WHY I JOINED this forum in the first place !
Thank you all so much for all of this great input. I think that there are a lot of guys that would love to start swimbaiting, but are intimidated by the (perceived) large tackle requirement and the large price tags of a lot of the popular lure options, and simply not really knowing where and how to get started.
I know that I am going to use all of this info to start my swimbaiting career this spring! In fact, I just placed my first order at Mattlures for the Ultimate Bluegill...so be looking for some pics in the next couple of months!
Mattlures reply :
I am goint to list the biggest swimbaiting myths that I hear almost daily.
#1 our bass arent as big as your bass, will those big swimbaits still work? Do you make any smaller ones?
Have you ever looked at the size of a bass's mouth? Trust me your bass are big enough. They are probably untargeted so you dont realize that you even have big bass(6-8lbs) The biggest oldest wisest bass dont go waisting their energy chasing down small meals. Give them a easy big meal and sell it to them properly and they will eat it.
#2 You should buy cheap baits first and see if you like them and then upgrade.
Wrong! buying the best proven baits will only shorten the learning curve. A lot of guys try this and end up giving up because those cheap baits didnt produce or MORE IMPORTANTLY they didnt produce big bass. Of corse not all cheap baits suck but most do.
#3 swimbaits are only good in clear water.
WHAT? No you just have to fish them slower and tighter to cover.
#4 when swimbaiting your only fishing for 1 bite
Wrong. I certainly do not stop fishing after I get my "1" bite. Yes there are times when its tough and you get skunked but the more time you spend on the water fishing them the easier it is to determine when to use them and when to just drag worms. Trust me Mike Long aint fishing for 1 bite. Maybe "1" giant fish but certainly more then 1 bite.
Matt Newman caught 28 bass over 8 lbs on consecutive casts throwing a Hudd.
#5 We dont have trout in our lake we shouldnt use a trout bait.
Now this one isnt that bad but its still wrong. What do you think would happen if they stocked "your non trout lake" with a bunch of 8in trout? every bass from 2.5 lbs up would gorge them selfs on them. Its been proven many times the trout baits work anyware there are bass. BUT that doesnt make them the best choice. If a trout bait was all I had I would throw it if not I would choose a diferent pattern in non trout waters.
4Bizz, Randall care to add to my list
mike bat reply :
QuoteI am goint to list the biggest swimbaiting myths that I hear almost daily.#1 our bass arent as big as your bass, will those big swimbaits still work? Do you make any smaller ones?
Have you ever looked at the size of a bass's mouth? Trust me your bass are big enough. They are probably untargeted so you dont realize that you even have big bass(6-8lbs) The biggest oldest wisest bass dont go waisting their energy chasing down small meals. Give them a easy big meal and sell it to them properly and they will eat it.
#2 You should buy cheap baits first and see if you like them and then upgrade.
Wrong! buying the best proven baits will only shorten the learning curve. A lot of guys try this and end up giving up because those cheap baits didnt produce or MORE IMPORTANTLY they didnt produce big bass. Of corse not all cheap baits suck but most do.
#3 swimbaits are only good in clear water.
WHAT? No you just have to fish them slower and tighter to cover.
#4 when swimbaiting your only fishing for 1 bite
Wrong. I certainly do not stop fishing after I get my "1" bite. Yes there are times when its tough and you get skunked but the more time you spend on the water fishing them the easier it is to determine when to use them and when to just drag worms. Trust me Mike Long aint fishing for 1 bite. Maybe "1" giant fish but certainly more then 1 bite.
Matt Newman caught 28 bass over 8 lbs on consecutive casts throwing a Hudd.
#5 We dont have trout in our lake we shouldnt use a trout bait.
Now this one isnt that bad but its still wrong. What do you think would happen if they stocked "your non trout lake" with a bunch of 8in trout? every bass from 2.5 lbs up would gorge them selfs on them. Its been proven many times the trout baits work anyware there are bass. BUT that doesnt make them the best choice. If a trout bait was all I had I would throw it if not I would choose a diferent pattern in non trout waters.
4Bizz, Randall care to add to my list
i will say Matt is dead on .... if i remember right i said all the things word for word matt has listed here the 1st time i ever emailed him .... alot has changed since then .... if fact when im swimbaiting i always feel ill get bit .... 99 percent of the time i fish the matt lure baby bass ,,, this bait is outstanding .... so some of you guys still thinking about swimbaiting listen to what matt has to say ,,, he knows his stuff ...
fourbizz reply :
Thats it Matt.
I agree with all of your points.
If you guys throw these big baits on the right gear, and have a lure retriever, you lose very few baits. Even in 50feet of water with a rocky bottom, you can usually get a bait out. Hell, I still have the very first swimbait I ever bought, a 7" Osprey. It felt GIGANTIC at the time, feels norma, or even small now!
I had a day last year where I couldn't keep the 4lbers off of a big 7" bait. I think I caught 15 between 3.5 and 4.5 pounds that day.
If you guys are gonna do it, sack up and do it the right way! You'll thank us later!
Bassin_Fin@tic reply :
This is the exact kind of thread I have been looking for a while now.Thanks guys! Good info.
Catt reply :
I read the following in Doug Hannon's Big Bass Magic & believe it holds true in every instance where anglers complain about not being able to catch big bass.
There are three major human element pitfalls you must overcome.
1. Lack of knowledge about big bass
2. Basic misconceptions about big bass and fishing techniques for big bass
3. The human tendency to respond to failure and frustration by over-complication rather than simplification of technique and theory.
#3 is the hardest for most anglers to admit but is so true; people often respond to failure and frustration by over-complicating theory and technique. As much as it helps our egos to regard a difficult task as complex, this type of thinking is often the biggest obstacle between you and your fishing success.
surfer reply :
QuoteThis is the exact kind of thread I have been looking for a while now.Thanks guys! Good info.
x2
Thanks again for the info.
Raul reply :
QuoteHe must have been talking in a big-fish context, correct? I love fishing the small ones for #s and hits.
No.
When will you people learn that a big bait is not that big at all ? if the fish thinks it can mouth it they will attack it.
Pond Hopper reply :
Ok I will bite, I fish farm ponds in Iowa with some big fish(for the area), should I be going with the Mattlures baby bass or bluegill?
tyrius. reply :
QuoteOk I will bite, I fish farm ponds in Iowa with some big fish(for the area), should I be going with the Mattlures baby bass or bluegill?
Why not both? ;D
bpm2000 reply :
QuoteQuoteHe must have been talking in a big-fish context, correct? I love fishing the small ones for #s and hits.
No.
When will you people learn that a big bait is not that big at all ? if the fish thinks it can mouth it they will attack it.
Right, hence my comment about the numbers. Say.. a hudd shad, is going to fit in a lot more mouths than a hudd 8" trout. #s.
Or do you really believe a small swimbait is really useless in any and all applications?
Catt reply :
If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you always got
It all comes down to what you want
Do you want numbers of small to medium size bass?
Or do you want numbers of medium to large size bass?
-Drums- reply :
QuoteMatt Newman caught 28 bass over 8 lbs on consecutive casts throwing a Hudd.
When I read this I thought to myself, "WHAAAAT? Are you SERIOUS??". Then I Google'd it. To anyone interested, here's the story: http://www.westernbass.com/dotcom/library/view.html?id=2683. Absolutely incredible!
(My apologies in advance for the dupe if this has already been posted at some point on these boards...I obviously missed it if so.)
Captain Chaos II reply :
Thanks to the posters for sharing.....great info.
On the fish tale....man, what a tale.....i really wish they had some pictures to go along with that story. Almost hard to believe....
fourbizz reply :
QuoteOk I will bite, I fish farm ponds in Iowa with some big fish(for the area), should I be going with the Mattlures baby bass or bluegill?
I realize that it is probably your PB in your avatar, but if you have caught some fish of that caliber in those ponds, you could fish any bait that you want. That is a really good picture BTW.
I would fish the Bluegill hands down in a pond.
Mattlures reply :
In the actual magazine article there are a bunch of pictures to go with it. Newman filled up several other boats livewells and they held up a bunch of them for the pics. It realy was incedible.
Pond Hopper reply :
QuoteQuoteOk I will bite, I fish farm ponds in Iowa with some big fish(for the area), should I be going with the Mattlures baby bass or bluegill?I realize that it is probably your PB in your avatar, but if you have caught some fish of that caliber in those ponds, you could fish any bait that you want. That is a really good picture BTW.
I would fish the Bluegill hands down in a pond.
Nope she is not or never was my PB, one of about a dozen or so fish I have caught over 6 lbs. One over 7 though(7-12 PB). I was just looking for a way to target the big fish other than a jig and pig. There are a few I have seen that were bigger than my PB but sure there are more out there.
Thanks for the props on the picture The waders really set off the brown in my eyes ;D
Randall reply :
QuoteI am goint to list the biggest swimbaiting myths that I hear almost daily.#1 our bass arent as big as your bass, will those big swimbaits still work? Do you make any smaller ones?
Have you ever looked at the size of a bass's mouth? Trust me your bass are big enough. They are probably untargeted so you dont realize that you even have big bass(6-8lbs) The biggest oldest wisest bass dont go waisting their energy chasing down small meals. Give them a easy big meal and sell it to them properly and they will eat it.
#2 You should buy cheap baits first and see if you like them and then upgrade.
Wrong! buying the best proven baits will only shorten the learning curve. A lot of guys try this and end up giving up because those cheap baits didnt produce or MORE IMPORTANTLY they didnt produce big bass. Of corse not all cheap baits suck but most do.
#3 swimbaits are only good in clear water.
WHAT? No you just have to fish them slower and tighter to cover.
#4 when swimbaiting your only fishing for 1 bite
Wrong. I certainly do not stop fishing after I get my "1" bite. Yes there are times when its tough and you get skunked but the more time you spend on the water fishing them the easier it is to determine when to use them and when to just drag worms. Trust me Mike Long aint fishing for 1 bite. Maybe "1" giant fish but certainly more then 1 bite.
Matt Newman caught 28 bass over 8 lbs on consecutive casts throwing a Hudd.
#5 We dont have trout in our lake we shouldnt use a trout bait.
Now this one isnt that bad but its still wrong. What do you think would happen if they stocked "your non trout lake" with a bunch of 8in trout? every bass from 2.5 lbs up would gorge them selfs on them. Its been proven many times the trout baits work anyware there are bass. BUT that doesnt make them the best choice. If a trout bait was all I had I would throw it if not I would choose a diferent pattern in non trout waters.
4Bizz, Randall care to add to my list
Agree with Matt %100. Nothing to add really but another thing I see happening is that with the popularity and money to be made off swimbaits you will see a lot of people that will try to become overnight experts on swimbaits. Either an expert in fishing them or making them. There is a lot of misinformation and myths being created by many people trying to promote themselves or their new bait companies. Not so much on this site since we have real experts like Matt and Fish Chris here but they are out there. This can cause you to waste a lot of money on baits that aren't up to par or get confused by people that think they know swimbaits and how to fish them. Be careful who you listen to and what you buy and you can save a lot of money, headache and frustration. It's not like a crankbait or worm where you waste a few dollars trying something and forget about it since most good swimbaits cost a little more. I admit to wasting some money myself on bad baits but have learned to buy more quality proven swimbaits and take advice from only those who can prove to me they know what they are talking about.
Triton_Mike reply :
I'm a little in left field on this topic in my thinking on swimbaits. My lake has a TON of 1-2lb dinks and they hit 6 and 7 inch swimbaits like they are candy. I am having to throw bigger 8 to 14 inch baits to weed out those smaller fish to give those bigger fish a shot at getting to the bait. Now granted my lake is 90% spots and little spots are 5 times more aggressive than any largemouth you will find so by going bigger I have actually increased my odds of weaning out the smaller fish and targeting the bigger fish. Yes I still catch alot of 2-3lb fish on 8-14 inch baits but I have actually seen this make a tremendous difference especially with schooling fish. How many times have you reeled in a dink fish only to find 3 bigger ones following your fish to the boat?? By going bigger I have reversed this trend. It's not 100% foolproof but the odds are more in your favor in my opinion. If you want the biggest fish in the school I throw the bigger baits. I also feel that bigger baits have more drawing power to the bigger fish to get them to move futher distances. Kinda like putting a T bone on one table and a jar of baby food on the other. I'd be more apt to draw toward the T bone (bigger meal) than the baby food. There is NO BAIT that is too big for largemouth. Thats the first thing you need to get out of your head that a bait is too big. I remember when I started throwing swimbaits. I thought a 5 inch bait was HUGE. I gradually worked my way up towards the bigger baits. It was a transition but you will learn real quick alot about the size of fish in your pond or lake by throwing the bigger baits.
Matching the hatch is always a good thing but not all shad and gizzards and bream are all the same sizes at any one time of the year. You will always have 12 inch gizzards just like you will always have 5 inch bream. I also feel that color is the most overated thing in fishing. Clear Lake and the Delta are notorious for not having trout in their waters but they are constantly caught on trout colored baits. I caught thousands of swimbait fish on a trout colored bait and I don't have trout anywhere close to my waters. To me paddle tails like basstrix are NOT what I call swimbaits. I feel like I do well on swimbaits NOT because I am throwing a swimbait but because I am throwing BIG swimbaits. Thats the key for me but it may not be the key for everyone on your home lake. Each lake is different and requires different train of thoughts on how to approach them.
Just my .02
Mike
fish-fighting-illini reply :
Hey don't anyone take offense to this but my experience has been exactly the opposite of most of what has been posted so far.
I throw mainly Storm swimbaits having a lot to do with price. I fish from the bank about 80% of the time and have no way to get most of the baits back. I do use medium heavy braid quite a bit so it helps to be able to pull them loose.
I fish the 3" swim shad's almost exclusively. I've caught hundreds of bass from 1 to 4lbs of this size. I've tried 2" and I've caught probably 10 on that size. The 4" has given me very few bites or fish. I've fished the 6" and have had zero hits or fish on that size. I can't honestly say that I've spent near as much time with the big baits as I need to though.
I honestly belive 100% that the paddle tail is the key as I think it sets up a very suttle vibration just like the tail does of an actual prey fish. Otherwise any big piece of plastic or wood bait or whatever would work but I have had my most success with the swimbait.
I not sure what to think of the differences in information. I still consider myself a novice fisherman so I'm inclined to lean toward you guys that are catching bigger fish. At the moment though what I do seems to be working for me. I don't see people catching the size fish that I am out of the lakes I fish. They very well could be I just don't see them. I just wanted to present a different and objective point of view, not trying to start an argument.
Catt reply :
QuoteHey don't anyone take offense to this but my experience has been exactly the opposite of most of what has been posted so far.I throw mainly Storm swimbaits having a lot to do with price. I fish from the bank about 80% of the time and have no way to get most of the baits back. I do use medium heavy braid quite a bit so it helps to be able to pull them loose.
I fish the 3" swim shad's almost exclusively. I've caught hundreds of bass from 1 to 4lbs of this size. I've tried 2" and I've caught probably 10 on that size. The 4" has given me very few bites or fish. I've fished the 6" and have had zero hits or fish on that size. I can't honestly say that I've spent near as much time with the big baits as I need to though.
I honestly belive 100% that the paddle tail is the key as I think it sets up a very suttle vibration just like the tail does of an actual prey fish. Otherwise any big piece of plastic or wood bait or whatever would work but I have had my most success with the swimbait.
I not sure what to think of the differences in information. I still consider myself a novice fisherman so I'm inclined to lean toward you guys that are catching bigger fish. At the moment though what I do seems to be working for me. I don't see people catching the size fish that I am out of the lakes I fish. They very well could be I just don't see them. I just wanted to present a different and objective point of view, not trying to start an argument.
roadwarrior reply :
Hmm...
Seems to me we have gotten some pretty good advise from
a few guys that ACTUALLY know something, don't you think?
8-)
fish-fighting-illini reply :
I got to thinking about it and maybe there is more to it than meets the eye, maybe I'm selling myself a little bit short.
Example:
My younger brother comes in from out of state. We go to my favorite lake and both have spinning rods with swimbaits fishing within a few feet of ea other. I catch 2 or 3 and he gets squat so we trade poles. Another 2 or 3 fish and I offer to trade back. I catch a couple more and zip for him. It ended up like 10 or 12 to 1 or zip. We being no stranger to trash talking to ea other it was priceless at the time!
It could be a case of what works for one person doesn't work for another. It also could be I'm a novice and he is even more of a novice! ???
fourbizz reply :
This is why I would really prefer that guys that do what I do embrace the "big baiter" monicker instead of the "swimbaiter" one.
If everybody wants to talk about 3" swimbaits, then I have almost no usable information to give.
Now if we want to talk about big baits, which are often swimbaits too, then I could help.
A 3" Sassy shad is in no way comparable to the west coast baits. When people come on and say, why would I use a $40 dollar huddleston when I can get 5 5" Storms for $4, it makes me want to scream. And yes the paddletail tubes fit right in the swimbait category, not the big bait one. THat is why I hate getting involved with these threads. People want our opinions on apples when the only thing we really know is oranges.
Not a rant directed at anyone, just a scenario I see played out over and over without end.
burleytog reply :
Baiter indeed...
Mattlures reply :
fish-fighting-illini
Your experience goes with what I said. The storms are cheap baits. the bigger ones are simply not good producers, let alone BIG BASS producers. The little Stoms work but they catch little fish. We are not talking about catching 2lb bass. Any bait made can consistantly catch small bass. They are stupid and make alot of mistakes. Big bass have already made those mistakes and much more weary. You story is a classic example. " I tried swimbaits but they didnt work" or " I tried swimbaits but I caught the same sized fish I aways caught" Well to these statements I simply ask. What swimbaits were you using? Your answer explains your results.
Catt reply :
If y'all don't copy & save this one :
Triton_Mike reply :
QuoteThis is why I would really prefer that guys that do what I do embrace the "big baiter" monicker instead of the "swimbaiter" one.If everybody wants to talk about 3" swimbaits, then I have almost no usable information to give.
Now if we want to talk about big baits, which are often swimbaits too, then I could help.
A 3" Sassy shad is in no way comparable to the west coast baits. When people come on and say, why would I use a $40 dollar huddleston when I can get 5 5" Storms for $4, it makes me want to scream. And yes the paddletail tubes fit right in the swimbait category, not the big bait one. THat is why I hate getting involved with these threads. People want our opinions on apples when the only thing we really know is oranges.
Not a rant directed at anyone, just a scenario I see played out over and over without end.
Fourbizz I agree with you 100% here.. I feel like we both try to catch the top 5% of what is available in the lake. Which to me is trophy fishing. WHile others target decent or good keeper fish. There's a big difference between the two. I strongly believe that if anyone hasn't fished an 8 inch bait hard for over a year they couldn't possibly understand what we are talking about. You have to breathe it, dream it and believe in it and go the weeks/months without a bite to even understand it. But when you do understand it and have the passion for it it's a habit that will consume you forever. Big bait fishing is more addictive than anything I know of.
Fourbizzes analogy is one of the best I have seen in seperating the cute stuff from the big stuff. YEs Paddletails are swimbaits but they aren't big baits. I guess we need to start using the word "BIG BAIT" (7 inches or bigger) instead of swimbaits more. I personally feel that basstrix type baits deserve their own "paddletail" category to prevent confusion between the bigger swimbaits.
Good post!
Mike
Catt reply :
I feel it's more than just big swim baits; I aint no finesse (small bait) angler I'm what the Ole school guys call a Bubba Bait angler. I fish bigger than normal baits; if it's a worm its 8 or over, if it's a jig its 3/8 oz or over, if it's a spinner bait its ½ oz or over. And yea I catch a lot of small bass on these baits but I also catch an above normal amount of larger bass. The reason I fish deep water structure more than shallow water is the odds of catching bigger bass is greatly increased.
Branuss04 reply :
QuoteAgree with Matt %100. Nothing to add really but another thing I see happening is that with the popularity and money to be made off swimbaits you will see a lot of people that will try to become overnight experts on swimbaits. Either an expert in fishing them or making them. There is a lot of misinformation and myths being created by many people trying to promote themselves or their new bait companies. Not so much on this site since we have real experts like Matt and Fish Chris here but they are out there. This can cause you to waste a lot of money on baits that aren't up to par or get confused by people that think they know swimbaits and how to fish them. Be careful who you listen to and what you buy and you can save a lot of money, headache and frustration. It's not like a crankbait or worm where you waste a few dollars trying something and forget about it since most good swimbaits cost a little more. I admit to wasting some money myself on bad baits but have learned to buy more quality proven swimbaits and take advice from only those who can prove to me they know what they are talking about.
I'll start off by saying i'm a complete novice when it comes to swimbaits. I've been fishing big baits for 4 months (I've only had 2 fish and 6 bites).
Now then, I curse the day 4bizz got me into fishing. I love fishing, but if I new then how much money i spend now, I might have gotten into golf or something. But then I started thinking about it. If I didn't have 4 bizz sharing his knowledge and information with me, not only on swimbaits, but on fishing in general, i would of spent twice the amount of money on stuff that SUCKED. He kept me away from the lame baits, and pointed me in the right direction to baits that had potential. So for this, I can't thank him enough. It does help to do your research when you get into big baits that cost 40-50 bucks. But even with his help, i have got sucked into some of those "Fisherman Attracting" type baits. Just do your research
Jimzee reply :
For all you big bait gurus, I just wanted to say a big thanks for the killer info in this thread. This has been one of the most informative threads I have ever read on this site. Pure gold!!
8" Mission Fish and some Ultimate Blugills are definetly in my future. The lake I fish is full of 6-8 pound bass with the occasional DD.
And BTW, I read that article on Matt Newman. MY GOD!! 
slomoe reply :
Why not spend a little more and get a hard swimbait? If you get one that floats or sinks slow, you don't get snagged, it last longer..right?
Any advantages of soft over hard when it comes to swimbaits?
Mattlures reply :
They are two diferent tools that almost do not replace each other. There is a time and a place for both. I caught a big fish the other day on a floating hardbait proto and I was talking To Mike Long afterwards. He told me he has never caught one at that lake before on hard baits, only soft baits. It was my first harbait fish from that lake. Generaly hardbaits are much better on top then soft baits and soft baits are better on the bottom. This is not set in stone but thats the general idea. Hard baits can float and you can deadstick them and make a lot of noise with them. Soft baits can wake but will sink if you stop retreiving. Soft baits are generaly better for the bottom because you can rig them with the hooks on top so your not getting snagged.
There are soo many diferences and even some that are hybrids, you just cant have one or the other.
fourbizz reply :
Well if I might offer some help on which to get:
About 50%of my fish come on hardbaits and another 50% on softbaits.... ;D
osbornj2 reply :
For a novice that is anxiously awaiting his first Ultimate Bluegill, what advice do you offer concerning the best type of rod and line for throwing "big baits" (or whatever it is that we're calling them now ;D ) ?
Also, I stand the risk of completely embarrasing myself here, but here goes :-? ... I haven't heard anyone mention the Strike King King Kong
(hardbait). I rec'd a BPS giftcard for Christmas or something, so I decided to go a little "wacky" and bought one. It looks like it will have decent action in the water, but I haven't really fished it yet. Should I donate it to 4Bizz for his new painting business , or would it be worthwhile to keep ?
One last question for you diehard "swimmers"...do you ever use more "traditionally sized" baits, or is all of your fishing time dedicated exclusively towards throwing the big stuff? Just curious. Thanks!
fourbizz reply :
I hear good things about the King Kong, but I have not fished it. For bass that dont see many big baits I am sure it will do well.
I fish regular baits pretty often.
There is a pretty decent article on big bait rods on this site
Randall reply :
QuoteFor a novice that is anxiously awaiting his first Ultimate Bluegill, what advice do you offer concerning the best type of rod and line for throwing "big baits" (or whatever it is that we're calling them now ;D ) ?Also, I stand the risk of completely embarrasing myself here, but here goes :-? ... I haven't heard anyone mention the Strike King King Kong
(hardbait). I rec'd a BPS giftcard for Christmas or something, so I decided to go a little "wacky" and bought one. It looks like it will have decent action in the water, but I haven't really fished it yet. Should I donate it to 4Bizz for his new painting business
, or would it be worthwhile to keep ?
One last question for you diehard "swimmers"...do you ever use more "traditionally sized" baits, or is all of your fishing time dedicated exclusively towards throwing the big stuff? Just curious. Thanks!
One of my first hard swimbaits I used was an ABT Titan which is the same bait as the King Kong. I caught a bunch of big fish on it while learning more about hard baits and throwing them. I have been using big soft baits for around fifteen years but only used the big hardbaits for the last three or four years. In the past couple of years there have been a lot of hard baits out there that are easier to get since so many stores have swimbaits now. So, I have been trying a bunch more of them. After trying many of the others I don't even use my ABT/Strike King baits much at all any more. There are just better choices out there now for the same price or a little more. I am not saying it not a good bait but there are plenty of much better baits that are great baits. For the same type of hard bait at near the same price the Mattlures Woody and Spro BBZ are much better baits. A Triple Trout, Rago baits or 3:16 baits are all much better baits for a little more money. One of my favorite photos of a fish though was caught on a King Kong. As you can see it almost swallowed the whole bait.
For the Mattlures Bluegills I use a 7' 6" heavy action flipping stick with braid and prefer it over most swimbait rods since I get the extra power from the braid. If I was going to use mono or fluro I would use something like the Okuma that Matt recomends on his site. I am sure if you do a search on here you can find a lot of info on rods for the bluegills.
Raul reply :
QuoteWhy not spend a little more and get a hard swimbait? If you get one that floats or sinks slow, you don't get snagged, it last longer..right?Any advantages of soft over hard when it comes to swimbaits?
I catch more 1-2 pound fish with hard swimbaits than bigger fish. There 's something about hard swimbaits having smaller dangling treble hooks ( which most soft swimbaits usually don 't have ) from the bait that makes smaller fish impaling themselves on those hooks a lot easier, all they need to do is to strike the bait, not really mouthing it to get hooked.
Or it may be a matter of population, with so many smaller fish hanging around bigger fish don 't stand a chance in getting to the bait before the little guys do.
For me hard swimbaits are not such great big fish producers as soft plastic swimbaits.
LCpointerKILLA reply :
QuoteQuoteWhy not spend a little more and get a hard swimbait? If you get one that floats or sinks slow, you don't get snagged, it last longer..right?Any advantages of soft over hard when it comes to swimbaits?
I catch more 1-2 pound fish with hard swimbaits than bigger fish. There 's something about hard swimbaits having smaller dangling treble hooks ( which most soft swimbaits usually don 't have ) from the bait that makes smaller fish impaling themselves on those hooks a lot easier, all they need to do is to strike the bait, not really mouthing it to get hooked.
Or it may be a matter of population, with so many smaller fish hanging around bigger fish don 't stand a chance in getting to the bait before the little guys do.
For me hard swimbaits are not such great big fish producers as soft plastic swimbaits.
It seems that way for me too
fourbizz reply :
That is an awesome picture randall! I loved those "choked it" shots!
osbornj2 reply :
Randall, first of all...AWESOME shot! Like Fourbizz said, it looks like she is choking on it !
Thanks for the suggestions. I will be sure to check out some of the baits that you mentioned. And, also, thanks for the heads-up re: rod size and line type. It definitely sounds like 7'0" is a bare minimum, and is actually maybe a little too short. Most everything that I have read so far indicates that 7'3" to 7'8" Fast Heavy is the optimum. Looks like the Bait Monkey just WILL NOT get off my back ;D
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