Hard Swimbaits, Why Only Out West?? 2025
Lip 'em! reply :
This fall I have spent a lot of time on clearer water impoundments around Kentucky. After watching a video on youtube of a couple guys throwing a river2sea s-waver out in Cali and catching huge bags, I asked myself, why don't anglers in the midwest/east/north/south use hard swimbaits more often? Do you think they only work out west or are they just under-utilized in other areas because the delta is so renowned for swimbait fishing?
MIbassin reply :
Many people not on the west coast use them often!
MarkH024 reply :
Misconception. Plenty of anglers across the world not just the US, throw swim baits.
CarolinaBoy4Life reply :
There's swimbaiter's all across the south and north. I know guy's in MA, PA, NC, SC, that throw strictly swimbaits. It's not too common around here because alot of people don't understand or won't be patient enough to know the time and patience it takes to get big bait's down and to learn the behavior of big bass that you are targeting with these swimbaits. It can be intimidating as I have learned since this is my first year throwing them and I've had to learn everything on the fly and online. SU has helped me a ton and there are some good guy's on there that have helped me with any questions or concerns when it comes to chucking big baits.
Raul reply :
I´m in central Mexico, the closest border to me is 550 miles up north and I do fish with hard swimbaits, I am not saying they aren´t productive, on the contrary, they are very productive however, at least for me, they do not produce the size of fish I´m after.
Let me put it in perspective, with hard swimbaits I´ve caught lots of 5, 6, 7, 8 pounders, if that´s what you are after taking in consideration you are in Kentucky and you are after a fish of that size ( and in Kentucky an 8 lber is a real whopper ) I say you definately want to give them a try.
In my experience baits with lots of hooks hanging from them are not the best option in my waters to go after big fish, why, cuz there´s a bunch of pea sized brain 1 to 3 pounders ready to jump on them so most days that´s what I will catch on a 10 inch hard swimbait, a bunch of 1-3 lb dinks.
J Francho reply :
They get used plenty outside of CA.
SirSnookalot reply :
I don't knock them they just aren't for me. Many of the places I fish are either too shallow or too much floating grass to fish lures with exposed hooks. My preference is ul or light spinning, bass 24" and sometimes larger are not un common in the ponds here, I like the challenge of landing fish in that range on lighter tackle.
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
Nope. Only for use in CA.
hatrix reply :
People are just more narrow minded about them. Out west they actually sell the stuff in shops and its common to see. Places by me don't even carry that stuff for the most part so our average person or even people who fish constantly just don't know I think or assume its to big. Finally a place by me Now bass few things after me asking all the time if they were ever going to get this or that or why they don't have it to begin with. Ofc the baits are in the musky section since they are to "big" for bass. I don't know how many times I have to tell them either when I walk up to the counter with them. So where you going musky fishing? I am not. Then what are you buying them for? Bass. Are you serious? You can't use those for bass. Yea your probably right since only bass that weigh 10# or more would eat this and we don't really have those out here. But hey maybe I'll set the state record of I keep throwing it...
Felixone reply :
On 11/13/2014 at 3:02 AM, SPEEDBEAD. said:Nope. Only for use in CA.
Don't all the packages now have the big warning label that says "This is product is know to contain a chemical that if used outside of California will cause skunkiness". I just figured this was California's way of getting back at us for all those products that only cause cancer in California.
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
On 11/13/2014 at 1:41 AM, Lip said:This fall I have spent a lot of time on clearer water impoundments around Kentucky. After watching a video on youtube of a couple guys throwing a river2sea s-waver out in Cali and catching huge bags, I asked myself, why don't anglers in the midwest/east/north/south use hard swimbaits more often? Do you think they only work out west or are they just under-utilized in other areas because the delta is so renowned for swimbait fishing?
Just an observation, but the Delta is not where the big swimmer scene is located in Cali. Gotta travel a bit south to be in the hot zone of activity.
camo reply :
Watch southern trout eaters!
Raul reply :
On 11/13/2014 at 3:07 AM, hatrix said:People are just more narrow minded about them. Out west they actually sell the stuff in shops and its common to see. Places by me don't even carry that stuff for the most part so our average person or even people who fish constantly just don't know I think or assume its to big. Finally a place by me Now bass few things after me asking all the time if they were ever going to get this or that or why they don't have it to begin with. Ofc the baits are in the musky section since they are to "big" for bass. I don't know how many times I have to tell them either when I walk up to the counter with them. So where you going musky fishing? I am not. Then what are you buying them for? Bass. Are you serious? You can't use those for bass. Yea your probably right since only bass that weigh 10# or more would eat this and we don't really have those out here. But hey maybe I'll set the state record of I keep throwing it...
Not only narrow minded, also, lack of visualization. In my case musky/pike baits does not apply, none of those species is available in Mexico so nobody sells that kind of baits.
There used to be a time when I was a student that I had vacations and was able to travel to many places, obviously I wasn´t going to purchase musky/pike gear but I did go saltwater fishing so I have a little saltwater gear which includes SALTWATER CRANKBAITS, large saltwater crankbaits like Rapala Magnums and Slivers to mention a few.
So, if a bass attacks cranks what if I fish with big saltwater cranks ? and it worked !
I visualize hard swimbaits as big crankbaits.
hatrix reply :
I think everyone who starts throwing big baits originally is skeptical of them working because of there size. Even I was although I knew there was no reason to be worried just because it was so unnatural to my way of thinking and I actually knew all about them to a certain extent besides actually using one myself. So for the people who are great sticks and might know about them but not really know it just seems out of the question. I remember when I was trying to find a place locally that sold Hudds (no one does btw) when I asked the guy who was like "you mean those things they use in California? Those don't work out here they are to big." They upped there game a little now though over the years. Originally they only had like a foot wide section of paddle tails and it was just Basstrix that was cool with me (those are the best IMO) and something else. But now there is d**n near a whole row. It seems like I ask about something and they don't have it.Then I come back like a month later and now they have some of what I was looking for. I know there is like almost no one asking for what I do so it seems like they secretly take advice from me in a way. They know who
I am and ask me how I have been doing and I show them so it doesn't seem quite as alien as it used to. They see the proof and I show them fish and guys fish all year and guys fish all year and maybe catch a couple like that but I am doing it consistently so there must be some validity to it.
I don't need 15' of wall space from floor to ceiling of every Rapala ever made in 20 different colors. I know everyone out here loves there Rapalas though. Everything is called a Rapala when you ask someone. It's like all tissues are Kleenex.
What are you using? A Rapala. Or when people are like ya we caught a bunch on those little silver or blah blah blah Rapals. You gotta get one of those. Like really? You know its a brand and not a actual type of lure right? There is literally like 100 Rapalas.
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 11/13/2014 at 3:02 AM, SPEEDBEAD. said:Nope. Only for use in CA.
haha i was scrolling down and i was thinking "SPEEDBEAD has to be here somewhere"
gulfcaptain reply :
Yep, they only work in CA, and only work on fish that eat stoked rainbow trout. Don't listen to those guys on Southern Trout Eater's. Thank's Speedbead, your ration of exported swimbaits will be headed your way soon.....sshhhh, don't tell those other guys.
Mattlures reply :
I would say that soft swimbaits are more of a CA thing then hard swimbaits. I am excluding the hollow body type baits in this statement. I see tons of reports and pictures from non CA states and they use a lot of hard baits. CA guys use a lot of soft baits. Its possible that when guys figure out a swimbait bite, they don't talk about it locally. They try and keep it to themselves. Out here in CA swimbaits are one of if not the most common technique. If a big fish is caught its assumed it was either a bed fish or a swimbait fish.
Karsonclowers reply :
I am wanting to start using hard body swimbaits. Anyone have suggestions and tips on using them like line size, rod action, reel type, retrieve styles,etc?
hatrix reply :
On 11/13/2014 at 10:41 AM, Karsonclowers said:I am wanting to start using hard body swimbaits. Anyone have suggestions and tips on using them like line size, rod action, reel type, retrieve styles,etc?
That is pretty vague since they can range from 1/2 oz to 13 oz.
Karsonclowers reply :
Ok. I want something good for bass but not something outrageous that I can only catch like a 15 pounder or something. I just want something like a small shad. What is a good cheap kind
gulfcaptain reply :
On 11/13/2014 at 1:02 PM, Karsonclowers said:Ok. I want something good for bass but not something outrageous that I can only catch like a 15 pounder or something. I just want something like a small shad. What is a good cheap kind
Spro BBZ 4" shad, S-Weaver, Savage Gear Glide Swimmer. There's 3 normal sized swim/glide hard baits you can fish with regular MH action rod and most are under an ounce in weight.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Don't waste your time. Fish will eat them, but all you catch are fewer fish and they're not even big ones when it happens, don't believe me?
The big fish just don't seem to be with the "big baits catch big fish" program around here 
SirSnookalot reply :
On 11/13/2014 at 1:02 PM, Karsonclowers said:Ok. I want something good for bass but not something outrageous that I can only catch like a 15 pounder or something. I just want something like a small shad. What is a good cheap kind
Good for bass and many other species are Storm wild eyed shad, sizes from 1/8- to over 2 oz. Not only have I caught bass of all sizes with them but they are one of my favorites for snook and tarpon, the 7/16 is my most used size.
Catch and Grease reply :
On 11/13/2014 at 3:51 PM, SirSnookalot said:Good for bass and many other species are Storm wild eyed shad, sizes from 1/8- to over 2 oz. Not only have I caught bass of all sizes with them but they are one of my favorites for snook and tarpon, the 7/16 is my most used size.
Those Storm Wild Eye Live Sunfish catch bass too! They are little but heavy enough that they can be cast a mile...
Got some as a present once and didn't except them to work...
Karsonclowers reply :
Thanks for the tips. So what about colors. One for a big river or lake, one for big pond bass, and one for fishing of the pier in Panama City beach Florida.
SirSnookalot reply :
Although I've use various colors have never seen a reason to favor one over another. I bought Storm wild eyed mackerel, caught bass with them as well. My most used size is the 7/16, for bass I prefer the 1/4 oz as I prefer using lighter rods.
related Fishing Tackle topic
previous topic
next topic
© 2025 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.