Keitech Swim Impact alternative 2024
Armtx77 reply :
So, I LOVE Keitech Swim Impacts in the 2-3" variety on a 1/16oz jig. That action, catches me more fish than any other soft plastic I throw. I caught 3 18" LM on back to back to back casts sunday on a 2" pumpkin color as a a front was rolling into town.
BUT, they just dont hold up. 3-4 fish and they are dead. I know we are talking about a small lure and the choices are limited, but does anyone have a runner up to Keitech or something they feel is just better and holds up better?
everythingthatswims reply :
You won't find a better quality swimbait than a keitech. And if you're talking stuff in the 2.8-3.3" range, other brands with tougher plastic wouldn't have hardly any action if they made a bait that small.
Bite the bullet, they catch fish!
Armtx77 reply :
On 4/24/2018 at 10:21 AM, everythingthatswims said:You won't find a better quality swimbait than a keitech. And if you're talking stuff in the 2.8-3.3" range, other brands with tougher plastic wouldn't have hardly any action if they made a bait that small.
Bite the bullet, they catch fish!
Yeah, that is kind of what I thought. The saving grace of the small baits, is that you get a few more per package for the same cost.
Guess I better call in a resupply, to have on hand.
georgeyew reply :
You can also try the Zman Slim SwimZ, it's 2.5" and has pretty good action in the water.
Preytorien reply :
I agree with the above. I've tried multiple varying brands of swimbaits, and although I've settled on another brand I personally like better, the same holds true - just using these baits means you'll only get 3-4 fish out of them, tops.
It's an unfortunate byproduct of their action and abilities. I've found that using Owner Twistlock hooks seems to help a bit, and also using Gambler Hollow Points helps and simultaneously helps it go through the weeds.
But at the end of the day - I lose em' - and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about it. I just try to find them on sale/clearance and stock up when the time comes.
Ratherbfishing reply :
A person with a tight budget certainly could feel the pinch with Keitechs as they aren't super cheap and don't last terribly long. If cost is an issue, start with some of the other cheaper varieties and see if they work. If they don't, amp up your game with the Keitechs. I definitely found a difference, though, and if catching fish is more important that price, Keitechs are about as good as you can get.
ohboyitsrobby reply :
The alternative is.... stock up if you find them on sale lol. They are pretty expensive but flat out catch fish.
Armtx77 reply :
On 4/24/2018 at 10:53 PM, Ratherbfishing said:A person with a tight budget certainly could feel the pinch with Keitechs as they aren't super cheap and don't last terribly long. If cost is an issue, start with some of the other cheaper varieties and see if they work. If they don't, amp up your game with the Keitechs. I definitely found a difference, though, and if catching fish is more important that price, Keitechs are about as good as you can get.
My budget is not tight per say, but $6 for 12 of them, gets a guy thinking about an alternative.
On a good day, I can go through a pack and I guess I should not complain about spending $6.00, to catch 25-30 fish. Including a couple of "dinner sized" fish to feed the family.
Perspective has been found. Many thanks to those who have responded and my order to for more has been placed.
They catch fish, is the bottom line.
Junger reply :
A pack of Keitech's is cheaper than a 6 pack of IPA's that I could be drinking while sitting on the couch.
Worth it.
fishballer06 reply :
Start fishing in areas with no fish in them. Your baits will last much longer.
Yeajray231 reply :
Alot of those fish you're catching are active fish and can be taken on many other lures! Try a quality jerkbait or something like a shad rap. Even a spinner bait or a trap.
Losing soft plastics is what happens when you're catching fish. I'd rather have a torn up thumb than a 7 dollar bag of plastic at the end of the day !
Ya know..
NYWayfarer reply :
Those new Biospawn Exoswims might be worth looking at. If they are made of the same material as the Exosticks they should last awhile.
I have seen someone use them on YouTube and the action of the tail is fantastic.
Armtx77 reply :
On 4/25/2018 at 1:09 AM, Yeajray231 said:Alot of those fish you're catching are active fish and can be taken on many other lures! Try a quality jerkbait or something like a shad rap. Even a spinner bait or a trap.
Losing soft plastics is what happens when you're catching fish. I'd rather have a torn up thumb than a 7 dollar bag of plastic at the end of the day !
Ya know..
LOL...when I run out of Keitechs. I throw inline spinners and Rat L Traps, sometimes a weedless spoon, but nothing seems to beat that Swim Impact on a weedless jig.
Yeajray231 reply :
Try a jerkbait . I catch on them year round.
My time on the water is scarce and precious to me. I think about fishing 7 days a week and get to fish twice if I'm lucky.
So when I'm out there I'm getting/using the best gear I can comfortably afford.!
everythingthatswims reply :
On 4/25/2018 at 12:13 AM, Armtx77 said:My budget is not tight per say, but $6 for 12 of them, gets a guy thinking about an alternative.
On a good day, I can go through a pack and I guess I should not complain about spending $6.00, to catch 25-30 fish. Including a couple of "dinner sized" fish to feed the family.
Perspective has been found. Many thanks to those who have responded and my order to for more has been placed.
They catch fish, is the bottom line.
A little keitech will grab a better than average crappie with some regularity too, I have filled a cooler on more than one occasion with a keitech. Crappie, striper, walleye, you name it!
Dan B. reply :
I've had a lot of luck with 3" Bass Pro Speed Shads. I was surprised when I looked up their prices right now that they're actually more expensive than Keitechs ($5.69 for 8 at BPS vs. $4.75 for 10 at TW) but they last a lot longer. I have to admit, I only used Keitechs briefly before switching to the Speed Shads, because I was often only getting one fish per Keitech. Maybe I'm missing out, but I can attest that the Speed Shads last a lot longer than 3-4 fish. I'd say typically they last 10-15 bass. Maybe I should try Keitechs again and see if I am missing out.... :-)
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
MEND-IT invest in a bottle
Except for tail bite offs mend-it will save those keitechs over and over 10+ fish per keitech easily done. Using the little ones once I catch 2-3 and notice some tearing off it comes set aside to treat it later to use again.
Catt reply :
You can have fish in the livewell or lures in your tackle box!
You can't have both! ????
Armtx77 reply :
On 4/25/2018 at 11:59 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:MEND-IT invest in a bottle
Except for tail bite offs mend-it will save those keitechs over and over 10+ fish per keitech easily done. Using the little ones once I catch 2-3 and notice some tearing off it comes set aside to treat it later to use again.
I ordered a bottle with my Keitech order.
If I can get a few more out of them with the use of Mend-It. Than it will be worth it.
bunz559 reply :
I hear ya on this. I use the Easy Shiners and they're terrible. 1 or 2 bites and they're done. But the bright side, they just simply catch and work.
WRB reply :
The original Mister Twister Sassy Shad 2" or 2 1/2" in pearl white are $5 for 25 each, work good on 1/8 oz jigs.
Tom
gilkeybr reply :
I too was recently shopping for a cheaper alternative to Keitechs. I picked up some Eco Pro Tungsten Swing Shads the last time I was at Cabelas, so i'm excited to try those. The seem to be at least nearly as soft as the comparable Swing Impacts and Rage Swimmers that I have. The big thing I expect to miss is that "strong squid scent"!
However, when comparing "like for like", there isn't really a significantly cheaper option out there. If you're talking about the difference of $1.00 or $1.25 per bait, whats the difference? I think that quarter is a good use of resources to have a bait that seems to be one of the best on the market and, more importantly, you have confidence in!
Brad in Texas reply :
I have good luck using the Keitech 4" Shad Impacts and Easy Shiners on a 60 degree bend jig hook (3/0) and an Owner medium sized CPS, centering pin. I fish mine weightless.
For your set-up, you'd likely want or need a smaller jig hook (1/0 or 2/0) for the smaller lure length you like and use (2.8"), then a tiny bullet weight above the hook, pegged. This way, you can have the weight and the CPS, too.
I'm not certain why, but I often get a half dozen or more fish easily with my rigging before I have to give up on the plastic.
I've experienced a similar thing, though, with the tiny Yamamoto single tailed grubs. They are for me, by far, the best swimming plastics in this class . . . but a passing bluegill can swipe off its tail very easily. But, they swim soooooo good!
Brad
Armtx77 reply :
On 4/26/2018 at 8:40 AM, Brad in Texas said:I have good luck using the Keitech 4" Shad Impacts and Easy Shiners on a 60 degree bend jig hook (3/0) and an Owner medium sized CPS, centering pin. I fish mine weightless.
For your set-up, you'd likely want or need a smaller jig hook (1/0 or 2/0) for the smaller lure length you like and use (2.8"), then a tiny bullet weight above the hook, pegged. This way, you can have the weight and the CPS, too.
I'm not certain why, but I often get a half dozen or more fish easily with my rigging before I have to give up on the plastic.
I've experienced a similar thing, though, with the tiny Yamamoto single tailed grubs. They are for me, by far, the best swimming plastics in this class . . . but a passing bluegill can swipe off its tail very easily. But, they swim soooooo good!
Brad
Yeah, I run a #1 hookT-rigged and 1/16oz bullet weight on the 2.8 from time to time and it catches fish. I get into a 1/8oz in some of the slow moving waters a little bit too. Just to get deeper quicker, but usually I run #2 jigs.
d**n bluegills and their tail nipping no doubt. This is going to be my first full year of bass fishing on ultralight/light sized lures. I dont plan on throwing anything over an 1/8oz. Just something I have wanted to do for a long time.
WRB reply :
Sassy Shad = .20
Big Hammer = .32
Kietech = .60
all 3 work.
Tom
sully420 reply :
Keitechs are 4 bucks a pack at dicks if you buy 4 packs (excludes swing impact fats) the fats last long for me anyway. Im not one the the people that think they are the best thing since sliced bread. If bass are on swimbaits i don't really care what you give me a speed shad, rage swimmer, cane thumper, armour shad I'll catch em.
1201vilbig reply :
I agree that the Keitech's are amazing baits. But don't give up on a grub fished the same way. A Kalin's Lunker Grub has caught me a lot of bass over the years and they're 10 to a pack for $3.00!
Edited by 1201vilbig
sp
roadwarrior reply :
The Rage Tail Swimmer has replaced Kietech in my line up.
http://www.strikeking.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=733&Itemid=1259
Brad in Texas reply :
On 4/26/2018 at 8:48 AM, Armtx77 said:Yeah, I run a #1 hookT-rigged and 1/16oz bullet weight on the 2.8 from time to time and it catches fish. I get into a 1/8oz in some of the slow moving waters a little bit too. Just to get deeper quicker, but usually I run #2 jigs.
d**n bluegills and their tail nipping no doubt. This is going to be my first full year of bass fishing on ultralight/light sized lures. I dont plan on throwing anything over an 1/8oz. Just something I have wanted to do for a long time.
If you ever want to go even smaller, still catch bass, do a search for Ajing jig heads.
My favorite for panfish is the tiny .7 gram model which, I think, uses a #7 hook. It is great for tossing tiny plastics in the 1 to 1.5" range. I often use a Creme black bodied grub with a curly chartreuse tail that can often be found at WalMart. Fish of all kinds seem to love these. The .7 gram size is around 1/40th of an ounce. I believe Owner is the manufacturer. Owner = quality. It has two tie areas and I use the dorsal one more often than up at the nose. And, it comes in sizes up to 2.2 grams, or 1/13th of an ounce. I have never done it but I suppose one could run the lead up into a small tube, too.
Brad
webertime reply :
Mend-It as previously stated
Boil cheaper baits. If you know what you are doing you can boil just sections of the bait to help with the action, while maintaining the harder head area for jigheads and screwlocks.
Find a custom pourer that can make you a bulk order that is cheaper than Keitech.
That all being said... Love me some Keitechs.
Armtx77 reply :
On 4/26/2018 at 6:12 PM, roadwarrior said:The Rage Tail Swimmer has replaced Kietech in my line up.
http://www.strikeking.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=733&Itemid=1259
Those look good.
To everyone who jumped into the thread; I appreciate the feed back on my questions and comments.
It has been a learning experience and I thank you all for your efforts and time to this.
Looking forward to some stable weather(NO rain) and seeing what I can make happen.
Thanks again
Chance_Taker4 reply :
On 4/26/2018 at 6:12 PM, roadwarrior said:The Rage Tail Swimmer has replaced Kietech in my line up.
http://www.strikeking.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=733&Itemid=1259
I can't believe it took this long to see a post for the Rage Swimmers. I am with RoadWarrior. I can get Rage Swimmers for $3.50 a pack at Walmart. I'm on my last pack of Keitechs. Once they are done I will be using Rage Swimmers only. I do have a few pack of Exoswims but I haven't used them yet.
kickerfish1 reply :
I tried the Rage Tail swimmer and didn't care for it. It is the only Rage bait I have used that I didn't like. It just lacks action at least in the sizes I bought. Maybe in a larger size it would actually have some nice side to side kick but I wasn't impressed. To me there is no substitute for the action especially in the smaller sizes and when the bait is retrieved at slower speeds. Part of the reason for both of those is the plastic is pretty soft and to a degree thin. Might be the same logic as to why the Yamamoto senkos have great action and catch results compared to the knock offs but lack durability.
For me I am not fortunate enough to fish many lakes where the fishing pressure is low and the catch results are high. If I fish for 4 hours and catch 10 fish on the heavily pressured city lakes here I consider it a pretty good day. I have fished other states mainly up North where the fishing was much "easier". You can put much less though and effort into things and still catch fish un plastics that are literally in fragments because most all the apendages and claws have been chomped off.
Bottom line stick to the original Keitech. Buy them on sale, purchase a container of Mend-It and try to stretch some mileage out of your bait.
Yeajray231 reply :
X3 on the mend it ! I don't really use it on my senkos, and small paddletails / grubs. Mainly for bigger soft body swimbaits.. but mend-it is top of the line stuff and will definitely help you get a few more fish per bait
jtharris3 reply :
On 4/25/2018 at 1:20 AM, NYWayfarer said:Those new Biospawn Exoswims might be worth looking at. If they are made of the same material as the Exosticks they should last awhile.
I have seen someone use them on YouTube and the action of the tail is fantastic.
Those are much more expensive then the Keitechs.
NYWayfarer reply :
On 4/28/2018 at 5:12 AM, jtharris3 said:Those are much more expensive then the Keitechs.
If they last longer than the Keitech then you go through fewer bags which makes it worth the money.
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