Recommendations for swimbaits 2024
nd1225 reply :
Looking at getting into swimbait fishing.
been looking at Gantarels, keitech etc.
just looking for recommendations. Baits, hooks, set up etc.
thanks in advance
Scarborough817 reply :
what kind of swimbaits are you looking at?
bigger swimbaits like hudds, trash fish and glide baits?
nd1225 reply :
Yes sir, the soft plastic swimbaits like keitech don’t concern me as much because I feel like my current gear can easily handle it.
looking at swimbaits from 1.5 oz - 4 oz
5by3 reply :
I recently started experimenting with big swimbaits last season and I’ve had decent success on a 6” Bull Shad by Mike Bucca. I throw it on a 7’9 MH (1-5oz) Dobyns Fury swimbait rod. At $120 it doesn’t break the bank and it’s been more than enough for my purposes.
Can’t speak much for other baits... yet!
Dorado reply :
If you're brand new, do not make the mistake I made a couple years ago. I used #12 co polymer line to throw a 3 oz glide bait on a rod that was under powered for that lure's weight. On my 2nd cast, it literally snapped off and I instantly said good bye to an expensive bait.
Since then, I've put my box of swimbaits away to set funds aside to invest in a swimbait reel, swimbait rod
and 25# mono to be properly equipped to throw those toys around at a future date. If I wouldn't spend all my play money on finesse gear, I would've had a nice Daiwa Lexa by now :/
Scarborough817 reply :
a couple baits i would definitely start with would be
- savage gear shine glide 7"
- river 2 sea s-waver 168
- huddleston 68 special rof 12
- jenko booty shaker (tw has the 7" version for 3.99 for a two pack) rigged on a 10/0 owner beast hook
WRB reply :
If your heavist weight swimbait is 4 oz use that as the nominal* weight the rod lists as lure weight. *Add the lure weight range together, then divide by 2, round up!
Swimbait fishing starts with the rod, reel and line after determining lure weights.
Nearly every bass angler makes the mistake of starting with too light and short rods and ends up going to XH rods, if they use 8" Hudds for example.
Tom
Bluebasser86 reply :
I could do a lot of damage with swimbaits as long as I have my 7" Slammer and 185 Shine Glide. Neither is real expensive and both can are in the size range you listed. The 168 S-Waver, Bull Shad, Savage Gear line through trout and gills, and Savage Gear Glide Swimmers are also solid baits in your desired range.
npl_texas reply :
Do you guys throw them on straight braid?
roadwarrior reply :
Rage Tail Swimmer
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=rage+tail+swimmer&view=detail&mid=3D0379E599AC3AF3CB853D0379E599AC3AF3CB85&FORM=VIRE
WRB reply :
On 12/30/2017 at 2:17 AM, npl_texas said:Do you guys throw them on straight braid?
No. Where I fish it's sparse cover with mostly deep rock structure where bass are targeting swimbaits. I use Sunline Defier Armilo Nylon 25 lb mono.
Tom
Angry John reply :
S-waiver 168 and 200 to start.
8" trash fish
Huddleston gets a lot of love but I have never had a bite.
Piz customs shadly or drift.
Mattlures gills
9" slammer 2 piece
Those are enough to get started at minimal cost most under 100.
Three main lines for sb are Berkeley big game, p-line cxx and yhb. I run the 168 on 15 yhb over 2 oz step up to 20.
nd1225 reply :
So mono is the go to on swimbaits?
MassYak85 reply :
Most of the suggested lines will serve you well. CXX, Big Game, Izorline XXX, P-line PF original are all widely used. What I would do for baits is carefully assess your budget. There are always exceptions, but with swimbaits you really do get what you pay for. There are cheaper gems like the savage gear lineup but I've been using swimbaits for a few years and if I could start over I'd pick 3-5 well established baits and just bite the bullet (if it's in your budget). I have so many cheaper baits I don't use or flat out hate because I tried finding the diamonds in the rough. Again, they are out there, but my reluctance to buy things like mattlures hardgills, or slammers, or bullshads because of the price at first kind of came back to bite me, because I am now in a position where I am buying them anyways.
Bluebasser86 reply :
If you throw big swimbaits on braid, it's just a matter of time before you experience the heartbreak of a cast off. I fish mine on 20lb Big Game.
d-camarena reply :
65lb braid to a 20 lb leader for me
80lb braid for bigger baits
RyneB reply :
My favorites
River2Sea S Waver 168
Smashtech Head Smashers
Hudd 68 special
strike king shadalicious
nd1225 reply :
What gear ratio for reels should I be looking at?
Angry John reply :
5 or 6 ratio is plenty. Most of the reels for heavy baits run that ratio except the newest stuff. I run a luna 253l and it's silk.
haggard reply :
Spro BBZ Shad 40 (4 in.) and Shad 60 (6 in)
Spro BBZ Rat 40 and 50
These are hard plastic baits so they should last a long time.
Articulating action is very lifelike.
High quality throughout, including paint/color schemes and quality hooks.
The Shad 40 comes in floating (3/4 oz), slow sink (7/8 oz) and fast sink (1 oz).
The Shad 60 comes in floating (2 oz), slow sink (2 1/4 oz) and fast sink (2 1/2 oz).
The rats are topwater floaters but have a lip so will dive if you tip the rod down.
I like the Shad 40 for its single hook (comes with a treble, I replaced it with a single barbless). I've always found swimbaits somewhat annoying because dual trebles seemed to hook on everything in the tackle box, boat or myself even before I made a cast. Also the rear treble stands a good chance of deep hooking and that would be a pain to remove. So when I saw the Shad 40 with hook at the center position, with great action and looks, I had to get it.
Can't wait to try it for the first time in the 2018 season hoping it will be my go-to swim bait.
Dorado reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 7:28 AM, haggard said:Spro BBZ Shad 40 (4 in.) and Shad 60 (6 in)
Spro BBZ Rat 40 and 50
These are hard plastic baits so they should last a long time.
Articulating action is very lifelike.
High quality throughout, including paint/color schemes and quality hooks.
The Shad 40 comes in floating (3/4 oz), slow sink (7/8 oz) and fast sink (1 oz).
The Shad 60 comes in floating (2 oz), slow sink (2 1/4 oz) and fast sink (2 1/2 oz).
The rats are topwater floaters but have a lip so will dive if you tip the rod down.
I like the Shad 40 for its single hook (comes with a treble, I replaced it with a single barbless). I've always found swimbaits somewhat annoying because dual trebles seemed to hook on everything in the tackle box, boat or myself even before I made a cast. Also the rear treble stands a good chance of deep hooking and that would be a pain to remove. So when I saw the Shad 40 with hook at the center position, with great action and looks, I had to get it.
Can't wait to try it for the first time in the 2018 season hoping it will be my go-to swim bait.
For the Spro 40, do you recommend float, slow sink, or fast sink?
fishwizzard reply :
On 12/30/2017 at 2:30 AM, WRB said:No. Where I fish it's sparse cover with mostly deep rock structure where bass are targeting swimbaits. I use Sunline Defier Armilo Nylon 25 lb mono.
Tom
I tired the 25lb DA this fall and found it to be super stiff and weary, to the point where coils would form in slack line when floating on the water. Is this unusual or just how heavy line behaves? I have been using the 12lb DA and found it to be really soft and manageable, but the 25lb is killing me.
I am trying to resist the urge to give 60lb braid a try, the most expensive swimbait I own is around thirty five bucks, so it will not be the most expensive lesson I had to learn for myself 
cgolf reply :
On 12/30/2017 at 2:39 PM, Bluebasser86 said:If you throw big swimbaits on braid, it's just a matter of time before you experience the heartbreak of a cast off. I fish mine on 20lb Big Game.
Really? Musky guys throw heavier baits on braid all the time. Like any line just retie if frayed and in toothy fish land use a steel leader.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 12:12 PM, cgolf said:Really? Musky guys throw heavier baits on braid all the time. Like any line just retie if frayed and in toothy fish land use a steel leader.
I don't know if it's the reels, the style of baits, rods, maybe the fact that muskie guys tend to use the really heavy stuff, but it happens with big swimbaits where it doesn't happen with muskie baits, or maybe it's muskie baits don't cost hundreds of dollars so we don't hear about it. Maybe it's the muskie guys fishing more around open water and weeds instead of around cover where abrasions can occur. All I know is, I know a lot of people who have experienced the heartbreak I'm talking about from fishing big swimbaits on braid. I know guys do it, but to me, it's playing with fire. Another issue with braid, the lack of stretch can pull hooks, especially on big fish at boat side on a heavy bait.
cgolf reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 2:40 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I don't know if it's the reels, the style of baits, rods, maybe the fact that muskie guys tend to use the really heavy stuff, but it happens with big swimbaits where it doesn't happen with muskie baits, or maybe it's muskie baits don't cost hundreds of dollars so we don't hear about it. Maybe it's the muskie guys fishing more around open water and weeds instead of around cover where abrasions can occur. All I know is, I know a lot of people who have experienced the heartbreak I'm talking about from fishing big swimbaits on braid. I know guys do it, but to me, it's playing with fire. Another issue with braid, the lack of stretch can pull hooks, especially on big fish at boat side on a heavy bait.
I generally use 50 lb power pro and this is what my setup for swimbaits is gonna be, because Musky love swimbaits too;) Never casted off a bait with this and very few bite offs even and I am lazy about retying. The heaviest lure I know I have thrown on the line is a 6.6 oz storm thunderstick with it.
What lb test are guys using when they toss swimbaits? I tried some 20 lb power pro and spider wires version of suffix 832 and encountered exactly what you were talking about even with clean line tossing deep divers and Bandit 100s. Never have the issue though with 30 lb suffix 832 or fireline (not sure what category this fits). I just assumed it was a bad bunch and stuck with the 50 lb power pro and the 30 lb 832.
So I guess in a way I agree with you, and have found line I trust and have stuck with it for years.
haggard reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 11:18 AM, Dorado said:For the Spro 40, do you recommend float, slow sink, or fast sink?
If you're fishing mostly shallow water, I'd go with the slow sink (falls 1 foot every 4 seconds). If you go with fast in shallow, it'll hit bottom too quickly. With slow, you won't be dragging on the bottom as soon, and you can use the rod tip and retrieve speed to work different depths on the retrieve.
If you're in deep water (say 15 feet or more) I'd go with fast sink (falls 1 foot per second) because on or near topwater won't be as effective in deeper water, and if you use the slow sink you're waiting a full 60 seconds just for the lure to get to 15 feet. Fast sink will let you fish more, wait less. In deep water the fast sink can also be an effective search lure because you can cover lots of water both horizontally and vertically in relatively short time.
I didn't get the floater because I already have a topwater/floater Spro Rat, and in terms of mimicking live fish, the fish don't usually swim on the surface so I opted for the rat. However a benefit of the floater is that if it breaks off, you can retrieve it more easily (assuming it's not inside a bass 
)
Slow sink for shallow, fast for deep. I got both because the water I usually fish has both.
Another think to think about is what pace you like to fish at. For the fast sinker, you're probably going to be working the rod faster and more actively due to the sink rate - you need to work to keep that lure where you want it in the water column. With the slow, I imagine your retrieve will be a little more relaxed because the lure is a little more stable. Not saying one is better than the other, all depends on how you like to fish. Maybe both.
If I had to have only one? Probably the fast sink because if you work the rod enough you should be able to work any depth in shallow, and it will also cover deep easily. And its 1 fps sink rate is easy to count off, whereas 1 foot every 4 seconds on the slow sinker requires some heavy math 
But the fast sinker is a 1 oz lure which my "go to" rod (M/F) is not rated for, so maybe I'd go with the slow after all... See? Both!
Keep in mind I haven't even used these lures yet; I got them after shutting down for the season. I am really looking forward to trying them and learning how to use them effectively. They're already my favorite lures in my small arsenal and that's before even casting one.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 10:13 PM, cgolf said:I generally use 50 lb power pro and this is what my setup for swimbaits is gonna be, because Musky love swimbaits too;) Never casted off a bait with this and very few bite offs even and I am lazy about retying. The heaviest lure I know I have thrown on the line is a 6.6 oz storm thunderstick with it.
What lb test are guys using when they toss swimbaits? I tried some 20 lb power pro and spider wires version of suffix 832 and encountered exactly what you were talking about even with clean line tossing deep divers and Bandit 100s. Never have the issue though with 30 lb suffix 832 or fireline (not sure what category this fits). I just assumed it was a bad bunch and stuck with the 50 lb power pro and the 30 lb 832.
So I guess in a way I agree with you, and have found line I trust and have stuck with it for years.
Most I've heard use 50 or 65. A majority of guys use 20 to 25 pound copolymer or Fluorocarbon though.
cgolf reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 10:29 PM, Bluebasser86 said:
Most I've heard use 50 or 65. A majority of guys use 20 to 25 pound copolymer or Fluorocarbon though.
The problem I have is we have 50 lb fish swimming around so for me I would be afraid to throw the 20 to 25 lb co poly or flouro for reasons of either getting bit off or broke off. Probably not a perfect solution for up here.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 10:39 PM, cgolf said:The problem I have is we have 50 lb fish swimming around so for me I would be afraid to throw the 20 to 25 lb co poly or flouro for reasons of either getting bit off or broke off. Probably not a perfect solution for up here.
Heavy fluoro leader is what I hear a lot of guys using, like 100lb actual leader material.
Scarborough817 reply :
depending on the rod and what baits you're throwing. i would use 20-25 lb co poly for glides and hard swimbaits, i use p line c21. for my hudds i throw 65 lb power pro and a 20 lb cxx leader
WRB reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 11:45 AM, fishwizzard said:I tired the 25lb DA this fall and found it to be super stiff and weary, to the point where coils would form in slack line when floating on the water. Is this unusual or just how heavy line behaves? I have been using the 12lb DA and found it to be really soft and manageable, but the 25lb is killing me.
I am trying to resist the urge to give 60lb braid a try, the most expensive swimbait I own is around thirty five bucks, so it will not be the most expensive lesson I had to learn for myself
The reason I use Sunline Armilo Defier 25 lb is it has less memory, .002 smaller dia and cast easier than 20 lb Big Game I used for about 25 years. If you are experiencing line memory issues it's because of very cold air temps or too small of a reel with small spool diameter.
The reason I don't use braid is it cuts soft swimbaits like Hudds severely if it wraps the lure. Don't use braid with leaders because 2 knots to fail and leader knot creates havoic going through guides using heavy lures.
Regarding swimbait choices for use in Texas I would go with gizzard Shad, baby bass, bluegill, crappie and Talopia color shapes in slow sink models, wakes baits a big brown rat and a Shad color Slammer, glides a Deps 175 and 250, R2Sea bone 200 Waver.
Tom
fishwizzard reply :
On 1/1/2018 at 1:26 AM, WRB said:The reason I use Sunline Armilo Defier 25 lb is it has less memory, .002 smaller dia and cast easier than 20 lb Big Game I used for about 25 years. If you are experiencing line memory issues it's because of very cold air temps or too small of a reel with small spool diameter.
The reason I don't use braid is it cuts soft swimbaits like Hudds severely if it wraps the lure. Don't use braid with leaders because 2 knots to fail and leader knot creates havoic going through guides using heavy lures.
Thanks, that gives me a lot to think about. I never can considered the line wrapping a lure.
The line did get worse once once it got below 40f here and I am using a 34mm 1016 spool, so just an average bass spool. If Armilo Defier has less memory then other mono, I will stick with it and try to make it work.
WRB reply :
Small diameter narrow width bait casting reel spools don't have enough line capacity for line diameter over .016D. The average casting distance using heavy swimbaits is over 35 to 40 yards, I often cast over 40 yds to 50 yards and that would nearly empty your spool using 25 lb AD line. My suggestion is get a 300 size reel like a Cardiff for swimbaits that hold 165 yards of 25 lb AD or 150 yards of 20 lb BG.
Tom
fishwizzard reply :
On 1/1/2018 at 2:19 AM, WRB said:Small diameter narrow width bait casting reel spools don't have enough line capacity for line diameter over .016D. The average casting distance using heavy swimbaits is over 35 to 40 yards, I often cast over 40 yds to 50 yards and that would nearly empty your spool using 25 lb AD line. My suggestion is get a 300 size reel like a Cardiff for swimbaits that hold 165 yards of 25 lb AD or 150 yards of 20 lb BG.
Tom
Yea, I am not trying to cast them nearly that far. Right now I just fish them from the bank, so I am not trying to cast them beyond a "trashcan lid" level of accuracy, which is not close to 30y at this point. On the longest controlled cast I can make, I will have a little less than half of the line left on a 1016 spool. I held a 200 size round reel the other day and even that is larger then I would want to deal with.
WRB reply :
Braid is your solution using a 100 or 200 size reel.
5by3 reply :
How do you guys retrieve the s-waiver 168s? I bought one but it sinks very, very slowly (using 20lb CXX). Do you guys fish it up near the surface or wait for it to sink deeper?
Can't Catch Bass reply :
6" BD Shad
6" magdraft
Gantia
Gantarel
Huddleston 68
7" shine glide
6" Spro bbz-1
Bbz rat 50
Mattlures shad
S Waver 168
Are all the ones in my arsenal at the moment. The heaviest (I think) is 2.5oz, so they're all within the range you specified.
As for gear I'm using a Cardiff 300 with upgraded drag washers and a Fenwick ETB79XH. Through very limited experience before the temps went crashing it seemed to perform well. I was throwing a 2oz spinner on it before I went a little crazy with the brake settings and took my reel out of commission for the day.
Angry John reply :
On 1/1/2018 at 9:59 AM, 5by3 said:How do you guys retrieve the s-waiver 168s? I bought one but it sinks very, very slowly (using 20lb CXX). Do you guys fish it up near the surface or wait for it to sink deeper?
Most of my experence is in shallow lakes in TN so far so I let it settle for a few a few seconds and slow roll it in. Only been fishing it for two months so I have a lot to learn.
nd1225 reply :
Would my old school Zillion 100 PLA
It holds 125 yards of 14 lb test (.35 mm)
Thinking 65 lb braid with mono leader should do the trick.
Was able to find a Dobyns Fury 806 on a good deal. Hopefully that holds up until I get a true swimbait reel.
Thanks for all the insight everyone.
Picked up
5 - River2Sea S Wavers
2 - Jackall Gantarels
4 - Hudd 68 special
1 - MS slammer
thought about getting a reel but my funds are diminished after buying the baits.
thanks again everyone
WRB reply :
Good choice on the rod.
5 S-Wavers!
The retrieve that works for me with S-Wavers is a slow motion downward rod sweep, let the lure glide while reeling up the slack line and repeat. Swimbait require slowing down the retreive speed, they are not crank baits.
Tom
fishwizzard reply :
On 1/1/2018 at 3:43 AM, WRB said:Braid is your solution using a 100 or 200 size reel.
I believe you are correct and will give it ago, starting with less expensive hard baits, this spring. Thanks for the insight.
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