What to buy for Nephew? He Loves Big Swimbaits. 2024

primetime reply :

My Nephew is 17 & has been sending me pics of big bass he is catching in Northern CT lakes with big Hudds hanging out of their mouths. My brother says he spends all his free time throwing 6-10" swimbaits & is getting really good at fishing them.

I don't know much if anything about big swimbaits like the Hudds etc. He was telling me that I need a Hudd 68 2 years ago (Good beginner bait) but I know I don't have the patience. I want to send him a couple of baits that are considered a step up from the Hudds, or maybe just a good alternative in action etc.

He has plenty of the hard glide baits (I gave him most of mine) but prefers fishing the super realistic expensive models I never look at & likes soft bodies. I want to send him a few new swimbaits that he will be super excited to have. He reads about this stuff and spits out names of baits I have never heard of, so I want to buy him a few baits that are recognized as quality by all the big swimbait guys.

He throws Trout colors and he fishes NY, CT lakes which are usually clear and plans on doing tournaments on this year. He has the patience to throw a huge swimbait all day long, so what are the "Must Have" Big Swimbaits that he is probably saving money to buy? I believe he is now into the bigger 8-10" but I just want to get him what is proven and will catch him fish.

Thanks in advance.

primetime reply :

CroakHunter reply :

What about Some of the little creeper trash fish?

WRB reply :

Butch Brown Thumper tail is a new 10" soft swimbait and works good, not expensive so get a few different colors.

Tom

Comfortably Numb reply :

Look up Tactical Bassin on youtube. Matt Allen has many vids on swimbait recommendations.

He just did one on the Trash fish and I know he loves Hudds and Osprey.

deep reply :

If he's up north, he needs a few Pats. (Or so I hear.)

What are you looking to spend? There are cheap and easy to acquire baits like hudds and s-wavers. There are slightly or a lot more expensive baits that are also easy to acquire like mattlures and negotiators. Then there are baits that are next to impossible to find for sale, like the Pats and a few others; and therefore the market price is 3-5 times the retail...

P.S. Glide baits: hinkle trouts/ shads, HPHs, negotiators (preferably top hook custom), OG 250s (don't buy the abs plastic ones), hiroshimas.

DINK WHISPERER reply :

Check out swimbait underground, it will blow your mind. That's where I really got into swimbait fishing.

Angry John reply :

Check out piz customs add in a few trash fish and call it a day

bigbill reply :

I toss the casictic 10" trout on occasion. It's one of there first large swimbaits I'm not sure how the boy does it but it's tough even for a few casts.

kbeeb374 reply :

I am not really big into swimbaits yet. I am just starting to throw 6"-8" baits. I have however heard really good things about the real prey soft baits. They have great action and are made from silicone so they are a lot more durable than hudds. I don't have any personal experience but that is what I thought of when I read this thread.

BassB8Caster reply :

On 10/9/2017 at 9:49 AM, DINK WHISPERER said:

Check out swimbait underground, it will blow your mind. That's where I really got into swimbait fishing.

thanks alot. i had been doing a good job to fight the urge to buy some bigger swimbaits. Throw that out the window.

First step: identify your budget

MassYak85 reply :

On 10/10/2017 at 12:38 AM, kbeeb374 said:

I am not really big into swimbaits yet. I am just starting to throw 6"-8" baits. I have however heard really good things about the real prey soft baits. They have great action and are made from silicone so they are a lot more durable than hudds. I don't have any personal experience but that is what I thought of when I read this thread.

The real prey's are really nice, a little more pricey but durability is second to none. I've got a couple of the shiners and a perch but he also makes trouts. Some comparable size to the Hudds and he also makes a big 10" one.

Master Bait'r reply :

Can you be my uncle?? Pretty please???

DINK WHISPERER reply :

On 10/10/2017 at 12:56 AM, BassB8Caster said:

thanks alot. i had been doing a good job to fight the urge to buy some bigger swimbaits. Throw that out the window.

First step: identify your budget

? Just don't be like me and buy expensive baits that you're too scared to ever throw! Cough, Hinkle shiner, cough....

BassB8Caster reply :

On 10/10/2017 at 8:37 AM, DINK WHISPERER said:

? Just don't be like me and buy expensive baits that you're too scared to ever throw! Cough, Hinkle shiner, cough....

That's why it will be a while before i buy anything too expensive. The big keitechs out are great values. I just need to upgrade to a swimbait setup capable of working those heavy baits. It took me 2 years to splurge and buy a bbz rat @ $25. I love throwing that bait tho. Not sure if i will ever see the need to buy a $50 on up bait when there are decent ones half that. Guess it comes down to sizes. Bigger baits tend to cost more.

DINK WHISPERER reply :

Those more expensive baits tend to be more of a collector's item than anything else. I mainly use Savage gear and live target swimbaits myself to actually throw.

Bluebasser86 reply :

Savage Gear shine glide, River2Sea Swaver 168 or 200, SavageGear 3D trout and line thru trout, shad or bluegill.

fishwizzard reply :

On 10/10/2017 at 11:07 PM, BassB8Caster said:

It took me 2 years to splurge and buy a bbz rat @ $25. I love throwing that bait tho.

Same for me. And then I was stupid/cocky and threw it on too light line too close to some pads and lost it. I only caught three bass on it but two were over 3lbs. I liked it enough that I might swap to a heavier rod to throw them better.

Im gonna wait until black friday to buy more rats though.

Bluebasser86 reply :

On 10/11/2017 at 5:13 AM, DINK WHISPERER said:

Those more expensive baits tend to be more of a collector's item than anything else.

Not at all the case. There's some collectors out there for sure, but far more people are throwing them than are collecting. If you get more than just a peek into the swimbait world, you'll realize that a $50 bait is still towards the very low end. There's plastic baits that go for over $100. It's a thing that seems to either makes sense to you or it doesn't. I like throwing big baits and have several north of $100 and even $200 that I throw.

evilcatfish reply :

Get him some 3:16 Rising Sons, or a Tackle Warehouse gift card

MassYak85 reply :

On 10/12/2017 at 4:17 AM, evilcatfish said:

Get him some 3:16 Rising Sons, or a Tackle Warehouse gift card

Some 8" WRS and some 12/0 Owner Beasts would be a good addition, very different action compared to something like a hudd.

DINK WHISPERER reply :

On 10/12/2017 at 2:13 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

Not at all the case. There's some collectors out there for sure, but far more people are throwing them than are collecting. If you get more than just a peek into the swimbait world, you'll realize that a $50 bait is still towards the very low end. There's plastic baits that go for over $100. It's a thing that seems to either makes sense to you or it doesn't. I like throwing big baits and have several north of $100 and even $200 that I throw.

I was referring more to the really high end stuff. Like Hinkle's and 3:16 baits that aren't mass-produced. I don't know very many people that actually throw them! Well unless they bought them used at a good price. The most expensive baits I throw are the Bull Shad and the nez rat. The rest I purchased with no intentions of throwing whatsoever. They just seem like such masterpieces to me that I had to have them. I know for the most part I will make my money back or even more when I decide I don't want them sitting around anymore. That doesn't apply to just baits though, I have some reels that I have just as collectors items too. Both of them are always a hot topic when people come over to the house.

Scarborough817 reply :

i would go with a bait like the duo realis onimasu or a matt lures hardgill maybe the trash fish or a jsj hitch

d-camarena reply :

Ive been throwing the new big keitechs, best action ive seen in a plastic swimbait. I had a huge follower yesterday buy didnt commit

Primus reply :

On 10/9/2017 at 10:02 AM, Angry John said:

Check out piz customs add in a few trash fish and call it a day

I had one Pizz bait, I think it was called the Drift bait. Unfortunately I casted it off the first time I used it . I was thinking of picking up a couple this winter, what are some of your favorite Pizz baits if you don't mind sharing ?

By the way besides Matt lures Hard Gill check out the Gan Craft Jointed Claw 178, terrific bait and not real hard to find .

BassB8Caster reply :

On 10/12/2017 at 8:04 PM, d-camarena said:

Ive been throwing the new big keitechs, best action ive seen in a plastic swimbait. I had a huge follower yesterday buy didnt commit

I was a big fan of the keitechs. A good value for what they are and the action they have. Last weekend changed my opinion. I fish them on twist loc hooks so i can fish them through cover. Twice in a row i caught 3.5lb fish. Both times hook was right through the side of its mouth (where it should be) and the bait was no where to be found. It ripped off the loc and probably fell to the bittom of the pond. Now there is a good chance a fish eats it and possibly dies from future complications. I dont like that. So now keitechs will only go on a jig head. Im ordering a couple savage gear swimbaits to replace the keitech when they are gone (the bigger ones....ill continue to use the smaller ones as trailers).

gobig reply :

On 10/12/2017 at 5:18 AM, DINK WHISPERER said:

I was referring more to the really high end stuff. Like Hinkle's and 3:16 baits that aren't mass-produced. I don't know very many people that actually throw them! Well unless they bought them used at a good price. The most expensive baits I throw are the Bull Shad and the nez rat. The rest I purchased with no intentions of throwing whatsoever. They just seem like such masterpieces to me that I had to have them. I know for the most part I will make my money back or even more when I decide I don't want them sitting around anymore. That doesn't apply to just baits though, I have some reels that I have just as collectors items too. Both of them are always a hot topic when people come over to the house.

Every one of my Hinkle's and 3:16 baits have hit the water and will continue to.

On 10/14/2017 at 9:18 AM, BassB8Caster said:

I was a big fan of the keitechs. A good value for what they are and the action they have. Last weekend changed my opinion. I fish them on twist loc hooks so i can fish them through cover. Twice in a row i caught 3.5lb fish. Both times hook was right through the side of its mouth (where it should be) and the bait was no where to be found. It ripped off the loc and probably fell to the bittom of the pond. Now there is a good chance a fish eats it and possibly dies from future complications. I dont like that. So now keitechs will only go on a jig head. Im ordering a couple savage gear swimbaits to replace the keitech when they are gone (the bigger ones....ill continue to use the smaller ones as trailers).

Because bass don't eat senkos that fall on the bottom.

On 10/9/2017 at 12:49 AM, WRB said:

Butch Brown Thumper tail is a new 10" soft swimbait and works good, not expensive so get a few different colors.

Tom

I like Tom's idea.

primetime reply :

Thanks for all the replies. I put in an order and naturally spent more money than I should have because obviously I needed to get some stuff for myself.

I took Tom's advice and picked up different colors & those Butch Brown big swimbaits/ and a few similar looking Hudds that were only $10. All were priced better than I expected. Also grabbed some Big Hammer 7" & 9" Sledge Hammers since we all fish Sluggo's for fresh and salt, and that Tail on the bigger Hammers looks awesome. I used to use the 3-5" but figure the bigger ones have to work good, I didn't realize they made a big version for a weedless hook as well.

I also splurged for a pack of the Trash Fish which I have always wanted to do, I hope he doesn't mind that the pack of 2 only comes with 1 bait.

I also ordered the 7" Optimum swimbaits which were only $4.99. That swimbait has always been on my list of baits I wanted to try so I figured now was a good time.

I wanted to buy swimbaits you don't see in the store. I know the big Keitechs will work great, and luckily all the stores are now carrying them. I also figured grabbing a pack of Megabass Baits would be a good buy since Megabass has that special name & I was surprised to see they were not really high priced. The Spark shad in 5" is not a small bait & matched with the recommended Jigheads I am sure they will catch fish.

MassYak85 reply :

On 10/14/2017 at 9:18 AM, BassB8Caster said:

I was a big fan of the keitechs. A good value for what they are and the action they have. Last weekend changed my opinion. I fish them on twist loc hooks so i can fish them through cover. Twice in a row i caught 3.5lb fish. Both times hook was right through the side of its mouth (where it should be) and the bait was no where to be found. It ripped off the loc and probably fell to the bittom of the pond. Now there is a good chance a fish eats it and possibly dies from future complications. I dont like that. So now keitechs will only go on a jig head. Im ordering a couple savage gear swimbaits to replace the keitech when they are gone (the bigger ones....ill continue to use the smaller ones as trailers).

What twistlocks are you using? I've never had a keitech get ripped completely off during a bite.

BassB8Caster reply :

On 10/16/2017 at 2:13 AM, MassYak85 said:

What twistlocks are you using? I've never had a keitech get ripped completely off during a bite.

Honestly i dont remember. I have had them a while. I think they are either owner or mustad. Thats what i usually buy. Those 2 times were the first times ive had that happen.

MassYak85 reply :

On 10/16/2017 at 8:11 AM, BassB8Caster said:

Honestly i dont remember. I have had them a while. I think they are either owner or mustad. Thats what i usually buy. Those 2 times were the first times ive had that happen.

I'm just asking because I've noticed the smaller twist locks will tear out easier. I usually replace the stock ones with either a M or L owner twistlock.

BassB8Caster reply :

On 10/16/2017 at 11:24 AM, MassYak85 said:

I'm just asking because I've noticed the smaller twist locks will tear out easier. I usually replace the stock ones with either a M or L owner twistlock.

They are the smaller ones. The hold up better with smaller swimbaits. Ill try getting some bigger twist locks before giving up on the keitech! Thanks for the tip!

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What to buy for Nephew? He Loves Big Swimbaits. 2024

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