Huddleston 68 Special Weedless For Smallies!? 2024
jjconnaire reply :
So I just picked up a few Huddleston 68 special weedless 6" swimbaits and I intend to use it for smallies. Now there are largemouth up to 10+ pounds in this lake and I wouldn't be surprised to see a 7lb smallie in this lake. This shouldn't be too big for smallies rite? You don't see to many guys chucking big baits for smallies. I've seen umbrella rigs but not many swim baits. Anyone have any success on them for smallies?
mod479 reply :
Multiple threads here detailing exactly what you're asking. Hudds will work for both large and smallmouth in the right situations/locations.
10Lb+ largies ya say? 7lb smallies too?
Must be nice....
jjconnaire reply :
Yea I'm thinking I'll be fine with the 6" hudd. I'm very new to these. If I would have seen these a year ago I would have said its way too big.
everythingthatswims reply :
Smallies love s-wavers
Dogmatic reply :
I've had Smallies savage 8" Hudds, so yeah, you should be fine.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 5/16/2015 at 5:00 AM, everythingthatswims said:Smallies love s-wavers
and slide swimmers 
jjconnaire reply :
Oh boy just got a new set up.... Calcutta 201B on IRod 7'8" jr swimbait
A-Jay reply :
I throw the 68 a fair amount for largemouth but not so much for smallies.
Never caught a smalliie in the 7 pound class though either, actually have never seen one in person.
I'd be very interested in your results for big brown bass with that bait.
Please keeps us informed and do post pictures.
Good Luck
A-Jay
Dwight Hottle reply :
I think a hudd 68 weedless is a poor choice for smallies. They have to choke down that bait pretty far before the hidden hook comes into play. Don't get me wrong smallies will hit big baits & get hooked up but they have difficulty eating a big bait that size.
J Francho reply :
Why weedless anyway? Are your smallies buried in the weeds?
jjconnaire reply :
My lake has a prominent weedline about 15-25ft off the bank at about 8-15ft deep. This weedline forms bc they draw the lake down during the winter to kill the shallow weeds. They like to coast up and down the weedline and hunt after spawn, into summer and early fall. I've had great success throwing weedless (6/0 swim bait hook)5.8" keitech swing impact fats along the weed line contour. They also stock this lake with fingerling and smaller trout (rainbow, brown, and brooke) to get the population up. I figure that these dumb stockies are definitely viewed as an easy food source for the bass so I thought the rainbow trout 68 special could fool the big girls into thinking it's easy prey. I'm going to be getting some regular 68 and put a stinger on the top as well but have a feeling that it will catch the grass. As you can see I also got a ms slammer as well to wake and dive to 1-2ft above the weeds.
Does this make sense? This is just me trying to think outside of the box. Also there are big largemouth in this lake too. I've heard reports from the tourneys that an 7-8lb largemouth aren't rare.
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
I agree with Dwight 100%
It's not that they can't or won't choke a bait, you just have a better percentage with the jig hook and, IMO, a treble on the belly. Obviously, this is dependent on how you are fishing and what cover/structure you are fishing as well.
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
Smallmouth like to slash at baits.
BB rigging (I'd not go to the trouble for largemouth on a 68, but would for smallies) or fishing jig hook top / treble bottom is going to give you better results.
jjconnaire reply :
Yea I definitely see what you are saying and I'm sure I will try a stinger. But wouldn't you think if a 2.5lb smaller can choke a 5.8" keitech they could choke a hud?
I'm excited to test this out bc you definitely don't hear of too many guys throwing big baits for smallies
jjconnaire reply :
Is there an eye on the bottom of the hud to attach a treble? Or do u have to rig one?
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
On the 68, there should be an eye to stick a treble on.
While the length of a 5.8 Keitech is similar to the 68 Hudd, there is a big, big difference in bait mass. Even a 7lb smallmouth doesn't have THAT large of a mouth comparatively speaking (I've only ever seen up to about 5.5lb but can't imagine the head dimensions being too different).
jjconnaire reply :
This fish was 4lb13oz 21". I would say he has about the size mouth as a 2.5-3lb largemouth. Thoughts?
jjconnaire reply :
Woods here's the smallie
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
It's hard to tell from the pic but 2.5-3lb largemouth have bigger IMO.
jjconnaire reply :
Maybe. Well we will consider this an experiment lol. I will measure the mouths of the smallies along with their weight and do the same for largemouth and we can compare. That actually will be pretty interesting to see some results of that. Let me know a couple measurements of the bass you guys catch as well.
jjconnaire reply :
Wow I attached the wrong smallie. That guy was only 2.2lbs. This is the big girl I got from last year. I'm actually surprised that there isn't a huge difference between the 2
jjconnaire reply :
Big girl
Dwight Hottle reply :
This smallie went 7lb-6oz and measured 22.5" by 17"
She choked the perch rapala taildancer shown in the 2nd picture. There is a Hudd 68 special include for comparison. Yes fish will attack fish that are too big to consume & die shortly afterwards. But it is not a common occurrence. The biggest bait I use for smallies are LC pointer 128.
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
Perfect example of similar length baits that have greatly different other dimensions.
That's a lot of plastic for a smallmouth to ball up in it's fish hole. 
jjconnaire reply :
That's an absolute monster!!! Lake Erie?
A-Jay reply :
One of my favorite fall big smallies baits is a 5 inch Berkley Powerbait Hollow Belly Swimbait on a jighead - weight depends on depth but 1/2 oz is a common weight used.
So, I know they'll eat a swinbait, just not sure about a Hudd 68 - especially the weedless model.
A-Jay
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 6/6/2015 at 12:27 AM, jjconnaire said:That's an absolute monster!!! Lake Erie?
Yes sir.
brgbassmaster reply :
My buddy killed the smallies at lake havasu with river 2 sea s wavers. And i have caught them in a small stream in Mi up to 4lbs on a spro bbz. Smallies will annihilate swim baits.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 6/6/2015 at 4:11 AM, brgbassmaster said:My buddy killed the smallies at lake havasu with river 2 sea s wavers. And i have caught them in a small stream in Mi up to 4lbs on a spro bbz. Smallies will annihilate swim baits.
Yes they will. I think the issue is one getting a Weedless 68 Hudd into their mouth far enough to get hooked. I've had them hit a top hook 6" but never hook up. I've caught them on bigger swimbaits than a 68, but those were treble hooked swimbaits. Even with treble hooks, smallies have a habit of just ramming a big bait without opening their mouth to try to stun it first and you'll miss a bunch because of it.
brgbassmaster reply :
I see what your saying. Definitely need some trebles hanging off the bait.
jtharris3 reply :
On 6/6/2015 at 12:16 AM, Dwight Hottle said:This smallie went 7lb-6oz and measured 22.5" by 17"
She choked the perch rapala taildancer shown in the 2nd picture. There is a Hudd 68 special include for comparison. Yes fish will attack fish that are too big to consume & die shortly afterwards. But it is not a common occurrence. The biggest bait I use for smallies are LC pointer 128.
Holy smokes! That's one beautiful fish!
jjconnaire reply :
First swimbait fish was a largemouth 18" 3.5lbs. . Had a nice smallie on that got off.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Smallies will hit that thing for sure, even the little guys!
jjconnaire reply :
Yea buddy! Do you fish a lake that's primarily smallmouth too? What other swimbaits do u use?
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 6/12/2015 at 7:59 AM, jjconnaire said:Yea buddy! Do you fish a lake that's primarily smallmouth too? What other swimbaits do u use?
The top one came from a lake that's mainly smallmouth, bottom one is mainly a largemouth lake. Smallies really seem to like glide baits. The 168 S Waver and 175 Slide Swimmer are both good smallie baits. Some of my biggest swimbait smallies have fallen for Bull Shads though.
Dogmatic reply :
Blue, what size Bull Shads are you catching your smallies on?
everythingthatswims reply :
They will definitely try to eat big baits compared to their mouths. I have caught some on the BBZ 6" but the s-waver 168 is by far my favorite swimbait to throw for smallies, tons of them on it ranging from 12" dinks to my 23" PB smallie. You won't find me throwing a big swimbait for smallies unless it has trebles.
The Huddleston weedless shad and grass minnows are great on smallies too, and are small enough for them to easily fit in their mouth.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 6/13/2015 at 10:02 AM, Dogmatic said:Blue, what size Bull Shads are you catching your smallies on?
5" gets the most bites but the 6" moves a lot of fish.
jjconnaire reply :
Have you seen the herring 5" ? They are much thinner profile. Might work better for smallies?
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 6/18/2015 at 9:12 AM, jjconnaire said:Have you seen the herring 5" ? They are much thinner profile. Might work better for smallies?
The 5" Bull Shad is a little bait. I've seen enough smallies attack much bigger baits to not be concerned. My last 5 pound smallie had a 8-10 inch crappie's tail sticking out of it's throat, they'll eat a much bigger bait than most think.
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