Hollow Bellies

[Crestliner2008]

Picked up a couple of packages of these soft swimbaits last year. Didn't use them a lot, but this season so far, I'm killing the LM on them. However, the problem I'm having is having them get demolished after one or two fish.

I've been using the swimbait hooks with the screw wire at the eye. The bass are literally tearing this out. Replacing the bait after the first bite is hit or miss. It never seems to swim right after the first attack.

Anyone else having this problem? These plastics are not that cheap either. I'm thinking of switching to the solid plastic bodies instead of the hollow.

[Bass_Akwards]

I give this post 96 seconds before it's moved.  Starting now.  96, 95, 94, 93........

[Taylor Fishin 4 life]

i will add 96 more seconds

[gobig]

Get some mendit and you can repair the baits. I no longer use screwlocks. I use a wide gap swimbait hook and texas rig it. Use a piece of shrink tube and make a barb that holds the head in place. I will try later and see if I can take some picks showing how I rig it.

[5bass]

[movedhere] General Bass Fishing Forum [move by] five.bass.limit.

[247bassin]

Super Glue works just fine...at least for a darter head...that is what I use...is that bad????

[RoLo]

For the past few years, we've been throwing Berkley Hollow-Belly swimbaits extensively.

IMO, the two greatest assets of the Hollow-Belly is its exceptional weedlessness and durability.

I would sooner stop using a lure before resorting to the use of Superglue.

Being in central Florida, we're cranking through surface vegeation all day long,

fields of waterlilies, spatterdock, maidencane and hyacinths. During the doldrums,

when the bait isn't getting a workout, I've already pitched the same bait for two days running.

I rig a 6" Berkley hollow-belly on an Owner 1/2 oz Sled Head, but rather than follow the crowd,

we rig the swimbait sideways. This provides unique action, a generous hook bite and more reliable hook-ups.

Although a 1/4 oz jig is adequate, I like the swimbait stability offered by 1/2 oz jig.

Be aware that the 1/2 oz Owner Sled Head is available with a 2/0 or 4/0 hook.

I strictly use a 6-inch Berkley Hollow-Belly on an Owner 1/2oz Sled Head with 4/0 hook.

I wouldn't be in a hurry to switch to a solid body, even KVD expressed his preference for hollow swimbaits.

Roger

[gobig]

This is better than pictures. I found a video on that shows what I was talking a bout.

http://leftcoastbass.com/AddRebarb.asp

[Crestliner2008]

This is better than pictures. I found a video on that shows what I was talking a bout.

http://leftcoastbass.com/AddRebarb.asp

Thanks muchly! Will be picking up some heat shrink tubing today.   

[eyedabassman]

This is better than pictures. I found a video on that shows what I was talking a bout.

http://leftcoastbass.com/AddRebarb.asp

Thanks muchly! Will be picking up some heat shrink tubing today.

Where do you get the tubing?

[I.rar]

rolo , ive seen it mentioned before about rigging them sideways. i have a pack of swimbaits that ive never had any luck with. do you rig them sideways with the same sled head or would a ewg hook work? how do you work the retrieve? im thinking the bait would just spin and spin.  :-?

Where do you get the tubing?

harbor freight has small packages of pre-cut heat shrink tubes for cheap. but really any hardware store should carry it,,.

[gobig]

If you have some pics of them rigged sideways I would like to see them.

You can get shrink tube at any hardware store.

[Paul Roberts]

Solid paddle-tails can be used, but you need the right head. They are unstable on weedless heads (seem to need a near 90deg eye bend). I've found two heads that work well though and are fairly weedless -fine for weed clumps and edges. A quick snap of the rod clears them pretty well:

-Chompers Stand-up Head (has a 4/0 hook in 1/4 and 1/8 oz)

-Bass Stalker Spot Stalker (also has a 4/0 which is just long enough to use with a 4-5" shad/Shaker style paddle tails.

[Crestliner2008]

I agree, side-ways rigging does prove effective and has been touted by the In'Fisherman TV shows a lot lately. I've tried this only with the solid plastic bodies. But now that I've absorbed this tip with the re-barb method, I may try it on the hollow bellies as well! Here's what my rigging looks like (with the solid body plastics). I use a Slug-Go jig head....just because that's what I had! 

I've used various color patterns and sizes. Have yet to be as successful as with the hollow bellies though. 

[A-Jay]

After reading about them in the In-Fisherman mag, last season I started throwing the Berkley Hollow-Belly swimbaits and Berkley's 5" PowerBait Saltwater Hand Pour Swim Shad. Both are a little pricey. I fished them most often on a jig head in open water. The Hollow baits were very effective but were routinely torn up by 2 or 3 fish. The solid Hand Poured swim shad however was almost a effective but definitely much more durable lasting several trips rather than just a few fish. And with a little Mend-it glue the solid baits are usually repairable enough to have a second or even third go at it. I was skeptic on the whole "Rigged Sideways" deal as mentioned in the magazine article. I have never rigged the hollow baits sideways, but after trying both methods side by side with the solid baits, the sideways rigging was the way to go. Looks goofy but the fish were on them. The Owner 1/2 or 3/4 ounce saltwater bullet jig head was productive and before the end of last season I played around with a few different ball head jig heads that works also. When rigging the solid baits on a jig head there is a modification you can make; by inserting a toothpick through both sides of the bait directly in front of the hook and cutting off the excess toothpick, you can dramatically extent the life of the bait. The toothpick assist in preventing the bait from tearing, especially on short strikes. I'm not sure if it would work with a hollow bait.

A-Jay

[Paul Roberts]

Thanks AJ. I remember reading about the toothpick deal. but forgot about it. Will try that.

[RoLo]

rolo , ive seen it mentioned before about rigging them sideways. i have a pack of swimbaits that ive never had any luck with. do you rig them sideways with the same sled head or would a ewg hook work? how do you work the retrieve? im thinking the bait would just spin and spin. :-?

We've been flank-rigging swimbaits for years, but it's only been touted of late.

As we've learned from the stock market, the consensus is usually late for dinner.

Needless to say, I wouldn't recommend any jig that allowed the swimbait to spin.

As a matter of fact, I don't even care for too much wobble. The Berkley hollow belly

is very weedless and very durable but one beef I have is the tendency for the tail to wag the dog.

The 1/2 oz jig helps to tame the overzealous wobble, offers longer casts and also provides

slightly better penetration in surface vegetation.

For those unfamiliar with the Owner Sled Head (many it seems), it was originally designed for tube lures.

The screw-coil on the Owner Sled Head is far superior to those silly screw-lock trinkets

they hang on weighted hooks. The screw-coil on a Sled Head is only an adjunct

to the hook shank which passes through the head of the swimbait similar to a Z-bend shank.

Trust me, there's absolutely no reason for Mendit, Superglue, heatshrink tubing, toothpicks or Quickrete ;D

I recently posted the following images in Southeast Bass Fishing,

though it can't be seen, the screw-coil is embedded in the rigging:

Top View

http://216.149.215.9/scans/Swimbait-topview.jpg

Side View

http://216.149.215.9/scans/Swimbait-sideview.jpg

Bottom View

http://216.149.215.9/scans/Swimbait-bottomview.jpg

Roger

[A-Jay]

RoLo - Thanks for the Owner Sled head recommendation. I do use that method for tubes but never thought to apply it to the swim bait. I'm looking forward to heaving these baits into places I really couldn't before.

A-Jay

[gobig]

Quickcrete is way to messy I prefer Liquidnails.