Which Large Paddle Tail "Swimbait"?

[Gangley]

I have been using the smaller YUM Money minnow with great success, but I have been pulling in the smaller 1.5-2.5 lb bass with them, and I know there are larger bass in this body of water because I have caught them in the past with some regularity.  I am wanting to try a larger (longer) paddle tail swimbait but there are quite a few to chose from.  I would prefer not to spend 10 bucks on them only to find out that there are better producing lures for the same price point, so I would like to know what larger profile swimbaits  you have had success with that are similar to the money minnow in design.  Of the following, what have you had success with in the large versions (5 inches or greater)?

Basstrix

Bass Magic

Berkely Hollow Body

YUM Money Minnow

Netbait

Reaction Innovations

Etc.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

[Dan:]

ask the resident paddletail expert. His username is Fourbizz. He'll be able to help you as to what paddletails work best in what conditions.

[Hammer 4]

6" Huddelston...but it's more than 10.00, about 17.00..but you get a Proven bait..

[21farms]

i went through a major swimbait phase myself and bought a ton of them. i have the most confidence and have caught the most fish on the basstrix followed closely by the berkley hollow bodies. the basstrix has the best finishes and the body has a subtle side-to-side rolling motion the others don't have. unfortunately, the basstrix and berkleys are the most expensive and tear very easily after a fish. the yum money minnows and kamikaze treats are somewhat similar but their action is pretty much limited to just their paddle tails but sometimes i guess that what the fish want as i've caught fish on them too. i personally found the paddle tails on bass magic and the reaction innovation fat head jr.'s to be too big...it causes those baits to roll up and down and doesn't at all look natural in the water on retrieve; maybe the fish actually like that but i'm not willing to try finding out and don't tie them on after the first time. the one i have the least trouble with is the mann's hardnose swimbaits...they're easy to rig and stay on the hook well but don't look very realistic but do work although the hooks they come with (eagle claw) aren't the greatest. i have not tried the netbaits. i'm not sure what it is but i've lost confidence in swimbaits and don't fish them anymore...it just seems like the fish here have gotten used to seeing them or something. anyway, if you're interested, i can put a lot of them up for sale in the buy/sell/trade forum.

[roadwarrior]

GYCB Swimming Senko and Keitech Swing Impact

Fat 4.8"

8-)

[midnighthrasher]

Berkley Hollow Belly swimbait caught me ALOT of fish last year!!! 5 inch in pearl. Trust me its AWESOME!!!!!!!

[Mattlures]

Basstrix are the best followed by Kamkazee treats then Berkley.

[Gangley]

Thanks for all the useful information guys, I greatly appreciate it.

[Crestliner2008]

Definitely go with a larger 5" or 5.5" model. Basstrix and Bass Magic make good baits. Use a 7/0 forward weighted swimbait hook though. If you go any smaller, you'll miss fish. Those baits have a lot of plastic to penetrate!

That being said, I caught a lot of fish with them last fall and this spring; however, the 6" Huddlestons (and 8") are showing a good deal of promise. Had a couple of huge follows so far this season! I just need to learn more about swimbaits in general. I'll get there. 

[Stringjam]

I've caught a buttload of bass on both the Kamakaze Treats and the Berkley Hollow Belly. 

I use the 6" version of both....the Kamakaze has a deeper belly and throws off a bigger profile. 

[Raul]

Basstrix are the best followed by Kamkazee treats then Berkley.

Mattlures are AWSOM !!! 

[D4u2s0t]

I've done very well on money minnows in the short time i've used them.  My next soft swimbait will most likely be the sebile magic swimmer soft.  Looks great in the water.

[Mattlures]

Thanks Raul.

I figured he was just asking about the paddle tail tubes

[aarogb]

The Netbait BK swimbaits are very nice.

[MALTESE FALCON]

I've caught a ton of bass, smallmouth, and largemouth with the Bass Magic. They've held very well in the process. I probably average 8-9 fish per bait.

Falcon

[midnighthrasher]

I've caught a ton of bass, smallmouth, and largemouth with the Bass Magic. They've held very well in the process. I probably average 8-9 fish per bait.

Falcon

Who makes the bass magic swimbaits?

[Branuss04]

ask the resident paddletail expert. His username is Fourbizz. He'll be able to help you as to what paddletails work best in what conditions.

 

[webertime]

I've caught a ton of bass, smallmouth, and largemouth with the Bass Magic. They've held very well in the process. I probably average 8-9 fish per bait.

Falcon

Who makes the bass magic swimbaits?

Lucky Strike, you can sometime score them real cheap at Wally World or Dick's. 

[Primus]

I've tried just about all of them listed so far and the best I've tried hasn't been mentioned yet, it's made by a small company that goes buy the name Pro Swimbaits. No Chemical smell, made in the U.S.A, can swim at slow speeds unlike some, has a groove for the hook, great colors , reasonably priced and they flat out catch fish. Whatever one you select get some Mend It which will save you a lot of money by allowing you to reuse torn up baits.

[eyedabassman]

The Netbait BK swimbaits are very nice.

I agree these are very nice swimbaits. And some nice colors!

[Raul]

Thanks Raul.

I figured he was just asking about the paddle tail tubes

The Money minnow isn 't a tube paddle tail Matt.

Money Minnow like bait but better ----> Mattlures Minnow :

[J Francho]

By "tubes," he means hollow belly.

[RoLo]

I've tried nearly every Soft Paddletail Minnow available and these are my favorite three:

(criteria are rated 1 to 3, where 3 is best)

BERKLEY HOLLOW BELLY SWIMBAIT

Weedlessness: 3      (Weedlessness and durability in heavy cover)

Body Stability:       2      (Absence of tail-wagging-the-dog, which degrades target fix)

Low-Speed Action: 3      (Lowest forward speed that paddletail remains active)

SCORE>       8      

BASSTRIX PADDLETAIL SWIMBAIT

Weedlessness: 2      (Weedlessness and durability in heavy cover)

Body Stability:       3      (Absence of tail-wagging-the-dog, which degrades target fix)

Low-Speed Action: 2      (Lowest forward speed that paddletail remains active)

SCORE>       7      

LUCKY E STRIKE BASS MAGIC

Weedlessness:       3      (Weedlessness and durability in heavy cover)

Body Stability:       1      (Absence of tail-wagging-the-dog, which degrades target fix)

Low-Speed Action: 2      (Lowest forward speed that paddletail remains active)

SCORE>       6      

Simply put, where the cover is light to moderate I prefer

the stable fuselage and tail throb of the Basstrix Swimbait

In heavy cover though, where "weedlessness" plays the major role,

the super tough plastic of Berkley's Hollow-Belly stays weedless in the heaviest cover.

The Bass Magic is also very weedless in heavy cover, but the tail stops throbbing sooner than the

Berkley Hollow Belly, and the fuselage is erratic and not as stable the Hollow Belly or Basstrix.

Roger

[natanestaban]

There's a guy in Valdosta Ga. who sells his stuff on Ebay. Called 'GhostBaits'.  Very good plastics.  His 4.5" paddletails are great with color patterns you can't find anywhere else. 

Roll Tide 

[Coonedawg]

I've found it hard to beat the new Zoom Swimming Fluke lately. Pearl and Disco Violet are slaying them and the baits last a long time. They are the most durable swimbait I've ever seen.