Are Big Swimbaits In The North A Go Or A No-Go?

[BassMN95]

I have been watching numerous videos of big swimbaits catching giant fish and being I live in Minnesota I have really been thinking about this. Has anyone had much success up here throwing these big baits? and if so, what are the details - where, when, why, how, tips, tricks, areas to target, etc. Really curious!

[RyneB]

YES. I throw swimbaits here in Illinois and also throw them when I fish northern Wisconsin. I prefer to throw big plastic hollow bodies such as the Strike King shadalicious. I have had some success with the Mattlures bluegill swimbait in northern Wisconsin, but I don't want to have an expesnive bait get ruined by a pike or musky. So I don't throw it as often as id like. One of my favorite baits for up north is the Mini MS Slammer. Find some scattered lilly pads or grass and work that bad boy around it. I know a few guys who throw really big jointed wooden swimbaits, but theyre targeting musky. I know they have hooked some giant bass on them as well.

[BassMN95]

Im, sorry I should have been more specific.. what I had in mind for big swimbaits were the baits like the huddleston, castiacs, pro bbz's, etc. Thanks for the response though!

[CPBassFishing]

Heck yeah they're a go. If I were you I would learn the crazy alberto knot and use braid with a 25lb fluoro leader to reduce the chance of toothy critters stealing expensive baits. Get a couple bottles of mend-it too if you're going to fish softbaits.

If you want a great starting lineup get a 6" bbz1 floater, a hudd, and a mattlures hardgill. Make sure you upgrade the stock hooks on the spro. Another awesome softbait is the 3:16 rising son.

[Grizzn N Bassin]

Yup its a goooo

[Bluebasser86]

I would for sure get a 7 or 9 inch Slammer to toss around. You should be able to fish that bait with a titanium leader and worse case situation you get some explosive topwater strikes from pike and muskie, not a bad problem to have Bass in Minnesota eat a lot of yellow perch where they coexist so I'd look at some perch colored baits for sure. It doesn't take a monster to eat one of these baits. I fished a 7" Slammer for a few hours last Friday morning. I caught 6 and missed that many more along with tons of followers. Of the 6 I caught only 1 was a keeper over 15", one was barely 12", but then one of them I missed was a smallmouth in the 18-20 inch range which is a monster at the lake I was fishing. 

[CPBassFishing]

I would for sure get a 7 or 9 inch Slammer to toss around. You should be able to fish that bait with a titanium leader and worse case situation you get some explosive topwater strikes from pike and muskie, not a bad problem to have Bass in Minnesota eat a lot of yellow perch where they coexist so I'd look at some perch colored baits for sure. It doesn't take a monster to eat one of these baits. I fished a 7" Slammer for a few hours last Friday morning. I caught 6 and missed that many more along with tons of followers. Of the 6 I caught only 1 was a keeper over 15", one was barely 12", but then one of them I missed was a smallmouth in the 18-20 inch range which is a monster at the lake I was fishing.

have you changed out the hooks yet? The stock ones are awful. Put ST-46's on it.

[Bluebasser86]

have you changed out the hooks yet? The stock ones are awful. Put ST-46's on it.

It has ST 36's on it. Most of the misses were just small fish that were just ramming it instead of actually grabbing it. I know the big smallie just rammed it, I watched her shoot up off the bottom in about 8' of water. There's about 15' of visibility in the lake I was fishing so it was really easy to see that big, dark fish coming up. 

[CPBassFishing]

It has ST 36's on it. Most of the misses were just small fish that were just ramming it instead of actually grabbing it. I know the big smallie just rammed it, I watched her shoot up off the bottom in about 8' of water. There's about 15' of visibility in the lake I was fishing so it was really easy to see that big, dark fish coming up.

gotcha. I hate when fish bat at wakebaits. That usually means it's not windy enough. Keep at it, I want to see a pig smallie.

[Bluebasser86]

gotcha. I hate when fish bat at wakebaits. That usually means it's not windy enough. Keep at it, I want to see a pig smallie.

20mph while I was out there. Think they may have actually been having a hard time honing in on it because of the wave action. I had a couple nice smallies on a Bull Shad a few weeks ago. 

[CPBassFishing]

20mph while I was out there. Think they may have actually been having a hard time honing in on it because of the wave action. I had a couple nice smallies on a Bull Shad a few weeks ago. 

nice! Yeah that might be a bit too windy. 5-10mph is ideal imo. Well, I should probably stop hijacking this thread.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Swimbaits cost too much and they don't work.

 

Don't buy them.

[smalljaw67]

In my waters the best is the hollow bodied baits in a 5", if you use the big hudds or the BBZ-1 or anything like that then you'll end up with muskies for the most part. You will get a few bass but very few because the natural forage base doesn't get that large and even the bigger bass seem to ignore bluegill when the hit a certain size.

[Aluma-Bass]

I would for sure get a 7 or 9 inch Slammer to toss around. You should be able to fish that bait with a titanium leader and worse case situation you get some explosive topwater strikes from pike and muskie, not a bad problem to have Bass in Minnesota eat a lot of yellow perch where they coexist so I'd look at some perch colored baits for sure. It doesn't take a monster to eat one of these baits. I fished a 7" Slammer for a few hours last Friday morning. I caught 6 and missed that many more along with tons of followers. Of the 6 I caught only 1 was a keeper over 15", one was barely 12", but then one of them I missed was a smallmouth in the 18-20 inch range which is a monster at the lake I was fishing.

How are you liking the bull shad?

[Bluebasser86]

How are you liking the bull shad?

I like them pretty well so far. I have a 5 and 6 inch, both in the slow sink. I like the action of the 6" better but so far the fish have liked the 5" better and I guess that's what really matters.

[bigbill]

I been casting out the 9" castiac rainbow trout lure when no other fisherman are around using saltwater tackle. It swims so perfect that I feel like biting it when I haven't caught anything yet. But time will tell next month it will get its annual bath again. I also use a steel leader with it. We also have big toothy critters here too pickerel/pike.

[Primus]

I like them pretty well so far. I have a 5 and 6 inch, both in the slow sink. I like the action of the 6" better but so far the fish have liked the 5" better and I guess that's what really matters.

 

If you can special order them in a Fast sink, it's been a very consistent producer for me. I get mine painted in a Golden Shiner pattern by Baitwerks. 

[deep]

Why is Matt's website's name censored?

[MarkH024]

Why is Matt's website's name censored?

A lot of us are curious as I had a topic removed about the U2Gill. No one knows and no answers have been told.        Anyone got a hardgill in male slow sink to sell me? lol

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Should be good to go with referencing Matt's baits now.

[MarkH024]

Swimbaits cost too much and they don't work.

 

Don't buy them.

I'll take all yours at 25% retail then.

[bigbill]

I found my castiac 9" trout lures that cost $30 on sale when they weren't selling for $9 each. I grabbed three. It was a three for one sale. I just can't pass up a bargain, I just hope it catches a big one soon.

[Ratherbfishing]

Well, I can't speak for swimbaits exactly but the big 1 and 1.5 ounce rat'l'traps worked much better in Canada on smallmouth than smaller ones.  So while you may get more "bumps" with the big swimbaits, you may also get more fish (and also bigger ones).  (I think it may also depends on what the available food source is).

[shimmy]

in terms of numbers, we have had more success in MN (ottertail county) using 6 huddlestons over the 8; however, we have not put the excess time needed with those big baits on the water. Nevertheless, smaller swimbaits will obviously catch more fish than others. The problem are the pike out there. It is just too expensive to fish with unless you have a good leader that does not affect the action too much. I have had good success with the BBZ 8 inch swimbaits out there since i have thrown those more but i have yet to catch anything over 6 pounds with 8 inch baits. The typical worm, spinnerbait, jig, etc tackle catch bigger fish for me. Then again, it could be a time thing. I am only there for a few weeks out of the year and don't want to fish night after night without a bite. There is no reason an 8 inch hud wouldn't work but from what i always hear, are you willing to put your time into it and only fish swimbaits?