What size swimbaits for 5-6lb bass?

[deep]

Pretty much what the title asks.

I did read Bill Siemantel's book; just wondering what you guys in north and north-east mostly use.

[Vinny Chase]

I prefer Basstrix paddle tail in the 5" size

Or

Huddleston weedless 6" Perch

[Primus]

Here are a few...

7" & 9" MS Slammers

River to Sea 6" Live Eye Bottom Walker

Matt's Hard Bluegill

Strike King -King Shad

5" Tru Tungsten

6" Spro BBZ

[fishermantony]

Have you read Bill Murphy's book?

[deep]

Have you read Bill Murphy's book?

In pursuit of giant bass?

No, not yet. It's on my Christmas wish-list though.

[roadwarrior]

I have caught a lot of 4-8 lb bass on Matt Lure's Baby Bass.

   

[Craiger12]

I prefer Basstrix paddle tail in the 5" size

Or

Huddleston weedless 6" Perch

Where do you fish the 6" Hudd? What depth and around what structure/cover?

[Vinny Chase]

I rarely throw swimbaits, but when I do its when the fish are VERY active.

I like to slow to slowwww roll the deeper 12 size over weeds right off of drops...I have caught 6 lb bass to 48 in muskies...If it wasnt for the hidden hook, it would be very difficult to run this type of bait where I live.

[Carrington]

my though is that size of the lure does not determine the size of the fish that will bite.  ive caught my personal best on a 2.5 inch bait.  while i have caught 4 inch bass on a 5 inch bait.  Everything ive seen leads me to tell you that the size of the bait will not determine the size of the fish.  The area you are fishing will more often determine the size of the fish.

[=Matt 5.0=]

MS Slammer... Spro BBZ1 6"....

[Randall]

I am not in the North but you could catch a 5 to 6 pound bass on any size swimbait. I personally try to match the size of larger forage that fish I want to catch are mostly feeding on when going to bigger swimbaits. Most of the time for me that's a five or six inch bait but could be larger at times. On a five or six inch bait I catch mostly three to six pound fish in lakes that have them but still get big ones to sixteen pounds as well. It makes no sense to me personally to try to use an eight to ten inch bait if the fish rarely feed on bait that size in that particular lake. There are times when I will go up to ten inch or larger baits though like when large gizzard shad are spawning on the shoreline or large trout have been stocked in a lake. My advice is to try to match what the fish you want to catch are feeding on and don't get stuck on any size bait for any size fish. 

[Primus]

I have caught a lot of 4-8 lb bass on Matt Lure's Baby Bass.

Matt's just came out with a new tournament series baits that I've heard very good things about and look forward to trying next year.

I have a few that I've purchased recently from 3:16, 22nd Century, Baitsmith, RealPrey, Huddleston & High Power that I'm looking forward to fishing when the dreaded ice goes away.

[deep]

I have caught a lot of 4-8 lb bass on Matt Lure's Baby Bass.

RW, I have had no luck at all on them. I tried slow steady retrieves, killing it so that it spirals down, slow rolling; zip, nothing, nada. I bought no less than three of them, and eventually snagged and lost each of them.

No luck with Mattshads (4.5") either.

And both seem to be very partial to snags.

Beside the various 3-4" paddletails, the only swimbait I ever caught bass on is the Spro BBZ 4" Shad.

Randall, thanks for the tips.

Carrington, I know that. For a long time, my PB was a 6.5 lb bass caught on a tiny F7 Rapala floater. I wanted to increase my chances of attracting a large one from far away. Would a 6 lb bass eat small bait? Sure it would, if it's presented right in front of it. But that small bait won't probably catch the attention of the same 6lb bass if it's 25 ft away.

[Carrington]

ive watched bass swim 5 feet to get a small bait, the farthest ive heard of a bass going to get a bait is 10-15 feet.

[Randall]

I am not in the North but you could catch a 5 to 6 pound bass on any size swimbait. I personally try to match the size of larger forage that fish I want to catch are mostly feeding on when going to bigger swimbaits. Most of the time for me that's a five or six inch bait but could be larger at times. On a five or six inch bait I catch mostly three to six pound fish in lakes that have them but still get big ones to sixteen pounds as well. It makes no sense to me personally to try to use an eight to ten inch bait if the fish rarely feed on bait that size in that particular lake. There are times when I will go up to ten inch or larger baits though like when large gizzard shad are spawning on the shoreline or large trout have been stocked in a lake. My advice is to try to match what the fish you want to catch are feeding on and don't get stuck on any size bait for any size fish.

Randall, how do you go about matching the size of the larger forage? I know there will be some jumbo bluegills (I am talking 10" or more). So I guess there will be a lot of little 5-6 inchers. In addition, I will have crappies, stocked brook and rainbow trouts in the reservoir, and a bunch of small sub 1 lb bass.

Unless I catch one of those big largemouths and go about feeling in her belly (like Iaconelli said in his book).... and even then I'm not sure how to tell a trout from a 'gill from a crappie from a bass.

Best place to start would be finding out what size trout they stock. The stockers will be the easiest prey to eat if they are in the under 12 inch size when they are stocked. I am looking for the largest meal that is plentiful and easy for the bass to catch and swallow and usually stocker trout are the choice when they are there. It also wouldn't hurt to pay attention to the size of those small bass swimming around. If I see a lot of small 6 to 7 inch bass in a lake I try to match the smaller bass. But small bass are usually harder for a big bass to catch and eat when compared to a stocker trout that doesn't know that a big bass is going to make lunch out of him.

Seeing alot of 10 inch bluegills also tells me that there are not as many smaller bluegills most of the time that a big bass would target more if they were there in larger numbers. Crappie don't usually make up a large part of the diet of a bass unless they are small Crappie and easy to target in one place like when they are on spawning beds.

I pay close attention to whats going on in the water and what I see in the gullet of a bass. If I go to new lakes I even may sample the stomach contents of a fish to figure out what they are eating. From doing this I have learned alot of info about how fish in one lake may differ in diet from another or how the diet can change at different times of the year or year to year where I fish.

[Ima Bass Ninja]

What no Sebile swim baits on here?? My goodness it the only swim bait that i have been able to catch em on..

[J Francho]

I think that if you think some special bait will get the job done, then you are jumping the gun.  To me, bait selection is an evolution in problem solving.  You need to find the big fish.  They won't "come to your bait."

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Why limit yourself to 5-6lb fish?  You live in VA and there have been plenty of DD fish caught in that state to make that your target weight. Aim for the biggest fish that your waters are capable of producing.  I am in PA and shoot for bigger fish than that. You have a much better opportunity to catch a DD fish in your waters.

Throwing big baits will not make your average catch bigger if you do not know where to find big fish. Also, you would be surprised how big of a bait a one pound fish will eat or try to kill.

[Vinny Chase]

I agree with most of what is being said that you CAN catch large fish with smaller baits, but the majority of the fish I catch on the bigger baits are almost strictly large fish. Therefor, if you want to specifically target trophy size fish, use a larger bait.

Why do you think Californians throw those monster swimbaits?