What Swimbait Would You Recommend If You Are Going After 5Lb-Ers?

[DocNsanE]

Up here in my neck of the woods, we simply don't have any 10lbs bass. Biggest I ever heard of was around 7lbs and the biggest I've personally caught was about 4.5lbs.

 

I've seen some of these 10" swimbait posts go by recently and I was wondering what you guys would recommend for a swimbait if I wanted to go after 4-6lbs bass smallmouth / largemouth?

[rippin-lips]

You don't need 10lb bass to throw a 8-10" bait. 2lb fish will still eat it. Not sure where you came up with that info.

Deps 250

S waver 200

9" slammer

Deps 175

S waver 168

8" triple trout

8" bull shad

8" Hudd

8" savage gear

6" gill baits

[MIbassin]

You don't need 10lb bass to throw a 8-10" bait. 2lb fish will still eat it. Not sure where you came up with that info.

Deps 250

S waver 200

9" slammer

Deps 175

S waver 168

8" triple trout

8" bull shad

8" Hudd

8" savage gear

6" gill baits

Perfect list just add a hardgill

[rippin-lips]

I just said gill baits because there are so many choices. A hardgill is kinda tough to get your hands on. Nobody seems to sell them and for good reason too.

[MIbassin]

I just said gill baits because there are so many choices. A hardgill is kinda tough to get your hands on. Nobody seems to sell them and for good reason too.

My fault, I totally missed that you said 6 inch gill baits

[Brnnoser6983]

Bigger lures do not always mean bigger fish. You can catch a lunker off a 6" wacky rig if you wanted to.

Now a bigger lure is going to keep away some smaller fish, but doesn't guarantee monsters.

I know here in Minnesota our biggest is under 9lbs, but an average is 3-4lbs. If you catch a 5 you have had a great day. 6+ lbs makes for a great season. My PB where 2 6's the past season, and that was caught of just a small 1/2oz spinner and a 2 1/2" lazy Ike.

[J Francho]

I catch plenty on MS Slammers, Hudd 68, Hardgills, Bbz-1 Jr, and a few others in the 5-8" range.

[fisherrw]

i just cant see spending over 20 bucks for a lure...

[rippin-lips]

Fisherrw - Then swimbaits probably aren't going to be for you. $20 is cheap compared to what a lot of them run. I'd say that's the very bottom.

OP - Like Francho mentioned there are some smaller baits in the 6" range that work well.

6" hudd

68 hudd

6" bbz's

Spro rat

S waver 168

6" 3:16 mission fish

6" 3:16 rising son

Osprey line through

[J Francho]

i just cant see spending over 20 bucks for a lure...

 

See below....

 

Fisherrw - Then swimbaits probably aren't going to be for you. $20 is cheap compared to what a lot of them run. I'd say that's the very bottom.

OP - Like Francho mentioned there are some smaller baits in the 6" range that work well.

6" hudd <$20

68 hudd <$20

6" bbz's <$20

Spro rat

S waver 168 <$20

6" 3:16 mission fish <$20

6" 3:16 rising son <$20

Osprey line through <20

[Master Bait'r]

Don't forget hudd shads and grass minnows, weedless 68s and the new gills- there's a swimbait for every budget and rod. Weedless swimbaits take a lot of the guesswork out too.

Big fish hit medium to small targets too, it's all about putting it in front of them.

[A KGB Operative]

Personally I wanted to try swimbaits. I decided against it. I was gonna grab a spro 4 inch bbz one for 13 bucks. I grabbed a 5 dollar pack of storm wildeye sunfish. Pretty excited to use it.

[DocNsanE]

Thanks a lot everyone for the info! That's a great list of affordable baits I'm going to have to look into. I really appreciate your input and experience in this area. The only swimbaits I've thrown are the soft plastic paddle tails and I love them.

 

Can any of those baits be thrown on a MH or I really should wait until I buy a H before I consider throwing one?

[Big Swimbait]

This has been an excellent bait for me. It also just cashed a nice check at Guntersville (2nd I believe) where they are flying off of the shelves.

http://www.*.com/Fringe-Tackle-Hollow-Belly-Swimbait-p/frngtckl-hbsb5.htm

[Dogmatic]

What's your rod rated for? Even smaller swimbaits run 2 oz. but baits like BBZ1 shads, and Hudd shad/grass minnow can definitely be thrown on your set up. Remember though, not all baits are created equal, and you tend to get what you pay for. Bargain-basement priced baits might not be such a great value in the long run.

[J Francho]

Okuma makes a nice affordable swimbait rod. You want something appropriate for baits this size.

[BassObsessed]

Like stated above you don't have to use a giant swimbait for big bass? It may help but not always needed. I caught one of the big ones over 10lbs in Florida last month on a River2sea rig walker and have been killing them in my home state the last few weeks. It's only 4'' and pre-rigged and ready to go and you can throw it on a medium heavy rod no problem.

[everythingthatswims]

Thanks a lot everyone for the info! That's a great list of affordable baits I'm going to have to look into. I really appreciate your input and experience in this area. The only swimbaits I've thrown are the soft plastic paddle tails and I love them.

 

Can any of those baits be thrown on a MH or I really should wait until I buy a H before I consider throwing one?

You can throw a 168 on a MH

[WRB]

Where you are located the lakes may have musky and pike, soft swimbaits could get expensive fast!

For that reason I would use hard swimbaits. The slim body work better for smallmouth in the 7" or 8" size, slim body and bluegill/crappie profile for LMB.

My favorite hard slim body is the 7" or 8" Triple trout, Bluegill is Black Dog Wooden shell cracker slow sinking.

If you had to settle on one, the 7" or 8" Triple trout* will work both types of bass.

You will need a swimbait rod for the 2 1/2 oz lures.

Tom

* 22nd Century, something with light color like Shad, the perch color may attract the toothy fish.

[Comfortably Numb]

I am really liking the 6-7" Savage gear line thru 3d swims.