H20 Xpress bluegill swimbaits

[jtipton91]

Can anyone shed any light on whether the bluegill shaped swimbaits from h20 Xpress at academy are worth even throwing? If so, what kind of retrieve do you use? I've got a couple but haven't thrown them yet but hate to waste my time on them. I also know you never know until you try though....

[Bluebasser86]

They're decent baits. Switch the front hook to one size larger then remove the back hook entirely. Just use a straight retrieve and you'll catch fish. 

[Big Swimbait]

+1 - definitely change out the hooks.

 

[the reel ess]

I've thrown it a lot, even this spawn when you would think the bass would just annihilate a bluegill swimbait, but have not gotten so much as a bite. The finish is very realistic and it has VMC hooks and an elongated split ring tie, but IMO, it doesn't swim like a real fish and it sinks fast. Even so, I see people in YouTube videos catching bass on it in ponds. I guess I need to use it where bluegill are a primary forage fish. there are golden shiners and shad and larger minnows where I usually fish.

It's 5/8 oz, but it casts like a lighter bait. It has a lot of wind resistance and has a tendency to helicopter at the end of casts. I ended up putting it on a spinning rod so I could lob it with no resistance. I got longer casts that way.

[jtipton91]

Ok thank you guys. I fish a sandpit that is just absolutely loaded with bluegill so I thought this may be worth a shot! I will swap hooks and give it a go

[McKinneyLonghorn]

I have caught one fish on it, coming off a bed last year. I agree that it sinks really fast. I don't fish it much because the ponds I fish have a ton of vegetation and it always get stuck in the grass (I have found it only swims well if you reel it in slowly). And although it says it comes with VMC hooks (and I have no reason to doubt this), I think the hooks suck.

Actually, all of the H2O baits come with VMC hooks and the first thing I do is switch out the hooks on all of them. I wonder if companies like VMC make a mass market hook that is lower quality to sell to companies to put on their baits? That way the companies can say it comes with VMC hooks but keep the price low. I only say this because I really like the VMC hooks I buy at the store, but the ones on the Academy baits are dull and bend easily, at least in my experience.