school me on paddle tail swimbaits

[riverbasser]

Hoping some of you can shed some light and give me some direction on fishing paddle tail swimbaits for largemouth exclusively. I've had plenty of success using them as jig trailers but for whatever reason cant seem to consistantly get bites fishing them by their self.  I have several brands that I'm sure all catch fish so I'm more interested in technique.

 

It's strange that I've struggled so much since in my area swimming worms like the ultravibe or swim n dinger are limit getters for me and many others in the clubs. These little swimbaits look much better in the water but arent near as effective. Just wondering if it's me.

[Bluebasser86]

What ones are you using and how are you fishing them? 

 

For me personally, the smaller size YUM Pulse, 2.8 Fat Impact, or 4" Swing Impact on a 1/8oz jighead, or a regular sized YUM Pulse or 3.8 Fat Impact on a 1/4oz jighead are my best baits. Don't over fish them. Cast them out, let it sink down a bit if needed, then reel it straight in slowly, that's it. It isn't an exciting way to fish, but it's extremely effective at times. It's a technique that you might benefit from using a slower ratio reel to help you fish slow enough. I fish mine on a spinning reel with a slower retrieve speed so I can slow down easier. I fish mine on 10lb braid with 6 or 8lb leader. 

[jbmaine]

My go to is the Strike King swimm'n caffeine shad in KVD magic color on a screw lock swim bait hook, weighted or un weighted. Fish it fast, fish it slow, bounce it over the bottom, I have yet to find a way that doesn't work.

[roadwarrior]

 

[Bankbeater]

Pretty much what @Bluebasser86 said.  I've had my best luck retrieving them over the top of submerged vegetation.

[Log Catcher]

I have 3 different brands of swimbaits. I don't use them as much as i should. Everything I have caught on them has been set up as a Texas rig with a 1/8 oz. sinker. Every time I have used a swim bait head I caught nothing and spent more time hung up.

[smalljaw67]

11 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

What ones are you using and how are you fishing them? 

 

For me personally, the smaller size YUM Pulse, 2.8 Fat Impact, or 4" Swing Impact on a 1/8oz jighead, or a regular sized YUM Pulse or 3.8 Fat Impact on a 1/4oz jighead are my best baits. Don't over fish them. Cast them out, let it sink down a bit if needed, then reel it straight in slowly, that's it. It isn't an exciting way to fish, but it's extremely effective at times. It's a technique that you might benefit from using a slower ratio reel to help you fish slow enough. I fish mine on a spinning reel with a slower retrieve speed so I can slow down easier. I fish mine on 10lb braid with 6 or 8lb leader. 

This^^^^^!!!!!!  I use a River Rock RR Stryker and the Keitech Swing Impact Fat 3.8, and just Like Bluebasser I use a spinning set up to fish them either on a 1/8oz, 3/16oz, or 1/4oz jig heads. 

[Ksam1234]

12 hours ago, riverbasser said:

Hoping some of you can shed some light and give me some direction on fishing paddle tail swimbaits for largemouth exclusively. I've had plenty of success using them as jig trailers but for whatever reason cant seem to consistantly get bites fishing them by their self.  I have several brands that I'm sure all catch fish so I'm more interested in technique.

 

It's strange that I've struggled so much since in my area swimming worms like the ultravibe or swim n dinger are limit getters for me and many others in the clubs. These little swimbaits look much better in the water but arent near as effective. Just wondering if it's me.

I love swimbaits ! I only throw keitechs Bc that what work for me but I usually throw them on a 1/4 up to a 1/2 oz open hook swimbaits Head , my favorite are dobyns or VMC boxer. I slow roll off the bottom or if there are weeds I’ll reel just over the tops and give my rod a couple twitches along the way, kind of like a jerkbait. If there is heavy vegetation I’ll throw them on a weighted weedless swimbaits hook. Usually trokar or gammy. I’ll toss those suckers into some nasty weeds and just swim it out. You can also let it sink and use it like a fish feeding on bottom or going after bass fry in the spawn. 

[riverbasser]

13 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

What ones are you using and how are you fishing them? 

I have all 3 different keitechs but feel the fat version might kick too much. Also SK swim n shiner as well as some Big bite bait brands. I have Texas rigged them, weedless jig heads and weighted swimbait hooks. I'm always in cover so open hooks are useless. For the most part I've just been slow rolling them around cover like I would a spinnerbait. I have not done any dragging or hopping on bottom.

 

I've only been throwing them off and on during fun fishing days. Have yet to use them during a tourney. Could be I've just been using them during an off time. Also noticed that for whatever reason I tend to only buy whites and translucent color ones. Maybe I should try the darker colors that work with other soft plastics. 

 

Will also maybe switch reels. I've been throwing them on a 7 ratio I believe so I will try something slower as yall suggest

[bowhunter63]

For River Smallies i t rig a Rage Swimmer 2.75. I use a spinning rod with 10 lb flouro. I get hung a lot less  then with a jig head. Better in the rocks.

[r83srock]

I’ve done well with a Berkley grass pig and RI skinny dipper, and SK caffeine shad, but I like the yum pulse the best. Cheap, swims and rolls a lot like a Keitech. I use the bigger pulse. I use em on buzzbaits and swim jigs too. Versatility is important to me.

[NittyGrittyBoy]

I too have them but they've been dedicated trailers. I've never caught anything on them when fishing them on there own? 

 

Maybe I just need to chunk em more, idk. I don't get bit quick I go to something that will

[Westcoast]

They are one of my go to baits in some of the ponds I fish. I fish a Keitech 3.8 or a 4” kvd swimming shiner on a 1/8oz weighted screwlock hook. Just toss it any where and give it a slow/pause retrieve. I also like throwing them into cover and letting it drop in the holes, pulling it up over the top and dropping it in the next hole. My favourite rod to throw it on is a mbr 782c or the 852c with 10 or 12lb test on a mgextreme reel. 

[Todd2]

I like the Strike King Cut-R worm instead of the paddle tails, they just produce better for me for some reason.  I just swim it or drag it on a Split Shot rig or light Carolina rig.

 

 

[boostr]

Don't have luck with them as well. Maybe I'll throw them out of desperation...

[michaelb]

I use them all the time, one of my go to baits. I pretty much only use RI skinny dippers, and only in one color, green. I have tried other colors and didn't have nearly the same luck; I tried Keitechs in a lighter silver and didn't catch anything on them either. Maybe they are more color sensitive and that color is location dependent.

 

For technique, part of what makes them so useful, is you can fish them any way. With a weighted swimbait hook, they are heavy and so can handle wind and waves. I reel them in straight, or burn them fast over weeds, or let them drop to the bottom and reel them in, or drag them along like a worm or jig. But most of the time, I start and stop on the retrieve to let them drop back down; part of why I do this is I find they get nibbled all the time. Sometimes that is a 6" perch nibbling a 5" skinny dipper; sometimes that is nice bass. Pike hit them hard, but bass do not. So I hope they hit on the drop, or when I jerk the rod after the drop. This mostly works.

 

The hardest part for me is setting the hook. The skinny dipper is heavy plastic and the hook is buried and weedless. So getting the hookset right is tricky and I lost a lot of fish under and over setting the hook.

[Jigfishn10]

Like @Log Catcher I use them t-rigged. I'm fishing weedy lakes and find that the t-rig hangs up less. Like most have posted I basically slow roll, but will hop along if nothing is hitting on a slow roll. Swim Senkos have been the hotter baits for me.

[Log Catcher]

2 hours ago, Jigfishn10 said:

Like @Log Catcher I use them t-rigged. I'm fishing weedy lakes and find that the t-rig hangs up less. Like most have posted I basically slow roll, but will hop along if nothing is hitting on a slow roll. Swim Senkos have been the hotter baits for me.

Swim Senkos and Zoom Swimming Super Flukes have been my best ones and I don't set the world on fire with swim baits but like I said I just don't use them as much as I should. I also like using them on a Swormin Hornet fish head spin.

[Glenn]

 

[Shimano_1]

I've had a lot of success fishing them in and around grass and particularly on flats. Places where u would want to crank but vegetation prevents it. Like you said most of the lakes i fish i couldn't throw them on an open hook jig head if I wanted.  I'll use belly weighted hooks some but usually Texas rig them like a worm and slow roll with an occasional twitch of the rod. I have keitechs and rage swimmers and both produce.  Actually like the rage better as they seem more durable and they smell better to me lol. Good luck

[Russ E]

over the years I have had a love hate relationship with paddle tails.

In lakes with few or no weeds I do well with a jighead and a 3.8 keitech.

on weedy lakes I have done well Texas rigging them on ewg hooks. In shallow water.

When the fish are in deep weeds is where I have struggled. always had problems finding the correct weighted hook size for my 3.8s.

This year I started using my standard ewg hooks and using crimp on hook weights from Bass Pro Shops.

Problem solved.

[ChrisD46]

On ‎6‎/‎2‎/‎2019 at 2:03 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

What ones are you using and how are you fishing them? 

 

For me personally, the smaller size YUM Pulse, 2.8 Fat Impact, or 4" Swing Impact on a 1/8oz jighead, or a regular sized YUM Pulse or 3.8 Fat Impact on a 1/4oz jighead are my best baits. Don't over fish them. Cast them out, let it sink down a bit if needed, then reel it straight in slowly, that's it. It isn't an exciting way to fish, but it's extremely effective at times. It's a technique that you might benefit from using a slower ratio reel to help you fish slow enough. I fish mine on a spinning reel with a slower retrieve speed so I can slow down easier. I fish mine on 10lb braid with 6 or 8lb leader. 

+1  ^^This^^

[ShenandoahAngler]

These swimbaits have become one of my confidence baits as of late. I walk the bank and will typically have no more than four rods with me. One is a finesse set up, one has a jig tied on, one for a reaction bait, and one for these swimbaits. Yeah, I may tie a worm on one of them from time to time, but this is what I start out with. 

 

I use several different swimbaits as I'm just starting to get into it. River Rock Custom Baits is right up the road from me, so I pick up their stuff in all sizes. Stike Jr., RR Striker, and Mongoose Striker. I I also tend to use the Missile Baits Shockwaves in both sizes. I like to have three colors: one chartreuse, one with some blue, and one green pumpkin type. If I fished more places with shad I would get one like that, but I've never fished somewhere with shad forage, before. 

 

I will Texas rig or put a keel weighted hook on them most of the time because I fish some really snaggy places. I fish them in all sorts of ways. Around cover, on top of grass, in the grass, along the shore, doesn't matter. If I'm not getting a bite with one technique, I'll just change up my retrieve to be slower or faster, maybe pause a few times, maybe jerk it around a bit. The thing I have learned is that it is a very versatile bait and you can do a lot with it.

[microotter]

On 6/2/2019 at 1:43 PM, smalljaw67 said:

This^^^^^!!!!!!  I use a River Rock RR Stryker and the Keitech Swing Impact Fat 3.8, and just Like Bluebasser I use a spinning set up to fish them either on a 1/8oz, 3/16oz, or 1/4oz jig heads. 

What shape of jig head do you guys prefer?

[Allen Der]

8 hours ago, microotter said:

What shape of jig head do you guys prefer?

I use the SK squadron jigs in 1/4 oz.  they have a heavy wire hook so i use 20lb braid on a medium spinning rod