Beginner with swimbaits with a new 795SB rod, $100 to spend on swimbaits.....

[TBAG]

I'm new to swimbaits and took advantage of the Dobyns sale and grabbed a 795sb rod. I plan on using a spare Curado 201 K with mono to start out with, probably Big Game. 

 

I now need to buy some swimbaits to throw, and have limited my spending to $100. 

 

I plan on mainly throwing these in a smaller creek and lake I fish, both with plenty of standing and underwater timber, which I tend to lose treble hook lures quite a bit, even using lure retrievers. 

 

The other body of water I fish is a deep rocky bottom lake with some occasional timber. 

 

So, I'd like to cover all spectrums with several swimbaits. I do have my heart set on a S-waver 168s unless that's a bad idea? 

 

Looking forward to some suggestions on color choices and specific baits to take me down this swimbait rabbit hole. 

 

Yes, I've searched and read other threads but dang, this stay at home gig is driving me crazy. 

[Smells like fish]

I'm in the same boat as you (pardon the terrible pun) but I just bought a Shimano Cardiff 400, put on 20 or 25 lb big game and for the time being have been using a Ugly Stick hvy catfish rod. I'm gonna go with the Diawa swimbait rod though in Xtra hvy. I bought some of the Savage Gear swimbaits about $10 each and they look good in the water. Also bought some 5.5" and 6.5" hollow bodies rigged on VMC belly weighted 7/0 they look great too! The S Waver is on my list and from what I see on YouTube is a bargain for around $18. We will have to get us a big Spro Rat and wake it to stay in the club here lol

[JediAmoeba]

S waver 168, Savage Gear Line through swimbait, spro bbz 1 rat (30 size). GANTAREL JR.   That will cover just about all

 

8", 18 dollars.  6", 14 dollars.  https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Savage_Gear_4D_Pulse_Tail_Trout_Line-Thru_Swimbait/descpage-SGPTSB.html

 

32 dollars.   https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Jackall_Gantarel_Jr_Swimbaits/descpage-JGANJR.html

 

19 dollars.   https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/River2Sea_S-Waver/descpage-R2SW.html

 

30 size, 23 dollars.  https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Spro_BBZ-1_Rat/descpage-SBBZR.html

[MassYak85]

If it were me I'd go 168, G2 shell cracker, weedless Hudd 68, and a spro rat 40 size (30 will underpowered that rod). 

 

And the hood news is that rod allows for a lot of growth for if you want to step up and get like 9 inch slammers and stuff. 

[Chris at Tech]

I'd also kinda in the same boat and I'm trying to keep things relatively simple...

 

Glide baits: one shad profile, one bluegill profile

Options include S-Wavers, Ima Glide Flukes, Jackal Gantarel, Savage Gear and Storm offerings

 

Jointed baits: one shad profile, one bluegill profile

Options include: Bull shads, 6th Sense and Savage Gear offerings

 

Softbody baits: one shad profile, one bluegill profile

Options include: Megabass Magdrafts, Huddlestons, Jerry Rago, Storm/Berkley prerigged, Mattlures, etc

[Bass Rutten]

Great picks by jedi. Just to offer a few alternative choices... savage gear shine glide, mega bass magdraft, and a blackdog shellcracker. That’ll give you a nice budget friendly 3 piece meal, if you want a soda to go with that throw in a triple trout or bullshad.

[Derek1]

Just curious why are you guys recommending the smaller rats. Isn’t the 40 just about one ounce if I remember correctly. Can that rod not throw the 50 size?  

1 hour ago, TBAG said:

I'm new to swimbaits and took advantage of the Dobyns sale and grabbed a 795sb rod. I plan on using a spare Curado 201 K with mono to start out with, probably Big Game. 

 

I now need to buy some swimbaits to throw, and have limited my spending to $100. 

 

I plan on mainly throwing these in a smaller creek and lake I fish, both with plenty of standing and underwater timber, which I tend to lose treble hook lures quite a bit, even using lure retrievers. 

 

The other body of water I fish is a deep rocky bottom lake with some occasional timber. 

 

So, I'd like to cover all spectrums with several swimbaits. I do have my heart set on a S-waver 168s unless that's a bad idea? 

 

Looking forward to some suggestions on color choices and specific baits to take me down this swimbait rabbit hole. 

 

Yes, I've searched and read other threads but dang, this stay at home gig is driving me crazy. 

Did your rod come in. 

[JediAmoeba]

The only reason I didnt suggest the shellcracker is they are hard to get...

[Ogandrews]

I would take $30 of that and buy some 65lbs Power pro maxcuatro and then use the big game as a leader but that’s just my way of fishing.

 

i would for sure go with the s waver 168, I like light trout or the perch color because yellow perch is usually what I’m immitating, but go with what your forage is.

 

i would get 2-3 colors of 5.8-6.8 keitechs. Amazing way to get used to throwing a bigger bait and still get a good number of bites. Get owner beast 6/0 for the 5.8 and 8/0 6.8

 

id also get a megabass magdraft. If your usually wanting a weed less bait get the freestyle And rig it on one of the owner beast hooks

 

If you are planning on doing the whole creeping bottom super slow thing than I would get either an all American trash fish or a 4d savage gear trout. 
 

if you are planning on fishing deeper than I’d get an osprey tournament talon in either 6 or 7 inch

 

if you want a wake bait than the floating 8 inch bbz isn’t a bad option, although personally I’d probably get a bigger rat before that.

 

if I had to spend $100 for my fishery though I’d probably spend it all in 5.8-7.8 keitechs and magdraft freestyles, I just have the most confidence in those for how I fish.

[PhishLI]

Bucca Bull Gill Slow Sink, Shellcracker G2, MegaBass Magdraft Freestyle. Right at your budget and these 3 versatile baits will attract any size bass and cover the column nicely.

[MassYak85]

4 hours ago, JediAmoeba said:

The only reason I didnt suggest the shellcracker is they are hard to get...

Certain colors are, but there are plenty on the site right now. 

 

5 hours ago, Derek1 said:

Just curious why are you guys recommending the smaller rats. Isn’t the 40 just about one ounce if I remember correctly. Can that rod not throw the 50 size?  

795 can easily handle the 50 size, it's just a fairly big rat (10" overall, but only 2.5 ounces). For someone just getting into the game the 40 might be less intimidating. But by all means get a 50 OP if you feel comfortable with it. 

 

 

[WRB]

You only need a few swimbaits.

wake bait / rat or G2 Shellcracker.

Glide, S-Waver or shine glide.

Hard multi jointed swimmer, Triple trout.

Soft boot tail, 68 Hudd,

Too many lures you tend too change too often inside of staying with it. Keep it simple.

Tom

[Big Swimbait]

I would add some weedless presentations if you are losing a lot of treble baits. Two of my go tos are from Smash Tech - the Weedless Poacher and the Hollow Body swimbait. Both very budget friendly.

 

https://87fb9828-9ade-11e4-b274-14feb5d40a06.onlinestore.godaddy.com/t/swimbaits

 

[Hammer 4]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

You only need a few swimbaits.

wake bait / rat or G2 Shellcracker.

Glide, S-Waver or shine glide.

Hard multi jointed swimmer, Triple trout.

Soft boot tail, 68 Hudd,

Too many lures you tend too change too often inside of staying with it. Keep it simple.

Tom

I agree. There have been days when I would only throw 1 maybe 2 different baits. When I first began swimbaiting, I bought a bunch of baits, some Very expensive. I found that in most conditions 1 or 2 baits usually were all I needed on a given day. KISS works..

[Born 2 fish]

Shine & glide 

spro rat 50 small fish will eat it

g2 shellcracker 

s waver 168 but I throw 200’s on the 795

And save for a slammer 7 or 9 inch my 7” has out fished my 9”

And a 6” slow sink bullshad 

 

 

[Bluebasser86]

Savage Gear Shine Glide 185

FishLab Bio Gill Wake Bait 5"

FishLab Bio Minnow 6.25"-10/0 Owner Beast

Savage Gear Pulse Tail Bluegill

Spro Rat 50

 

I'd highly suggest saving up for a Slammer when you get a chance.

 

[Derek1]

6 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Savage Gear Shine Glide 185

FishLab Bio Gill Wake Bait 5"

FishLab Bio Minnow 6.25"-10/0 Owner Beast

Savage Gear Pulse Tail Bluegill

Spro Rat 50

 

I'd highly suggest saving up for a Slammer when you get a chance.

 

Aren’t the slammers only like $40, and where can you find them in stock. 

[Bluebasser86]

1 minute ago, Derek1 said:

Aren’t the slammers only like $40, and where can you find them in stock. 

Depends on which model. A Mini is $45, 7" is $60, 9" is $85. Swimbaitcity has a few and is usually a good place to find some. Lately it seems like contacting Mike directly is the best way to go about getting one though and then you get to pick out the size and color you want.

[Derek1]

 

2 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Depends on which model. A Mini is $45, 7" is $60, 9" is $85. Swimbaitcity has a few and is usually a good place to find some. Lately it seems like contacting Mike directly is the best way to go about getting one though and then you get to pick out the size and color you want.

Cool, don’t know why I thought I was seeing them for &30/$40. 

[PhishLI]

6 minutes ago, Derek1 said:

Aren’t the slammers only like $40, and where can you find them in stock. 

$60 for the 7", but be prepared to wait for the build. Definitely get the 7" first.

[Bluebasser86]

Just now, Derek1 said:

 

Cool, don’t know why I thought I was seeing them for &30/$40. 

You might occasionally see one used for something like that. I bought one that the owner had removed all the paint and taken it apart with the intention of repainting it and never did for $30. I've had a mini, a few 7", and a few 9". The 7" baits have been head and shoulders above the other baits.

[Derek1]

9 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

You might occasionally see one used for something like that. I bought one that the owner had removed all the paint and taken it apart with the intention of repainting it and never did for $30. I've had a mini, a few 7", and a few 9". The 7" baits have been head and shoulders above the other baits.

Ever get any from ebait says ships directly from mike Shaw allow 6/10 weeks for arrival. Was thinking 2 a light and dark. Any color recommendations 

[Bluebasser86]

7 minutes ago, Derek1 said:

Ever get any from ebait says ships directly from mike Shaw allow 6/10 weeks for arrival. Was thinking 2 a light and dark. Any color recommendations 

No I never have. I've bought mine either from Swimbaitcity or from individuals on swimbait FB pages.

[VolFan]

For colors on the slammers - I loke Dark Trout and Golden Shiner, but I don't know that it matters. I have a black Min that I got from JFranco about 10 years ago that still crushes it.

[PhishLI]

32 minutes ago, Derek1 said:

Any color recommendations