Boot Tail Swimbait Differences?

[5/0]

My only experience with these baits are with Keitech Swing Impact FAT. They have worked great, but tend to be fragile. What are the main differences between these and other brands; particularly the Strike King Rage Swimmer and Caffeine Shad, and the Dippers from Reaction Innovations? Is it mainly durability or are the action of the baits totally different?

 

Thanks....Joe

[A-Jay]

There's so many swimbaits out there, haven't tried them all. 

 

Soft swimbaits excel for me when I need to have some action while slowly moving the bait in cooler water;

especially on the fall with a lighter head and underspins.

Keitech Easy Shiner, Swing Impact FAT and Rage Swimmers fit in here. 

Firmer baits are clearly more durable and will often be the deal on baits that I'm moving along at a pretty good clip.

Swimjigs come to mind also as trailers on spinnerbait. 

Dippers from Reaction Innovations do this. 

Boot tail shape & size factors into the above as well.  

Hollow belly baits usually put out much more of a wobble vs a swimming action.

Sometimes that is the deal. 

A-Jay

 

 

 

[5/0]

3 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Swimjigs come to mind also as trailers on spinnerbait. 

Dippers from Reaction Innovations do this.

A-Jay,

By this are you saying that the Dippers are trailers suited for Swimjigs and Spinnerbaits?

[A-Jay]

1 minute ago, 5/0 said:

A-Jay,

By this are you saying that the Dippers are trailers suited for Swimjigs and Spinnerbaits?

I think just about any decent solid, properly rigged paddle tail swimbait will get bites, regardless if it's rigged as a primary bait or a trailer. 

My point was that softer baits usually offer more action with less movement or speed.

When that's important that's what I reach for.

Firmer baits usually do not move much at a slow speed or have as wide a tail swing at any speed vs softer boot tails baits.  So that helps a bait that I'm going to need to speed along, track straighter. 

If I want slow thumbing vibration I go soft, if I want less thump and more speed, I go firm.

As for a baits 'Durability' - at this point, I have all but disregarded it.

If I'm going to fish plastics, sometimes it's one & done.

Don't like it but it is what it is.

YMMV

A-Jay

 

 

[galyonj]

2 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Firmer baits usually do not move much at a slow speed or have as wide a tail swing at any speed vs softer boot tails baits.  So that helps a bait that I'm going to need to speed along, track straighter. 

This matches my observations. I haven't used the Reaction Innovations swimbaits, but I do have some 6th Sense Divine Swimmers, and they are made with a very firm plastic in comparison to Keitech and Strike King. The action on them is considerably tighter during the retrieve than, say, a Rage Swimmer. I'm not qualified to say whether that's a good or bad thing.

[Black Hawk Basser]

As A-Jay mentioned, softer baits will have a different kind of 'kick' than more firm baits.  For instance, I really like the Havoc Grass Pig Jr and the B Fishn Pulse-R.  I use each in different applications, because: The Grass Pig Jr is more firm and needs a little more speed to thump, and the main movement is just in the tail.  For those reasons, I use them for jig/chatter/spinner trailers.  I also use the regular sized 5" Grass Pig on a keel weighted screw lock, because they can be rigged with a large hook and not hamper action, as most of the movement is in the tail and not the body. 

 

I use the Pulse-R on jig heads, because they are much softer, can be crawled slowly and still have tail kicking action, and they have a much more pronounced roll/wobble to the body, lending the rig a very nice wiggle to entice fish in situations where you need to slow down and finesse them a little.

 

I haven't ever had any Keitech swimmers, but I bet that they have a similar feel to the Pulse-R's that I use.

[Mike L]

If I need a lot wiggle I use Skinny Dippers which I have for years. 
If more thump and displacement is needed I always use a Big EZ.  
 

Over the years I’ve tried almost all of them but keep coming back to those two. 
 

 

 

Mike

[RoLo]

 

Mike took the words out of my mouth  

 

Roger

[OkobojiEagle]

21 hours ago, Pickle_Power said:

I also use the regular sized 5" Grass Pig on a keel weighted screw lock, because they can be rigged with a large hook and not hamper action, as most of the movement is in the tail and not the body. 

Perhaps the keel weighted hook has a dampening effect on the roll of your bait...  The weight/hook will have an impact on how the bait moves.

 

oe

[OnthePotomac]

The A Walker size 100 has a nice tight wiggle and won't flop all over the place.

[jimmyjoe]

   You may wish to look into the J-Mac musky swimbaits. I found out (accidentally) that bass like them. He's got 5" and 6", and they're quite durable. They seem to need a slightly faster retrieve, though.        jj

[Luke Barnes]

I use the Powerbait Power Swimmers on a swim jig and so far have caught 10 fish with the current one. Its still in good shape and has good action too. 

[plawren53202]

I have always used Rage Swimmers and more recently started using some 6th Sense Divine Swimbaits as well. I have always been really happy with the Rage Swimmers (the Divines are good too, but definitely firmer and I feel like I haven't exactly figured out their niche yet). Rage Swimmers have a good motion but are pretty durable. 

 

Curse words I know, but I had never owned a Keitech until just recently. I saw some of the Swing Impact 2.8s and thought they would be good for the dinks in places I fish. I also really liked their version of the Bluegill Flash-type color I use a lot. I know Keitechs have a huge fan club and I'm in the distinct minority on this, but I was shocked at how soft they are. So soft that I had trouble getting it to rig straight on a belly hook. So soft that it felt like it was one step removed from a Jello fish.

 

Granted it was 90+ degrees when I used it. I could see an advantage to the softness if I were fishing in colder water or otherwise needed pronounced action at a really slow speed. But for fishing one at average speed in warm water, I think I'm going to stick with the Rage Swimmers. I understand now why people say they don't survive more than a fish or two; I also understand why people like them in colder water.

[Luke Barnes]

22 minutes ago, plawren53202 said:

I have always used Rage Swimmers and more recently started using some 6th Sense Divine Swimbaits as well. I have always been really happy with the Rage Swimmers (the Divines are good too, but definitely firmer and I feel like I haven't exactly figured out their niche yet). Rage Swimmers have a good motion but are pretty durable. 

 

Curse words I know, but I had never owned a Keitech until just recently. I saw some of the Swing Impact 2.8s and thought they would be good for the dinks in places I fish. I also really liked their version of the Bluegill Flash-type color I use a lot. I know Keitechs have a huge fan club and I'm in the distinct minority on this, but I was shocked at how soft they are. So soft that I had trouble getting it to rig straight on a belly hook. So soft that it felt like it was one step removed from a Jello fish.

 

Granted it was 90+ degrees when I used it. I could see an advantage to the softness if I were fishing in colder water or otherwise needed pronounced action at a really slow speed. But for fishing one at average speed in warm water, I think I'm going to stick with the Rage Swimmers. I understand now why people say they don't survive more than a fish or two; I also understand why people like them in colder water.

I still have yet to buy anything Keitech. Fished with a buddy a few weeks ago that had them and I was amazed at how soft they were. I think the Rage Swimmers are about the best middle ground, with the Power Swimmers being more firm, but they still have good action. 

[Black Hawk Basser]

22 hours ago, OkobojiEagle said:

Perhaps the keel weighted hook has a dampening effect on the roll of your bait...  The weight/hook will have an impact on how the bait moves.

 

oe

We'll, I probably didn't explain in the best way, but I meant that the Grass Pig doesn't behave much differently on a keep weighted hook than it does on a jig head.  I don't think you can say the same thing about a Keitech or something similarly supple.  Heh, alliteration is fun.

[Ogandrews]

To keep it simple I use soft ones like a keitech when I am fishing just the swimbait on a jig head or a swimbait hook, and then I will go to a harder body when I am using it as a swimjig, spinnerbait, or buzzbait trailer. Generally the harder plastic will have more body roll than a really soft one which will be more so exaggerated tail kick. Hollow body’s are a category of their own but I’m general they have even more action than either other kind.

softer swimbaits- keitech swimbait impact, fat swing impact, and easy shiner are the only ones I use

harder- xzone swammer, River2sea d walker, rage swimmer

right now the only hollow body I use are the true bass swimbaits in various sizes, they have an incredible action much different that a keitech.