Soft Swimbaits

[AManWearingAHat]

59 minutes ago, Catt said:

That right there is one of my favorite combos to fish by far.

I'm a big Keitech fanboy and the bait monkey knows it. I have a ton of their plastics. Probably one of the few brands I can say has caught me about as many fish as they've caught me for purchases 

Regarding going weedless. Mesu Raptor swim jigs are my favorite or a weighted twist lock hook with a fluke.

[warefisher]

Heading to an Ontario lake in June.  This is my new favorite thread!

[PotatoLake]

Is it a cop out to say they all get bit? I've had luck on most of the ones mentioned here. There's some that have tighter wiggle than others. I have zero idea if that matters, but I throw the ones with less "wag" in colder water, and the ones that thump and wag in the warmer months. Also tighter wiggle in clearer water vs those that thump in dirtier water. I'm probably overthinking it. 

[NorthernBasser]

2 hours ago, softwateronly said:

 

 

Got Miyagi's, largos, and more time with the swammers lined up this coming year.

 

 

This color in the 3" with a basic round Gammy jig head....smallie killer!

 

[softwateronly]

12 minutes ago, NorthernBasser said:

 

This color in the 3" with a basic round Gammy jig head....smallie killer!

 

I need to stop thinking.  That looks like a cartoon, not an actual useable lure.  I know I'm wrong, but thanks for reminding me.

 

scott

[NorthernBasser]

12 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

I need to stop thinking.  That looks like a cartoon, not an actual useable lure.  I know I'm wrong, but thanks for reminding me.

 

scott

People always talk about "match the hatch". But with smallies, all bets are off. 

[softwateronly]

19 minutes ago, NorthernBasser said:

People always talk about "match the hatch". But with smallies, all bets are off. 

LM have a logic to them that allows me to think I understand most of their behavior.

 

SM are nomadic ghosts that show up every now and then to rattle everything in my brain and try to take my rod out of my hand.

 

scott

[TnRiver46]

Just now, softwateronly said:

LM have a logic to them that allows me to think I understand most of their behavior.

 

SM are nomadic ghosts that show up every now and then to rattle everything in my brain and try to take my rod out of my hand.

 

scott

Haha. The brown ones are much easier for me to catch 

[Spankey]

You can probably tell by my post that these swimbaits are not my go to baits. RI Dippers was what I could find at the shop with that boot type tail. Tried to cover myself with what looks natural. Shiner, Smallmouth Magic and White Trash. All of which caught fish. The White Trash out fishing the others. Pretty decent color in clear water. White with silver/black fleck. Pretty basic. By the post I’m getting I have a lot to grasp. Have really only been fishing it like a topwater and just under the surface. 
 

[softwateronly]

4 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Haha. The brown ones are much easier for me to catch 

You're going to have to show me the way.  I'll be watching you.....

 

scott

3 minutes ago, Spankey said:

You can probably tell by my post that these swimbaits are not my go to baits. RI Dippers was what I could find at the shop with that boot type tail. Tried to cover myself with what looks natural. Shiner, Smallmouth Magic and White Trash. All of which caught fish. The White Trash out fishing the others. Pretty decent color in clear water. White with silver/black fleck. Pretty basic. By the post I’m getting I have a lot to grasp. Have really only been fishing it like a topwater and just under the surface. 
 

Don't forget to fish them like jigs too!  I was just in TX and getting skunked until I got a 4" scottsboro in smelt on a flashy swimmer and dragged and popped it across all the wood scraps I could find in 2-6' fow.

 

scott

[TnRiver46]

2 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

You're going to have to show me the way.  I'll be watching you.....

 

scott

Where I fish it’s just the way it is. If you go fishing, smallmouth are going to see your lures. They are one of the most common fish in the water. I got a 6 ish lb one Saturday with half a night crawler 

[softwateronly]

Just now, TnRiver46 said:

Where I fish it’s just the way it is. If you go fishing, smallmouth are going to see your lures. They are one of the most common fish in the water. I got a 6 ish lb one Saturday with half a night crawler 

Thats a beautiful fish, congrats!  They are so much fun when you're hooked up.  You live in the freshwater goldilocks zone and has me and the Mrs looking around there for a winter home!

 

My first big fish, was a 20" football in N Michigan when I was 10 or 11.  My friend's dad took 5-6 of us kids out in a fish 'n ski w/ wax worms and cane poles.  We were plucking perch left and right, when all of sudden my little perch got real heavy.  To this day, I still think s/he attacked/ate the perch not the worm and I've maybe equaled it twice but never beat it.  And a 5lb smallie on a cane pole is a trip.

 

scott

[Mike L]

1 hour ago, PotatoLake said:

Is it a cop out to say they all get bit? I've had luck on most of the ones mentioned here. There's some that have tighter wiggle than others. I have zero idea if that matters, but I throw the ones with less "wag" in colder water, and the ones that thump and wag in the warmer months. Also tighter wiggle in clearer water vs those that thump in dirtier water. I'm probably overthinking it. 

Yes it does matter and No, you’re not. 

The reason I only throw the 2 I mentioned is not only because of the size, but mostly because of the difference in action. 
The Skinny Dipper is just a tad smaller and has a tighter faster “wiggle” than the Big EZ. 
 

The Big EZ tends to have more of a wider thump type action. (see the segment and boot)
The bass can differentiate between the two which is why those are all I need. 
 

Clarity and temperature will dictate which I start with, but will change without hesitation. 
 

 

 

 

Mike
 

[Way north bass guy]

I don’t throw a ton of different brands, but have tried most of the more popular ones over the years. The last couple years I’ve pretty much stuck to the Berkley Power Swimmer, in a couple sizes and colours. They have a good action for me, usually fish them on an Owner ball head jig ( mostly in open water areas). The main thing I’ve found about them though is that they’re pretty tough. Not only do I catch a ton of bass on one, but I also hammer the pike on them in the spring and fall. I’ve caught over a dozen pike on one bait before it finally tore off the tail, and these aren’t your Midwest state “snot rockets”, but true Canadian gators. 

[casts_by_fly]

21 hours ago, Catt said:

 

It was already on there why take it off!

 

I like this logic.  My habit has always been to clear an entire rig when changing lures.  Then I get annoyed when I swap back and need to burn through another bobber stop (that's $0.10 wasted!).  For my new flipping/punching rod I'll just leave it on even when swapping to a frog or spinnerbait briefly.

 

thanks,

rick

[Catt]

8 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

My habit has always been to clear an entire rig when changing lures. 

 

The very first bobber stop I removed I immediately thought why ya did that. It doesn't interfere with anything so I just slide it up the line tie on a lure & slide it back down. 

 

I use 6th Sense Peg-X Stoppers which come in a 9 pk, after 3 years I still have 6 left.

[Deleted account]

21 hours ago, softwateronly said:

I need to stop thinking.  That looks like a cartoon, not an actual useable lure.  I know I'm wrong, but thanks for reminding me.

 

scott

 

Once you go electric chicken you never go back, a lot of things salt and fresh will hit it with abandon, and surprisingly, it works well in most light conditions and water clarities.

[Oklahoma Mike]

I throw a pretty wide variety and I throw them often, but my go-to is the 4.8" Jackall Rhythm Wave. The holo black is absolutely killer around here in virtually all conditions.

[Basser2021]

On 2/14/2022 at 11:06 AM, PotatoLake said:

Is it a cop out to say they all get bit? I've had luck on most of the ones mentioned here. There's some that have tighter wiggle than others. I have zero idea if that matters, but I throw the ones with less "wag" in colder water, and the ones that thump and wag in the warmer months. Also tighter wiggle in clearer water vs those that thump in dirtier water. I'm probably overthinking it. 

I have the exact same mindset as far as these lures go

[michaelb]

Skinny dippers on a vmc jighead are one of my goto options and always tied on. I do find color matters and so like the white best (but black and green work too). It may be that I would have better luck on the keitechs if i tried a bright and flashy color. Rigged weedless on a weighted hook also works but i like the exposed jig head better. 

[txchaser]

Anyone put any real time in with the Z-man diezel swimmer? I've been dragging around a couple of packs waiting for a hot bite on keitechs or jackalls (my two go-tos) and haven't seen the right time to try it out. 

 

 

[ChrisD46]

On 2/14/2022 at 2:04 PM, NorthernBasser said:

People always talk about "match the hatch". But with smallies, all bets are off. 

*Along with their crazy cousins - The Spotted Bass ... Chartreuse color is a mainstay - then started using pinks and lavenders and the spotted bass were liking those colors as well . *What looks like a 3.5" Largo Shad in Electric Chicken color would be ideal for Smallies and Spotted Bass . 

[the reel ess]

Anybody got a preferred rigging method for Gambler Big Easy standard size, about 5" long?

[softwateronly]

10 hours ago, the reel ess said:

Anybody got a preferred rigging method for Gambler Big Easy standard size, about 5" long?

 

I throw them on the back of swim jigs most frequently.  Owner beast, and flashy swimmer are probably number two use closely followed by a spintrix underspin.

 

scott  

[Mike L]

18 hours ago, the reel ess said:

Anybody got a preferred rigging method for Gambler Big Easy standard size, about 5" long?

5/0 Owner keel weight w/ cps

 

6/0 Gambler Duz It with gold willow leaf.

I’ll move it up or down depending on how I want it to fall. 
 

 

 

 

Mike