Was your investment into big Swimbait fishing worth it?

[Mr. Aquarium]

4 hours ago, PhishLI said:

This is the case here too. I'd say 95% of the bigs that I'm aware of caught here on big baits came at night.

Oh definitely when I first started, I fish wakes hard at night! That was a huge help for my swimbait game. 

You are literally matching what they eat! They eat a 7 inch shad, they got a bait for that. A 12   inch trout, a 8 Inch sunny, etc.  swimbaits are very very realistic. 

Swimbaits can also be a search tool. So if you are getting a bunch of followers on a big bait but they won’t commit. Leave them, then come back for a different approach. You know the fish are there. The bass especially biggons will come out of the abyss to check it out! 

[TnRiver46]

2 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Yeah I'm committed for the most part already lol.   

 

I knew I wanted to fish the big hard swimbaits when I threw a Jackall Giron for the first time a week or two ago, caught a pig Spot on it the first cast.     Then I realized that the Giron is just a miniature hard swimbait.  

 

Even though it only weighs 3/4th, the only rod I have that can throw it with any accuracy, and not have it create a huge splash is my new 7'2 Chatterbound.    

That bait looks like it would call up the big uns! 

[Big Swimbait]

Definitely worth it to me. But don't make the mistake a lot of people do and buy big money baits up front. There are enough sub $50.00 baits that work out there to fill many boxes. Get your confidence up and then you can upgrade. WRB is correct on the Sunline Shooter Defier Armilo line.  And don't sleep on the soft baits like the Magdraft.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

31 minutes ago, Big Swimbait said:

Definitely worth it to me. But don't make the mistake a lot of people do and buy big money baits up front. There are enough sub $50.00 baits that work out there to fill many boxes. Get your confidence up and then you can upgrade. WRB is correct on the Sunline Shooter Defier Armilo line.  And don't sleep on the soft baits like the Magdraft.

Okay I'll pick some of that line up, what would you recommend in regard to 19 vs 22 vs 25lb sizes?   My instinct would be the middle 22lb.   

 

Screenname checks out  

[JustJames]

I like these pretty easy for starters not too expensive and versatile enough. For line, i might not be a good example, since I use small reel like Curado 200ipg and Cardiff 200, I can only fit 15 or 17 Copolymer (izor line). 

[Hammer 4]

Tough to go wrong with 6 and 8" Huddlestons. Long time ago, I bought only 3:16 custom swimbaits for Major $$$, they looked great, swam real nice, but didn't catch any more fish than my Hudds at a fraction of the price.

[WRB]

When I sold my swimbaits 2 years ago mixed in where Wooden Black Dog Shell Crackers and Wage Tails , Century 22 Triple trout Custom painted by Pizz, love to those back today to re sale.

Tom

[Big Swimbait]

16 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Okay I'll pick some of that line up, what would you recommend in regard to 19 vs 22 vs 25lb sizes?   My instinct would be the middle 22lb.   

 

Screenname checks out  

I fish 22 on treble hooked baits and 25 on jig hook soft plastic baits. 

[Bluebasser86]

I enjoy fishing them, really gets the blood pumping when a fish hits a big bait. I haven't caught any monsters on them yet, but lots of nice quality fish. Oddly enough, despite having some pricy baits, my biggest fish have been on a Slammer and Shine Glide. 

 

Listen to the pain.

$100 Donut Shad, gone. Cast into an off limits area at a nuclear power plant lake, couldn't even try to retrieve it. All part of the game though and a $100 bait isn't even that expensive anymore.

 

The bone colored Shine Glide 185 has been one of my best baits.

 

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

9 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I enjoy fishing them, really gets the blood pumping when a fish hits a big bait. I haven't caught any monsters on them yet, but lots of nice quality fish. Oddly enough, despite having some pricy baits, my biggest fish have been on a Slammer and Shine Glide. 

 

Listen to the pain.

$100 Donut Shad, gone. Cast into an off limits area at a nuclear power plant lake, couldn't even try to retrieve it. All part of the game though and a $100 bait isn't even that expensive anymore.

 

The bone colored Shine Glide 185 has been one of my best baits.

 

 

Great stuff brother.....look forward to watching the videos.    Looks FREEZING lol 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

@Bluebasser86   Just watched those videos, awesome stuff man, and yeah that sucks in the manner in which you lost that bait.

 

You are just like my fishing mentor.....dude would push it up to the limit or boundary wherever he found one.   He gave me my love for Dams, but equally taught me how dang scary they are.  

 

What an absolute champion your pupper is in that first video......I didn't even notice it until mid video ?

 

Nothing has ever intimidated me in all of Bass fishing outside of big Swimbait fishing, since a kid reading about folks like WRB and the like on Castaic I remember thinking this is epic, but never in a million years could I see myself undertaking the challenge.     Doesn't seem to be something you can half donkey, it's a full send technique.   The cost, the actual labor of working these baits, and ultimately a whole new skillset to master is a commitment.    These baits excite me, watching you guys fish them, knowing they give you a fantastic shot at huge fish, that's what it's all about besides catching the actual Bass.    It's the pursuit of challenging yourself to learn new techniques that will ultimately result in more and larger fish.     The Chatterbait was a revelation to my fishing game not just on the macro level with the bait itself but opening my mind to the things out there that could be improving my success by orders of magnitude.     

 

Alpha Angler Wide Glide is arriving today.   WA to AL in 3days.....not to shabby.   Really loving this company right now, nice to be able to talk with the owner of a rod company.    

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I finally got my first taste of the big swimbait kool-aid this afternoon just playing around with a few baits I bought, and the new rod that came in yesterday.    Threw a JDM Zillion SV TW on it just for the day.    Ultimately now I see the rod was the biggest factor in the equation. 

 

Only threw this 5"/sub 2oz Gizzard Shad, but man am I gonna have to work on landing these baits more quietly.   

 

This bait has a really cool strong magnet that holds the front hook perfectly inline and in place.   Swims regardless how fast you retrieve, dynamite action on a simple straight retrieve, but I give it a twitch occasionally or when it was passing something I thought might have a fish.      

 

Didn't throw it but 2-3 dozen times and caught a nice chunky 3lb class fish.    Fish crushed the bait too.    That fish did wonders for my confidence going forward.    

Thanks to all who replied, seems like this is an investment I'm okay making

[Hammer 4]

Matt from Taticalbassin just did a great vid on swimbaits, for beginners to advanced folks. Might be worth it to check it out if you haven't already.

[Bluebasser86]

It was the best thing going for me this weekend.

[Darth-Baiter]

NOPE.  I have taken some bass sure.  and it was super exciting for sure.  the big bait just stops cold!!

 

but I havent been that successful, and I hate how they take up so much storage space on my kayak.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

2 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

NOPE.  I have taken some bass sure.  and it was super exciting for sure.  the big bait just stops cold!!

 

but I havent been that successful, and I hate how they take up so much storage space on my kayak.

Oh I can see that for sure, I couldn't imagine throwing one on a kayak.   I hate throwing this setup from the rear of a high gunnel metal jon boat.    I smack a lure into the gunnel and it sounds like a bomb went off, not to mention the backlash and damage to lure.    

 

Caught my second fish yesterday on the big Shad I posted above.  

 

It's super exciting fishing these baits, and I sure hope all the Bass hit the bait like the first two.   Absolute bone jarring strikes.    One from yesterday hammered, then came back and ate a few reel turns later.  

2 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

It was the best thing going for me this weekend.

Awesome stuff man.   I tried the few soft baits I had, and I don't like those at all right now.   I'm gonna fish these baits like yours and mine above, mixed in with the Bream hard baits.    

[Darth-Baiter]

1 minute ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Oh I can see that for sure, I couldn't imagine throwing one on a kayak.   I hate throwing this setup from the rear of a high gunnel metal jon boat.    I smack a lure into the gunnel and it sounds like a bomb went off, not to mention the backlash and damage to lure.    

 

Caught my second fish yesterday on the big Shad I posted above.  

 

It's super exciting fishing these baits, and I sure hope all the Bass hit the bait like the first two.   Absolute bone jarring strikes.    One from yesterday hammered, then came back and ate a few reel turns later.  

hahhaha

 

brand new Berkeley El Choppo.  I load up in anticipation, can casted it towards a reed pocket.  I was thinking.."dang I am gonna gets smashed".  I was in the back of my friends bass boat.  I clipped the shallow water anchor and totally blew up the propeller.  in my defense, despite the obstacle, my cast was still crazy accurate.  for information:  you cannot walk the dog with a broken el choppo :D.  I took the hooks off and tossed the poor thing.

[Bluebasser86]

51 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Awesome stuff man.   I tried the few soft baits I had, and I don't like those at all right now.   I'm gonna fish these baits like yours and mine above, mixed in with the Bream hard baits.    

I'm not a fan of big soft baits either, just can't make them work for me. 

[WRB]

3 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

It was the best thing going for me this weekend.

Don’t recognize the bone glide; Name & weight??

Tom

[Bluebasser86]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Don’t recognize the bone glide; Name & weight??

Tom

It's a Clutch Glide, they're fairly new. 7 3/4" and 3oz.

[WRB]

6 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

It's a Clutch Glide, they're fairly new. 7 3/4" and 3oz.

???thanks

[AlabamaSpothunter]

4 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

It's a Clutch Glide, they're fairly new. 7 3/4" and 3oz.

Dang.....$140 for that bait.   All sold out too, every single bait they make is sold out.   

Big swimbait is big business ?

[WRB]

The history of specialized hand carved wooden lures is littered with out of business signs. 

What happens is the the original lure takes more time to make, balance, test and paint then the money paid for the lure can recover. The option is to expand by injection molding the lure or going off shore and loosing control of the lures performance and sales drop off....out of business.

If you want a hand made swimbait buy now before it’s history.

Tom

[AlabamaSpothunter]

1 minute ago, WRB said:

The history of specialized hand carved wooden lures is littered with out of business signs. 

What happens is the the original lure takes more time to make, balance, test and paint then the money paid for the lure can recover. The option is to expand by injection molding the lure or going off shore and loosing control of the lures performance and sales drop off....out of business.

If you want a hand made swimbait buy now before it’s history.

Tom

Oh I get why they cost so much money in terms of the high end, highly custom lures.    

 

I'd be foolish to buy them at this point in my learning curve though.   That's why I like Jackall baits so much, they have done lots of R&D on baits, and then mass produce them enough to at least be semi affordable to the average Joe.    One day I'll buy baits like this hopefully.   Clearly the results speak for themselves in regard to this Clutch Glide.   

 

 

[WRB]

The 22nd Century Triple Fish 8”, 2 3/4oz, Bone isn’t a glide but has all the moves and a wooden lure at $68.

Tom