Bottom Contact Searchbaits

[Firstoutfisher]

Are there any deep water/bottom contact techniques that can cover water quickly? Or are bottom contact baits inherently slow by design? I know deep diving cranks would fit that mold however they aren't exactly viable for the kind of fishing I do.

[LrgmouthShad]

One of the most efficient is reeling a 3/4 or 1oz swing head jig along the bottom

[AlabamaSpothunter]

6 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

One of the most efficient is reeling a 3/4 or 1oz swing head jig along the bottom

Yeah that's the only real quick moving constant bottom contact bait I can think of.

 

Then again, banging a crank over and over again into the bottom is perhaps the greatest "bottom contact search bait" of all time.  

 

eta:  If you watch Milliken's videos enough, you'll see he fishes the C-Rig, Swinghead, and Free Rig faster than anybody I've seen. 

 

 

[LrgmouthShad]

Heavy jig or t-rig can be fished pretty quick too. But a swinghead jig will really run quick

[Firstoutfisher]

I will definitely have to try out a swinghead, never hear much about them especially this time of year. The shallow bite around here has been practically non existent. Too snaggy to run crankbaits when bank fishing round these parts. What trailers do you all like for the swinghead?

[LrgmouthShad]

1 minute ago, Firstoutfisher said:

What trailers do you all like for the swinghead?

Rage menace or rage bug. To be honest most the good fish that I’ve seen posted here from swinghead jigs have been from the rage bug. I think Bluebasser has a huge smallie off the menace

 

The zoom z craw is also very popular

@Firstoutfisher I anticipate you having some problems trying to run a swinghead like that from the bank though. Just saw you mentioned bank fishing. 

[RRocket]

8 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

. But a swinghead jig will really run quick

Same idea...I was going to suggest Jika rig.

[Pogues2300]

Swing head Texas rigged shouldn’t be an issue from the bank. I stroke a jig or tube and can cover a decent amount of water. 

[LrgmouthShad]

@Pogues2300 my experience with swingheads has been that they are more snaggy than you might originally think. Especially if we are talking about timber or big rock. But @Firstoutfisher I don’t know your water and you might be just fine. I just want you to be aware that you might be losing some rigs if you try this and I advise you to look for less expensive options because the swingheads I buy are about $10-$13 and you do not want to be losing those bank fishing

[Bass Rutten]

35 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

One of the most efficient is reeling a 3/4 or 1oz swing head jig along the bottom

AKA Bottom buggin' or the biffle bug system.

[softwateronly]

Hopping a lipless/blade bait and a heavy scrounger have opened up some 25'+ areas for me.

 

I've been reel ripping a blade runner duh-spoon recently with good success, but it's still new to me.

 

scott

Edited September 30, 2023 by softwateronly

[casts_by_fly]

A heavy chatter bait will cover a lot of water.  A 1 oz will be good to stick to the bottom out to 15’ or more. Mike at Siebert makes them. Grab a tremor. 
 

a big heavy soft swim bait will do it too. Something like a mag draft but plenty of options available. 

[king fisher]

Bounce a spinnerbait along the bottom, and hang on.

[J Francho]

What he said ^^^

[ne_dan]

Dragging a Spinnerbait, Carolina rig, stroking a jig.

[FishTank]

A 10in curly tail worm on a 1/2 or 3/4oz swing head or jig head. Let it hit bottom and swim it back. 

[padon]

crankbait if the water is the right depth. but for deeper water its hard to beat a carolina rig on a 3/4 or 1 ounce sinker.

[scaleface]

A Carolina rig with 3/4 to 1 oz weight will cover deep water quickly.

[Bankbeater]

3/8 oz swimjig, or a spinnerbait.

[waymont]

Dragging a football jig. I sometimes do it in quick rod sweeps, the reel up, repeat.

[Pogues2300]

17 hours ago, king fisher said:

Bounce a spinnerbait along the bottom, and hang on.

One day I will catch something other than a pike on a spinnerbait! So weird that I have zero confidence in a tried and true lure lol.

[Pat Brown]

I like 3/4 oz jigs with the skirts thinned out a fair bit with a trailer that doesn't create much drag when I want to get cooking on the bottom.  Stroke it and hang on tight!

[JediAmoeba]

How deep are we talking? 10xd gets down past 20'. 

 

If deeper you can always run a heavy jig head with a paddletail on the back just slow enough where you feel the bottom...

[papajoe222]

On 9/30/2023 at 2:52 PM, Firstoutfisher said:I .know deep diving cranks would fit that mold however they aren't exactly viable for the kind of fishing I do.

What kind of fishing is that?

I consider a C-rig a fast moving bottom contact presentation, but I wouldn’t consider it a search bait. 

[thediscochef]

3/4oz red eye shad runs fairly deep for a lipless, especially if you dont burn it. Has caught fish for me in 15-20fow. Otherwise it's a heavy texas rig for me