Looking to improve my paddle tail swimbait game

[LCG]

Looking to use them as chatterbait trailers both full size and mini max, as well as weedless texas rigged.

 

Mainly fishing for largemouth, smallmouth, and pike in Ontario. Usually fishing ponds and small lakes, and lake superior for two weeks a year. Kayak and bank angler. Also I have been generally target casting weeds, Rocky areas, and some wood.

 

But my main question is what size would you recommend as the best overall size between 2.8", 3.3", 3.8", & 4.8"?

 

Any brands suggestions or rigging tips is always appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

[Vilas15]

If i had to pick one bait to use it'd be 3.5" keitech easy shiner on plain ball jighead. 1/8" to 3/8" depending on depth but mostly 1/4". I catch bass, pike, and walleye. It's as close as you can get to a real minnow or baby perch.

[PhishLI]

2 hours ago, LCG said:

But my main question is what size would you recommend as the best overall size between 2.8", 3.3", 3.8", & 4.8"?

 

Any brands suggestions or rigging tips is always appreciated.

 

[gulfcaptain]

The sk rage swimmers, BPS version as well as keitech are all close. The 3.3 and 3.8 are probably the most used and 3.8 on a chatterbox although there are better options. If you do, rig it upside down. The 2.8 is great on a underspin like a cool baits version. The 3.3 ans 3.8 can be fished on a weedless keel weight or a flashy swimmer. I've been using Sudden Impact Torpedo shads in the 3 and 4 inch size as well.  If you haven't checked them out look them up, great colors  as well and mimic shad nicely. 

[Mbirdsley]

in the spring i like the 2.8 inches to 3.3 inch paddle tails on chatter baits.spinner baits illl run the 3.8’s.

 

  during the summer ill run the 3.8’s. if im using the 3.8’s as a trailer. i usually cut the heads off of the paddle tails back to the ribbed portion. 

 

i use berkley swimmers in the 2.8 size  kietech’s and the cabelas knock offs in 3.3-3.8 size.  

 

primary colors are white ,sexy shad, ayu, sun gill, black and black and blue.  those 6 colors pretty much pair up to any jig, spinner bait or chatter bait 

[JackstrawIII]

Best "all around" is the 3.8", but I do use other sizes occasionally. I guess itmostly depends on what size chatterbaits and spinnerbaits you're using them on. For trailers, I'd probably be looking 3.3-3.8. 

[FishTank]

I pick trailers based on water clarity.  Clear water I use something that doesn't displace a ton of water, like a Spunk Shad or a Zako 4in. For stained water,  something that thumps, like a Fat Impact 3.8, a Skinny Dipper or an OSP DoLive Shad. For something different,  a Zoom Speed craw. 

[ChrisD46]

Many good replies - but need to know where the bass are staging ? Usually a good tactic is to slowly swim  a small paddle tail along the bottom . 

[Fishing_Rod]

Greetings All,

Just adding my $0.02 worth in as a recreational angler. I’ll gladly echo @ChrisD46 theme. I’ll add that I prefer the smaller sized baits for use all year long. I generally work them low and slow. Bait speed is related to water temperature. During the  warm months I’ll run just slightly above bottom bouncing speed. Otherwise it is much slower so I can go from casting to catching. Be well, cheers!

[softwateronly]

I feel like gambler little EZ, EZ, big EZ, and GZ are overlooked, they catch fish for me all year long and are very durable.

 

scott

[RHuff]

Threadfin Shad or Bluegill colors 3.3 or smaller..

 

Gizzard Shad colors in the fall 3.8

 

 

[Functional]

I've had sporadic success with paddle tails on chatterbaits. A lot of times the waggle of the tail messes with the blade. I'm still messing with the full size version but on the mini max I've settled on a plain ole Zoom Split Tail trailer. A small zoom fluke worked pretty well also on some lakes.

 

On swim jigs Keitechs FATs in the 3.8 (pretty sure its this size) has been my go to. Their durability sucks but they catch fish for me. Started trying the rage swimmer and it gives close to the same action but havent used it enough to determine anything. 

 

It was late in the season but I also started to try a 2.8" Keitech FAT on a SK Bitsy Bug for a really small profile swim jig. The few times I've thrown it they action looked excellent. Effectiveness I cant say much on as I've only thrown it twice in late season. 

 

EDIT: I do use paddle tails exclusively on spinnerbaits as a trailer. The Zoom paddle tails have been great for me here, gives good action without messing up the retrieve. 

[J Francho]

Get some Keitech swim impact fats, and put them on a J-Will head. Cast and retrieve. No need to bother with chatterbaits or spinnerbaits with them. 

[Jig Man]

X2

We us them on bare jigs all the time.  They are great for smallmouth and spots around here.

[Huckfinn38]

Im going to be the village idiot here and say I dont like paddle tails on chatterbaits.  Something about this thumping appears to me to affect the action of the paddle tail as a trailer.  Love them on jig heads and swim jigs.  To me Zakos and spunk shad get more action behind a chatterbait.

[J Francho]

There's at least five of us idiots that use them in jig heads in this thread. 

[FishTax]

I throw them on jig heads. Been meaning to practice swim jigs, got some from Seibert but haven't gotten around to it yet. So many baits to throw, so little time to throw them! 

[WRB]

The 1st paddle tail swimbaits I used were Worm King 5” anchovy and 12”  trout in the early 80’s. The key to success 40 years ago was learning to fish them on the fall with a slow retrieve until feeling a bump, the crank it fast a few yards.

The hollow body that kick off paddle swimbaits nation wide was Basstrix and fished basically the same technique but using Owner Flashy swimmer jig with a under spin blade.

The Flashy swimmer increase strikes for all types paddle tail swim baits.

Tom 

[papajoe222]

I don't fish chatterbaits, but I do use them on buzzers and spinnerbaits. What I've found is that the skirt (if you don't remove it) needs to be cut short enough to allow the tail enough water to make it work.  My #1 paddle tail rigging is with an underbelly weighted hook and #2 is on a Siebert Supreme Arky Jig. I reduce the weed guard to five or six and fan them out. Awesome hook up rate. #3 is an underspin which I mainly use pre-spawn.