Cold Water , Tight Wobble Swim Bait ?

[ChrisD46]

I find all of my swim baits (SK Rage Swimmer , Keitech Fat Swing Impact , etc.) have too wide of a wobble for cold water conditions .

The Keitech Easy Shiner is a better cold water , tighter wobble swim bait (3" to 4" range) however they are about good for one bass only or Bluegills easily rip the tails off ...  * The above said , what are your favorite cold water , tight wobble  3" ~ 4" swim baits similar in size / action to the Easy Shiner - but that are built tougher and will last for more than one bass ?

[jdr99a]

Storm largo shad

[PhishLI]

Easy Choice. 4.2" Megabass Hazedong Shad rigged on an Owner TwistLock Light Weighted(5167W-706)

Megabass Hazedong Shad Swimbaits | Tackle Warehouse

 

Tight action, not the exaggerated wag like a Keitech which simply doesn't get bit around here.

 

Extremely weedless.

 

Perfect swim on this hook, and super durable. Pickeral or Pike will kill any bait, but these hold up to Bass very, very well.

 

My brother is an stubborn big bait fisherman but admits that this bait is his #1 fish catcher by a long shot. He had to give in watching me out fish him using these over and over again. I know when to put down the big baits.

 

 

Second choice is the 3.8" Googan Saucy Swimmer.

Googan Baits Saucy Swimmer Swimbaits | Tackle Warehouse

It, like many others, is a Keitech knock-off, but it doesn't have such an exaggerated a tail wag. Rigged on the above-mentioned hook or a Gamakatsu 296414-1/8, it swims great, is durable, and catches them. I add eyes to mine, but the Hazedong comes with them.

Keep Mendit on hand. You can see how the rigged baits are beat up, but they've all caught a bunch of fish with occasional touch ups. They've taken it but keep on truckin'.

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, ChrisD46 said:

I find all of my swim baits (SK Rage Swimmer , Keitech Fat Swing Impact , etc.) have too wide of a wobble for cold water conditions .

The Keitech Easy Shiner is a better cold water , tighter wobble swim bait (3" to 4" range) however they are about good for one bass only or Bluegills easily rip the tails off ...  * The above said , what are your favorite cold water , tight wobble  3" ~ 4" swim baits similar in size / action to the Easy Shiner - but that are built tougher and will last for more than one bass ?

Not sure 'cold' water means the same in north GA as it does here in northern MI.

But the Keitech Fat Swing Impact 3.8 and 4.3 works well for me from open water to ice up.

Mid 40's in this clip and I was happy.

https://youtu.be/02fPoZHOri8?feature=shared&t=1006

A-Jay

[txchaser]

North texas winter (call it sub 50 degree water) the Jackall Rhythm Wave and 6th Sense Divine are great tighter wiggle and slimmer baits. 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Jackall_Rhythm_Wave_Swimbaits/descpage-JRWS.html

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/6th_Sense_Divine_Swimbaits/descpage-6DIS.html

I don't love jackall's whitish colors, but they have a natural (blue pearl shad) that's a dead on match for the shad in one of places I fish. 

IMO the 6th sense is a tighter action.

 

[ChrisD46]

23 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Not sure 'cold' water means the same in north GA as it does here in northern MI.

But the Keitech Fat Swing Impact 3.8 and 4.3 works well for me from open water to ice up.

Mid 40's in this clip and I was happy.

https://youtu.be/02fPoZHOri8?feature=shared&t=1006

A-Jay

About time I edited my profile location (lol !) ... Interesting that the wide tail wag of the Keitech Swing Impact Fat works well for you in the Northern MI. ? Perhaps this "wide versus tight" tail wag in colder water is a bit over blown ?

[ChrisD46]

On 2/10/2024 at 8:14 PM, txchaser said:

North texas winter (call it sub 50 degree water) the Jackall Rhythm Wave and 6th Sense Divine are great tighter wiggle and slimmer baits. 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Jackall_Rhythm_Wave_Swimbaits/descpage-JRWS.html

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/6th_Sense_Divine_Swimbaits/descpage-6DIS.html

I don't love jackall's whitish colors, but they have a natural (blue pearl shad) that's a dead on match for the shad in one of places I fish. 

IMO the 6th sense is a tighter action.

 

Thanks ... The 6th Sense colors are amazing and the price and sizes are very good !

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

About time I edited my profile location (lol !) ... Interesting that the wide tail wag of the Keitech Swing Impact Fat works well for you in the Northern MI. ? Perhaps this "wide versus tigh"t tail wag in colder water is a bit over blown ?

That's pretty funny ~

As for the the bait's action or lack of, I can buy some of that.

But what's more important to me is depth & speed.

Most often I'm running these baits on or near the bottom.

The speed is controlled by jig head weight and to some extent, the line (type & size).

I employ a lift & fall deal quite a bit; either a slack line or tight line.

Slack line in warmer water & tight line glide in cooler conditions. 

Regardless, the jig head weight can help dictate the rate of fall.

Where that Keitech Fat Swing Impact really shines for me is

that besides working great at a faster speed,

it will STILL, swim seductively on a slow tight line glide.

SK and a few others I've tried will often not swim (meaning the tail will NOT do anything) at the slowest speeds.  In fact, I have a pile of Rage swimmers that I'll only use with the heaviest weights. 

Good Luck and Congrats on the move to Western Washington.

A-Jay

 

 

 

[waymont]

On 2/10/2024 at 11:29 AM, PhishLI said:

Owner TwistLock Light Weighted

Which size fits best?

[PhishLI]

18 minutes ago, waymont said:

Which size fits best?

This is what I've settled on. 4.2" Hazedong/Owner on left. 3.8" Saucy on right.

 

[Reel]

The lenght of the jig hook or the weighted hook also has an impact on the wobble

[dv616]

For me, I have had better luck in clear MI water with swimbaits with subtle tail action.  I LOVE the look of the Fat Impacts, but subtle has always done better.  My mind tells me the Fat Impacts should work best but my result tell my subtle works better.  For me this has held for summer and fall (down to 50 degree water, give or take a couple degrees).  BUT, I do not have near the experience of AJ.  I am still waiting for an invite to join him up north sometime  I pour my own lures, but have molds like the Fat Impact and ones more subtle than the Hazedong shad (and Hazedong and spark shad knock off that I have not had as much time with yet, 2024 goals).  

 

[ChrisD46]

22 hours ago, A-Jay said:

That's pretty funny ~

As for the the bait's action or lack of, I can buy some of that.

But what's more important to me is depth & speed.

Most often I'm running these baits on or near the bottom.

The speed is controlled by jig head weight and to some extent, the line (type & size).

I employ a lift & fall deal quite a bit; either a slack line or tight line.

Slack line in warmer water & tight line glide in cooler conditions. 

Regardless, the jig head weight can help dictate the rate of fall.

Where that Keitech Fat Swing Impact really shines for me is

that besides working great at a faster speed,

it will STILL, swim seductively on a slow tight line glide.

SK and a few others I've tried will often not swim (meaning the tail will NOT do anything) at the slowest speeds.  In fact, I have a pile of Rage swimmers that I'll only use with the heaviest weights. 

Good Luck and Congrats on the move to Western Washington.

A-Jay

 

 

 

Good points - jig head  / hook weight , rate of retrieve and type of retrieve all become determining factors in a swim bait selection. I have a fair number of Keitech Fat Swing Impact swim baits in that 2.8" to 4.3" size range I'll have to reconsider .