Is it even worth it to throw big swimbait?

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

That’s my question, is it worth it for me to thrown big hard and soft swimbaits? Tthe biggest largemouth in the some of the lakes I fish is probably less than   6lbs. Fish over 6 are super rare up here. My bass eat bluegill, crawfish, and shinners and other small minnow for the most part. We don’t have gizzard shad or other big prey species. So is there even a point to throw big 6”+ baits if I want to target the biggest of the fish in my lakes? Will a bass that’s never seen a shad hit a 7” shad shaped glide bait? Or should I just stick to more traditional ways to target these fish? 

[Peacedivision]

A 7" nessie is $10 and you can throw it on just about anything. Test and report back if you get any bites or followers  

[Mr. Aquarium]

Absolutely. They eat big gills shiners and perch, match the hatch!  You’d be surprised what you’ll catch. Also smallies love swimbaits too. 
I’ve caught a lot of big crappies on big 7 inch wake baits at night. Big walleyes, pike, musky, salmon, brown trout and lake trout will eat swimbaits too. 

[Pat Brown]

It's worth it if you like catching bass on big swimbaits!

 

The price per fish is much higher than a frog or jig - whether that makes it worth it or not is entirely up to you?

 

I know a lot of people who just enjoy throwing a bigger bait and that is reason enough to constantly throw them. 

 

I personally have had success using them but it seems to be situational and I let the conditions dictate that lure choice more so than just throwing it for the sake of throwing it.

 

To me - It's a really boring type of lure to throw a lot of time. Because they really don't catch a lot of fish most of the time, but there are times when it's better to throw one than other stuff 

[A-Jay]

40 minutes ago, 10,000 lakes Bassin said:

That’s my question, is it worth it for me to thrown big hard and soft swimbaits? Tthe biggest largemouth in the some of the lakes I fish is probably less than   6lbs. Fish over 6 are super rare up here. My bass eat bluegill, crawfish, and shinners and other small minnow for the most part. We don’t have gizzard shad or other big prey species. So is there even a point to throw big 6”+ baits if I want to target the biggest of the fish in my lakes? Will a bass that’s never seen a shad hit a 7” shad shaped glide bait? Or should I just stick to more traditional ways to target these fish? 

I am not in the Big Swimbait camp.

Tried it for a few seasons here in the north woods both at night and during the day, and my big bass numbers actually declined quite a bit.

I am not implying that it's a waste of time, just sharing my experience.

Unless you enjoy throwing big baits and it improves your fishing experience, I would recommend passing on it and simply fishing traditional techniques that closely match the main forage (size, shape and profile) the bass in the waters you fish primarily feed on seasonally.  

A-Jay 

 

[GreenPig]

  There's been a pile of big fish caught on Huddlestons & Deps 250s in waters around the country that contain zero trout. Of course you could stick with Bluegill profiles. If there's not alot folks throwing bigger baits, it could be spectacular fishing by showing the unusual. 

[KCFinesse]

I'm not a big swimbait guy,  but I do mix in some soft swimbaits. 

 

A 6" mag draft doesn't amount to a much bigger profile/water 'push' than a spinnerbait, and I'll throw them in similar situations. I think there is a point where big swimbait fishing becomes 'bear hunting', but I think that stuff in that 6" - 7" range has a place in the regular rotation of an average joe.

 

-Jared 

[FishTank]

For me, I have had the best success with baits in the 6in range, like the Megabass Magdraft,  Deps Slide Swimmer 175, and the 5.5 Volup Swimmer. 

[casts_by_fly]

6 minutes ago, KCFinesse said:

I'm not a big swimbait guy,  but I do mix in some soft swimbaits. 

 

A 6" mag draft doesn't amount to a much bigger profile/water 'push' than a spinnerbait, and I'll throw them in similar situations. I think there is a point where big swimbait fishing becomes 'bear hunting', but I think that stuff in that 6" - 7" range has a place in the regular rotation of an average joe.

 

-Jared 

 

this was my logic that got me started.  A 6" magdraft is the perfect entry into swimbaits.  A modest jig rod can throw it.  The profile isn't really any bigger than a bladed jig or spinnerbait with trailer.  And bass from 12" and up will eat it.  Aggressively.  I bought one and it worked.  Then I fished it more and it worked more.  So this year I have a couple more, a pair of 8", and some hard swimbaits to go with it.  

[rgasr63]

There is a old saying that states you can't get a hit unless you swing the bat. That Nessie bait or something like it is something that I personally didn't feel like it would produce for me but I was wrong. I wish to encourage you just to try. I can say that the Nessie works for me. 

[Big Swimbait]

Nah - they don't eat big baits...

[MediumMouthBass]

3 hours ago, Big Swimbait said:

Nah - they don't eat big baits...

That poor bass has a fish stuck in his mouth😐. What a crappie day its having.....

 

 

 

For OP, big baits catch big bass, they also catch small and medium sized bass.

But the bigger the bait, the bigger the chance of catching a big one.

 

Is it worth it? That depends on the person, and where they are fishing.

I fish tons of lakes with 0 shad, i still throw white baits and lures. Guys also catch big bass on trout swimbaits in places without trout too. The number 1 issue with swimbaits is the time it takes and persistence you need to have. You have to make peace with throwing a big swimbait/glidebait for hours upon hours over and over again with 0 success while knowing at any time a jerkbait/crankbait/bladed jig/jig/Texas rig would actually catch more bass.

But you arent throwing a swimbait for hours looking to catch bass, you are doing it looking to catch a big one. So to me its worth it.

[WRB]

Big swim bait is a term difficult to define today.

Length is one factor but width is rarely discussed and very important.

Big bass avoid eating bluegills wider than you hand because they swallow safely do to spiny dorsal fin get stuck in the throat.

long and skinny big swimbaits like Deps or Huddleston are easy profiles for bass to eat.

Tom

[gim]

1 hour ago, Big Swimbait said:

Nah - they don't eat big baits...

 

I think you missed the fact that the OP is in the far north.  Not in Texas.

 

Put me in the camp as "nope" because there's better options.  Plus pike will destroy them or cut you off completely.  Aint worth it.

[rangerjockey]

I've fishing a big glide that's made here locally, It ain't cheap in fact it's kinda crazy and probably grounds for divorce. But.. It's surprising the big fish that will show  themselves and follow it. At least you know they are there even if they don't commit, I toss a senko or some kind of clean up bait in after them.

Personally, I'd rather see that big one chase than catch a dozen shorts.

 

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

4 hours ago, WRB said:

Big swim bait is a term difficult to define today.

Length is one factor but width is rarely discussed and very important.

Big bass avoid eating bluegills wider than you hand because they swallow safely do to spiny dorsal fin get stuck in the throat.

long and skinny big swimbaits like Deps or Huddleston are easy profiles for bass to eat.

Tom

And you don’t think there will be an issue because the bass have never seen trout like those baits imitate? 

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

4 hours ago, WRB said:

Big swim bait is a term difficult to define today.

Length is one factor but width is rarely discussed and very important.

Big bass avoid eating bluegills wider than you hand because they swallow safely do to spiny dorsal fin get stuck in the throat.

long and skinny big swimbaits like Deps or Huddleston are easy profiles for bass to eat.

Tom

And you don’t think there will be an issue because the bass have never seen trout like those baits imitate? 

[softwateronly]

I can't disagree more with @gim's assessment.  Bass in the north will eat anything they can fit in their faces just like their southern counterparts.  Is it always good to throw large baits?  Heck no, but there are times when it pays off.  Here's a few pics over the last 4 years of MI bass eating something in the 6-8" range.  Many of these fish would not have been caught with a smaller profile.  I could also show dozens of pics of average to good sized bass caught on 2-4" profiles that would not have bit a large bait that day.

 

scott

 

 

 

Gantarel - 6.25"

 

 

Scottsboro 7" soft swimmer

 

 

Bacca burrito 6"

 

 

7" 5/8oz chicken jig

 

 

7" Chad Shad

 

 

6.5" Mini-Mag flutter spoon

 

 

 

7" Sakamata Shad

 

 

 

7.5" Flush GP on a free rig

 

7" Jerky J - jighead minnow

 

 

7" Chad Shad in shad color

[GreenPig]

27 minutes ago, 10,000 lakes Bassin said:

And you don’t think there will be an issue because the bass have never seen trout like those baits imitate? 

Not one of the millions of bass caught on a bladed jig have seen a real live bladed jig.

29 minutes ago, 10,000 lakes Bassin said:

And you don’t think there will be an issue because the bass have never seen trout like those baits imitate? 

Not one of the millions of bass caught on a bladed jig have seen a real live bladed jig.

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

6 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

I can't disagree more with @gim's assessment.  Bass in the north will eat anything they can fit in their faces just like their southern counterparts.  Is it always good to throw large baits?  Heck no, but there are times when it pays off.  Here's a few pics over the last 4 years of MI bass eating something in the 6-8" range.  Many of these fish would not have been caught with a smaller profile.  I could also show dozens of pics of average to good sized bass caught on 2-4" profiles that would not have bit a large bait that day.

 

scott

 

 

 

Gantarel - 6.25"

 

 

Scottsboro 7" soft swimmer

 

 

Bacca burrito 6"

 

 

7" 5/8oz chicken jig

 

 

7" Chad Shad

 

 

6.5" Mini-Mag flutter spoon

 

 

 

7" Sakamata Shad

 

 

 

7.5" Flush GP on a free rig

 

7" Jerky J - jighead minnow

 

 

7" Chad Shad in shad color

wow its hard to argue against those results! 

[TNBankFishing]

I think it depends on where you live. In the southeast throwing a big bait absolutely makes sense. You have a shot at double digit bass regularly. Up north I’m not sure. I still think you’re weeding out the little guys and generating on average bigger bites. Honestly sometimes when I go out I’d prefer to catch a single 6lber than a bunch of dinks. Sometimes I just want to catch a hundred of whatever bites. 

[DogBone_384]

21 hours ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

I’ve caught a lot of big crappies on big 7 inch wake baits at night. Big walleyes, pike, musky, salmon, brown trout and lake trout will eat swimbaits too. 

 

@Mr. Aquarium strikes again!  Only 6 more weeks until open water and we can terrorize the SE coast.  I've got a whole box of swimbaits ready to go this year!

[Bluebasser86]

Worth it is subjective to the user. Will it catch fish? Absolutely.

This is a pretty typical size fish for me to catch on a swimbait.

But they can get even smaller.

But occasionally, you find what you're looking for, and that's what makes it "worth it" to me.