Paddletail Swimmbait Frustration

[Avalonjohn44]

OK, I have Shadaliscious in 3 colors, Magic Minnows in several colors (Yum MM and regular MM), and the Mann's hardnose swimbait.    I have rigged them with 5/0 Gammy EWG hooks, some shank weight hooks that I use for Zoom Flukes, with a straight shank owners, and even with a big fat jighead... I have tried them on 14lb mono, and on 8 lb mono.  I've burned them, I've crawled them, I've varied retrieves, I've done everything I could think of with these #@#$% things, and I can't get a single bite on them... They look pretty coming thru the water, but I don't even get any followers.  I have to be doing something wrong.  I have wasted about 8 hours collectively on these super expensive hollow bodied pieces of junk!  Should I stick with them or throw them on ebay and go back to the Live magic shads by Lake Fork (They work great...)?

[Dan:]

I was in the same boat as you until last week. I started fishing them more like crankbaits, banging them into anything and everything I could. That started to produce more strikes and followers.

[Sam]

Try using the Falcon Lures Bait-Jerker Hook in 4/0 that you can get at Green Top.

If you can't find it, then go with one like it.

This is a hook with the weight on its shank.

Rig the swimbait weedless, that is, have the point of the hook ride on the paddletail swimbait's back.

Fish it like a dying shad.

Just be sure to use a weighted hook and have the point rest on the paddletail swimbait's back.

As for line on your baitcaster, may I suggest a 10 or 12 pound flouro or copoly?  You can go to a higher test if you are throwing into cover or want to go deep or that is what is on your baitcaster now.

Just work it as a dying shad and you should get some strikes.

The strikes may come from catfish, bowfin or pike, but you should get some strikes.  

[Brian_Reeves]

To get my first bites on one, I put it on my favorite jig and fished it like a jig.  Boosting my confidence, I started fishing it like it is supposed to be fished and I am convinced that I hate them.  I'm gonna keep trying though.

[bkoguy07]

To get my first bites on one, I put it on my favorite jig and fished it like a jig.  Boosting my confidence, I started fishing it like it is supposed to be fished and I am convinced that I hate them.  I'm gonna keep trying though.

LOL thats golden.

[Davis]

Fish mine on 30lb power pro so I can feel it's doing down there. Best fish have come on swimming them through the grass and jerking them like a jerkbait. With a 5/0 Gammy 1/8 weighted hook. When you kill the bait using the weighted hook it shimmies on down with the tail still moving.

Keep experimenting. Not too many people use them in my parts. None actually that I know of. Try to match up your swimbait colors with the forage in your area.

[.ghoti.]

I've bought about $200 worth of these baits, and the weighted hooks, and have yet to catch a fish on one.

I traded most of them off for Swim Senkos, but kept a few.

We're leaving this afternoon for a trip to Trophy Country in central Missouri. Three days of bass fishing at the best bass fishing hot spot I've ever seen. If these baits don't produce at this place, I'm done with them.

[roadwarrior]

You're right! Excellent plan.

When "anything works" and something doesn't, I'm done with it, too!

BTW, Good luck, I wish I were there.

8-)

[.ghoti.]

You're right! Excellent plan.

When "anything works" and something doesn't, I'm done with it, too!

BTW, Good luck, I wish I were there.

8-)

Wish you going, too. Long Mike can't make this trip either. Oh well, we'll just have to struggle through it without you.  

Next time, no excuses allowed.  ;D

Got my camera this time. Hope we have some good pics to share.

[djmax22]

Mattlure Baby Bass is the answer. Especially in central MO.

[TournyFish001]

I have fished them anytime a spinnerbait would be an option- worked out pretty good for me caught some nice smallies on it prefishing. What works for me is a SUPER SLOW retrieve to the point that the bait barely swims and deep- I do this with a 3.8:1 curado reel- ooops thats kind of a secret anyone that tries this will thank me later- due to it being friday and having a beer for lunch- get'r'done this works and its how a lot of guys make this paddletail work.

[.ghoti.]

Thanks for the tip B Rob. I don't have any slow reels, but I do know how to crank the handle slow. I'll give it a shot.

Cheers,

GK

[JR Howard]

I have been fishing the Xcite Baits brand swimbaits in 5" on a weighted 8/0 hook with screw loc keeper with great success. The baits have an awesome action and run true at all speeds.

I have had several 100 fish days on the rainbow color hollow body baits on Amistad.

JR

[Brian_Reeves]

I'm going to give them another shot when I get back to TX.  There is an area on Stillhouse that is dynamite, so I'll try it there while a friend of mine is running the usual lures.  If I don't catch a fish, the whole pack will probably get melted and poured into a senko mold out of spite.

[paul.]

i appreciate this thread.  i bought several packs of these a while back and some weighted hooks to go with 'em.  i kept the receipt though fearing these baits were more hype than anything else, especially given the cost.  haven't taken 'em out of the pack yet.  now after reading this, i probably won't.  back to the store they go.  thanks y'all for keeping it real and telling it how it really is.   ;D

[Mattlures]

Do not send them back !!! you guys need to use them for their strength. the can be rigged EXTREMELY WEEDLESS. you can throw them places that no crank or spinnerbait could ever get through. Hech you can fish them on top of slop. I preferr the Falcon hooks and burry the whole hook like you would a texas rigged worm. I dont like the hooks with the screw on front. These baits have their place. They definatly arent magic and some work a lot better then others but they can be fish killers.

[Brian_Reeves]

Yeah that might be why I hate them.  I really don't like those screw on hooks that I have.  I have some other hooks to try.

On a side note, I "caught" my first fish on the baby bass from you matt.  It was about a 40-50lb spotted catfish (aka flathead or opolousas cat) that broke off at the boat  I'm gonna pick up another one soon, once I have the money.  moving is expensive

[JR Howard]

I happen to only use the screw on hooks because they hold a lot better than the push in types when throwing long casts. On Amistad we make very long casts and will throw off the peg style.

[HopelesslyAddicted]

I preferr the Falcon hooks and burry the whole hook like you would a texas rigged worm. I dont like the hooks with the screw on front.

Hey matt could I ask why you (or anyone else) prefers the falcon hooks?  The screw seems to hold it in just fine for me with good action, but I'll try the falcons if its functionally better.

[Mattlures]

Becuse you see part of the screw and the hook eye and the knot you tied. Plus all thos thing will grab weeds. When you use a Falcon stlye hook you rig it similar to a texas worm except you push the hook eye through the bait from the chin out the mouth and then tie. Then you push the hook back in and and hook the bait. all you see is your line entering the mouth of the bait. You skin hook the top and all yous should see is some hoo shank and weight under the belly of the bait. I have not tried all the different brands but the rigging will work for all of them . I just dont like a bunch of hardware showing. Its very unnatural looking and I have seen big old smart fish inspect baits even at a prety quick retreiv.

[detroit1]

Holy crap! $200 worth just try them out? I wouldn't admit to that....

[fretfishman]

in my opinion, a lot of these newer paddletail type swimbaits fail in a couple areas...at least for being a "swimbait".

those areas would be: 1) most of them are too bulky from the body to tail  fin area. by thinning this area it greatly improves the action with much less effort. 2) a lot of them have a big side to side wobble. so what you're left with is a huge crankbait (side wobble) that is way too long to be a crankbait (jerkbait?) with a big boot on the tail end that doesn't provide nearly enough action for this crankbootyjerklolbait.

I'm sorry, but these things cost way too much money for what they do. just because they're a cheap "swimbait" compared to a real swimbait doesn't mean they shouldn't have good action. a pretty paint job and holographic eyes does not a swimbait make. they shouldn't require mega modifications straight out of the package, but they do. granted, I've caught a couple fish on them, but that was due to me working my booty off to try and wrangle some action from these lame baits. I think the fish actually felt sorry for me and chose to bite them; that's all. the only thing these baits have going for them is that they take a lot of effort to make them presentable to fish...I tend to dig having to work to get fish to bite and then feeling the reward of it. having said that, though...I still hate these p.o.s. baits.

there are some nice soft swimbaits out there, but you have to do your homework to find them.

edit: I forgot to mention that I tried these for like 4 hours one day and got so frustrated that I ripped the bait off my hook and chucked it halfway across the lake. that should be a testament to how far they can be cast, but still....I ended up thinking after I did that and decided to try something new with them. I shaved away part of the body on the lower side from the belly to the tail to give the paddletail more working room and better action. then I cut several slits into the bottom of the bait to make it more pliable and then rigged it up slightly off-center from a normal wacky style. what I ended up with is a dying minnow type presentation when I gave the lure soft tugs. if you've ever watched a fish die in this manner you'll know what I mean. where they're in a slight u shape and making small burst swimming motions to one side.

so, yeah...shouldn't take all that to catch a fish with these, but hey...it worked...