Swimbait Help Please!!!

[Bass Junkie]

I Just had my first day of tossin' swimbaits yesterday, and am rather disappointed :-[ I had a few "bumps", and a full hearted strike on a Berkley Hollowbelly 4" swimbait in Hitch color, but couldn't hook up > The top of the head has ripped up, as my 10lb mono cut the plastic on the first hookset. It continued to work for another 100 casts, maybe more, but I had to re-rig it many times :-/ When should I set the hook. I had it rigged with the included weighted swimbait hook. I also had problems riggin' the bait. The lead on the hook shank ripped the head :'( When do I set the hook, and how do I rig this thing Any help would be appreciated. I am tossin' this on a 6'6" Medium action baitcasting rod, with 30lb mainline and a 3-1/2-4 foot leader of 10lb mono, though I'm gonna go over to my 7ft 1pc medium light spinning rod fir better casting distance

[DINK WHISPERER]

When you rig them you are not suppose to slide that weight through like a T-rig man! Put the hook point in position and then insert the eye from the bottom up. Then tie the line to the hook(that's how i do it)! Also, your gear sounds a bit soft for the soft swim baits. I use at least a MH/F 7ft rod and 17lb line for them. You need a lot of backbone in the rod to penetrate the hook out of the lure and into the fishes hard mouth!

[Bass Junkie]

I figured if I can get good hooksets on worms with a 7ft. ML, I could get 'em with a swimbait rigged the exact same way on a 6'6" Medium...................... Also, OOPS!! I guess I'll try to rig 'em the way you said. Never threw softies 'afore :-[

[FD.]

I use a 7-9 heavy/fast elite tech with either 20 lb flouro or 30 lb power pro.  With this setup all I have to do is a sweep set at the first bump.  Rig it just like Dink said.  You can also use a touch of superglue on the nose penetration point to get more casts out of a bait.  If you slice the bait from the bottom up at the hook point area, you get better hook penetration.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Yep, dont put the weight through.

Something that will make it easier though...

Begin to rig the bait just like any other texas rig.  Put your hook point through the nose and out the neck, but stop there.  Now you have a hole that is perfectly centered and a lot easier to push the eye back through.

Sometimes it can be difficult to get the hook rigged straight when you try and push the hook eye up through the bait, essentially backwards from everything you have done.

[Dan:]

I would think you would be alright fishing a little 4" paddletail on Medium gear but MH is probably best. If you rig the bait the way the guys have been telling you then you should have fewer issues with the bait tearing up.

[Kelly J]

do yourself a favor and look into a twist lock hook. it makes it a lot easier to rig.