# Swimbaits? Do you have a favorite style or brand



## Bigbass201 (Jul 11, 2019)

Do you guys have a favorite go to swimbait or brand you prefer. This video below will show you some of my favorite ones to use. I have specific ones for the northern lakes, and specific ones I like to use on St. Clair and Lake Erie. Thinking about expanding and trying a couple different ones this year for smalllmouth. You have any favorite ones to share, please post them here.


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Really cool video. I didn't think those big giant jointed baits would work that well out this way. Now you have me wanting to drop a few bucks lol. Any recommendations for a bigger jointed bait?


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## Bigbass201 (Jul 11, 2019)

tincanary said:


> Really cool video. I didn't think those big giant jointed baits would work that well out this way. Now you have me wanting to drop a few bucks lol. Any recommendations for a bigger jointed bait?


I personally like the MS Slammer. I mentioned on the video I prefer the 9" one. I had a buddy in California that swore by that size vs the 7" and 11". Since that time I've caught countless big bass on that darn thing. I was even surprised smallmouth would hit it. I caught one on it in this video below from a lake by Charlevoix.


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Wow. I was having a hard time wrapping my head around comparatively smaller Michigan bass hitting something sized more like a pike or musky bait. I wanna get some to try for sure.


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## Bigbass201 (Jul 11, 2019)

tincanary said:


> Wow. I was having a hard time wrapping my head around comparatively smaller Michigan bass hitting something sized more like a pike or musky bait. I wanna get some to try for sure.


Here's another tip if you can't afford a larger one. Use a large spinnerbait and put like 4 or 5" paddle tail swimbait on it. That will increase the size of the bait and the big bass will hit that too.


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## waldowillie (Feb 1, 2012)

If you're after bass or walleye this is simple: 

Bass Assassin 5" Die Dapper on a swimbait jighead.


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## Bigbass201 (Jul 11, 2019)

waldowillie said:


> If you're after bass or walleye this is simple:
> 
> Bass Assassin 5" Die Dapper on a swimbait jighead.


I looked that one up. What do you like best about that one? Do you have a favorite color? I was also curious when I looked them up if you ever pinch them off to make them smaller? I wondered if the walleye prefer that 5" size best. Thanks


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## waldowillie (Feb 1, 2012)

Bigbass201 said:


> I looked that one up. What do you like best about that one? Do you have a favorite color? I was also curious when I looked them up if you ever pinch them off to make them smaller? I wondered if the walleye prefer that 5" size best. Thanks


This is not a bait for finesse fishing. Most jigheads I'll use are 1/2 oz or 3/4 oz and I rip/jig it pretty quick and I cut about 1/2" off the head. Color is based on sunlight/water clarity, metal flakes for clear skies and clear water, and more bright gaudy colors for murky water.


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## Bigbass201 (Jul 11, 2019)

waldowillie said:


> This is not a bait for finesse fishing. Most jigheads I'll use are 1/2 oz or 3/4 oz and I rip/jig it pretty quick and I cut about 1/2" off the head. Color is based on sunlight/water clarity, metal flakes for clear skies and clear water, and more bright gaudy colors for murky water.


Thanks for sharing.


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

If your target is smallmouth, the 4.5” to 5” size baits do a good job sorting the small fish from the keepers. You won’t hook many sup 14” fish with a bait that size. Cutting them down to 3.5” to 4” will let you catch the small ones too, but if you cut them too short, eventually the action gets killed because there’s not enough soft plastic behind the hook to wiggle freely.


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## Bigbass201 (Jul 11, 2019)

piketroller said:


> If your target is smallmouth, the 4.5” to 5” size baits do a good job sorting the small fish from the keepers. You won’t hook many sup 14” fish with a bait that size. Cutting them down to 3.5” to 4” will let you catch the small ones too, but if you cut them too short, eventually the action gets killed because there’s not enough soft plastic behind the hook to wiggle freely.


I was wondering that exact same thing when looking at the shape of that swimbait. I was thinking that cutting would affect the action. Thanks


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

When rigging on a weighted belly hook, the tail kick is the main action, so if you shut that down it just pulls through the water dead. But on a jighead, besides the tail kick, it rolls side to side as well. The swimbait jigheads have the eye on the top that helps exaggerate this roll. If you use a more weed less style jighead with the eye at the nose, it won’t roll as much.


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## Bigbass201 (Jul 11, 2019)

That makes sense. I noticed that with some other swimbaits too.


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## frenchriver1 (Jul 5, 2005)

I still rely on the old reliable flatfish with black and silver scale, U20 minimum size


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## waldowillie (Feb 1, 2012)

Bigbass201 said:


> Thanks for sharing.


Watch the youtube video titled "Trigger Walleye With Swimbaits Rigged on a Jig", but don't be afraid to go a bit bigger and heavier to work it faster. Walleye are an ambush fish and often will smack a bait when you give-up and are cranking it in quickly. The pro in this video and his brother know how to fish.


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