Trends, Techniques & Tackle

photo: mike long

Four primary categories of swimbait exist, though some lures borrow from more than one group.

Hardbodies: Alan Cole’s A. C. Plug was the granddaddy of jointed hardbaits, hand-carved in Cole’s garage, as were many similar styles. Today, plastic has become popular as well, for machine production and the array of realistic colors and textures possible with that medium. SPRO followed successful introduction of the BBZ-1 swimbait with BBZ-1 Shad, a 41⁄2 inch ultra-realistic lure with 4 jointed parts, translucent flexible tail, and thread on top, just like a real threadfin. Big bass wizard Bill Siemantel contributed these designs.

Tru-Tungsten also expanded their jointed swimbaits from the original Tru-Life Swimbait, a bluegill and tilapia look-a-like. Next came the 8-inch Trout, followed by a 4-inch Tru-Life Swimbait and a Mullet in 7-, 8-, and 9-inch versions. Running depth of the Tru-Life baits can be adjusted by adding or removing tungsten BBs in the body cavity.

One of the hottest jointed hardbaits on the pro trail is the Magic Swimmer from Sebile, a French company that’s grabbed attention with an array of innovative lures. Magic Swimmer’s jointed body has 3 segments that swim in a seductive S-pattern big bass can’t ignore. This bait played a role in several tournament victories and high finishes on the Bassmaster Trail in 2008. It’s available in 4 sizes, up to 9 inches and 4 ounces.

Strike King has made major inroads with King Shad, a bait that’s become one of Kevin VanDam’s go-to favorites—reason enough to stock a few. The jointed bait offers erratic action that pulls bass from deep water. Jackall has new colors in its Giron jointed swimbait, one of the finest imitations of the sunfish family on the market. And in their Deps line Optimum Baits adds the Highsider Jr., 6 inches long and 11⁄2 ounces, with 4 body segments.

After acquiring Castaic Softbait Company, Nature Vision kept Jason Scott on staff for swimbait development. The RockHard Swimbait Series, a set of triple-jointed hardbaits, was developed with input from legendary lunker catcher Mike Long. They feature Castaic’s Magnetic Hook Holder to keep the belly treble tight to the body, and the Tri-Claw Hook System, which exposes 3 tines on the head hook. Also check River2Sea’s Kong, with a double-jointed body and realistic appearance, available in floating and sinking versions.

Big, hard-body swimbaits work best in clear, open waters, as their built-in swimming action and realistic colors tempt the biggest bass that roam offshore. Free-swinging trebles get the user in trouble near wood and craggy rock, however. And with hefty price tags, losing a couple can ruin your day. Bigger baits also require special tackle to fish comfortably and effectively.

Leadhead Swimbaits: These were the first soft swimbaits, as the Worm King Dinosaur and Brightenburg’s Fish Trap, designed for calico bass and other Pacific Coast species, spun off from the Mister Twister boot-tail concept. Savvy anglers recognized the appeal of the vibrating tail and rolling body to predators of all sorts. Sunrize Tackle’s Big Hammer, Gary Yamamoto’s Swim Bait, and Berkley’s PowerBait Swim Shad, sized in the 4- to 6-inch range, have gained a place in every swimbait angler’s repertoire, for their simplicity, lifelike action, depth control, and sure hooking.

Weighted and Unweighted Soft Swimbaits: Soft plastics with interior weights are versatile for depth control, and have become key baits for big reservoir bass. Top names in the category include Basstrix, Osprey, Optimum, Storm, and Huddleston, which initiated the “rate of fall” concept. Success comes from cranking them slowly along structure, over ­vegetation, or slow-rolling them just above bottom on deep flats, points, and bluffs, at depths beyond the reach of lipped baits—18 to 30 feet.

Storm Lures’ WildEye Swim Shad helped spread swimbait popularity by offering prices that didn’t intimidate anglers curious to try these baits. Instead of $20, $30, or more for a wooden bait, or $15 for a big soft plastic one, you got a bag of Storm baits for $3.99. With sizes from 3 to 9 inches, there was something for anglers from Mexico to Massachusetts. New additions include River2Sea’s Bottom Walker and Optimum’s Heavy Cover Series, with weedless hooks.

Since entering the softbait market, Alan Cole has expanded his offerings with the AC Bluegill and AC Casitas trout bait. Nature Vision’s Castaic brand has a great new innovation with Catch 22, a soft, jointed-body swimbait that swims actively at any speed and is guaranteed to catch at least 22 bass before becoming torn and unfishable. Durability comes from its Inner Armor Skeleton. A “No Throw” Sliding Hook System also keeps fish pinned.

Unweighted soft plastic swimbaits catch big bass early in the season, or any time shallow presentations work. In clear impoundments, suspended bass may swim up to engulf them as well. Hand-poured California Swimbabes, available from 4 to 9 inches, have proved popular. A key feature is that the lure slides on the line, so bass can’t use its weight to throw the hook. Optimum’s new Baby Line Thru, a 5-inch 1.2-ouncer, also slides on the line, resisting damage when attacked.

Hollow-body Swimbaits: In 2006, Bruce Porter of Basstrix released his Paddletail Minnow, the first ­hollow-body swimbait. It had a thin, lifelike body and an extremely supple paddletail. “I wanted a new swimbait that had near-neutral buoyancy and a thin body to swim naturally, beyond a wiggling tail,” Porter reports. “An air pocket within the body provides buoyancy and action, as well as cutting weight, so they’re easier to fish on standard tackle.”

Anglers familiar with Basstrix immediately envisioned their appeal. Among those was bass pro Jay Yelas, who used the bait en route to the 2007 FLW Angler of the Year award. “Looking back, those swimbaits accounted for more than half the bass I caught that year,” he states.

Yelas, a member of Berkley’s pro staff, contacted the company about developing a similar bait. Within a year, Berkley’s PowerBait Hollow Belly Swimbait was born. Initially available in a 5-inch size, 6- and 4-inch editions soon followed.