Let's talk swimbaits....

[JPenny]

I've had great success the last couple of years using swimbaits for big pike. I've used both hard and soft and can't really decide which is best. Yes, the soft ones do get torn up, but man they sure trigger bites. So far, the best ones I've found are Big Hammers and Lunker City Shakers. Coupled with a bullet-nosed jig, these things are deadly. For the hard bodies, I've tried quite a few and so far the Sebile Magic Swimmer has been the winner. I'm looking hard at the new Koppers models though. They've got the most realistic finishes I've seen since the old Bagleys. Any of you guys have thoughts on swimbaits?

[mainbutter]

I've had so little luck on jointed hard swimbaits, unless you count jointed lipped cranks (I don't really), that I don't use 'em anymore in Minnesota waters. They look great but haven't produced well for me at all.

Boot tail soft plastic swimbaits however are a completely different animal. Different action, different underwater vibration/sound.. and I've also had great luck with 'em. I've only used the weedless variety with weighted EWG hooks, but I think that I need to bring some big hammers and bullet style jigheads to me next time I'm in Canada.

[ESOXGEEK]

Since I only target big fish, I only throw big baits. I have had great success with both hard and soft and they both have their time and place. Of course I am very lucky to have the job I do, I get all my gear for free and get paid to test tackle.

[JPenny]

Mainbutter, you must be talking about the hollow body swimbaits. I like those too, especially around weeds. Berkley had a great 6"er, but it was discontinued in favor of a 5" model. Mistake in my opinion. But there's plenty of others that produce very well.

Esoxgeek, actually, except for an adult teaching a kid, I don't know anybody who targets small fish. I throw a lot of big baits too and do well on them. But there are times when downsizing has put huge fish in the boat for us. Like during extreme weather changes. I do agree though that you are lucky to have that sort of employment.

[ESOXGEEK]

Mainbutter, you must be talking about the hollow body swimbaits. I like those too, especially around weeds. Berkley had a great 6"er, but it was discontinued in favor of a 5" model. Mistake in my opinion. But there's plenty of others that produce very well.

Esoxgeek, actually, except for an adult teaching a kid, I don't know anybody who targets small fish. I throw a lot of big baits too and do well on them. But there are times when downsizing has put huge fish in the boat for us. Like during extreme weather changes. I do agree though that you are lucky to have that sort of employment.

I hear ya on small baits, a guy caught a 45" last week on a 2" crank bait but I don't throw anything small as it invites small fish.

[sled59]

I have actually had alot of success this year with Storm Kickin minnows in both the 8 and 10 inch sizes. Another good one has been the Strike Pro X- Busters.

[mainbutter]

Mainbutter, you must be talking about the hollow body swimbaits.

Technically, they were "belly slit" swimbaits, not hollow at all, just a belly slit to accomodate the hook. I poured my own.

[Nick Kuhn]

I have actually had alot of success this year with Storm Kickin minnows in both the 8 and 10 inch sizes. Another good one has been the Strike Pro X- Busters.

I think they work better as a jerk/glide bait than as a swimbait.

[Southwick]

Great topic guys. I always have both a hard + soft swim-bait rigged up then ever I’m Northern Pike fishing. Most of the better NP lakes I fish are trout stocked lakes so matching the hatch with baits that swim and look like trout has always worked for me. The one I like the best is a 3:16 Co. bait called a Armageddon Born Again, it’s a 10” what weights-6oz. You can slow wake it on top or long line it down to about 12’. A company called Nate’s baits also makes a nice trout look alike bait but it’s a lipless count down bait that’s also very effective in trout stocked waters.

Soft rubber swim-baits like the 3:16 Rising Son 8” along with the Huddleston 8” rainbow trout are the two I use the most for slow rolling.

[JPenny]

Mainbutter, I pour some of my own too, but never tried the slit belly. I made a couple of molds myself and now I can get exactly the colors I want.

Southwick that rainbow is one great looking lure. But for soft plastics I prefer something a bit less expensive. No matter what soft plastic lure you use, if pike find it attractive, sooner or later a snot rocket will attack and bite the tail off. I'm not sure about the 3:16, but I know the cost of those Huddleston lures and in some of the waters I fish, it wouldn't last an entire day and my retirement account would be toast in no time!

[Southwick]

The 3:16 Rising Son is a $12 bait and last a lot longer that the more expensive Huddleston mostly because it’s a through line bait that has the option of a top treble that’s more weed less along with a bottom hook set up. Most bites the bait slides up your line this helps to prevent the baits from getting all cut up but when they get cut up there’s a good rubber glue that 3:16 sells + it works great to repair cuts.

To be honest the Huddleston is more of my go to LM bait in trout stocked waters.

On the Rising Sons I use a 60 or 80lb Fluorocarbon leader about 14” long through the bait with a barrel swivel and a 2/0 or 3/0 owner #41 treble.

Here is a picture of the Rising Sons through line system that lets you rig it either with the treble on top or bottom.

BTW Jack love your book.

[ESOXGEEK]

For soft plastics I LOVE the line through type!! That is what both of my big fish came on this last week, and while the big fish had 8" of leader in its mouth, the lure had safely slid up the line. I fish much the same rig as Southwick described, couple feet of #40-#80 fluoro as bite leader. The first head shake causes the lure to go right up the line and out of harms way. They do get sliced up, but I carry a bottle of MEND-IT and it does a great job of repairing soft plastic baits

[JPenny]

I've never used one of these line through baits but I sure like the looks of it.

[ESOXGEEK]

NP Jack, with the line through in action they don't get sliced up nearly as bad as one would think.

[mainbutter]

sooner or later a snot rocket will attack and bite the tail off.

That's in fact why I pour my own! Tail gone, 80% plastic remaining, gets recycled into a new bait.

About line-through swimbaits: I LOOOOOVE them! I have a mold for a 5''er that I particularly like, rises to the surface relative to retrieve speed, and can be worked to throw a wake as well. Very nice for a slow swimbait presentation. The bass and 20-32'' pike LOVE it. Haven't stuck anything huge on one yet though, but I bet that's because when I'm in big fish water I use bigger lures.

[Further North]

About line-through swimbaits: I LOOOOOVE them! I have a mold for a 5''er that I particularly like, rises to the surface relative to retrieve speed, and can be worked to throw a wake as well. Very nice for a slow swimbait presentation. The bass and 20-32'' pike LOVE it. Haven't stuck anything huge on one yet though, but I bet that's because when I'm in big fish water I use bigger lures.

I pour some of my own baits too...can you share what that mold is, and where you got it?

[mainbutter]

I got mine when bass tackle had a 2 for 1 deal. I think it's called a 'fat shad'. Pricey mold, but considering that other LT swimbaits run more than $5 a pop, it more than paid its dues in the first year alone even if I'd paid full price. I'm pretty sure that Del-mart also has a LT swimbait, but the bass tackle one had huge eyes (half inch?), which I particularly wanted.

here's an old thread of mine with some pics (apparently imageshack re-used the space for one of my lure photos with someone else's pic of a phone?):

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2213666/Adventures_in_Lure_Making_more

[ESOXGEEK]

I got mine when bass tackle had a 2 for 1 deal. I think it's called a 'fat shad'. Pricey mold, but considering that other LT swimbaits run more than $5 a pop, it more than paid its dues in the first year alone even if I'd paid full price. I'm pretty sure that Del-mart also has a LT swimbait, but the bass tackle one had huge eyes (half inch?), which I particularly wanted.

here's an old thread of mine with some pics (apparently imageshack re-used the space for one of my lure photos with someone else's pic of a phone?):

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2213666/Adventures_in_Lure_Making_more

That is CHEAP for a mold!! Our production mold for a LT cost over $3,000

[Further North]

I got mine when bass tackle had a 2 for 1 deal. I think it's called a 'fat shad'. Pricey mold, but considering that other LT swimbaits run more than $5 a pop, it more than paid its dues in the first year alone even if I'd paid full price. I'm pretty sure that Del-mart also has a LT swimbait, but the bass tackle one had huge eyes (half inch?), which I particularly wanted.

here's an old thread of mine with some pics (apparently imageshack re-used the space for one of my lure photos with someone else's pic of a phone?):

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2213666/Adventures_in_Lure_Making_more

Thanks - the big swim bait I have looks like it's longer, but thinner and is not line-through.

[mainbutter]

Hey esoxgeek, do you know if any of those 2011 Dynamo LPs made it to MN this year? Any reports from fishermen using them?

[ESOXGEEK]

Hey esoxgeek, do you know if any of those 2011 Dynamo LPs made it to MN this year? Any reports from fishermen using them?

I do know some made it out there, as for results I have not got too many reports. We were out of them for a big part of the season and just got them back in stock for fall. I know I have been fishing them for a couple years and am quite happy with them. I have had a lot of reports from NM and they seem to work great there as well as Colorad, Utah and the gulf coast.