What's your favorite brand Swimbait, size, and color?

I'm wanting to start throwing a Swimbait and don't have a clue about the application.

6" and 7" Basstrix Paddletail Swimbait. Owner beast belly weighted swimbait hook shallow. 1 oz owner bullet head for deep.

Good thread OP

Wish I had something to add. I do not have much experience using swim baits, especially 6"+. Looking forward to learning.

On top of that which brand/color etc. How about rod specs? And when do you know its time to pick up the swimbait rod vs something else.

Thanks fouzman... I'll look into them.. Do you throw them year round?

Mostly shallow in the spring and deep in the summer/winter

Fringe Tackle Hollow Belly Swimbait


This my favorite swimbait by far! I seem to out-catch other competitors 3-1 when using these and they're using Basstrix. The plastic is soft, durable and the colors are amazing! There is so much attention to detail on these swimbaits and the action they put off is superior. The 5" Clear Lake Shad is probably my most used bait. Give em' a try today!

EXACTLY WHAT HE JUST SAID

Those look like some great swimbaits

Just ordered some swimbaits! Thanks

I like the 5 inch best but trying out the bigger ones.

I guess I am the odd duck out, as my favorite swimbait is a HARD swimbait. Triton Mike Bucca's BullShad. They are a little pricey, but they are well worth their price with the fish you catch with them. I like the topwater and slower sinking one. He says the fast sinking one is the most versatile. They are catching HUGE spots in Ala. and GA. on them right now. If you are looking for soft swimbaits, the ones mentioned are very god. Hope this helps. Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains

Huddleston 68 ROF 12

I agree with the other choices above but if you just want to get your feet wet and gain some confidence in a new bait this is a great place to start. It is made by a local Texas guy and flat out catches fish. Use the Owner Flashy Swimmer hook in a 1/4 oz and slow roll it like a spinnerbait around shallow heavy cover.

http://smashtechbaits.com/products/smash-tail

I've caught fish on the giant one pound hard baits in Cali and the 8 oz Hudds too but if you want a great go-to 5" bait try this one.

Here's a good one

Nice but then I can't afford to go fishing! :-)

316v - add up how much you have "invested" in regular baits and tackle and I bet you have more $$ tied up than even in my heyday when I had 3X as many swimmers as I do now

Damn that Hinkle looks good!

Yeah, but definitely not a good starting point. Although if it were your starter you probably wouldn't want to throw anything else...

The bull shad is MUCH cheaper than that, starting at $50 to $58. For most of his stock. He has some bigger baits available, but they are more pricey. Isn't the Hinkle actually a glide bait? I thought it was vs. a swimbait, but I could be wrong. But, there are other alternatives vs. a $100 to $120 bait to get started with. Hope this helps. Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains

Yes, it's a glide bait. I didn't realize until just now that the two were mutually exclusive. I'm educated now though

To the OP, I posted the picture of the Hinkle because you asked an open ended question and I really had nothing valuable to add that hasn't been addressed here a thousand times before. But the Hinkle is one of my favorite brand, size and color of swimbaits, even if it's not technically a swimbait but a glide bait variant, and potentially a lot more expensive than a bull shad.

Going back to lurking now....

I really appreciate all the advice and suggestions... I know swimbaits have always been big on the west coast and I just never really gave them a chance here in the metroplex area (or two hour radius). I been bass fishing nearly all my life and felt like I needed to explore and use swimbaits to assist in being a more versatile angler. I fun fish 99% of the time, but still enjoy catching some hogs. Thanks again for all the great suggestions and advice.

Soft swim baits? Zoom swim fluke or a Reaction Inovations Skinny Dipper. Pro blue on the zoom, June bug on the dipper.

Hard swim baits? I only have one and have never used it.