what is your pick for best swimbait on your a-rigs?

I bought my first a-rig (3 wire TN rig here) and have been using it this early spring. I have went through a couple different types of swimbaits on it to find the best swimmer but have found problems and wanted to ask what you all have been using and had the best luck with.

I started out using the same swimbaits I had been using as singles. these where hollow body swimbaits (yum money minnow,Berkley hollow body) I think look awesome and I have had some luck using it on a single swimbait and weighted head. HOWEVER when on a "Rig" they tend to roll or spin and not swim right. I did not notice them doing that as a single. But I did notice that sometimes If I didn't slow my retrieve they might not swim right. for the rig I thought the hollow body was the problem so I got some zoom swimming super and they don't seem to have much tail wave. My idea or what I think I should see is the tail really thump and I don't see that with the zoom. and I never got a strike. then I got some Keitech swing impact and they looked the best in the water and I caught one smallmouth but not sure the rings/rippled style and everything are the right thing to be using on a A-Rig. so what brand, size and color seems to work best for you?

I have had good results with the Storm swimbaits you buy in the packs of 3.

Kalin's mogambo grubs....

Netbait BK swimbait, Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper, Keitech Swing Impact, Basstrix, Optimum Double Diamond swimbait

lft boot tail live magic shad .

http://www.shop.moestackleshop.com/CocaMoe-Minnow-4-inch-CM4.htm

CocaMoe or 3" sassy shad. I like to mix it up

River2Sea Rig Walker-Designed specifically for Rigs.

Yum money minnow

Not trying to get off topic here, but what hooks are you using on these?

I use the swing arm and skinny dippers. The jig heads I like best are Strike King Red Fish Magic Flats Jig Heads in 1/8oz and 1/4oz. The hooks are strong and very sharp. They also hold the bait on without having to use super glue.

3.5" Gene Larew sweet swimmers

Strike king Caffeine shad- the 4 inchers

I have never fished a rig do they really work.

nope, never caught a fish on it before.

I have only used the Storm pre-rigged baits, Berkley pre-rigged baits and the Zoom swimming fluke jr. I did not like the Berkley ones because for 1 or 2 of them were flipping up side down while reeling it in. I have no idea why. I have caught fish with the other two.

What's an A-rig?

What's an A-rig?

I've tried a lot of different baits for the rig.Here are my top three baits.
1.Roboworm Robo minnow
2.Skinny dipper
3.Kietech swing impact

ZZ swimbaits for me !

Skeeter Don... Are you being serious? Can't really tell sometimes on this boards. If not A-Rig or U-Rig stands for Alabama Rig or Umbrella rig. Here in Tennessee we call it a TN-Rig or just "Rig" because we can only have 3 hooks instead of the normal 5 in a Alabama Rig.


Thanks everyone. Looks like most just kind of find that they like. I think I will stay away from the hollow belly soft baits and stick with the solid soft swim baits. think that was my problem.

Keitech or Swimmin' Fluke Jr.

what he said...

Don's just having a laugh. He caught 2 bass on one cast a little while back that both looked like jungle beasts. . .

I am not a fan of the rig but live on a big fish lake Clearlake Ca. and the guys I know that do use Kietechs,always use the FAT swing impacts.

KAITECH

3/0 -5/0

Yep, just having a laugh.

I have been fishing this rig for over a year now and can tell you one thing. It does have its time and place. I have learned and experimented a lot with the rig, tried several different types and baits as well and I keep coming back to the same rig and bait over and over and it just simply out produces all the others. When its on, its on and when its off, its off.

Good Luck! Oh and rod/reel combination are very important.

10" blue flake power worms for me.

I have found the length of the hook you are using is as critical as the weight of the jig head in how the bait swims. The smaller swim baits will tend to rollover if the hook is too short when using the lighter 1/8 or 3/16 oz jig head. I have found a longer hook creates a faster tail wiggle and less of the side to side wobble and sometimes this will trigger the strike. I primarily use the 3-1/2" Shadalicious swimbaits with good success. I use the 1/4 oz BPS swimbait jig head with the longer shaft on these baits. I also like to mix the types of baits. On a five head Flash Mob Jr rig I will have 4 3-1/2" and 1 4-1/2 on the center trailer.

the best swimbait has been mentioned once.

Try the Berkley Havoc grass pigs or the Zoom swimming flukes

Zoom swimming fluke jrs
Damiki anchovy shad
Reaction innovations skinny dipper

V&M thunder shad and thunder shad jr. Depending on what size you want.

What part of TN bigvoldaddy? That use be home for me, I still bleed the real Orange.....even though I've been in TX 31 yrs.

Please elaborate...

Sorry new to Forum, but thought I was responding to post by SkeeterDon about Rod/Reel comment...

Hard to believe that no one has mentioned the 6th Sense Core-X swim bait. Excellent action.

Two reel preferences

5 to 1 for slow retrieve and fishing deep
6.4 to 1 or in that range when fishing less than 10 feet.

Rod - 7'6" (minimum) with the backbone of a flipping stick (heavy action) with a fast tip.

You want the rod to load up and let it do the casting for you. I have fished this rig 4 days straight and have never been worn out the next day.

The rod that I am using now is an old telescopic Castaway flipping stick that I bought back in 96

Okay, Okay, best swimbait


KIETECH, discussion over.

My favorite is Izumi Shad Alive 80 and Savagegear 4Play swimbaits

Izumi Shad Alive...

Reaction innovations skinny dipper for me

[quote=What part of TN bigvoldaddy? That use be home for me, I still bleed the real Orange.....even though I've been in TX 31 yrs. [/quote]


I'm in North East Tennessee (tri-City area) But just got an offer to move to Denver CO. better money and better city but it looks like the bass fishing sucks!! not sure what we are going to do now..! Oh and as you can see from my name I am a HUGE VOL fan!

so what part of TN are you from? what took you to TX?