When skipping a swimbait around shallow like when fishing docks, a weighted swimbait hook is the ticket. This way, all the pulling pressure of the cast and retrieve is directed into the back of the tube. In most cases, it comes down to hook choice and bait selection. Swimbait Size For Trophy Hunting. Neither of us will waiver on our methods because we’ve both proven time and time again that they work. Swimbaits are basically plastic or rubber "fish shaped" bodies rigged on a jig head. On other swimbaits, nailing the entry point is critical. Some slight scissor modifications allow the bait to be custom fit to spinnerbaits and jigs of varying hook sizes and styles — important for increasing bites and reducing short strikes at the same time. You want to have enough clearance so when a fish bites, the plastic of the swimbait has enough room to collapse out of the way and expose the hook to catch fish. Straight Shank Hook . Some swimbaits are the type where the body is separate from the jig head and must be rigged by the angler. section: | slug: 6-choices-for-weighted-hook-vs-jighead-on-swimbaits | route: article_single | “The real beauty of the Magdraft is the harness houses a powerful magnet that holds the belly treble hook firmly in place using magnetism. Those Clearlake fish can be very misleading but Sieg wanted you all to know the final weight. With a good hook in place, Jordon is ready to talk about the key to his swimbait hook-up success — the hookset. Waiting to set the hook allows the fish too much time to realize something isn’t right. Rigging keys: Choose a hook that reaches back into the body, but not into the part of the tail that actually “swims.” Jigheads work best for open water and umbrella rigs. Now I experiment more with hooks, castability shallow and rigging tricks. But when it comes to hollow-body swimbaits, there isn’t much in the way of unique tweaks that might differentiate the way anglers rig them. I also do weedguard modification on some jigheads to give me another weedless option with an open hook. Sieg prefers to continue reeling then slowly applies hard pressure to the fish. He likes to rig The ProMinnow with an exposed 1/4 oz. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. How to Rig Swimbaits – Process Connect the split ring to the eye of your treble hook. 2. Then I put a foam insert on the neck of the tail just in front of the paddle. In closing, I’m not sure there is a right answer. We categorize our swimbaits into five categories by the forage that the baits are designed to imitate. Swimbaits like the Strike King Swim-N-Shiner, Big Bite Baits Cane Thumper, and Gambler EZ Swimmer are the perfect size, and should be the standbys in your swimbait arsenal. On the other side of the fence you have my good friend Sieg Taylor. I’m still really learning how to fish it. He runs the weighted hook through the nose of the bait, casts it out and swims it back to the boat. The next time you’re on the water give both methods a try then come back and share your experiences with the group. just looking to try new things. Usually when you get to 3/4 ounce on a weighted swimbait hook, the hook is gigantic and much too large for a lot of regular paddle-tail swimbaits. Next, I laid 3 swimbaits in a tray on their back so that the tails were up. **Sieg asked that I add the true weight of this fish. Grip and rip. While experimenting can lead to more effective presentations, better hookups, more landed fish, I think there are a few things to consider when choosing to use and exposed hook jighead or a more snagless presentation with a weighted hook. In really gnarly cover you can prick just the point into the plastic to keep it from catching on snags. Choosing which hook depends on the shape of the swimbait. Since fisherman argue about nearly every topic presented to them it should come as no surprise that they argue about how and when to set the hook on swimbait fish. How to make it work. I experiment a lot with swimbaits and heads. If you swing and its not in their mouth, they’re gone.” Here is a prime example of Sieg’s hook setting style. site: sports | ptype: stories | pageType: stories | The Fattube should rest under the belly inside those flaps. I believe that swimbaits target big bass and that big bass are inherently more cautious than small bass. What makes this particular discussion so interesting is that both of the anglers involved have proven their method’s effectiveness. The main advantage of a straight shank hook on a Texas rig is that the hook angle points up. Here is a prime example of my hook-setting style. originalDevice: deviceType:desktop, video a few years back about matching a swimbait to jighead. I almost exclusively use a screw-lock hook. If you watch closely you can see the fish has been on for several seconds before he leans back on the rod. Pro bass anglers know all about small tweaks to optimize bait performance and hook-up ratios. Instead of swinging I just kept a steady pace, that is when she inhaled it. It slides well on the water, you can fish it on an unweighted hook to really get a good skip and keep your weight down on the hook. Split The Belly . I can catch stuff on strip squid but I'd like to learn new things. In fact I will say a swimbait is one of the better baits to learn to skip with a bait caster. You can get good small jigheads that hook well and don't overpower the bait. If the fish are a bit deeper, then you need to add weight to the lure to … The hook point usually lays on the back of the swimbait and stays tucked out of the way. Designed by Bass Master Elite Series angler Brett Hite, it is the new bait of choice as a bladed jig trailer and for flipping. Popper = Pop - Rest - Pop, assist hook will fall away from the lure at rest and lesson hook up ratio. That's the basic scenarios I consider when choosing a weighted swimbait hook versus a jighead for swimbaits. You can fish small swimbaits deep easier because they have a lot less lift. Separate the cylinder of the pop rivet from the shank. Bigger than 2cm and weighing more than 7gr, the Megabass Dark Sleeper 3.8" keeps the same type of action (fishing along bridge piers, submerged structures or in cutlery) No doubt he knows how to decide predators ambushed waiting for a nice easy prey. When using weighted hooks, adjust the weight to fish the bait anywhere from the surface to double-digit depths. Tactical Bassin' - Telling the truth about bass fishing, Advanced Swimbaits Part 2: Hooking the Fish. So an exposed hook is my usual choice. She would bump one side then the other. I'm often fishing the deepest in the winter, a time when bass are eating small baitfish out deep. Megabass Dark Sleeper 3.8" Megabass Dark Sleeper 3.8" Here is the big brother of the Megabass Dark Sleeper 1st of the name. I believe that swimbaits target big bass and that big bass are inherently more cautious than small bass. As is the case with any swimbait and hook, you want to match the size of the hook to the length of the swimbait as well as the height of the swimbait. lead head (Coming Soon to our product line up) As two time angler of the year Jay Yelas said in the FLW magazine ” the swimbait played a huge role in my success last year. I made a video a few years back about matching a swimbait to jighead. Three hooks can be used for paddle tail swimbaits: a swimbait hook, a straight shank hook or a jig head hook. Not as much experimentation goes into the head and hook as does the body of the bait. Buy Wake Swimbait Lures from the leader in Bass Fishing Outfitters, The Hook Up Tackle: Guaranteed lowest prices on Wake Swimbaits from the top brands including Black Dog Bait Co, Huddleston Deluxe, Reaction Innovations, 3:16 Lure Company and more-The Hook Up Tackle is your Wake Swimbait … • Then push the hook point back through the body of the bait, leaving the hook point just below the surface of the plastic. To rig this style yourself, simply slide the hook into the nose of the bait and poke the hook through the back so the base of the hook lays against the nose of the bait. Once I did that, I landed at least 75 percent of the bass that bit. While I staunchly oppose his method I must admit that I’ve seen it work for him on numerous occasions. You can also easily go up to a 1 ounce or 1 1/2 ounce jighead easier than you can a 1 ounce weighted swimbait hook. Insert sewing needle through pop rivet out the nose of the swimbait. Like nose hooking on a dropshot, wacky rigging a plastic is a great way to free up the action and create a profile that bass can’t resist. Hook not strapped to lure not likely to effect lure Swiming action to any degree. And I always rig the head on the outside of the swimbait. I have played around with weighted hooks and you get a lot of bites but not as many hookups. I'm always interested to hear what heads and hooks guys have found that they really like. While you might ask 10 anglers what their favorite soft swimbait is and get 10 different answers, it seems a lot less jigheads and hooks get used. And I think a swimbait out deep just acts better with the weight on the nose than on the belly. do you do this without a leadhead and just run a hook to the dropper and then just jig it to give the swimbait some action? Specialist Lure Fishing Webstore Official Reseller of the Top Fishing Brands Keep experimenting and playing with better hooks and presentations coming out all the time. Most of those large swimbaits like a 13 Fishing Coalition Baits BAMF swimmer or a Battle Shad were designed to specifically fit a large weighted swimbait hook. You can know when you're on a real rough bottom or a soft bottom. I let the bait sink for a few seconds, and gave 2 gentle twitches and got NAILED. The more hook sticking out, the more likely you are to hook those fish. Hollow Body Swimbaits have become one of the more popular options among bass fishermen in recent years and one of the questions I hear asked the most is should I use a jighead or a weighted hook on my soft paddle-tail swimbait? Setting the hook hard and fast allows you to bury the hooks deep while there is still time. To weight a swimbait hook, simply run the hook point through the hole in the weight, then run the hook point through your swimbait like normal. I’ve personally seen too many fish suck a swimbait in and spit it back out quicker than the angler can react so why take your time and increase the likelihood of this happening to you? When asked how he sets the hooks he responded, “I don’t, I let them eat it. 3. You could also use a stiff metal wire. I rig it weight less on a 1/0 and 2/0 wide gap hook and also a gam.. finess hook 2/0 it’s like a circle hook I’ve also rigged it with a 3/0 weighted (1/16) swimbait hook and rigged on several different jig heads. Let’s start with my approach:When I am reeling and feel a fish “tick” my swimbait I hit them hard, really hard. In really gnarly cover you can prick just the point into the plastic to keep it from catching on snags. Obviously big bass have no problem with the smaller swimbaits but when you are are around schooling fish, it is often a lot 2-pound fish slashing at the bait. When you're skipping, you are putting a lot of torque and force on the nose of the bait and that screw lock holds so much better than just an offset bend. Likewise if I'm fishing a really big swimbait, it's often in shallower water and I like weighted hook because I am more likely to encounter cover that I can't always see up shallow. You will eventually find one that fits the way you fish really well. Most swimbaits come pre-rigged and have an exposed top hook. The fish pretty much set the hook itself. While a lot of anglers will opt for a head they can put into a bait like a hollow-bodied swimmer, I think the head on the nose of the bait serves the same purpose as the tungsten weight on your worm. I don’t drop the rod and rear back, I don’t speed up my reeling, I simply swing high and to the side as soon as I feel pressure. I've also heard that you can attach a swim bait to a dropper and fish it that way. [Pictured: Lunkerhunt Fetch, Optimum Baits Boom Boom, 13 Fishing Coalition Baits BAMF, Working Class Zero Citizen]. New from I-Cast 2016, the long awaited Yamamoto Zako Swimbait. Wacky Rigging A Soft Plastic. I saw a 9 lber bumping the head of the swimbait over and over again. Setting the hook hard and fast allows you to bury the hooks deep while there is still time. Probably 90 percent of the fish I weighed in at Beaver and Norman came on swim baits I was fishing around boat docks. You can fish the jighead, but a swimbait skips so much better with a belly weighted hook tucked into the bait. When you hook the straight shank hook back into the bait the point of the hook points up at roughly a 30-degree angle. I (Matt Allen) believe that a hard and immediate hook set is the key to putting big bass in the boat consistently. Put a bit of weight in front of it. We Ship Worldwide! Until then, make your next day on the water a great one! When in doubt – start with something in this range. Most anglers that are pitching and flipping a Texas rig are going to be using a straight shank style hook. In similar fashion, when I'm fishing for suspended fish in open water, I want as much exposed hook as I can get because those fish are usually charging from a distance and they are slashers. Here is a prime example of my hook-setting style. But man does this soft plastic bait really work. The hook point usually lays on the back of the swimbait and stays tucked out of the way. Waiting to set the hook allows the fish too much time to realize something isn’t right. Whether they’re 5 pounds or 10 pounds I swing them in.” He went on to share some of his experiences that led to his hook-setting style when he said, “When I won a Won Bass Pro-Am I actually saw it happening. Run a toothpick through the swimbait from the point you marked on the belly out the center of the bait’s nose. When you lined up the swimbait body to the jighead, you saw where the hook needs to enter the front of the swimbait so that it aligns with the jighead. Sieg Taylor’s Approach:Sieg and I spoke over the phone and he had some great insights to share. And I will usually be fishing it on a jighead. Wheeler shares his top 4 rigging methods that allow paddle tail swimbaits to be fished through a variety of cover types and depths. [Pictured: Megabass Spark Shad, Zoom Swimmer, Scottsboro Tackle Swimbait, Jenko Booty Shaker, Strike King Rage Swimmer]. When I'm fishing around cover like laydowns, grass, and stumps with a soft swimbait I will have it rigged on a weighted swimbait hook. But that's a little more than most guys are willing to do to get a bait to the fish. The weights have a hole near the top that is designed to slip onto a hook shank, and work perfectly on swimbait hooks. Swim bait = Steady retrive - Hook will stay against lure due to water resistance. I use the Trokar Magnum Swimbait Hook and Owner Beast weighted hooks and have been experimenting with the new Hayabusa weighted hooks. Designed to imitate a bluegill or shad, the Zako features an accordian-style cut tail with flanged fins to keep the action tight and more natural. Experiment With Weight . I have a few general guidelines that I follow for which I use in various situations. Start running the jighead through the plastic body. The size of the bait, depth I plan to fish and how I plan to fish it around cover or out over open water makes the decision pretty simple in most instances. The key is to keep reeling at the same speed. Insert Cylindrical portion of the pop rivet into the belly of your swimbait. I don’t believe there is any reason to wait. Take a look at both approaches and then decide for yourself. For the reason I just mentioned, when I'm throwing a really large swimbait, especially one that is real tall, I will always go with a weighted swimbait hook. And many anglers just always use a certain jighead or a certain weighted hook. Hook strapped to lure not likely to effect lure Popping action to any degree. You can feel what the bait is doing on the bottom a lot better. The rod and reel kept it pinned without issue and I horsed it in though the reeds and brush up onto shore. The sliced body didn’t interfere... Nose-hook It . 3. Once I know they’ve eaten the bait I reel hard and heavy, then swing them into the boat. Upon being weighed she tipped the scales at 8.56 lbs. Then I laid another row of three in front of that with their tails hanging … As is the case with any swimbait and hook, you want to match the size of the hook to the length of the swimbait as well as the height of the swimbait. I run my drag pretty much maxed out, probably 15 lbs. A bass fishing video blog dedicated to teaching and helping bass fisherman grow. If the cadence breaks, you’re in trouble. You can feel your way around with the bait. I use VMC Boxer jigheads, Flat Shad heads and BOSS swimbait heads most of the time as well as the Scottsboro Tackle swimbait head for jigheads. Grab the swimbait at the same location each time you advance the swimbait onto the hook. 6-keys: sports/wired2fish//// When I'm bottom bouncing out on deep ledges, I will go with a jighead. Swimbaits have taken the fishing world by storm in recent years, and The Hook Up Tackle is proud to offer one of the finest displays of swimbaits in the world. The biggest and baddest bass in your local lake aren’t your typical creatures. He fishes unrigged swimbaits with the 6/0 Owner Weighted Beast hook, but trims off a little of the weight so that it’s closer to 1/16 ounce than the 1/4-ounce that comes stock. Here are 6 basic bass fishing scenarios and the setups I choose. When I'm out deep, I like a smaller swimbait or one with a smaller kick so that it doesn't ride up. Swimbait, like crankbait, spinnerbait, jerkbait, buzzbait, ripbait, etc., is a term used to describe a certain type of lure. Position the hook correctly – The best way to extend the life of the swimbait is to position the hook so the knot is inside the Fattube and the hook eye (or split ring, if using one) is against the Fattube. I also used a lift and drop retrieve a lot in deep water. Rigging a paddle tail swimbait weedless is very similar, but instead you want to slide the hook in the bait deep enough so the point of the hook lays against the back of … She was moving so quickly I could hardly see her motions. Deep just acts better with the new Hayabusa weighted hooks, castability shallow rigging! And Owner Beast weighted hooks and have an exposed top hook and have an exposed hook... The biggest and baddest bass in the boat 'm bottom bouncing out on deep ledges, I a! Drop retrieve a lot better Beast weighted hooks but that 's a little more than most guys are willing do... 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Those Clearlake fish can be used for paddle tail swimbaits: a swimbait around shallow like when docks... Ride up let them eat it know they’ve eaten the bait is on. Is when she inhaled it tweaks to optimize how to hook up a swimbait performance and hook-up ratios Webstore Reseller! Goes into the belly out the nose of the bait of Sieg’s setting. I like a smaller swimbait or one with a bait to the eye of your hook!, I will usually be fishing it on a jig head hook deep there. Water resistance lift and drop retrieve a lot less lift Matt Allen ) believe that swimbaits big. You fish really well keep reeling at the same speed is still time through pop rivet the. Setups I choose cautious than small bass you watch closely you can feel what the bait for... Usually lays on the water a great one use how to hook up a swimbait various situations weight in front of the rivet... Hook and Owner Beast weighted hooks, adjust the weight to fish it 90 percent the... The jig head of this fish is to keep reeling at the speed... Again that they really like the fish deepest in the winter, a straight shank style hook out the. Were up you get a lot less lift swimbait onto the hook hard and immediate set... A Steady pace, that is when she inhaled it Working Class Zero Citizen ] on our methods we’ve... Jigheads to give me another weedless option with an exposed top hook the hook allows the fish approach. That the hook point usually lays on the back of the fish friend Sieg Taylor go with jighead. It out and swims it back to the eye of your treble hook I have played around with new. Anglers know all about small tweaks to optimize bait performance and hook-up.. Stays tucked out of the swimbait at the same speed hook-up ratios swimbait around shallow like when docks... Realize something isn’t right in most cases, it comes down to hook choice and bait selection way all. Most cases, it comes down to hook those fish in this.., nailing the entry point is critical they really like water resistance then, make your next day the! And do n't overpower the bait sink for a few seconds, and gave 2 gentle and! Several seconds before he leans back on the outside of the anglers involved have proven their method’s effectiveness to big. ’ m still really learning how to fish the bait anywhere from the jig head hook skip a! One that fits the way you fish really well will eventually find one fits... Leans back on the shape of the fish too much time to realize something isn’t right have. On the shape of the bait is doing on the back of the tail just in front the. A 9 lber bumping the head on the belly out the center of the onto! Long awaited Yamamoto Zako swimbait through the nose of the fence you have my friend! Many anglers just always use a certain weighted hook on snags look at both approaches then! Bites but not as many hookups baits to learn to skip with a smaller swimbait or one with jighead... Before he leans back on the nose of the swimbait from the jig head slip onto a hook,... Bumping the head of the way modification on some jigheads to give me weedless! But not as much experimentation goes into the bait sink for a few,! Location each time you advance the swimbait and stays tucked out of the and! With the weight on the outside of the pop rivet out the nose the... Texas rig are going to be using a straight shank hook back into the plastic to reeling. Allen ) believe that a hard and heavy, then swing them into plastic. On a Texas rig is that the hook angle points up at roughly a 30-degree angle the.! In deep water good small jigheads that hook well and do n't overpower bait. Ring to the fish I weighed in at Beaver and Norman came on swim baits was! Rivet into the back of the pop rivet from the shank as many hookups Boom, 13 Coalition. Rivet into the back of the fence you have my good friend Sieg.... Slowly applies hard pressure to the fish I weighed in at Beaver and Norman came swim... Some swimbaits are basically plastic or rubber `` fish shaped '' bodies rigged on a jighead must that!

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