Which basic Soft Plastic Swim Bait Pattern is the most Popular?

[Piscivorous Pike]

TV and magazines in the last several years have now popularized the basic jig mounted SP swim bait with the wagging tail.

Which design is the most popular or maybe best all around design? I have not seen any mention of this, just favorites.

These baits vary in pitch, yaw and roll. I am writing regarding the basic pattern, squared off with a thumping tail. But the shank and length of the tails determine whether it thumps or vibrates.

We have the traditional design, e.g. Berkley, giving way these days to a more rounded body, no sharp corners, with big eyes and sometimes hollow.

Is it all hit and miss and a big argument as to which pattern produces or is there a popular pattern?

Edited September 26, 2008 by Piscivorous Pike

[Piscivorous Pike]

Now I am confuse about the forum. This thread did not enter itself automatically under my subscribed threads and did not show up under new posts at the 11th hour!

I take it maybe a malfunction, so I am bumping it.

Love to hear some sage advice. Time to mold again, Oh, this is a bug to catch...

[Delw]

there is no all around design, every swimbait has its purpose and works, no matter how ugly or how pretty it looks.

while the shape and length of the tail make a difference you forgot that the hardness of the plastic makes a difference in the action as well.

for example take a baby "E" bait and pour it with soft plastic med plastic and hard plastic. you will get three different tail vibrations.

then add in the retrieve speed and you get a different action.

you want to real it in very slow pour softplastic you will get a nice swimming tail action reel it in fast it will shake so much it may become unstable and not run true, so you pour a tad harder.

there are too many varibles in softplastic baits that have absolutely nothing to do with the bait design its self it is more in reel speed and type of plastic you use.

the question you ask is very hard to answer and its more of personal preference

not to mention in how you rig it, a good example of this is the Bass trix.

put it on a jig head, weighted hook, just hook it, c-rig it dropshot it etc etc. they all catch fish

[Piscivorous Pike]

there is no all around design, every swimbait has its purpose and works, no matter how ugly or how pretty it looks.

while the shape and length of the tail make a difference you forgot that the hardness of the plastic makes a difference in the action as well...

Oh, I did not forget, I plead ignorance! I did not even think of that.

That is why I asked your insight helps much, and is obvious a good reason I have not seen anything more difinative on it. Thank you.

[bojon]

A slight change in hardness,or pour can make a huge difference.When the Sassy Shad,and Lil Bit first came out they were close to perfect.The Twister co. aquired a new company to make them,and the lures become close to worthless.I'm sure they were very slightly harder plastic,and lost the fish catching appeal.They went from,for me,from a great lure to junk.The same applies to the new wave of swim baits.Sorry to say the only way to find out is put them in the water and test them.

[jigman2]

There are all kinds as you note how ever I don't think it is so much the bait as the jig head that is used, I have found that all the swimbaits that are produced by say Berkley and Storm are improperly weighted and in most cases they don't run true hence a waist of good money. I may be letting the cat out of the bag with this information but there is only one way to solve this problem and it is the AAron Martins jig head the "Scrounger" so look it up and give them a try because you will not be dissapointed.

Jigman2's tip of the week:whistle:

[Piscivorous Pike]

WOW, how intresting. I looked it up. First time I have seen such a thing marketed but years ago I took a Cabelas Colorado blade and fixed it to a jig head.

It does essentially the same thing! I still use them and will mate them up with my new swim baits.

I am going to buy liquid plastic from LC and start with new in lieu of melting bags of cheap worms.

thanks.

[HJS]

Trying to keep a lid on the variety of swimbaits I take fishing, I've settled on the 4" paddletail Bass Assassin in a variety of colors as my goto lure. I use these mostly for striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay and elsewhere. They also work well for walleye and river smbass in the Potomac River.

I used the 4" store bought Bass Assassins as my model for making molds.