mainbutter Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 (edited) There are a couple different commercially available swimbait molds out there. You could also make your own mold from commercially available baits You could also design your own swimbait for a new design all of your own. For you guys who actually fish these lures, do you have any preference for a particular swimbait, and if so what do you like about it? Is there something that is just the right size? Just the right action? Or is it a combination of little things that contribute more to just the overall decoration (color, eyes, fins)? I've never fished swimbaits before but am planning on giving all kinds of swimbaits serious fishing time next season, targeting all predatory midwestern fish from panfish to musky. Part of this will involve making my own swimbaits this winter as I dive into homemade soft plastics, and I'd like to make the most of my money and time with fewer designs rather than trying out dozens of different kinds of swimbaits (which will come later surely). thanks for any suggestions Edited October 19, 2009 by mainbutter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kajan Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 I like the one from Bears RTV mold. Has excellent kick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfollmer Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 Those are some cool colors! Which do you prefer more, the split tails or the regular swims? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 Del and Bob make a nice baby e type mold. They are outstanding for all species! My favorite are hollow or hollow belly swims. They swim very natural! Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 (edited) PSS The hollow belly type have been catching really well this year. Here are a couple of results (I know how you guys like to see the BOTTOM LINE!!!) Here is an 11.02 on a bluegill hollow belly: I guess what I am saying is, the fish seem to like the action of the hollow baits. Also, I have pics of walleye, pike and stripers that SWALLOW these baits. Makes me think the fish are really being fooled. Jim Edited October 19, 2009 by ghostbaits additional info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfollmer Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 Talk about a shameless self plug here Just kidding... I haven't been having any luck on swimbaits this year But the hollow's are by far the best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 Talk about a shameless self plug here Mods can take mine down if needed. No sweat here! When the previous post had examples, I included others plus fish pics cause I can show you bait pics all day long! mainbutter.... If you would like to check out samples of the type I pour, I'd be glad to send you free samples so you can see up close what the molds can do. Better than putting out the $$$ and not getting what you want! PM me... Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delw Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 There are a couple different commercially available swimbait molds out there.You could also make your own mold from commercially available baits You could also design your own swimbait for a new design all of your own. For you guys who actually fish these lures, do you have any preference for a particular swimbait, and if so what do you like about it? Is there something that is just the right size? Just the right action? Or is it a combination of little things that contribute more to just the overall decoration (color, eyes, fins)? I've never fished swimbaits before but am planning on giving all kinds of swimbaits serious fishing time next season, targeting all predatory midwestern fish from panfish to musky. Part of this will involve making my own swimbaits this winter as I dive into homemade soft plastics, and I'd like to make the most of my money and time with fewer designs rather than trying out dozens of different kinds of swimbaits (which will come later surely). thanks for any suggestions Its all about confidence. I have fished plenty of swimbaits and they all work, sometimes they want something big somethimes they want smething small. the problem with swimbaits is that people want to catch fish and lots of them so they generally throw a small one. if you are in a tourny you only need 5 bites for 5 fish you want big. for a real swimbait and whats its intended to do you want a bigger bait then your bait fish in that particular lake. if you think of it why would you throw a 4" bait when your bait fish are 5-8" long? sure your going to catch fish but so is everyone else. Molds are not a Main issue when it comes to swimbaits swimming correctly the main key is the hardness and softness of your plastic. heres an example. lets say you use a baby "E" ie california swimbabes bait. depending on how fast you reel in your line will depend on the tail action. soft plastic you need to slow roll them or the tail is so eratic it really doesnt move properly. go with a med plastic and you can speed up the retrieval speed, go with a hard plastic and you can burn them in for a reaction strike( which works extreamly well) a harder plastic will take more speed to get the tail moving just right. when I fish the local lake with swimbaits that I made I have them in all three hardnesses as far as fancy colors in all honesty its more of a catch to catch the fishermen not the fish. They buy lures cause they look pretty if they catch a fish on it Watch out cause thats the only color they will ever buy. I think EYES make a huge difference, reason being is predators always look at the eyes before they attack something. the best thing for you to do is to try everything, go buy a few swimbaits make a mold out of pop or RTV then pour and see what works for you, as long as you keep in mind the tail will move differently with the hardness of the plastic and reel speed, you will be catching fish in no time. we have made some Identical trout swimbaits to a 8" rainbow trout, every fin eyes gills scales etc the guy pours them in 2 colors all white and all smoke thats it, he slays the crap out of them. the tail on a trout is flat as you know, the tail on swimbaits are widened so they give action. this mold had a tail that is flat just like the real thing. its boring as heck to watch it swim cause it does absolutely nothing it goes side way alot as well( we knew it would as there is no weight ), tail make flicker here and there but thats about it. the whole key is to how he fishes it, he basically throws it our there ad jerks it like a jerkbait but much slower. most of his hits are on the fall just like a die'ing trout. Delw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfollmer Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 Mods can take mine down if needed. No sweat here! When the previous post had examples, I included others plus fish pics cause I can show you bait pics all day long! Jim I know, I know, I was jokin', you're allowed to self plug when you make a good product Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 for a real swimbait and whats its intended to do you want a bigger bait then your bait fish in that particular lake. if you think of it why would you throw a 4" bait when your bait fish are 5-8" long? sure your going to catch fish but so is everyone else.I think EYES make a huge difference, reason being is predators always look at the eyes before they attack something. Just remember that some of us on the East coast might have smaller prey to match than the west coast guys. Matching the hatch matters sometimes, maybe more with sizes of baits than with colors. I fish swims a lot in my tournies. The 5" seem to produce best for me with the smaller baits catching numbers of smaller fish but the 6" producing the same size fish as the 5" baits but just less. Still not sure why except our main forage rarely get over 5". I don't expect swims to produce a large fish. They generally produce good keeper fish though in the 3-6lb range. Bigger fish come on jigs and flippin' baits. Eyes are a major factor I believe as well. Go for 3-D so they look realistic and over-size if you can. As Del said, confidence is huge so start fishing baits early on and you will get a technique and bait you grow confident in. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mainbutter Posted October 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 Wow lots of great replies!! A couple of extra questions regarding some of these replies: 1) what is an "E" type swimbait? 2) I can picture a "hollow belly swimbait", so it's just a swimbait but with a hollow, air-pocket filled belly? How the heck does a mold for that work? Why do they swim better? Just a bit of background info on my fishing grounds: I'm fishing the midwest and TBH swimbaits haven't caught on here AT ALL. I've seen one swimbait being thrown by a fisherman in my past two seasons fishing here, and that was a lures available at big box bait stores called a suzie sucker, for muskie fishing. I know a ton of guys out west are using swimbaits to target lunker largemouth and big stripers. We don't have either in MN. Heck our state regard LMB doesn't even come very close to double digits, most people don't even see a 6lber ever. I'm hoping that I'm able to adapt swimbait fishing from western LMB/striper fishing to northern pike, musky, walleye, bowfin, and SMB (which are more plentiful in most lakes and rivers than LMB). I also have hopes that they might be a hot ticket for eelpout, and if I ever get around to making TINY swimbaits, they might be "the new thing" for me in fishing artificials for crappies and big bluegill. Because of my lack of knowledge regarding swimbaits, and the general lack of use of swimbaits in the region, feel free to explain terms that I might not have encountered yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 I send thousands up your way every year!!! Guys are using them, they are just keeping them low. The smallies eat the hollow belly ones great also. They use them in Canada a lot as well. The "e" type is just a type similar to the California Babe e swim. Guess I should have said in-line swim. There is an insert of some sort in the swim that you run you line through and attach a treble to. You can see the insert well in the first photo I put up. Sounds like its time to head over to Swimbait Nation and get some more info! PS I caught 3 largemouth in the 6lb range in Northern WI on the hollow belly swims last year. I fish Hayward, WI almost every year. Couldn't get away this year!!! Numerous walleye as well. You need to do some research on the types of swims I think to look at where you want to go. Many are grouped as paddle tail swims also... Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delw Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 Wow lots of great replies!!A couple of extra questions regarding some of these replies: 1) what is an "E" type swimbait? 2) I can picture a "hollow belly swimbait", so it's just a swimbait but with a hollow, air-pocket filled belly? How the heck does a mold for that work? Why do they swim better? Just a bit of background info on my fishing grounds: I'm fishing the midwest and TBH swimbaits haven't caught on here AT ALL. I've seen one swimbait being thrown by a fisherman in my past two seasons fishing here, and that was a lures available at big box bait stores called a suzie sucker, for muskie fishing. I know a ton of guys out west are using swimbaits to target lunker largemouth and big stripers. We don't have either in MN. Heck our state regard LMB doesn't even come very close to double digits, most people don't even see a 6lber ever. I'm hoping that I'm able to adapt swimbait fishing from western LMB/striper fishing to northern pike, musky, walleye, bowfin, and SMB (which are more plentiful in most lakes and rivers than LMB). I also have hopes that they might be a hot ticket for eelpout, and if I ever get around to making TINY swimbaits, they might be "the new thing" for me in fishing artificials for crappies and big bluegill. Because of my lack of knowledge regarding swimbaits, and the general lack of use of swimbaits in the region, feel free to explain terms that I might not have encountered yet for swimbaits like you described I would recommending just buying the completeld bait, as a pop mold will take more time than its worth, plus you will need to build the wiring harness. take 2 cake pans 1.5" thick pour it with POP but them together thats about the size of those molds. Also swimbaits are much bigger than you think in the mid and upper mid west. for both bass, muskies and pike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTfishingrods Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 I am one of them guys who love to fish huge baits. Since we fish for Pike a whole bunch here I just feel the larger size catches more fish. But even saying that my favorite bait this year has been the Bears split tail above that Kajan posted and its not real big. Everyone I took out fishing this year ended up buying some from me after the day was over. Rigged on a weighted swim bait hook connected to my steel leader it got almost a banjo minnow type action to it with a whole lot more weight to it to cast than a banjo Minnow. i know I will get made fun of for comparing to the Banjo, but aside from a few little quirks I dont like about them, they flat out catch fish! Also is an easy one to pour. I also use a 9" Dels fluke that I have done well on this year also. That one takes some practice to pour though as the tail is real thin, but that makes it fish good to. I just cant seem to put the flukes down to give the paddle tails a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longhorn Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 My favorite swimbait today is my 3.25" Threadfin Shad. Caught 14 bass on it today in East Texas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.J. Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 Anyone use the 5" top pour swimbait that Bob has on his site? I am just about ready to pull the trigger on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.J. Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 I guess it is called the "Open Pour" not top pour. Here is the link:5in Open Pour Swim Bait [5SWMOP] - $100.00 : Bobstackleshack.com, Custom CNC Molds Looks sweet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfollmer Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 Anyone use the 5" top pour swimbait that Bob has on his site? I am just about ready to pull the trigger on it. +1, I'd like to know about that design also. Probably would make the multi colored baits a lot easier to make Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 +1 I'd like to know how you rig that bait? Doesn't have an insert for a line through. No hook slot... I'd guess you would really need a weighted hook for inside the bait. Don't know... Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mainbutter Posted October 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 The description says it has a hook slot, but the mold doesn't quite look like it from the pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Prager Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 It does have a hookslot and is very easy to to pour multiple colors. I borrowed that mold from a friend and poured a bunch for myself. It has great action and a nice side to side roll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.J. Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 I was going to use these type of hooks:Blade-Runner Swim Bait Insert Weighted Hook I used these a few times with some different baits and they are awesome. I think they get a better hook up ratio than your standard hooks. Of course if you are throwing it into cover, you would have to use the standard weighted swimbait hook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallie Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 The hook slot insert is not shown but you can see the pocket milled into the mold to hold it. Look carefully at the belly area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Thanks guys, I never looked that close!!! Sure looks like u could make some sweet baits with that style mold! Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rico.29 Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 for me, nothing beats Javallon:nuhuh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
