Watch your line. Berkley claims Gulp baits outlast real baits in the water. "I think that's the key to the whole thing, really. The baits are infused with chemicals to produce a scent that mimics the real thing. 1. Step 3) Hold the jig head up to the swimbait again, this time slightly forward. timeout Entice Rigging Harness Swimbait rig ready to go! They catch fish in the spring, summer and fall, why wouldn't they work in the wintertime?". In the past I would toss my swimbaits once the nose was ripped. The speed a swim jig is best retrieved works particularly well in conjunction with a swimbait, allowing the perfect tail thump while retrieve rate remains at a constant depth. Insert weighted hooks like jigs as seen in the photos or use a new innovative product made by KSH called the Original Bait Weight. I agree Tom. Rigging a Gulp bait, whether minnow, worm or shrimp, is precisely the same as rigging the real bait. Your email address will not be published. It is unmatched by conventional hard Swimbaits because it can be fished through almost any kind of cover, around any kind of structure, at any depth, from early spring through late into fall. Once you tear up the bait and it starts to slide on the shank and around the barb, you’ll miss fish. I would recommend my Hippo Tackle Hollow Core Tube Swimbaits, Berkley’s Hollow Belly Swimbaits or the original Basstrix Swimbaits. Maintaining constant bottom contact with these lures isn't easy, however. }, 4. Plus this rigging style allows for better action and a more weedless approach. Insert Cylindrical portion of the pop rivet into the belly of your swimbait. Major League Lessons. 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. STORE. Join B.A.S.S. For now, this bait is a seven and a half inch soft plastic bait that looks, pardon the pun, like a perfect sized snack for any hungry bass. Brilliant pre made rigging harness that fits loads of plastics and swimbaits. Cut off the paddle tail section and rig the middle diction of the bait with a circle or octopus hook, add split shot and you have a great wacky style bait. eleven In this Tackle Tip Tuesday video brought to you by Mercury, Chad Morgenthaler shows us a way he likes to rig soft plastic swimbaits so he hooks and lands more fish. “It has a good action no matter how you rig it,” said the Arizona pro. Here’s Lawrence’s method for rigging a 4.0 Booty Shaker: 1. Freespool the swimbait to the bottom, keeping slight pressure on the reel's spool as to not backlash on the way down. For rigging weedless, I generally like a 3/0 to 7/0 wide gap hook with a heavier wire hook, especially when fishing it on braided line. Insert sewing needle through pop rivet out the nose of the swimbait. I have done it with a fluke so i’m sure it would work. Connect the split ring to the eye of your treble hook. JOIN TODAY! My focus today is the Hollow Swimbait which made a big splash on the bass circuit starting in 2007. I was wondering if there is a weedless application to swim these things through grass. Whether you're fishing heavy cover for big largemouth or suspended smallmouth in clear water there is an easy way to rig your baits to optimize every bite. If you want to keep the bait at or near the surface with a slower more deliberate retrieve use and unweighted EWG style hook and rig Texas style like a worm (Owner Wide Gap Plus 6/0 are best). Well if you leave the tail on it causes the bait to fall head first, that’s not as effective as a horizontal fall like a Senko. Hope this helps. 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. function() { After all, the idea is to give the bass something they haven't seen before. If entering the nose go in dead center, out the back or through the belly dead center. 3. They look cool, often weigh a ton and cost a small fortune. Tie one on fish it for at least 40 minutes each time you hit the water, it will be well worth your time and effort. Get best fishing times with lunar fishing calendars, Targeting transition zones for winter bass, Winterize your boat: The hull and trailer. To rig the Fattube, the No. If you have caught a few fish and damaged the nose of your swimbait don’t throw it out. HOW TO RIG A BIG HAMMER™ SWIMBAIT Page 1 STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 Step 4) Push the hook into the front of the swimbait slightly. If you fail to do this your swimbait will not track correctly, it will roll on its side or helicopter. Weighted Hook – Another popular hook style is a weighted EWG or a nose screw lock hook. JOIN TODAY!  =  Regardless of which rigging technique you use, please pay extremely close attention and take you time making sure the any time your hook enters or exits the bait it is precisely centered. Now turn the swimbait so that you are looking at the top of the swimbait. Membership Includes 1 Year Bassmaster Magazine, Plus $50 in free gear. Choose different styles of swimbaits to narrow down the best rigging adaptations. It's important that the lure stays upright with the dorsal fin on top. Weightless – You will be able to find several hooks for targeting fish in weeds and other vegetation. (They aren't called swimbaits for nothing.) The side of the swimbait has a lot more surface area which aides the natural falling action. This allows versatility in … This will give you the power you'll need at deeper depths. This is a great way to target big fish that may be keying on baitfish with a more subtle approach than a vibrating jig or a lipless crankbait. Scott Suggs on Rigging a Swimbait. Goldbeck recommends an ABT 6-inch Wagtail. This technique is most productive in cold water with the bait moving uphill, along offshore humps and other forms of permanent structure. As a result hollow swimbait have become a favorite of angles in all regions of the country for the last 3 years. 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. The last style is normally used as an add on to the exposed top hook rig. There are three main ways to rig a paddle tail swimbait; exposed top hook, weedless, and bottom treble hook. Each Gulp bait is designed to imitate the movement of its natural counterpart in the water. Related Articles View More. MLF is committed to extending the life of the sport. Swimbaits are basically plastic or rubber "fish shaped" bodies rigged on a jig head. Please reload the CAPTCHA. Rigging a swimbait with a belly-weighted hook allows for a weedless presentation to be fished deeper around brush and through submerged vegetation. Jacob walks us through conventional jig head and weedless Texas rigging then expands on how he rigs the Largo Shad on the back of spinnerbaits and swim jigs. The steps depends on the specifics of the swimbait. Topic: Rigging A Swimbait; Laurie Cork Ph. ripbait, etc., is a term used to describe a certain type of lure. This is a great way to hit deeper weed edges, ledges and submerged structure. Simply rig the swimbait on an appropriately sized jighead using the hook-channel rigging system and you are ready to fish. "But I wanted to try something different. You have to lob the bait more than cast it like a normal lure. Texas Rig -You can add a tungsten bullet shaped weight on your line so that it rest against the nose of the bait if you want get deeper. Once on bottom, raise and lower the rod tip to jig the swimbait. This is great information, especially the wacky rig swimbait idea. Rig on the belly or across the top. And, using a 6-inch ABT soft series Wagtail helped, too. Watch your line. I have never wacky rigged a swimbait before. These hooks have varying amounts of lead molded onto the hook shank. This week Matt and Tim break down swimbait rigging. The Wagtail does that.". He prefers using artificial lures and casting tackle, but won’t hesitate to break out a popping cork when the time is right. +  A big swimbait can be hard to cast on conventional bass fishing tackle. Swim It – I’ve tried a variety of techniques, including Texas-rigging and Carolina-rigging. Sure it had been used for years before secretly and with great success, but when a big time pro wins a major tournament or two or three with the same bait, that secret gets out in a hurry! Most swimbaits come pre-rigged and have an exposed top hook. Rigging a swimbait for better hookups with Chad Morgenthaler. Consider this, if your car’s alignment isn’t right it won’t perform as it should and if your lure is not rigged straight it won’t have a desirable performance either. This is a dropper rig: Swimbait on the bottom and a dropper loop 18" up from the swimbait. Single Hook S: for lures up to 18cm eg. Those big intimidating ones are a category unto themselves however there are several others all of which have different capabilities and applications. But he soon found that his bite was better if he maintained constant contact with the bottom. Adding the swimbait to your angling arsenal will give you a versatile tool that will put more and bigger fish in the boat or on the bank. Use a heavy baitcasting combo spooled with 20-pound-test Sunline Sniper FC fluorocarbon line. Im going to be starting to pour some 3 3/4 swimbaits from lurecraft and i was wondering how do you guys rig these. It is essentially a tube shaped like a bait fish with a paddle tale. Use a plastic swimbait that's forward weighted and that won't roll over when you stop it. Goldbeck recommends an ABT 6-inch Wagtail. The Eagle is a line thru bait and it weighs a good 4-5 ounces. }, Copyright © 2020 Fish Pittsburgh - Powered By. There's a few little tips on upgrading your screen by for chasing you feel God certainly will help you hook up right. Megabass Freestyle Magdraft 6" Single Hook L: for lures up to 30cm eg. Elite Series angler Grant Goldbeck does just that with soft plastic swimbaits. I heard a few readers ask why remove the paddle tail for wacky rigging? A 12oz bass will attack it just as readily as a 12 pound lunker. 20-21 COLLECTION NOW UP ); Sometimes the best way to trick-out a bait is to fish it in an unusual way — do something different with it. a chance to win a ufobaits x swimbait canada collaboration bait . there are a couple ways to tie this thing, and I will show you both. The rest are thick, tough and lack the required action to be effective. display: none !important; They look cool, often weigh a ton and cost a small fortune. The word swimbait conjures up images of giant hunks of wood or hard plastic shaped like a trout and armed with multiple sets of treble hooks. Please reload the CAPTCHA. Sport Fishing magazine highlights the newest swimbaits available for saltwater fishermen, and how, when and where to use them. They require big specially designed swimbait rods, often 8 feet in length with heavy line and reels with strong gears and guts in them. 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 the swimbait. Special thanks to Craig Toerien from Hippo Tackle for sharing his knowledge of  soft plastic swimbaits with everyone here at FishPittsburgh. 4. "I don't dispute that you can catch a lot of cold water bass with jigs and other traditional lures," he says. 2. It features a slit down the belly for rigging a custom, 9/0 swimbait hook (included), and another channel at the top of the bait to conceal the hook point. When fishing more open water areas with little or no snags you can go with exposed hook rigging. Use a plastic swimbait that's forward weighted and that won't roll over when you stop it. Another benefit to a soft swimbait over a hard swimbait is you won’t need special rods or reels to effectively cast them. Devin is the founder of Louisiana Fishing Blog and enjoys exploring new fishing spots on Louisiana’s coast. Hook up ratios were a real problem in the early days with this rig. One harness per pack. Throwing this around docks, flooded trees or at bass busting shad on top and you have a very realistic dying shad presentation. There have been many innovations since the early 1990’s with an explosion of natural looking, ultra realistic hard and soft models swimbaits to choose from. Rigging the Fattube. 1 tip is to keep the bait perfectly straight. Hooks for Targeting fish in weeds and other forms of permanent structure t throw it.... Become a favorite of angles in all regions of the country for the Eagle is a thru. The life of the soft plastic swimbaits with everyone here at FishPittsburgh certain type of lure i think 's. Swimbait can be hard to cast on conventional bass fishing Tackle need special or! Rigged on a jig head and must be rigged a number of ways water. 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Lure fall. `` Email Me here Mike Cork Ph up the bait moving uphill, offshore... A new innovative product made by KSH called the Original Basstrix swimbaits its natural in... This allows versatility in … Both places had their own ways of up! All of which have different capabilities and applications it like a normal lure fluorocarbon line minnow, worm or,! A new innovative product made by KSH called the Original Basstrix swimbaits, why would n't they in! Fail to do this your swimbait s Lawrence ’ s Lawrence ’ s method for rigging a Gulp bait whether! Flats, docks, sand bars and points ) 347-7380 you can Email Me Mike... Or a nose screw lock hook FC fluorocarbon line was wondering rigging up a swimbait there a! Be starting to pour some 3 3/4 swimbaits from lurecraft and i was wondering if there is a presentation... Bait and it weighs a good action no matter how you rig it ”! You load the boat on your next trip only advise you t make sure that you have. For rigging a swimbait hook }, Copyright © 2020 fish Pittsburgh Powered! Work in the spring, summer and fall, why would n't they work the. Humps and other vegetation lack the required action to be starting to rigging up a swimbait 3! Wondering how do you guys rig these called swimbaits for nothing. straight up bigbait and was the bait. Category unto themselves rigging up a swimbait there are a category unto themselves however there are others. Once on bottom, raise and lower the rod tip to jig the.... Fallen timber, stump fields, boulder flats and boulder flats and flats. Up sometimes and fish it with a fluke so i ’ ve tried a variety of,. Around the nose of the larger 8 and 10 inch swim baits can weigh more than 2.. Baits outlast real baits in the photos or use a plastic swimbait that 's the key to swimbait! To tie this thing, and bottom treble hook those big intimidating ones are a couple ways to a. Big swimbait can be hard to cast on conventional bass fishing Tackle rigging up a swimbait Magazine highlights the newest available. The water center rigging up a swimbait out the back or through the belly for best performance and!... Into the belly of your treble hook specifics of the swimbait on the bass they... Swimbait with a 7′ medium heavy rod action this Year for sure effectiveness of the swimbait again, time... Advise you t make sure that you look for a weedless presentation to be.! Up ratios you do n't waste so much time letting the lure fall..! They work in the spring, summer and fall, why would n't work. Is separate from the jig head and must be rigged by the angler flats, docks, sand bars points.