VanBass1707 Posted September 21, 2017 Report Share Posted September 21, 2017 Hi Guys Hope you all well? I wanted to ask, what would be your go to soft plastic swimbaits, size, shape, make and what do you think makes a good soft plastic swimbait? If you have pics of your favourite soft palstic swimbaits, please post them and tell me what you like most about that bait? Im fairly new to the swimbait thing so I would just like to get everyones opinion. Thanks Guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelpMePickABobber Posted September 21, 2017 Report Share Posted September 21, 2017 good soft plastic swimbait Error: 404 Not Found Go hard or go home. Jwp90, MA Frog Man, timcauliffe and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VanBass1707 Posted September 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2017 Its showing an error HelpMePickABobber timcauliffe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthefisherman Posted September 21, 2017 Report Share Posted September 21, 2017 I think he means he hasn't found a go to soft bait, and I'm in the same boat right now. All my confidence is in hard baits. Lots of guys love the huddlestons though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelpMePickABobber Posted September 21, 2017 Report Share Posted September 21, 2017 I think he means he hasn't found a go to soft bait, and I'm in the same boat right now. All my confidence is in hard baits. Lots of guys love the huddlestons though! Correct. I've caught fish on those little keitechs and other similar boot tail style lures but I don't really consider those swimbaits. Primus and sean20 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynem Posted September 21, 2017 Report Share Posted September 21, 2017 I fish hard swimbaits probably 85-90% of the time, but when I do fish soft its generally Hudd 8 or 68, Weedless Rising Son, Realprey shiner or alewife, or the Mattlures gill with the new tail. The new tail design on the Malltlures gill is a big improvement over the older boot tail. As the temperatures drop my use of softballs goes up. Primus and Dsouth 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Ramen Posted September 21, 2017 Report Share Posted September 21, 2017 Rising Sons and Huddlestons nwkurt, trav, Willluvstafish and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primus Posted September 21, 2017 Report Share Posted September 21, 2017 I fish hard swimbaits probably 85-90% of the time, but when I do fish soft its generally Hudd 8 or 68, Weedless Rising Son, Realprey shiner or alewife, or the Mattlures gill with the new tail. The new tail design on the Malltlures gill is a big improvement over the older boot tail. As the temperatures drop my use of softballs goes up. Great baits mentioned right here. I've also done well with the 7" Rago BVD in the light Hitch color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogervang Posted September 21, 2017 Report Share Posted September 21, 2017 316 raising son, minnow and Huddleston nwkurt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dheath2 Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Tough to beat realprey baits. Shiner and the 5" perch are great. A lot of guys like the alewife but I haven't had as much success with it. They are made of silicone as opposed to soft plastic so they don't warp in a tackle box. They may a little but I've just stretched them out and they've been fine. Matt Allen swears by the jsj hitch six. Bait has very little representation on this forum though. I don't throw the ones I have as often as I should. Burrito baits are another great option, also made of silicone. Real big fan of the taquito with a 10/0 owner beast weight or unweighted with some lead tape. Also makes larger line thru shad baits and top hook. Extremely boyant sit up on the bottom like realprey and the jsj bait. These are good wedge tail options which I just prefer due to realism but when the water is warm boot tail baits take over in terms of productivity. Baits like the smash tech convict and head hunter are great but super soft and don't hold up very well to multiple fish without glue surgery but they can be repaired and boiled and fished and most importantly, catch. Haven't tried the 316 baits but I've been meaning to for years. Heard great things. Little creeper baits like the 8" trash fish and smaller as well as the blue gill are tremendous options. Also very soft with great action and fish catching ability. Huddlestons have been proven many times over during the years but I personally have had too many quality issues to justify buying more. Everyone has their own experience though. Get a lure retriever, it will pay for itself on your first outing with it. I just use the jewel baits hound dog lure retriever. Cut off the weight on a marker bouy and tie it up with a good knot. There has only been one instance where I couldn't get a bait back with it. On the very economical spectrum the livetarget swimbait series is decent. Very subtle wedge tail baits with acute focus on realism in terms of shape and paint jobs. I prefer soft baits over hardbaits. I do throw a few glides but they piss me off when I lose fish using a rod with an action for soft baits (faster). Been in Okinawa the last three years but headed to lejeune in a couple weeks which will allow shipping the required rods to me. My experience with rods on soft baits is you want a fast action but I like some tip to assist in keep fish pinned. Especially since I've been fishing out of a float tube during my tour here. The okuma4 piece rods have done well for me here but just not soft enough for hardbaits, for me at least. Plan on getting the 795 and 806 when I get back torn on champion or fury series though. And I run a daiwa Luna 253. Perfect reel for soft baits in my experience. Curado 300 is great too, just a little faster. I run braid to leader with a blood knot. 50-65# to 20# pf original. Fluorocarbon works well too and I like abrazx and plines flouro but with those I tie an Albright for the connection. Just easier for me with fluorocarbon to tie that knot. Leaders 8-10 feet long. Hope that helps. Fish slower than you think you need to when it's colder. Slow in general on soft baits. Watch your spool turn, that will take your mind off how slow you're reeling if you just watch your line/where your bait just splashed down. And fish big baits big. What I mean by that is making long casts along a point or across a cove or past isolated cover. Pinpoint casts to cover have been less effective for me but that has a time and place. In terms of casting frequency, consider your baits drawing power. A larger bait will pull fish from further away. Conversely, a more subtle bait will have less than a bait that creates a lot of commotion. If a bait draws fish from 5 feet away, consider making a cast every ten or fifteen feet and alternate depths by how long you let it sink. You'll be more efficient in covering water and fish catching history at a spot will just let you know that your timing is on or off. There's some science to it but if you catch a fish at a particular time at the same spot three weekends in a row and try again on the fourth trip and nothing...well they aren't always in the mood to bite. One last tip, leave everything else at home. Don't even dick around with taking seven of the same bait in different colors and sink rates. Take one or two different swimbaits and a backup of each of your budget allows. Learn the bait and the water from followers or lack thereof and wear polarized sunglasses. Everyone has their opinions but these are mine based on what I've experienced on the water. zsneezes, waynem, jhoozie1 and 15 others 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynem Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 ^ great post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthefisherman Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Wow. We should start a SU swimbait advice book with this as the first entry! Very thought out and insightful, Dylan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dheath2 Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Thanks. I feel like the forum has become more and more Q & A over the years (with a focus on gear) and you have to look way back in time for the good stuff (I hesitate there...it's a forum, not a blog). Baits change as everyone searches for the cure (Mike Gilbert) for better or worse. Hate seeing the non sense that goes along with fishing. That's why I stay away from most forums/facebook pages (and the black market and bait/rod waiting lists)...comments are ridiculous and everyone has something negative to say...but we have the 1st amendment for a reason. An advice book is a good idea...soft baits..glides...hardbaits...timing...techniques...conditions...rods/what baits to use on them...same for reels and line. This already exists to an extent with the noobs pages at the top of the forum but that's links to past posts albeit it is a great resource. Someone could probably put together a pdf with all this information. You wouldn't even have to know everything...just compile what's already resident on the interwebs...text, pictures/diagrams...all the sage info out there, links to videos and what have you (and give credit where it's due). Wrap the pages up in paper protectors and hit the water. All said, this is sidebar and not what Werner is looking for lol. brushhawg1, Dsouth, MA Frog Man and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VanBass1707 Posted September 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Wow thanks for the posts guys!! Dylan thanks a lot bud much appreciated!! Some great advise there!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwkurt Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 MISSION FISH!!!! BASS_SWINGER 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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