9” + baits - what’s everyone’s preference?

[etlloos]

Hello All, I want to get into the bigger baits(9”+), but they seem to be a a bit harder to find. So far I’ve done some research on the balam 300, deps, k9, the draw, and a few others. What’s everyone’s favorite bait in this class(bonus points if it’s readily available)?

 

I think if I were to purchase tomorrow I’d probably buy the deps and nezumma rat. The balam is intriguing, but I can’t tell if anyone actually catches any fish on it, and the recommended retrieve rate is faster than I’d like.

[168 Rookie]

Savage Gear Magnum Shine Glide: readily available ($28ish on TW last I checked), smooth glide, good colors, gets bit. Definitely NOT a hype bait so you won't get props from the social media crowd but it works.

(Edit: $30)

 

Edited April 23, 2023 by 168 Rookie

[chefchris]

9” slammer is a must have, not heavy for its size

12” slammer  

illude xl zombie rat (9.5oz though) 

ds customs 10” glide 

rafa 10” Shad 

dockrat makes a bunch of baits over 9” 

 

 

 

 

[Jonnybass64]

K9 is my favorite bait out of everything I have. Couldn’t recommend it more. Just gets bit. Toxic mini trucha is just about that size and a fish catcher as well 

[chevro1et]

If I had a rod to comfortably handle 6oz, I'd definitely own a 9" BGC Shad. Check out the Swimbait Reviews vid on YT. 

[etlloos]

19 hours ago, Jonnybass64 said:

K9 is my favorite bait out of everything I have. Couldn’t recommend it more. Just gets bit. Toxic mini trucha is just about that size and a fish catcher as well 

Have you fished the 250? The versatility is intriguing, but I wonder if I’d be better served with a specialist that does 1 thing extremely well, and I’m missing the glide/wake categories in my baits.

[Jonnybass64]

4 hours ago, etlloos said:

Have you fished the 250? The versatility is intriguing, but I wonder if I’d be better served with a specialist that does 1 thing extremely well, and I’m missing the glide/wake categories in my baits.

I have fished a 250 and the k9 has given me much much more success. I think it’s a great bait to get started with in its size class because of the versatility and I can vouch for it as a fish catching machine. It’s a confidence bait for me at this point. Like a senko used to be years ago haha. 250 is awesome but I haven’t done much with it personally. Everyone has their preferences. Mine is a k9 

[Morgan Y]

23 hours ago, Jonnybass64 said:

I have fished a 250 and the k9 has given me much much more success. I think it’s a great bait to get started with in its size class because of the versatility and I can vouch for it as a fish catching machine. It’s a confidence bait for me at this point. Like a senko used to be years ago haha. 250 is awesome but I haven’t done much with it personally. Everyone has their preferences. Mine is a k9 

The K9 and 250 serve different purposes almost entirely although there is crossover, the K9 is generally snappy and elicits a reaction strike being a tighter actioned bait. It seems like it draws a lot more bites although they’re generally noticeably smaller and rarely much more than 10 lbs. The 250 however is a highly realistic wide gliding (with the potential for short snappy glides to an extent) bait that aims to target more depth zones with a certain action while also being a wider slow glider that a big fish which are inherently more lazy will have more time to inspect and then decide to eat because of the realism. Smaller fish are simply less intelligent on the whole and are far more inclined to eat a snappy bait moving quickly away from them, but you just won’t get those huge bites. Also both baits are tune-able however I’d argue that the 250 has more potential at varying depths and also more variation in action due to hinge adjustability, and although not removable can also crank like a K9. Just my 2 cents, but I’d say both are incredible but you’re going to be shooting for numbers with some chance of size with the K9 and truly trophy hunting with a 250. 

[Harshwaters]

9" MS Slammer

22nd Century 10" Cuttail or Triple Trout.

[SVT THUNDER]

Absolutely love throwing 9” - 10” glides. A few that won’t completely break the bank and have produced really well for me over the years…BGC 9” Shad glide, the 9.5” Baldy Baits glide and the cheaper option…Dockrat 10” Shad. The BGC is more versatile in my opinion. But it’s also almost double the price of the Dockrat for the blank. I’ve stuck a lot of good bass on the Dockrat also. I’ve only caught a single bass that was under 5lbs on those baits and that was a big headed, long and skinny spawned out female on the Dockrat that was just shy of 5lbs. I don’t get numbers on baits 9” and up but the quality has always been there. I can’t say that statement holds true for every body of water. That’s just the way it’s worked here to date. 

 

 

[Primus]

The Gancraft Jointed Claw 230 gets bit and is readily available. 

[SumoNinja]

U might like the regular size toxic trucha 

[Jerkbait22]

I’m with Jonny but like him I’m also in the northeast so it depends on what size fish you have. That said Keith has plenty of double digits on the K9 if you check his Instagram or look up Geoffrey’s latest video on YouTube. It’s a proven bait that gets size and numbers but it’s not a typical glide bait like others have said. I saw another post on here that said wcz has them up now and joythief is a great all around color.