Ask tournament winners anywhere in the country, and they’ll tell you that swimbaits are nothing short of deadly.
Nearly every bass angler I know loves a soft plastic swimbait, but despite that, hard-bodied swimbaits don’t get the love they deserve, even when summer gives way to fall.
The reasons are pretty clear: soft-plastic swimbaits work well, are easy to fish, and don’t cost an arm and a leg. By contrast, hard-bodied swimbaits are difficult to master and can bring tears to your eyes when you lose one.
If you’re new to swimbaits, just want a refresher, or are looking to experiment, we’ve got you covered. Below, we’ll review some of the best swimbaits of the market and explore how to fish them to their maximum advantage:
Soft-plastic Swimbaits
Hard-bodied Swimbaits
Premium Hard-bodied Swimbaits
Table of Contents (clickable)
Related:
Best Swimbaits for Bass Reviewed
Soft-plastic Swimbaits
Keitech Fat Swing Impact – Best Ribbed Soft-Plastic Swimbait
Keitech’s Fat Swing Impact is as close to perfect as ribbed paddle-tail soft-plastic swimbait can come. In our view, it outfishes rivals like Googan Baits Saucy Swimmer, running straighter and producing more strikes.
The ribs trap tiny air bubbles, creating a wriggling action, and the paddle tails create vibrations that help trigger even wary bass to hit this swimbait.
Available in 2.8”, 3.3”, 3.8”, 4.8”, and 6.8” lengths, as well as a variety of enticing colors, Keitech’s Fat Swing Impact has the right size, whatever you need.
I like to throw the 4.8” model in most conditions, but I’ll step up to the 6.8” when the bass are hitting hard. When the bite is slow or the water’s cold, I’ll downsize.
Rigging the Fat Swing Impact weightlessly and then darting it erratically along live weed beds is nothing short of murder. Sweetening a skirted jig with one really ups the ante when you bounce it off stumps, rocks, sticks, and other cover.
And when the bite is slow, I like to use a light jig head and creep these swimbaits along the bottom. I prefer a ¼-ounce jig head for this technique, and you want to keep contact with the bottom – not lift the swimbait into the water column.
Here’s Nathan Quince demonstrating this technique:
That simple, easy-to-make DIY modification turns the inexpensive Flow Glider into a monster chopper that turns on a dime, allowing you to twitch and turn like a $500 lure.
And while I wouldn’t normally recommend a lure you need to modify, for my money, this is a true winner!
Pros:
- Reasonable price
- World-class action when modified properly
Cons:
- Not ready to fish out of the box
Catch Co Mike Bucca Baby Bull Shad – Best Micro Hard-Bodied Swimbait
Just 3 ¾ inches long, the Baby Bull Shad is the micro swimbait of choice for legions of bass anglers. This little bait is big on action, and when kept high in the water column – just inches below the surface – it generates hits like Led Zeppelin in their prime.
You’ll quickly see why: the segmented body wriggles in tight undulations, acting like a meal that’s been pressured to the surface.
The Baby Bull Shad’s color and pattern options are excellent, and there’s the right option for you, guaranteed.
For a quick tutorial from Mike Bucca himself check out this video: