View Full Version : Swimbait question

04-20-2012, 06:17 AM
Anybody ever use those screw-in set ups for your swimbaits? What set-up do y'all perfer? Just getting into to them and feel as though jig head is best but have never used that screw type and was wondering if I was missing anything.

Big Joshy
04-20-2012, 02:55 PM
Im assuming you are talking about rigging with a swimbait hook that has the weight on the shank and the screw up at the eye of the hook for holding the bait? These are designed for a weedless presentation.

every swimbait is different and will fish differently depending on how you rig it. General rule is swimbaits that are hollow or have a hookslot in the belly are made for those type of swimbait hooks. Solid body swimbaits usually are rigged on jigs. There are exceptions of course and everything is open to experimentation.

how well they work depends alot on the bait and the weight of the hook you choose. you will get alot of different actions from the same bait based on what you use to rig it.
Some of the nicer swimbait hooks allow you to slide the weight around on the hook shank so that you can change the action and the fall to how you want it.

04-21-2012, 02:35 PM
To add a few things to what Big Joshy has already said. Like he said the hooks with the screw lock attached to the eye are for the hollow bodied baits. You can use them on solid baits but they were designed for the hollow bodied ones. As far as the screw lock itself, you want to look for a hook that has the type of screw lock that has the spirals going all the way to the eye of the hook. There are some that have an extended straight wire before the spirals start.... I would avoid those, or I would change them out for a screw lock that doesn't have that straight section of wire. I have found that the type of screw lock that has that straight section of wire tend to tear out of the nose fairly easily unless the swimbait you are using has a fairly thick wall in the nose. If the swimbait has a thin wall at the nose, the spiral will screw completely through the plastic, leaving only the wire in the plastic. The more of the spiral section you have in the plastic, the stronger it will hold. What I usually do is buy the hooks I want and then I change them out with Owner center pin screw locks. Those are the best that I have found, and they come in three different sizes. The medium and large size are the ones you want to use for swimbaits. The centering pin makes it a lot easier to get the screw lock centered in the bait, which is very important. You want the bait straight when you are done rigging it.

The hook Big Joshy mentioned that has the weight you can slide is made by Mustad. It's a good strong hook, and the sliding weight works well. As far as hooks I use the Mustad's just described in a 5/0 size, either 1/8th or 1/4 oz. for swimbaits in the 4 inch size range, and Owner weighted Beast hooks in 6/0 for any swimbait 5 to 6 inches long. The Owner's start at a 1/4 oz. on the 6/0 and go up in weight as the size of the hook goes up. You'll want to rig the bait Texposed to keep it weedless. If the hooks you use don't have a lot of gap between the shank and the bottom of the bait, just slit the belly of the bait open a little. It will allow the body of the bait to collapse easier when the fish hits.

One thing about fishing swimbaits on weighted hooks versus swimbaits rigged on jig heads is ..... you have to reel the baits on the weighted hooks slower to get them deeper. A swimbait on a jig head fishes deeper a lot easier.

Finally, two tips you may want to try..... I am sure you've noticed the small hole in the body at the tail....... you can take a round plastic rattle that is made for tube baits and slip one or two of them in that hole..... they stay in there pretty well, and they add a bit of sound that can make a difference on some days. Also..... and this really only applies if you are fishing bigger swimbaits, or if you are fishing smaller baits for smallmouth ..... I tie on a short piece of 50 lb braid to the eye of the main hook, and then tie a #4 treble hook to the other end...... Bury one of the hooks on the treble into the top of the bait, about half way between the tail and the main hook. That can help you catch some fish when they are short striking the bait. It doesn't hurt the action of the bait at all, but it does make it a bit more prone to hanging up.

Good luck

04-21-2012, 08:46 PM
Yeah, what they said.:D

04-26-2012, 07:54 AM
Also if you get in a pickle and the bait shop is out of the screw in hooks or the post style hooks gamagatsu has a 6/0 weighted hook that if you run the tip of the hook through you can pull it out and put the eye through the belly of the bait and out the head. Reduces tearing them up by forcing the weight through. If you're new to swimmers try the money minnow and the Berkeley powerbait hollow bodies. The run about 9-10 a pack but they are awesome. Good action and seem to swim straight at a nice pace. To get your speed right drop the lure in the water next to the bank and walk it around to see how fast you should be reeling.

04-26-2012, 12:05 PM
i really like to put joshy's swims (my absolute new favorite and go-to bait) on whistler jigs, especially when im fishing rivers. the current gets the little prop going and it just calls in the fish. ive had rock bass SWALLOW the 2.75 inchers, they hit em like its their last meal.

04-26-2012, 12:41 PM

Hmm that is a good idea man, my buddy was talking about whistler jigs the other day and showed me one. I can imagine a Big Joshy swimbait on there right now. Excellent combo!