This used to be a much simpler question to answer :) The term swimbait has been used in such a broad fashion in the last 2 or 3 years by manufacturers that I think the meaning of the word has been changed.

It's just like a branding issue, where in some parts of the country the word "coke" means any sort of carbonated soda. In other parts of the country the word "coke" just means Coca Cola. These definitions change over time, and the meanings of some words like "swimbait" can vary a great deal depending on who you are talking to.

Just this week I've been shooting photos of new lures for the site, and they include a ripbait and a two-piece jerkbait with a propeller on the tail. It's been causing me to think more about how to organize the reviews because "trout plugs" and "swimbaits" doesn't cover it any more.

With all of that said, the review pages are a good place to start if you want to see what the world today defines as a swimbait. The link is here:

http://www.calfishing.com/reviews/index.html

If I can think of a better way to define it for you over lunch, I will get back to you here. Maybe someone else will have a constructive idea in the mean time.