I am getting a boat tomarrow and am going to try and fish trout lakes more often w/ swimbaits for bass. I would liek to buy a few trout pattern swimbaits seeing that I have none :(! I think I am going to go w/ smaller models because I cant stand waiting for a bite all day w/ the huge ones. I am planning on buying...

1. MS slammer trout color small size
2. Huddleson
3. Lucky Craft Real California

Do you guy's think this would be a good small group to start out w/? Any suggestions? PS does anyone have any good trout swimbaits for sale?

Thanks, Taylor

Hey let that Bass go I wanna catch her some day
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osprey's are always a good choice and I really like the rising son from 316 lure company too. Both are good waking baits depending on what Osprey you get. Good luck!

The mission fish 7inch w/ curly tail gets bit alot. I also like the other kicktail mission fish. Can't go wrong slow rolling the 7inch osprey in Bass World Trout color either.

Get some Huddlestons for sure. 316 Rising Sons are very good surface baits. Monster Jacks have a loud clack and get bit good too. Slammers have always been consistant quality baits.
If you are just looking to get some fish regardless of size these are your baits but if you really want to work for giants you might have to step it up and slow it down.

Good Luck. Steve.

my 3 favorites lately have been
1 Huddleston rof 5
2 SR7 weedless trout pattern
3. M.S. slammer trout pattern, the big one
and for bluegill pattern i like the 3;16 bait alot.theres so many different companies out there ,just expiroment until you find what works for you.I may have an extra slammer or two i would sell,aside fom that i'm using the ones i have alot this time of year
brian

Catch Alot,Photograph a few,Release them all...:-)

1. Huddleston ROF 5
2. 9' or 7' slammer
3. small or large 3:16 rising son

Huddleston gets big a lot and also catches very good fish, slammers get big a whole lot and is the go to bait at any time, and the rising son gets bit a lot also and doesn't get torn up as easily and keeps fish on because the bait slides up the line.

andrew

I would liek to buy a few trout pattern swimbaits seeing that I have none !

I think I am going to go w/ smaller models because I cant stand waiting for a bite all day w/ the huge ones.

Warning... shameless blanket statements ahead.

Those two sentences are mutually exclusive. The second one doesn't even have any validity by itself. Smaller swimbaits don't necessarily mean more bites, even from 2lb and under sized fish. The smaller swimbaits are just a marketing trick to fool people who don't have the guts to buy anything big.

Oh, and my top 5 trout swimbaits off the top of my head...

1. MS Slammer, 9", light trout
2. Huddleston Deluxe, ROF 12
3. Huddleston Deluxe, ROF 5
4. Castaic Trout, 9", ghost trout
5. Rago Live Trout Hardbait, rainbow

I think I could live with just those. Oddball, or non-trout additions could be...

1. Mission Fish, 8", whatevercolor
2. Castaic Sunfish or Bluegill
3. MS Slammer, 12"
4. Stocker Trout, 10"
5. Rago Live Trout Softbait

I wouldn't say don't buy the little stuff, just don't expect to catch anything big on them (ever), and don't expect them to catch as many small fish as the big swimbaits do during many, many situations.

I fully agree with Nico about the size. When I started throwing "big" baits I started with a (2) 7" Slammers. They both started life painted Midnight Purple or whatever that color was called. I soon painted 1 white. I threw them for 4 months, atleast 4 hours every week, with an average close to 8 hours/week (figure about 110 hours total). I caught over 40 fish on them. Unfortunately the biggest was 4.6# on the white one. I could have caught that many fish, of that quality, on most normal bass lures.
Then 1 night I met up with Fish JC. He noticed that my white Slammer was looking pretty bad from hitting rocks etc. and I noticed 1 of the hooks was curled over after missing a hit. He offered to let me use a 4Eyes and he'd fix the Slammer when he got back to his shop. He handed me a 4Eyes that was a little over 9" and weighed enough that the rod I had been using with the 7" Slammer could barely handle it.
The very next night I caught my PB Bass, an 11.9# Monster that would have never eaten the 7" I'm convinced. That same week I caught another bass over 6# on the 4Eyes. I still have and occasionally throw the purple 7" Slammer. It still hasn't produced a 5#. The White Slammer that Fish JC re-finished I gave to a freind who has thrown it a little, complaining "It's just too big and I'd rather catch numbers than fish all day for 1 or 2 bites." To that I reply "Big baits = Big fish and that one is just too small!"
Tight lines,
Wade
PS: Sorry about the novel, I just wanted to illustrate the point.

I must say I’ve caught more 3 and under pound fish on my 9 inch baits than I have double digit bass.
I’ve had a guy in a tournament tell me he caught a 5 inch bass on one of my 9 inch trout pattern 4EYE baits.
I think it contributes to the eyes on the back of the bait. (?)

I feel this is where a custom bait can help.
Matching the colors of the hatch or forage in the water you fish.
Desire weight of the baits you’re tossing.
Able to fish the depth you feel these fish are holding.

Good luck out there
In hope you find a swimbait that you feel comfortable in tossing for days in and days out.

JC

http://www.bassanglerprofiles.com/joeycastro.htm

Nico, Wade and Joe...

I agree with what you guys said. I usually start out big and then downsize. Most of the time, if I don't catch em on the 9" I don't catch em on anything. But what if you're fishing a body of water that doesn't hold BIG fish?

I fish a reservoir where an 8lb bass is almost unheard of. But there are 15lb carp and 10lb trout. Would you still throw the bigger baits?

The reason I ask, is because I've never caught a bass out of this particular place on anything bigger then the 7" slammer. I throw the bigger baits there week after week. But then, when I finally tie on that 7 incher, I'll have a fish within the 1st 20 casts?

Anytime that I catch a fish on the 7", I'll switch to the 9" hoping to get something bigger. It just doesn't happen at this place for me. Any thoughts?

I used to think 9" swimbaits were too big for Santa Margarita. I caught everything on 7" Slammers and AC Minnows. Then I went fishing with Mike Shaw, guy who makes the Slammer. First cast with the 9" bait he caught a 5 and a half and I was just like whoa! We caught 7 fish from 3 to 5 and a half pounds that afternoon. After that I kind of 'got it' and started fishing bigger baits.

Right before I stopped fishing Margarita I was really getting into the 12" bait. I did miss more fish but I had two fish that were 8lbs each hit me on it. And this was back when 8 pounders were basically unheard of at Margarita.

If you're not getting hit on the bigger baits, it could just be time of year or presentation or something. I really can't say enough for the slow and steady on top retrieve. 1 and 2lbers will bomb the 9 and 12" Slammer like this but are usually more unwilling to hit it subsurface. Here are some motivational photos for you (especially the crappie photo lmfao - that was a late night). If a bluegill and a crappie will hit a 9" bait, a bass will too. I've actually caught two bluegill on the Slammer, go figure.

As far as must have swimbaits, ditto to Nico's post. The fun part is, you can browse the review section and see 90% of the baits that are out there on the market and pick whatever you think might work for yourself.

http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/1435.jpg

http://www.calfishing.com/images/daily_reports/2_1_04_rob_crappie.jpg

Warning... more blanket statements and crackpot theories.

I don't doubt your success with smaller swimbaits on smaller bass at your lake, but I think here are the two points I'm trying to get across...

1. You can't fish for small and large fish at the same time. The chances of getting one of the biggest fish in the lake (be that a 15 lber or a 5 lber) are very slim to begin with. If you switch to small fish tactics your chances are going to be just about nil.... If you want to catch a big fish, you have to dedicate that time 100% to the task at hand.

2. Large swimbaits should be a critical part of your overall bassing toolbox, regardless of the size of bass you're targeting. People make the mistake of thinking there's some kind of linear scale where the best size lure is directly proportional to the size of the bass they're trying to catch. This is untrue, 3 inch soft plastics are as important for 12 lbers as 9 inch swimbaits are for 2 lbers. the size of the lure you want to use is related to water clarity, season, weather, and time of day among other things.

If someone really wants to expand their tactical arsenal (wheee), they'd get more bang for their buck by getting some 9 inch swimbaits than 5-7 inch baits. The average angler already has a bunch of lures that come close to the size of a small swimbait, so adding the small baits is not going to widen their possibilities as much as a bigger bait.

I agree with the bigger bait theory, even on small fish- I've had quite few nights catching 1-2 lbers. on the 9" Slammer or AC Plug that completely outfished a 6" worm on the same size fish- plus you definetly have the advantage if a big girl is hungry. At least the rats will boost your confidence to keep chucking the bigger baits. I know quite a few guys whose idea of throwing a big bait is tossing a 7" Slammer on their heavy jig rod for 10 minutes, probably not the best recipe for success. Not that I have the big fish to back me up, but I'm slowly figuring out the best ways not to catch them!!

I would add one more twist to the big bait little bait deebait. If you're fishing to visible fish it doesn't matter what size you're throwing most of the time, and little baits probably work better if you can put it right in their face. But if you're fishing the water you better throw the biggest thing in your box as slow as you can cause those big mamas won't travel very far for a little snack. If you want to catch little fish on a big bait fish it fast! bob

Well you guy's definatley swayed me! I bought 2 12" Slammers from swimbaitking805.

Thanks for all the help!!

Another question what # mono is best w/ bigger swimbaits 20 25?

Taylor

I use 25# Izorline XXX, not much memory and I haven't snapped any off yet, but then again nothing over 11 yet. If you are using surface baits I would stay away from Flourocarbon. Flourocarbon is heavey and it sinks so it really screws with the action on surface baits. But good luck and I hope you find a line you like!

JC,
I ended up getting one of your baits it is a real nice bait, superior in quality and craftsmanship than most other! I am planning on throwing it anytime I am at a trout lake! I will be sure to let you know how I do on it!

Hey let that Bass go I wanna catch her some day
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