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Generic Swimbait 3D - 6.5, 7.5, and 9.5"
Generic Swimbait Flat Back - 7.5"
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Rago Baits - Generic Swimbait

Author: Rob Belloni

History/Overview: The Generic Swimbait first came out to the public around the summer of 2002. The rest of the Generic Swimbait story would take up the rest of this review, so we'll skip it, but suffice it to say that at this point in time the bait is being made by Jerry Rago and Scott Whitmer both, with the bulk of Jerry's baits being sold in the USA, and the bulk of Scott's baits being sold in Japan. You can see most of Jerry's colors here and Scott's colors here. The baits are available in 6.75, 7.5, 9, and 11 inch models. All of the baits are slow sinking and will naturally retrieve in the 1 to 10 foot depth range.

Pros: There are a lot of boot tail swimbaits on the market these days. So why should you buy a Generic Swimbait vs. another bait? The things that differentiate this bait are the shape, the fins, and the body wobble of the bait. The round back aka 3D Generic Swimbaits have a nice shape to them that matches the profile of a fish pretty accurately and that is a plus. The fins on the bait also add to the realism of the presentation. When you watch the bait move through the water, the fins will pulse in the water on their own, creating an interesting sort of independent action from the overall tail kicking action. The anal fin especially has an enticing wag to it. In my experience if you have an action on top of the main action of a lure, that's usually a big plus because independent movement like that is the kind of thing that can trick a fish into thinking something is real.

The other point worth mentioning on this bait is the overall body wobble. This is especially pronounced in the 7.5" bait. Because of the springiness of the plastic, the tail kick will make the head of the bait move back and forth. I like that extra feel you get from the bait as a result of the head wobble. You can definitely feel it pulsing as you reel it in.

Lastly, if you a troller, this is definitely a bait you want to have in you box. Many of the Rago baits are designed with trolling in mind, and this one does it quite nicely from what I understand. These baits can be trolled at high speeds and excel in clear water for trolling.
 
Cons: The main problem with these baits is that quite frankly they tear up pretty easy. How much they tear up depends on the size of the bait and what happens when you hook a fish on it. The 6.75" baits don't tear up much because they are so light. The 7.5" bait I would consider to be the mainstream bait, and it doesn't tear up too bad either. The 9.5 and 11" baits are more prone to tearing because the baits are so heavy that no matter how secure the harness is in the lure, the pressure on the harness during the cast against the weight of the plastic lure body just cause the two to want to separate over time. You can cast these big ones, but it's a chore and you're going to go through some baits if you cast them hard. I'd keep those big ones for the trolling stuff. The harnesses on these baits have definitely improved over time, but you shouldn't expect to get a large number of fish per bait.

The other tearing issue is with the fins. To get good action out of the fins, they have to be thin. Thin of course translates into less durable, so you should be careful when storing the lure, or leaving it clipped to a rod while making a bouncy run across the lake. Losing or tearing a fin doesn't seem to mess up the action however.

You're also going to find that some of the baits don't run true out of the bag. Repositioning the hook or adding mojo weights on the side that wants to roll up can help this, but because the baits are not heaviy weighted, a certain number of them are simply not going to run perfectly straight.

As far as I know, this lure is no longer in production

Average Rating out of 1 voters
Nico( Mountain View, CA) Dec 22, 2005
Solid Bait
This bait is a solid performer with a proven track record of catching fish. I especially like the wide color range. I've actually had most luck with these baits in non-trout colors. One spring I was doing very well with a brownish colored bait in a lake where the only swimbait-sized bait fish were suckers. I had an impressive number of 3-4 lb type fish come up and swallow the 7.5 inch generic baits. This bait seems to have fallen out of the limelight in the age of the huddleston, but it shouldn't be forgotten.
 
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