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Swimbait
Fishing lure From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Swimbaits or swimmers are a loosely defined class of fishing lures that are designed to primarily imitate the underwater swimming motions of baitfishes.
This article incorporates text from a large language model. (September 2025) |
History
Swimbaits originated in the late 1980s as lures designed to imitate rainbow trout in Southern California reservoirs that largemouth bass and striped bass fed on.[1] They were larger and more lifelike imitations than most available mass-produced lures at the time.[2]
Types
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Swimbaits are mainly broken down into 2 categories: hard body and soft body swimbaits.
Hard-body
Hard-body swimbaits are often made of either wood or plastic.[3] These baits are designed to mimic baitfish that predatory fish—such as largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, pike, and trout—would eat.
Hard-body swimbaits are built to produce a swimming action that provokes a predatory instinct, causing fish to strike. The lure's movement depends on the number of joints in its design.
Glide Baits (Single-Joint Swimbaits)
A single-jointed hard-body swimbait, commonly known as a glide bait, moves with a serpentine or "gliding" action in the water.[3] This bait can be retrieved at different speeds and with various techniques to create erratic movements that mimic injured fish.
Multi-Jointed Swimbaits
Due to their segmented body design, multi-jointed hard-body swimbaits offer a more natural swimming motion. These baits can also create unique movements based on retrieve styles and speeds.[4]
The versatility of hard-body swimbaits makes them effective in various fishing conditions, from clear open water to heavy cover, depending on how they are retrieved.
Soft-body
Soft-body swimbaits are almost exclusively made out of rubber or soft plastic, similar to artificial worms. Some soft-body swimbaits are designed to trigger strikes based on movement, while highly detailed baits (usually top-hook) rely more on realism than action.
Soft-body swimbaits have several subcategories, including paddle tails, line-through swimbaits, and top-hook swimbaits.
Paddle Tail Swimbait
Paddle tail swimbaits are the most common type used by many anglers. These baits come in various sizes:
- Smaller paddle tails are often used as trailers for a spinnerbait, chatterbait, or underspin.
- Larger paddle tails are commonly fished on a swimbait jig head or a weighted extra-wide gap (EWG) hook.[5]
Paddle tail swimbaits come in two styles: - Solid-body paddle tails provide durability and are often paired with jig heads. - Hollow-body paddle tails allow different rigging options and internal weight systems.
Line-Through Swimbaits
Line-through swimbaits are large swimbaits that allow the fishing line to run through the body. This design helps prevent fish from using the bait as leverage to throw the hook.[6]
Top-Hook Swimbaits
Top-hook swimbaits have a large, strong, jig-style hook that protrudes from the top of the swimbait. These swimbaits are often used in deep water or rocky environments where bottom-dwelling fish are present.
The top-hook swimbait typically has a wedge-style tail, which is designed for colder water conditions, providing a more subtle swimming action.[7]
This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2014) |
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Gallery
- A swimbait designed to imitate a rainbow trout.
- Various swimbaits from Kanan Fishing Lures.
- A Lingcod caught with a swimbait.
References
External links
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