11-09-2009, 04:35 PM
I've had mixed results with swimbaits in the last couple years since I first picked one up. In general, I'd recommend using small soft swimbaits for your area.
First of all, in Rhode Island you're probably finding bass of similar size as I am here in Pennsylvania. From a size perspective, we're limited in what swimbaits will work. The 2 oz jointed trout that are 9" long are not going to work for us. I had the opportunity to talk at length with Matt Servant from Matt's Lures out of California about swimbaits in general. He told me to stick with the 4" minnow swimbait that his company produces. He said the bluegill swimbaits and the trout are going to work in California, Texas, Georgia, Florida, etc... where the 6 to 10 pound bass population is healthy.
In 2009, I threw a 4" Spro BBZ1 Shad (jointed, hard swimbait) and a 4" Jackall Giron (jointed, hard swimbait) and caught zero bass in Pennsylvania on them. They are only 4" baits, but they are enormous looking when you see them next to crankbaits. The 4" soft swimbaits have a much smaller profile and that's what I would stick with.
If you want to see the ones I use, go to [url "http://www.mattlures.com"]www.mattlures.com[/url] and check out his products. You'll also be amazed at the ridiculous number of 10+ pounders that he's got pictures of... all caught on his lures.
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First of all, in Rhode Island you're probably finding bass of similar size as I am here in Pennsylvania. From a size perspective, we're limited in what swimbaits will work. The 2 oz jointed trout that are 9" long are not going to work for us. I had the opportunity to talk at length with Matt Servant from Matt's Lures out of California about swimbaits in general. He told me to stick with the 4" minnow swimbait that his company produces. He said the bluegill swimbaits and the trout are going to work in California, Texas, Georgia, Florida, etc... where the 6 to 10 pound bass population is healthy.
In 2009, I threw a 4" Spro BBZ1 Shad (jointed, hard swimbait) and a 4" Jackall Giron (jointed, hard swimbait) and caught zero bass in Pennsylvania on them. They are only 4" baits, but they are enormous looking when you see them next to crankbaits. The 4" soft swimbaits have a much smaller profile and that's what I would stick with.
If you want to see the ones I use, go to [url "http://www.mattlures.com"]www.mattlures.com[/url] and check out his products. You'll also be amazed at the ridiculous number of 10+ pounders that he's got pictures of... all caught on his lures.
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