More on Soft plastic Swim baits for Stripers
In the fall and winter you can count on a couple of things here on the Delta shad and stripers and bass eating them. For this reason I have been using soft plastic swim baits for many years. Fish Traps Big Bite Baits Shad Bodies, simple soft plastic tails on jig heads are the simplest version going and catch plenty of fish. In the past two days we have caught and released nearly 50 stripers and 25 black bass using these simple yet effective baits.
I’ll start with the how-to’s for rigging plastics shad body baits on jig heads. For this I use assault or Kalin Jig Heads from ½ to 1/12 ounces depending on the size of bait and depth I am fishing. You can buy painted heads or unpainted head what ever you prefer, I buy unpainted heads and powder coat them at home in a toaster oven I picked up at the second hand store. The product I find best for this is Pro Tec Powder paint. Ask your dealer for it is the best I have found.
Rigging the bait straight is important and can be done quite easily. The most important thing is to thread the hook through the bait in one continuous movement. If you stop half way and then keep going, you’ll probably wind up going a slightly different direction and the bait will run lopsided. As you thread the bait the hook should come out the back of the bait in the right position naturally. If you find yourself stretching the swim bait or bunching it up while you rig the bait, you are doing something wrong. A good idea when you are first rigging baits is to hold the bait next to the jig head and use the point of the hook to mark where the hook should come out. Aim for that spot and you should do ok.
Colors are simple, white, pearl and grey or blue backed white. While most colors will catch fish in the right conditions matching the bait is the determining factor for me. Under most conditions the mid-sized baits (4 to 5½ inch) are the ones to start with. The weight of the jig head depends on personal preference, depth fishing, target species, type of retrieve, etc. For 4 inch baits the most popular range is 3/8 oz. - 3/4 oz., for 5 inch baits the range is 1/2 oz. - 1.5 oz., and for 5½ inch baits the range is 3/4 oz. - 1.5 oz. Shallow water, short strikes, shallow fish, or noticing small baitfish in the area are all good reasons to switch to a 3 inch bait. Deeper water, larger fish, larger baitfish, and aggressive fish are reasons to switch to a 6- inch bait. Another reason to switching to larger bait may be to prevent catching small or unwanted fish.
As with all types of reaction baits, experimentation is the most crucial aspect. Try different retrieves until you find what is working. Once you find something that works vary that method/technique slightly and continue to hone your skill and knowledge. Remember that confidence plays a major role in any style of fishing - especially when using artificial lures.
Anytime you are dealing with hand-poured products there will be slight varying degrees of quality. Most of the time these variations are minor and do not affect the lure.
The biggest problem happens with all soft plastic lures that are rigged on a jig head - hand-poured or injection-molded. Occasionally the swim bait will slide off of the bait holder and down the shank of the jig head. This is usually caused by a fish pulling on the bait or will sometimes happen after pulling the bait out of a snag. Putting a drop of Zap Gap soft bait glue on the bait holder of the jig head prior to rigging will eliminate this problem. Regular super glue doesn't work nearly as well as it tends to "eat" or dissolve the plastic rather than sticking to it.
As the soft plastic has evolved over the years, Storms wild eye series has really led the way, the Wild Eye Swim baits feature a sharp hook molded into a lead head with the soft plastic body molded around the whole hook/head unit. This creates a simple, easy to use bait and the soft plastic makes the tail kick actively, which will attract fish and get bit. These baits are deadly for all kinds of gamefish both fresh and salt and are heavy enough to cast a long way and swim deep. The Wild Eye Swim baits are priced quite reasonably and are tough enough stay together for fish after fish. With the hook situated on top of the head, you are less likely to hang them up on the bottom, which means you can really dredge the deep structure looking for bass and other structure oriented fish. However you fish them the realistic looks and swimming action will get bit. Try the Bluegill patterns here, as well as red white. Others have been continually jumping into the game, River2Sea and many more all have there origin with the simple effective shad body jig head design.
I am fishing these baits on Quantum Cabo reels with 20 pound Vicious Flourocarbon. For the rod Quantum’s Gerald Swindle 7’4 inch medium heavy rod . This combination makes for a whole lot of fun. Find the birds and hang on! Enjoy!
Dan
Mathisen
FishDelta.com
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