Cheap Swimbaits

[FishDiver]

Has anyone had much success with inexpensive swimbaits like the Storm Wildeye series?

How does the catch rate compare with the high-price models?

I do not fish for cash and I'm not willing to spend 6x to 10x the price for one extra bite per day. If I can expect to catch 10x the fish then I will spend the money.

[swimbait]

Most of the storm stuff is ... junk. They have a few decent models but the quality control (lack of) means you get 1 good bait out of every 4. When I say good, I mean lures that swim straight and don't roll in an endless circle on fast retrieve.

If you want an inexpensive bait that catches plenty of fish, get some 5" Big Hammer tails and put them on 1/2 or 3/4oz Hammerheads. The tails work out to $1.12 each (they come in packs) and the heads are $1.40.

So for $2.62 you are ready to go fish with a bait that will always, 100% every single time run straight. Superglue the leadhead to the tail with a drop of superglue gel and you'll catch 5, 10 or 15 fish per bait. You can fish shallow on a medium retrieve or sink the bait down to 40'. It's versatile and it works. Big Hammers have been around since the early 90's. Only in the past few years have bass guys woken up to how good they are.

[acm95301]

If you want a decent swimbait (jig head + paddletail) you can't go wrong with Big Hammer..prety darn good stuff.

However, The wildeye shad made by storm does catch fish as a swimbait, but may even be better as a jig....yep. watch the truebasstv.net 2008 episode on folsom with phil cark and KB. My guess is that the lure on the bottom stirs up the muck and looks like a frantic crayfish.... or maybe if hopped looks like a trout or something feeding on the bottom.

I've caught more trout than bass on the wildeye, but it does work and its the most inexpensive swimbait out there..I would recommend it to any beginner.

[DeltaDan]

If you want an inexpensive bait that catches plenty of fish, get some 5" Big Hammer tails and put them on 1/2 or 3/4oz Hammerheads. The tails work out to $1.12 each (they come in packs) and the heads are $1.40.

You can also look for colors / sizes on Sunrise Tackles Clearance Page for the Big Hammers and other baits. ~~> http://www.sunrizetackle.com/shop/closeout.htm

You can get 50 5" SB's for $34.89 ... The heads from them cheaper than the local shops - and for orders over $75 you get free shipping. I now have near 300 of the #26 Bluefever in 5"..... That bait PRODUCES !!

[Oldschool]

If you went with a Basstrix 6" paddle swimbait, Bladerunner weighted insert hook, you would 2 each $4.50 lures +1 spare.
Premium pro rigged swmbaits, about 2X the cost of your cheap Stom lures.
Tom

[Austen]

If you want an inexpensive bait that catches plenty of fish, get some 5" Big Hammer tails and put them on 1/2 or 3/4oz Hammerheads. The tails work out to $1.12 each (they come in packs) and the heads are $1.40.

You can also look for colors / sizes on Sunrise Tackles Clearance Page for the Big Hammers and other baits. ~~> http://www.sunrizetackle.com/shop/closeout.htm

You can get 50 5" SB's for $34.89 ... The heads from them cheaper than the local shops - and for orders over $75 you get free shipping. I now have near 300 of the #26 Bluefever in 5"..... That bait PRODUCES !!

+1 Great Baits!

[aNNieNsaLTIE]

if u r thinking about those storms.... Hold off and get the River to Sea Bottom Walkers... Those things are awesome...

Steven

[mark poulson]

I've caught some nice fish on them at Cachuma, but that was late winter amd spring a few years ago.
I haven't thrown them lately.

[FishDiver]

If you want an inexpensive bait that catches plenty of fish, get some 5" Big Hammer tails and put them on 1/2 or 3/4oz Hammerheads. The tails work out to $1.12 each (they come in packs) and the heads are $1.40.

You can also look for colors / sizes on Sunrise Tackles Clearance Page for the Big Hammers and other baits. ~~> http://www.sunrizetackle.com/shop/closeout.htm

You can get 50 5" SB's for $34.89 ... The heads from them cheaper than the local shops - and for orders over $75 you get free shipping. I now have near 300 of the #26 Bluefever in 5"..... That bait PRODUCES !!

Great stuff guys, thanks.

Do I want the jig heads with the size 4/0 hooks? They are the most common size in the Big Hammer collection.

Can you mix colors on the special 50 5" price?

[calfisher71]

I think the fish dont care,
each bait will catch bass

fish traps and big hammers are better for lakes and outside weedlines in the delta

persuader makes a good swimbait head

I have won a tournament on a storm swimbait,
The bottom walker works great too!

basstrix makes a good bait not too expensive great for shallow water

Berserk Baits has a new swimbait the RB Swimmer about $7 bucks for qty2 with a hook.great for delta~!

www.baitbarn.net

promo code "howe" will get you 10% off all your orders!

[DeltaDan]

Do I want the jig heads with the size 4/0 hooks? They are the most common size in the Big Hammer collection.

Can you mix colors on the special 50 5" price?

The 4/0 heads Are Perfect for the 5" baits ! I use the 5/0 on the 5.5"/6.5" in 1/2oz., 3/4oz and 1oz. mostly for the fall and depth I wish to fish the baits with and retrieve.

They come all the same in a 50 bait box of the same 5" -- or 36 in a box for 5.5" or bigger for the price on the Clearance page. I also have the Steves Shad, Bleeding Olive Hearing, Strawberry (White body with Red Tail -- and put a Red Head on it. ) BaySmelt, Silver Chovy', Blue Smelt, Green Sardine, Green Hitch, Baby Bass, and the Silver Phantom ~~ along with many others ....... in boxes or just assorted packages ... and most of those baits all came from the clearance page.

Keep looking at it - ALONG WITH THE OTHER BAITS ! If you had any idea of how many "stand up headed" Jigs I have been able to STEAL from the ASSAULT line -- In Olive/Brown, White and other colors and sizes ... along with the Salt Shakers, Grubs, Spyder Grubs, and more ..... You all would be kicking my arse - Just like my wife has each time a new box arrived on the front porch from USPS !!


Seriously - I keep an eye on that clearance page almost weekly if not bi-weekly !! I am also starting to Bubba-Shot the 3" tails now more so than the Robo's in the grass matts of Franks and other places. Put a 5/8 sinker with a 18" lead -- and you can put it in front of their noses in what they are looking for.

Here is a link for the colors for the BH SB's as well. ~~> http://www.sunrizetackle.com/swimbait-colors_all.htm Remember that you can get them as well in what ever size you wish to have poured. Just send Mr. Wolf an e-mail to make sure he can accomidate you.

And if there are ever some Pearl's on the clearance page ... Can some one PLEASE GIVE ME A COURTOSY PM/E-MAIL/CALL !!!


....Also Save your old baits when torn - and just Mend-It them - and Use them again and again !!

[Bassinlee]

Dang, you guys are cheap! I thought I was bad. I use something I call a 'deck worm'. You know, the cast offs from previous trips that you find on the floor after they've either caught a fish or haven't? Usually kinda dirty, and missing an appendage or two. Hula Grubs, Senkos, Creature baits, etc... all fugly and forlorn, just layin there gettin no love. Hell, I tie em on, and throw em into trees and other snaggy cover. And I almost always catch stuff with em! My buddy's kinda anal about always tying on a fresh bait and fishing with it. Problem is, he freaks about losing it, so he's scared to throw it into dangerous cover. Not me. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled 'messes', etc. Gets em every time!

-Bassinlee

[FishDiver]

How do the hollow swimbaits compare to the Big Hammer and Fishtraps? I know they cost more, do they work any better?

Should I spend $20 on a lunker punker or just keep throwing spooks?

[FishDiver]

ZOOM SWIMMING SUPER FLUKES
http://zoombait.com/2009/11/zoom_swimmi ... omment-186

[Austen]

How do the hollow swimbaits compare to the Big Hammer and Fishtraps? I know they cost more, do they work any better?

Should I spend $20 on a lunker punker or just keep throwing spooks?

With the hollow belly swimbaits they are usually rigged weedless so they are definitely going to get hung up less and they also have a smaller profile. I like the Big Hammers because they have a bigger profile and they give off way more vibration. Plus they flat out work

I would definitely invest in an injected lunker punker. Its a screamin deal for $20 and an easy way to boost the quality of fish you catch. But it really depends on what you have confidence in. Good luck

Austen

[Tin Can]

ZOOM SWIMMING SUPER FLUKES
http://zoombait.com/2009/11/zoom_swimmi ... omment-186

That is awesome, I need some of these!