Primus

I'm not familiar with the lures you are describing. That said, have you tried tuning it in a similar manner to a crank bait by the line tie. That is if it's veering to one side give a slight bend to the opposite side ? Hope that helps.

I like the Decoy Hydratail, I throw it on 17 lb Floro for whatever it's worth. It's a fairly light bait and it could probably be thrown on a little lighter line if so desired. I usually fish 20 lb line for baits that are in the 2-4 oz range.

It would probably be easier for experienced swimbait fisherman to help you with your question if you could tell us what specific swimbait you are talking about ? That said most of the hard body swimbaits I have bought do not need tuning. I do add a few lead nail weights to my Rago BVD soft swimbaits based on personal preference.

I have fished both and the Megabass has performed better for me than Copy E Strike. That said my number one jerkbait is an Ima Flit.

Rage Craw & Xcite baits Raptor tail junior.

Good choice, I've been fishing the 7" & 9" slammer for the past 4 years or so in SW Michigan. 9" would be my choice if I had to choose only 1. These baits are not hard to cast if you have the right rod/ reel combo. I throw mine on a Dobyn's 795 with Shimano Curado 301 spooled with 20 lb Berkley Big Game.

I hear ya they are pricey, the upcoming thanksgiving sales may cushion the blow. I have had a few outings the past few years when they seem to only hit this bait over Lucky Craft ,Megabass and Rapala X Rap. This bait in the Ghost color has been my most consistent jerkbait the past few years but I am also fan of the others that I mentioned and the hot jerkbait can be different each outing. I'm sure some will disagree with me but this bait category is where the meticulous detail of japanese baits outshine the other offerings in the market and in my opinion seem to perform better overall and are worth the extra price. I'm not saying that on occasion a Roque or a Strike King won't outfish the japanese baits but in my experience that is rarely the case. That said most of them are 15$ plus unless you catch them on sale.

Not sure it can hit 6' but the Ima Flit is a terrific fish catcher and it runs app 4'. The Lucky Craft Staysee is a good choice when you need to run deeper.

Regarding how the Red Eye Shad drops in the water column, what is it about them that you don't like? I always looked at the way it shimmies on the fall as a strong point of the bait and I seem to get a lot of bites when after I rip through the grass I give it a brief pause.

I agree with Raul that you need an arsenal as the hot bait can change when there is a hot trap bite or you can refish an area with a different trap bait and pick up a few more fish. I have different baits in different color categories which would include chrome, gold , white, bluegill ,craw and ghost colors. These are some of my favorite brands & models.... Red Eye Shad - if I had to pick one this would be it though you will run into the occasional QC issue and on the mettalic finishes the paint seems to flake off too easy but at $6 each I'm willing to overlook that. That said it's the shimmy on the fall that makes it special and the vibrates well at slow speeds which is an important attribute in cold water. Yozuri Rattlin' Vibe - listed as a 5/8 oz bait but seems to fish like an 1/2 oz bait, just seems to do everything well and is a good workhorse bait. Sebile Flatt Shad- I like the oil filled version as it's silent and it looks great in clear water. More vibration than most baits in this class and like the Red eye also excels when fishing slow in cold water. Also is terrific in clear water pressured situations , this is a truly special bait in my opinion .Does have a tendency to swim on it's side if you are burning it though. Rapala Rippin' Rap. When the water is in the 40's and the fish are little deeper this is my go to bait in the 1/2 oz size when the fish desire ( you guessed it) a " rippin' " retrieve. In Fisherman has done a great job demonstrating how to fish this bait on their TV show and magazines. I basically let it fall to the bottom or just above submergent weeds on a long cast and rip it up on semi slack line, let it shimmy down on semi slack line then keep repeating. They also mentioned in a recent walleye article about pullin' which you raise the rod from 11 to 12 o'clock hold and then follow it down. I have not tried this retrieve but I can't see any reason why it couldn't work for bass if the want a little less aggressive retrieve. This bait has a tighter wiggle than most trap baits yet still swims down, too me it fishes like a hybrid between a metal blade bait like a Silver Buddy and a Red Eye Shad. Damiki Tremor silent version- another good option when stealth is needed. Spro Aruku Shad- excels for slow rolling, the 5/8 oz size seems to fish like a heavier bait. I absolutely love their metallic finishes. These baits are usually perfect out of the package. Koppers Craw Trap- doesn't do anything special but on a straight retrieve gets bit, what I like about it is it's extremely realistic appearance. I like to slow roll the 3/4 oz version in the spring. 1 oz Excalibur 1 knocker - I like the biggest size as the knocker resonates more than the smaller version, great alternative to a deep diving crank in the summer or when you want a bigger profile. There are times that knocker is the truth and calls the fish to it when they may ignore the bb style rattles , especially in slightly off colored water.

Is there a trailer keeper on this jig or do you have a picture without the shirt ?

2 good entry level swimbaits are the River to Sea S Waver & the 6" Spro BBZ in the slow sink. I throw most swimbaits on 20 lb Trilene Big Game though I do throw the River to Sea on 14 lb Floro.

I threw it on a BPS 7'6" MH Crankin' Stick with no problem even though is rated up to 1-1/2 ozs. That said most of the fish I caught were northern Pike.

I like the 5" & 6" fast sink version ( I don't believe it's listed on his website ) and I have Dwain from Baitwerks paint it in a Golden Shiner pattern, it's been a very productive bait for me. I usually have Dwain order it from Mike and then he paints it. Patience is needed as it usually take a couple of months to get it.

Great point brought up by SirSnookalot regarding pause in addition cadence has to be considered. Generally speaking when fishing colder water the pauses need to be longer and more frequent, usually when the water is above 50 degree surface temp I can get bites fishing a little quicker pace. For example I've done well with a 3 jerks, short pause followed by 2 jerks cadence. There have been times when after one slight jerk or short pull I've had to wait 30 seconds or more before the next movement especially when fishing very cold water. These variables have to be experimented with each outing, though with experience and practice you can usually sort it out quickly. Last but not least regarding the retrieve you will want to jerk the semi slack line to make the bait dance, though with certain baits like the Lucky Craft Staysee in colder water I sometimes do better with short pulls.

I also prefer spinning gear, I have a 6'9" Medium power fast action rod with a Shimano 3000 size reel with Sunline floro this year. I prefer floro as their is more direct contact with the bait for better response over mono and it usually will get the bait down a little deeper, that said if using floro make sure watching your line for kinks and nicks and when in doubt retie as most of the better jerkbaits are pricey. Most of the lakes I fish do not have shad where I live in SW Michigan, that said colors like Chartreuse Shad work well for under overcast conditions or if the water has a little stain. Slightly stained or algae green water I like colors similar to the Lucky Craft American shad on sunny days. Sunny days on clear water I will usually fish Ghost Minnow, Ghost Bluegill or Pro Blue translucent type of of colors. My favorite jerkbaits include the Ima Flit, Megabass Trick Darter & Vision 110, Lucky Craft Pointers and flash minnows and the Rapala Xrap. Good luck.

Watermelon Candy , Smoke Purple , Green Pumpkin & Black/ Blue work well for me most soft plastics. When I'm fishing Flukes/ Caffiene Shad type of baits Baby Bass & White do well for me.

This year in terms of baits that I hadn't previously fished I would pick the River to Sea S Waver as the top newcomer for my rotation. I look forward to expanding my selection of S style swimbaits but of the ones I have tried this has by far been my most productive.

I see they are doing a lot of marketing for the product and wanted opinions from those who tried it to see if the performance matched the hype. I have very limited experience with their product having thrown their topwater walking bait a couple of times with no strikes so far.

Guys I messed up, memory let me down.I looked at the baits this morning to see what I actually did and I actually have a #2 KVD on the front hook and a # 2 owner 5121 regular shank on the back because the back hook hanger sits up higher. I apologize Bluebasser86 for the confusion.

Bluebasser86 I run them on both the front and back, I was getting plenty of bites on the Baby Hardgill but it seemed like I had a high % that came unbuttoned. The KVD hooks have increased my landing percentage, that said I fish the regular size hardgill more often. Nice fish posted by SPEEDBEAD.

If anyone is one fence on whether to get a Matt's hardgill, take the leap. I agree with speedbead that if you were to buy only one premium swimbait this would be the one to have. I also like the Baby Hardgill, the hooks on that are little small so I swap them out for # 4 KVD short shanks.

Lazz Flukes could work but don't rule out lipless cranks, shallow cranks, swimbaits & spinnerbaits. If that isn't happening then I will usually fish jigs or beaver baits if the bass are looking for a more vertical presentation that day. Stuck a few good ones on my last outing on the Strike King Red Eye Shad along with a Rago 7" BVD soft swimbait. Good luck, I hope you do well.

Strike King 5XD & 6XD Spro Fat Papa 70 & Little John DD Jackall Muscle Deep 15 Plus Xcalibur XRK 100 1 knocker 1 oz lipless crank - slow roll

Great recommendation, the S.O.B. Mini Me is a winner. He will also make the baits with whatever blade sizes and type that you specify. I prefer to tie my spinnerbaits on with a palomar knot as other posters have suggested.