Primus

I just got a few of these in recently, going to experiment with it next summer ... http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/The_Red_One_Miller_Punchin_Weight_Wired_2pk/descpage-RMW.html

That's always a risk when fishing around toothy critters and it will happen occasionally, that said I forget about all that when I stick a big fish. For those who can't handle losing a bait because they are concerned about the cost of replacement I would suggest baits like the Reaction Innovations Skinny Dippers and similar baits where there are multiple baits in a bag for about 5 $ . Use what you can afford and have fun fishing !

I've been throwing swimbaits in SW Michigan for a few years, some of my better lakes are less than 100 acres. Like any presentation they have their time to shine , that said swimbaits & jigs tend consistently produce more 5 lb plus Bass which are big fish in my area .

Real Prey baits are a very good recommendation by MassYak85 , Bullshads painted in Golden Shiners have also done well for me.

You might want to look into a Kistler KLX or Helium series rod, excellent fishing rods for the money.

My favorite way to fish is with swimbaits such as the Matt lures Hard Gills, MS Slammers , Pat's Perch and Glide baits. I also like throwing the SK 8.0 Mag squarebill, Whopper Ploppers & Jigs.

I don't currently have a Helium 3 , that said the KLX is a very sensitive rod for it's price point. I have 4 that I use for soft plastic baits and light / medium jigs and I am fishing it with any where from 12 to 17 lb Floro depending on application. Have no problems with hook sets and the moderate fast action keeps them pinned. I'm very happy with these rods and would definitely recommend them.

I use both Zoom Super Fluke and Strike King Caffiene Shad and the both are easy to cast with bait casting reels especially the Caffiene Shad as it's a little heavier. I see no need to use the smaller versions of these baits as the regular size versions of both of these baits catch numbers of fish. I tend to fish the Caffiene Shad more in shallow grass very fast with a combination of twitches and even swimming it in a stop and go retrieve or a combination of both. I have braid tied on when I do this . I usually throw the Super Fluke Jr. on 12 lb Florocarbon and will twitch the bait more and generally pause it longer depending on the activity level of the fish. Sometimes dead sticking it works well. The Zoom bait seems to glide more than the Strike King , that said the Strike King has that whippy tail and I prefer when I want to fish it faster.

My only experience with this new line of Berkely hard baits is with the War Pig lipless bait which has proven to be a good addition to my arsenal.

I've never fished a highland impoundment, that said if you go to any of the Swimbait forums you will see that Slammers are consistently catching them everywhere guys fish for Bass and are one of the most revered big baits . I fish a lot of clear natural lakes in Michigan, most of them have weed cover and they get slammed. Fish it with a slow steady wake, you can twitch it or crank it down or a combination of all 3 . It's also a terrific option when fishing at night. If you are tempted to try big baits this would be a great one to start out with . Here is a nice write-up ... https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiAjfvCxJnYAhUG_4MKHekMBY4QFghCMAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsouthernswimbait.com%2F2011%2F10%2F29%2Fthe-9-ms-slammer%2F&usg=AOvVaw2aMrJlYLjT0cN4WA-EAP6L Here is another one ... https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiAjfvCxJnYAhUG_4MKHekMBY4QFgg7MAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mikelongoutdoors.com%2Freview-ms-slammer-9%2F&usg=AOvVaw3zSQiNd8-mx_WMkjVkCEXW and one last one ... https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiAjfvCxJnYAhUG_4MKHekMBY4QFghJMAU&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tackletour.com%2Freviewmsslammer.html&usg=AOvVaw0hhsgDrZWPVYWcJDqLk_uY

If you got a rod / reel / line combo that can throw a 1.8 oz bait /7 " size or a 3 oz bait / 9" size treble hook bait you might want to check a MS Slammer which might be the king of wake baits. Lots of large fish have been caught on this bait through out the country. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjeoomS-pPYAhXD54MKHQqvABcQjBAILjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fswimbaitcity.com%2Fhtml%2Fstore.htm&usg=AOvVaw3Cf-aeqJAIDhcoThmbxoPb

Hey guys just wanted to give you a heads up that their rods are 50 percent off . I haven't used one, that said I'm tempted to pull the trigger.

I'm one of those people . That said I don't use them as much as I used to as I tend to like fishing big baits . The last couple of years I have favored the Strike King 8.0 Magnum squarebill as it moves a lot of water and tends to attract bigger bites especially in low light conditions. It also excels as a night fishing bait.

JustinJ There a lot of proven baits that have been suggested so far in this thread . That said it might be helpful to find what rod/reel and line combo you have available to throw these baits with . It's not uncommon to see swimbait fisherman throwing baits around an ounce up to 10 ounces or more. Most of the swimbait sticks tend to have a sweet spot in terms of weight range where they perform well. For example I have 3 Dobyns 795's in my line-up along with a few other rods. Even though this rod is rated from 1 to 5 ounces , I think the sweet spot are baits in the 2 to 3-1/2 oz range as an example and anything over 4 ounces is pushing it . Knowing what you are working with will help you select baits that will match up well with your equipment optimizing your ability to cast, control and fish these baits properly.

Using a 1/4 oz sinker most of the Rage baits still fall fairly slowly because of the bulkiness of most of their baits and the high action appendages will also slow the drop speed as well. That's one reason I like a lot of their baits is that you can use a little heavier weight making it easier to cast and pitch. Most of the time I'm fishing baits like the Structure Bug or Lobster with a minimum 3/8 oz sinker and oftentimes much heavier. These baits move a lot of water which is another reason why the excel especially when fishing heavy cover .

I have that one in the Perch color, they definitely get bit by our Bass here in SW Michigan. Very good bait .

I had one Pizz bait, I think it was called the Drift bait. Unfortunately I casted it off the first time I used it . I was thinking of picking up a couple this winter, what are some of your favorite Pizz baits if you don't mind sharing ? By the way besides Matt lures Hard Gill check out the Gan Craft Jointed Claw 178, terrific bait and not real hard to find .

Don't wacky rig much these days , so when I do I stick with the best which is the Senko.

If the original poster is going to fish a spinning rod with mono I would suggest light wire hooks on his baits like the bronze Gamakatsu hooks or the new Gamakatsu TWG finnesse treble hooks if you can spend a little but more. As others have suggested do your best to keep them from jumping and keep tension on the line. The good news is your getting bites from big fish, Good look when the next one hits .

Cool looking bait David P

You can call me " Batman " as I just bought one yesterday

I caught a few on the Duck this spring, no problems with hoOk-ups though I recommend straight braid when fishing . Not sure it will be a permanent mainstay in my tackle rotation but it does catch fish .

Most of my 5 plus Bass came on topwater baits of some kind. The 3 top producers were a 7" MS Slammer, Matt lures Floating Hard Gill and Whopper Ploppers which accounted for most of my bigger fish .

Good idea J Francho .

The Dobyn's 795 is what I use , I think you will be very happy with that. They now have a version in the Fury line which I understand is more affordable but performs nearly as well as the 3 Champion series rods that I have .