Big Swimbait

I found a couple of bags of these in the Basshole I have had for years. I was about to toss them but then thought about all of the hype of the Panorama & that they might make a good Free Rig bait. Well, I was right. These flutter and glide perfectly for the application. If any of you have any of the bass size stashed you would like to get rid of, please message me. Thanks in advance.

I think Casey Ashley won an Elite derby on them also.

+1 - Best I have ever used.

I get better casting performance and fewer backlashes with 65# (Tranx 300). Also the diameters match up (.016) and I get better connection knots.

65# braid to a 30# leader for all of my swimbaits over 3 ounces. On the other end of the spectrum, I have been killing them on 20# Power Pro Camo braid with NO leader on a Med spinning rod.

Plus 1 on the Lefty Kreh knot:

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Z-Man_Mag_Shroomz_Weedless_3pk/descpage-ZMMSW.html

Secret Lures has something close in a 4.5 Inch. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Secret_Lures_Big_Dummy_Stupid_Tube/descpage-BDS.html

Go for it. One of my favorite ways to fish it is pitch it up close to the bank along side of a dock. I let it sit for a little bit because it sounds like somebody fell in when it hits the water. If one is there, I rarely get more than 3 cranks before the blow up. I also swapped the hooks to BKK Viper-41's and the split rings to Owner Ultra. I've lost 2 baits to giant cats - not taking that chance again.

If you just want to fun fish, throw the 60 on light tackle - I use my BFS set-up. The numbers are amazing - even in this ridiculous Texas heat! Bone, Loon and Monkey Butt are my best colors. Now I also throw the 190 in low light conditions on 65# braid. You can hear that beast the next cove over...

5:8 or 6:4

Strike King S11 are a great value. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/search-tackle.html?start=0&count=30&searchtext=S11

This knot has never failed me.

I would add a 6 in Bull Shad and a rat like the ones from Spro. For a little more money you can get the Bull Rat from Bull Shad as well. For deep fish I always have a Burrito tied on. Then you can't go wrong with an S-Waver for an inexpensive glide bait option.

Two reasons for me. 1) I am much more accurate with a baitcaster than I am with a spinning reel. 2) I hate line twist. These are my reasons and I know they don't apply to everyone. As far as cost goes, I did not upgrade any of my conventional gear as I usually replace one or two reels a year - I have more than I can use now. As far as the BFS rod goes, until I was sure I was going to like it I bought a Shimano Sensilite rod for $50.00 and could not be happier for the price. Now that I am hooked, I will build my next BFS rod for a 3rd of what the better rods cost now.

I'm a D&M fan also but I like the Buzz Saw. It's an in-line buzzer with a free-swinging EWG hook that I can rig my trailer weedless.

This was certainly a stretch for someone that usually throws 65 lb braid with a 25 lb leader. But I am hooked now. It did take about 30 minutes to really dial in the reel, but after that I could cast as far as I wanted with one hand.

Reel is tiny!

As my username suggests, I am primarily a swimbait guy. But I decided to jump in on the BFS craze and give it a whirl. Not a shocker, but the heat was almost unbearable today. But I had so much fun, it almost didn't matter. I was using a Shimano BFS rod and a Conquest BFS 23 HG reel, 10 lb braid to a six lb leader. I put together a small assortment of BFS type lures, some Road Runners and some Ned baits. But the first bait I tied on was the Jackall Pikupiku 78. I never took it off. I lost count of the number of fish I caught of every species - probably close to 75-80. Most were bass up to 3 lbs, a lot of crappie and some big bluegills. I even caught 2 catfish. It was an absolute blast fighting these fish on light line. One thing that this did open my eyes to was is the next time I'm in a tournament and the fishing is tough, I am not going to zero. My 5 biggest bass today were about 11 lbs - not an eye opener but no zero. Now to change out those hooks on the Pikupiku!

I use a stand I made out of 2' X 4' piece of plywood and 2 X 4's for legs. I installed about 6 - 6 in 1/4-20 bolts so I can have 6 different spools of line to choose from. The longer bolts let me use bulk spools if I want. I secure the spool with a rubber cone washer on each side and a wing nut to set the tension. For baitcasters I spool from the side and spinning reels I spool from the front.

Savage Gear also has an entry level swimbait rod that is very good for the money. Don't overlook soft plastic swimbaits, especially this time of year. The 6 inch Magdraft has been money for me.

Berkley just announced a design flaw and will replace any Cull Shads purchased in the first batch.

I have beat this $40 Megabass KO reel to death for about 3 years now. I did take it apart when I got it and cleaned the assembly gunk out and oiled and greased it properly.

Another step I do with the screw lock is to unscrew the bait, put a drop of Loctite Gel glue on the screw, and reinsert. It will bond the bait to the screw and make it a lot more durable. If you put it on the screw first, it will push the gel to the top as you screw it in and not work as well.