Jig Rookie

This all the way. I don't use live bait for bass, but it's still super disappointing reading the responses in this thread, way to make a guy (OP) not wanna come around here again looking for "help". Kudos @TnRiver46, hopefully you recouped this place's rep some.

Keep your head up and your prayers going brother, this year's been heck on a lot of us. Condolences to you for your mother-in-law, God bless your family. You'll be back in the water before you know it.

This pretty much sums it up doesn't it?

Dinks were eating the jig overnight, couldn't find anything big.

Frog bite is still on up northern IL. Water at this spot is COLD now, so I wasn't sure. Glide bite has slowed over the past ten days or so, thinking it's time to start sending the softbaits. HUDD TIME!

If you're specifically targeting lunkers, check out the Jenko Booty Shaker 7" baits--it's a THICK hunk of meat but it'll weed out the smaller fish you're not looking for.

This bait is getting CHEWED out here. Thanks! Savage Gear Shine Glide has been so productive at this spot the last three weeks or so--gonna have to post the pics separately it seems, I can't shrink them enough to get more than one in a single post.

One from a clear lake out on the burbs. Glide bait is on fire right now.

Found a 4lb glide bait eater in the 'burbs. Big bait bite is heating up.

@Bluebasser86 Thanks a ton--I've made senkos from a mold this way before, and you're right about the colors 100%. One other thing I just thought of: the action is still okay, even though you're not using "soft" swimbait plastic? My buddy with the senko mold questioned whether the tail action would be sufficient on these if I use a mishmash of random soft plastic baits instead of plastisol or some other standard, swimbait-specific material. Thanks again Blue, much obliged for your help. And thanks mods for moving this to the correct forum.

Another vote for MH, especially with jig hook baits. I first tried to learn jig/swimjig fishing on a Medium-powered Ugly Stik; the jig aficionados here will LOL at that one. Needless to say I hated jigs until I got an MH baitcaster and realized the error of my ways.

Hey Resource My buddy and I are thinking of going halfs on a 7" swimbait mold from eBay and I'm just wondering if anyone has ever dealt with these, and what's the general consensus on them? Not specifically the 7", but any paddle tail swimbait mold. It's an open-pour, solid-bodied Basstrix-style bait (as opposed to a Keitech-type bait) and right now we're just planning on melting down our old traditional plastics (we've got tons of worms, senkos, small Keitech-type swimbaits, etc) to use in it. I guess my main question is: do these molds produce baits with decent action? Obviously I'm not expecting it to be the widest kicking, hardest thumping, body rollingest bait, but at least enough action to get bit. Link below for those who aren't sure what type of mold I'm talking about. Thanks all! https://www.ebay.com/itm/7-Custom-Silicone-Swimbait-Mold-Soft-Plastic-Bass-Fishing-lure-bait/124077764972?hash=item1ce39c716c:g:gKIAAOSwT6pVirE0

Man, crappie are beautiful! Just got my first bass of the season--been grinding the big baits since ice-out, finally got a girl to commit. Not a bad start to the season.

Second rainbow in my life, first in about thirty years! Can't buy a largemouth bite, but somehow lucked into a rainbow honey hole, and they're eating the lipless!

So, since all the "fish safety" points go completely out the window when you're fishing a tourney, I'd assume you keep the barbs then so you wouldn't lose fish. But then your first bullet point says that "rarely happens" anyway. So why no care about fish safety during a tournament??

This has been my experience exactly. ...??? This I don't understand; why should you not get skunked throwing big baits for bass?

The 10/0 weighted Beast is perfect for me.

Word, I can dig it.

Yeah the first part I totally agree with: you named the baits that pretty much every big bait fisherman considers staples in the big bait game. It's REALLY hard to fish a Bullshad variation for any good amount of time and NOT get bit, they just catch fish. So much so that it's a recommended beginner bait to gain confidence in swimbait fishing. The second part, though, I must respectfully and wholeheartedly disagree with: I've been swimbaiting for three years now and I still don't own a single bait over $50. But I slay on "cheap" baits: Savage Gear Shine Glide ($18.99) and the Jenko Booty Shaker (2-pack of 7-inchers for $8.99) get eaten like CRAZY. I can name others for under $50 (Black Dog Shellcracker, Hudd trout, Spro Rat are just a few) that big bait enthusiasts also swear by. Just do your research, you'll find winners. Pic below is the Shine Glide. Pic below is a 5.42-pounder (my PB at the time) caught on a Japanese Shellcracker equivalent ($29 US).

A-Jay these are BEAUTIFUL

Aaaaand IL DNR shutting down parks/forest preserve lakes due to COVID-19; anybody totally screwed by this announcement?

Well, the non-floating one looked just like that, was called the "Zara Puppy", and it absolutely DID work, at least in Chicago burbs forest preserve lakes and ponds. Was my go-to, along with the Slug-Go, for years. Then all of a sudden couldn't find them anywhere (Slugs or Puppies), and my WalMart instead started selling a thing called a " Zoom Fluke". Looked similar to a Slug-Go, I gave it a try, and then that became my go-to.

I've also used the 4.5 with success, on a 3/8oz swimjig. They've got more body roll than a lot of swim trailers because of the back-facing ribs on them. And as @EWREX said, YUM is cheaper than others. Summer gill was the color I had success with.

My exact thoughts about finding my own fishing addiction. Like minds ha.