I'm looking to get into swim jig fishing more. Most of the lakes I fish are clear and 8 feet deep at the most. I also occasionally fish other lakes that are murky and about 5 feet deep at the most. I would really like paddletail swimbait recomendations as these are what look most realistic to me. If it makes any difference, I always fish a 3/8 oz size.

Keitech, Gambler, and Havoc are what I've had experience with and all performed well. Base the shape and length of the main forage, I like Rage Craws on my swim jigs

The fat impact or the ten or so copies of it all work. The Robo EZ Shad works well for a bigger profile. 

 

I use a big salt water grub on mine, but wouldn't recommended that if you want to catch numbers.

Any paddle tail can work, also the ones that get all tore up you cans till use as a trailer. To get more action out of the bootail, rig the swimbait upside down. 

What looks best to me is a Keitech paddle tail. I really like the action on them.  What seems to look best to the fish is a simple curly tailed grub though. Kalins for that. Just my experience. 

Subwoofer, nuff said !

BPS Speed Shad one of the Keitech babies that have worked for me. It's my go to paddle tail. Kalin's for my grubs. Yum and Rage for my craws and Rage Menace Twin Tail as my change up.

I usually use a fat swing impact. Any paddle tail should work though. I've also used grubs for a more subtle presentation. 

Twin tail grub or Rage Menace

5 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Twin tail grub or Rage Menace

 

I'd add a single tail

Done really well with Rage Swimmers

I use Kalins 5" grubs more than anything else.  Also Chigger craws and smaller swim baits of various brands but usually the Kalin's get the call.

Gambler little ez

 

Durable with good price and action

If you are asking about using a ball head jig with a small swimbait that would be a small swimbait not a swim jig in my book. Scroungers, pea head and dart head jigs are a good "swim jigs" long before someone coined this confusing term. 

if the current definition of swim jig is any jig retreived on the surface or near surface with trailer of choice then Greg Hackney using Pearl white SK Rage bug to win or place high in several MLF tournemnts, then I suggest using it.

Tom

 

In your clear water lakes, I doubt that a paddle-tail trailer is necessary,

and might even be counterproductive. In the clear water lakes you fish,

I'd sooner go with a quiet but active lure like a 'Kalin Lunker Grub'

 

Roger

Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper...

51 minutes ago, WRB said:

If you are asking about using a ball head jig with a small swimbait that would be a small swimbait not a swim jig in my book. Scroungers, pea head and dart head jigs are a good "swim jigs" long before someone coined this confusing term. 

if the current definition of swim jig is any jig retreived on the surface or near surface with trailer of choice then Greg Hackney using Pearl white SK Rage bug to win or place high in several MLF tournemnts, then I suggest using it.

Tom

 

Yeah! And while we're at it, why isn't the mojo rig called finesse carolina rigging? Or power split shotting? 

My go to has been the rage single tail grub for about 75-80% of my fishing. The rest of the time, it's rage tail menace, or some kind of boot tail swimbait. This year the rage swimmers will get a workout.