I fish a lot of smaller lakes from 100 to 1000 acres. some of these lakes have some giant bass in them that are normally only caught on live bait. What swimbait would you recommend trying to try and catch some of these toads?

Normally only caught on livebait because that is the easiest way to catch them... The hardest part isnt catching them.. it's finding em ! 

 

Every recommendation you're about to receive is based off experience of another anglers success. 

 

There is no secret swimbait or lure... Big fish can be had on anything from worms and jigs to spinnerbaits and topwaters... Finding the big one depends on your timing and location.. 

 

I can go throw a Roman made swimbait on a megabass combo and it doesn't mean I'm going to get a hog... 

 

 

 

 

Matt's Hardgill 2, slow sink

Hudd 68 ROF 5 or 12

Spro rat 50

Tom

Finding the fish is the absolute most  important thing. As far as baits go I would start with something like a savage gear 3d trout or a 68 or 8" hudd just slow roll them everywhere try to find the higher percentage areas and fish them 

If I could only use one bait it would be a 40 or 50 rat.

All times of the day and by best large fish producer

Match the forage closely, and don't overlook smaller to medium sized swimbaits.

12 minutes ago, NHBull said:

If I could only use one bait it would be a 40 or 50 rat.

All times of the day and by best large fish producer

what's your favorite color?

16 minutes ago, Buckjunkie said:

what's your favorite color?

Morning dawn and gray

.....also, I don think color matters as much with the swimmers, my buddy has he black and we have similar luck

I would recommend a glide bait as well. They get bit a little more than the slow rolling swimbaits. They both have their place though.

56 minutes ago, iceintheveins said:

Match the forage closely, and don't overlook smaller to medium sized swimbaits.

 

There are no trout where I live, Hudds catch some really nice fish .... so much for "matching the forage closely"

Throw a Keitech with a Buckeye Lures J-Wil lightwire swimbait head.

My biggest swimbait bass to date ate a Slammer in a pond so small I could easily cast across it. Bass will eat swimbaits anywhere they live and as long as they eat other fish.

 

Lots of good info here.

Do you guys prefer the regular colors or the phantom?

Also a few of the lakes I fish has tons of flooded timber in it. Was thinking of trying the Huddleston 68 weedless so I won't get hung up or would you get the regular model?

4 minutes ago, Buckjunkie said:

Lots of good info here.

Do you guys prefer the regular colors or the phantom?

Also a few of the lakes I fish has tons of flooded timber in it. Was thinking of trying the Huddleston 68 weedless so I won't get hung up or would you get the regular model?

 

 

Tell me, would you throw the "regular" model here ?

25 minutes ago, Raul said:

 

 

Tell me, would you throw the "regular" model here ?

I just didn't know how good the hook sets are with the weedless one, but it's just what I need. This will be my first to try out. Now got to decide what rate of fall I need.

30 minutes ago, Buckjunkie said:

Lots of good info here.

Do you guys prefer the regular colors or the phantom?

Also a few of the lakes I fish has tons of flooded timber in it. Was thinking of trying the Huddleston 68 weedless so I won't get hung up or would you get the regular model?

I like the green shad color in the 68. I fish the weedless model everywhere because I fish it with more confidence and less worried about hangups so I'll put it where it needs to be to get bit. 

1 minute ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I like the green shad color in the 68. I fish the weedless model everywhere because I fish it with more confidence and less worried about hangups so I'll put it where it needs to be to get bit. 

Would you get the 5 or 12 ROF?

2 minutes ago, Buckjunkie said:

Would you get the 5 or 12 ROF?

i tend to stick with rof 12 i feel they are a good medium ground 

16 minutes ago, Buckjunkie said:

I just didn't know how good the hook sets are with the weedless one, but it's just what I need. This will be my first to try out. Now got to decide what rate of fall I need.

 

Get the ROF 12, I got both and the ROF 5 is ..... made for people with more patience than Jesus Christ.

Thanks guys! To start out, I'm gonna get the Spro Rat 40 and the Huddleston 68 weedless.

2 minutes ago, Buckjunkie said:

Thanks guys! To start out, I'm gonna get the Spro Rat 40 and the Huddleston 68 weedless.

go with the 50 if there's one thing i've learned about swimbaits you always end up wanting bigger

12 minutes ago, Buckjunkie said:

Would you get the 5 or 12 ROF?

ROF12 for sure unless it's really shallow. Like it's been mentioned, you have to reel painfully slow to keep a 5 anywhere other than on the surface. You can still crawl a 12, but you can reel it a little faster also.

 

Get the 50 Spro rat, I like Hippie rat (morning dawn). The bigger baits just have more drawing power, especially with surface baits it seems.

I fish a lake in PA that's around 50 acres, maybe 65. It has some magnum bass in it. I'm no expert, but I like a 6" Megabass Magdraft. I replace the front hook with a 1/0 red Gammy. Have caught many nice ones on that set-up.

 

its worth mentioning: this place is 6' deep MAX, average of 3.5'. I wanted something slow sinking.

9 hours ago, Raul said:

 

There are no trout where I live, Hudds catch some really nice fish .... so much for "matching the forage closely"

 

 

While I don't disagree with you, that's not to say something that did match a local forage species more closely *may* be more likely to draw a strike. 

I've never fished in Louisiana but I'm pretty sure that Shad is probably at the top of the list as far as forage goes , the Bull Shad would be a good selection . I've done well with this bait painted in a Golden Shiner pattern .  One bait that gets bit everywhere is a Matt Lures Hardgill, that is definitely another good bait to consider .