Anyone have any experience fishing this swimbait? I picked one up in a lot I bought. I understand the technique of dead sticking. My question is, how can this be effective? Best way would be to be on a body of water that gets stocked, as they do not all survive. Take that scenario away. 

I fish out of a kayak without any electronics. So I do not know 100% if there are fish around me. I can up my odds with depths, structure etc. Swimbaits allow you to cover water. But dead sticking this bait is much slower. So fish really need to be around. I would assume the clearer the water the better. Better flat calm or ripples? Worth keeping or better off with rof 0 hudd? Any tips would be great!

i  fish swimbaits but never fished the dead twitch. what i think is: big bass want an easy meal. all trout arent going to survive the imidiate stocking. im sure some going into shock or just are weak and tired.  maybe got banged up on the ride over to the pond.  thats like a diner bell to bass. they see a struggling trout up top. how could they resist. 

I agree. But that is putting all the value in being there on stocking day, or shortly there after. Not always possible. Makes bait really specialized imo. Maybe too specialized . 

FWIW, I've found fishing bigbaits right after to a few days after a stock to be an exercise in futility unless you can hit the bass exactly at the right time and place they're chasing the trouts on/ near the top.

 

On to the deadstick bait. Personally I feel the deadtwitch is more versatile. Walks the dog well too. Anyway, on both the deadstick and the deadtwitch the fins will move in the slightest ripple and the bait will swim slowly with any current. The "slowly" part is important. An ROF 0 hudd will swim out of the area you're planning to soak it in. Just throw the bait out, give it a twitch or two every 5 minutes or so.

 

Fun fact: The 13" Rago Tool was a swimming deadstick bait too. Apparently in CA you can have two baits in the water if you buy the appropriate license. So he (Jerry) would let the Tool soak while he fished another bait (more actively).

 

Way back in 2012 (I think), Matt sent me one of the 13" deadstick version to test-fish before he released it. It was called Mrs. G back then. Mrs. Gigantoid. I caught one 4# on it, plus almost caught an osprey. I didn't get to fish it until like spawn/ post spawn though. There were no Dobyns 908s back then either, and I fished it on a musky rod that had a tiny handle and a fast action. That wasn't much fun. Still have the bait, but haven't fished it in years. Maybe I should.

I agree with all that. I'm not opposed to specialty baits. Having them is important. I would much rather slow roll a hudd or slammer (or rat) than sit and watch a deadsticked bait giving a lottle twitIm a little too impatient for it. Im not finding much feedback at all regarding these. That says a lot. Not saying they dont work. We all know a big bass wants the biggest meal for the least amount of work. That 13" is a beastly bait. 

21 minutes ago, BassB8Caster said:

 Im not finding much feedback at all regarding these.

 

I recall seeing a lot of big bass and stripers caught on them back in the swimbaitnation days- if you know/ remember what that is. I agree it seems to have fallen a little out of favor with the swimbait crowd. Heck, I haven't fished mine in years lol.

 

EDIT: Found something I was looking for. Straight from the horse's mouth.

 

Matt: Deep sorry for not responding. I kept meaning to but then I would forget. Anyways I designed that bait specifically for deadsticking. The tail flops around a little in the ripples and I embed the treble in the belly. I also paint the treble white. I have never used a ROF 5 Hudd so I
cant comment on it. I deadstick when I have located a fish but I cant get it to bite. I like to let the wind push my bait to the target and I may let it sit out there for 20 minutes or more. It is difficult to stay ready, and it doesn't always work but it has been the only technique I have found that I have a chance at getting one of those non biters to actually bite. I have caught some huge fish doing it but it is a low percentage technique when you are targeting a single non eating bass. It DOES give you a chance. I don't do very much About the only time I twitch it is when I reel in slack.

spot on! thanks for that. I agree that it would probably work with a stubborn bass or follower. Maybe even cruisers as well. 

I've got one of these baits...have had it for years....FWIW.....I fished it once in a pool to see how it performed and have never taken it out.  At the time I prefer TT or Hudds....sorry couldnt be more help

2 hours ago, camman said:

I've got one of these baits...have had it for years....FWIW.....I fished it once in a pool to see how it performed and have never taken it out.  At the time I prefer TT or Hudds....sorry couldnt be more help

I appreciate the input. When one posts something like this on a forum like this one with 180 plus views (and also another big swimbait forum) discussing one of the biggest names (mattlures) in swimbait, to me, that speaks volumes. Im not getting feedback for a reason. I have yet to get one person say that it is a bait I need to hang on to and is worth every penny. That says it all. It's way too specialized for me. And there are many more other baits that can do the same thing (dead stick) plus do other things to be used more than the dead stick. Basically a one trick pony in my eyes. 

SoCal were this lure was designed to be used stopped trout plants shortly after the Matt 10" was introduced. Most anglers used this lure when eating lunch and drifting in light winding areas known to have big bass looking for trout.

Tom

On 5/4/2018 at 7:14 AM, deep said:

FWIW, I've found fishing bigbaits right after to a few days after a stock to be an exercise in futility unless you can hit the bass exactly at the right time and place they're chasing the trouts on/ near the top.

 

On to the deadstick bait. Personally I feel the deadtwitch is more versatile. Walks the dog well too. Anyway, on both the deadstick and the deadtwitch the fins will move in the slightest ripple and the bait will swim slowly with any current. The "slowly" part is important. An ROF 0 hudd will swim out of the area you're planning to soak it in. Just throw the bait out, give it a twitch or two every 5 minutes or so.

 

Fun fact: The 13" Rago Tool was a swimming deadstick bait too. Apparently in CA you can have two baits in the water if you buy the appropriate license. So he (Jerry) would let the Tool soak while he fished another bait (more actively).

 

Way back in 2012 (I think), Matt sent me one of the 13" deadstick version to test-fish before he released it. It was called Mrs. G back then. Mrs. Gigantoid. I caught one 4# on it, plus almost caught an osprey. I didn't get to fish it until like spawn/ post spawn though. There were no Dobyns 908s back then either, and I fished it on a musky rod that had a tiny handle and a fast action. That wasn't much fun. Still have the bait, but haven't fished it in years. Maybe I should.

That’s one of my biggest fears. I don’t fish walking baits in a local pond I frequent because there’s always at least one nesting pair there. I’ve had them dive on my spooks before and had to snap it out of the way. Don’t even want to think about having to deal with two sets of trebles and one really ticked off Osprey. 

8 hours ago, BrackishBassin said:

That’s one of my biggest fears. I don’t fish walking baits in a local pond I frequent because there’s always at least one nesting pair there. I’ve had them dive on my spooks before and had to snap it out of the way. Don’t even want to think about having to deal with two sets of trebles and one really ticked off Osprey. 

I had an osprey make off with an S-Waver a few weeks ago.  He hit the water like a cinderblock and after about a 45 second fight my knot broke and he flew off with it.  I called DNR and they weren't very excited about it, apparently it happens all the time, especially in the tidal rivers around the Bay.   I am for sure going to buy more of that color though.  

Off topic, There is a pair of Osprey's where I fish and they will grab trout swmbaits in the air if you not watching out for them. Dead sticking a floating trout swimbait is inviting a Osprey to grab it. Same problem using big rats at dusk with owls, and they are silent fliers and can't see them until it's too late. 

Be aware!

Tom

 

3 hours ago, WRB said:

Off topic, There is a pair of Osprey's where I fish and they will grab trout swmbaits in the air if you not watching out for them. Dead sticking a floating trout swimbait is inviting a Osprey to grab it. Same problem using big rats at dusk with owls, and they are silent fliers and can't see them until it's too late. 

Be aware!

Tom

 

 

I remember that happening probably 15 years ago at Castaic.  It grabbed my bait and took off only to drop it once the line went tight.

I recently got a 13inch dead twitch its HUGE. I live in MA, so hits will be  few and far between but I can tell ya, that fish that does hit wont be small. I definitely think the 10 inch will be great for up here. 

Most of the trout they stock are bigger then 12 inches . Thats why I got the 13 inch.