when useing swim baits, do most of you  put the tail  up  or down on a weighted hook ?

When swimming the boot tail is always down. 
 

 

 

Mike

The only time I rig a paddletail/boottail upside down is when I'm using it as a chatterbait trailer.

 

And, realistically, it doesn't matter what I do with a chatterbait because I never catch anything on them. I only ever throw them when I'm bored and frustrated because I think they're neat.

Tail down always.  It won't have the right action if it's the same way as the hook.  Same with curly tail jigs. The curl goes on the side opposite of the hook.

Boot tail, down.  Curly tail, up.  I think the former is kind of standard, and the latter is just my preference.

thank you all.

 

Boot tails are designed to be down, how you fish them is up to you. Down the tail tends to rock and move the swimbaits head more, up less keel action therefore less movement.

hand poured worms with curl tails are sideways. The question becomes flat top up or round bottom down....both work.

 

It seems to me that the "tail-down" convention began with ribbon-tail worms and ribbon-tail grubs.

During the drop, a pliable ribbon-tail bait would sometimes foul on the hook, hence the "tail-down" mode.

Although boot-tails and paddle-tails do not run this risk, the tail-down mode has become the norm.

To extend the life of a swimbait, I won't hesitate to rig the bait "tail-up". 

 

Roger

 

 

Now that we've got this settled... flat side up or down on a fluke?...

 

oe

2 minutes ago, OkobojiEagle said:

Now that we've got this settled... flat side up or down on a fluke?...

 

oe

I always rig them the flat side up, no real reason this is just what feels right to me.  

54 minutes ago, RoLo said:

 

It seems to me that the "tail-down" convention began with ribbon-tail worms and ribbon-tail grubs.

During the drop, a pliable ribbon-tail bait would sometimes foul on the hook, hence the "tail-down" mode.

Although boot-tails and paddle-tails do not run this risk, the tail-down mode has become the norm.

To extend the life of a swimbait, I won't hesitate to rig the bait "tail-up". 

 

Roger

 

 

On a grub i also put the tail curling opposite of the hook, aka down. This makes sense.

4 hours ago, Heartland said:

I always rig them the flat side up, no real reason this is just what feels right to me.  

^^^same

 

Same story with Super Flukes, I'll rig'em belly-up and belly-down to extend the life of the bait.

Trust me, most bass aren't paying attention   ?  

 

Roger