Beyond a "match the hatch" theory - what criteria do you use to select paddle tail swimbaits (Keitech FAT Swing Impact , Strike King Rage Swimmer, etc.) from say the 2.75"  size up to 4.75" from Fall through Winter and up into Pre-Spawn ? 

For largemouth, a keitech SIF 3.3 or 3.8 in your favorite color, with enough head weight to work it how you want. For smallmouth I’ll stick with the 3.3 usually. In the summer I’ll go to the 4.X sizes but if I only ever had a 3.8 I’d be happy. 

Safe to say that as the water warms , you can go up to larger size swim baits. For colder water or pressured situations then downsizing your swimbait would be in order . Although I have larger swimbaits , for late Fall up to Pre-Spawn I will focus in that 2.75" ~ 3.3" swimbait size range . For grins , I do have a 4.8" Gizzard Shad color swimbait that I may put into play in a lake I know has larger Gizzard Shad populations .

10 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

For largemouth, a keitech SIF 3.3 or 3.8 in your favorite color, with enough head weight to work it how you want. For smallmouth I’ll stick with the 3.3 usually. In the summer I’ll go to the 4.X sizes but if I only ever had a 3.8 I’d be happy. 

I pretty much agree with this. I'm going to spend some time throwing 4.3's and 4.8's in cold water though. Those bigger keitechs wag at a REALLY slow speed. 

I don't fish paddle tails in winter (for LMB).

I’ve had some recent cold water success w/ summertime sizes; 3/4oz swim jig with 4.75 D walker has enticed some decent fish. Everything is in play for me till I start getting bites. 
 

scott

Fat Impact is primary on single hook like underspins or swimjigs.

Mix of Jackall. Fat Impact, and Divine paddletails on an a-rig. Colder water I'm trying to get a tighter wiggle and a more compact bait. 

 

Slowly whittling down colors to a natural shad, a pearl, blugill flash (which doesn't look like a gill at all), and green pumpkin. 

 

Fat impact - 3.3, 3.8, 4.3 mostly

Jackall - 3.8 - there's a specific color that an almost perfect match for threadfin

Divine - 3.3, 3.8 (moves like the jackall)

 

If I had to pick just one, it would be the 3.8 Fat Impact in bluegill flash.

Just two would add the Divine in 3.3 in white/pearl (low vis) or natural shad(higher vis).

Just three would add a 4.3 in green pumpkin. 

 

Everything else just sits while I try to think of a use for it.