The term swimbait can mean many things. Lures ranging from 2-inch paddle tails to hard baits that stretch over a foot long all fit the bill of the name swimbait. This style of bait has been around for a long time, but in recent years, swimbait fishing has hit another level.
With so many swimbait brands on the market, we put together a buyer’s guide of swimbaits and glide baits that you should put on your wish list. While there are many small builders making excellent baits that can be very hard to obtain, this list consists of mainstream baits that are more readily available, and all are ready to catch fish.
Smaller Swimbaits and Glide Baits
There are some glide baits that require a dedicated swimbait setup, heavy line, and a big reel, and then there are smaller baits that you can fish just about any setup. The following smaller baits catch tons of fish and have incredible drawing power despite their size.
Synch Fishing Artisan Gill Swimbait ($69.99 - $79.99)
Synch Fishing is a relatively new swimbait brand. They make some incredible baits that look exactly like a real fish. The profile of the baits is also unique, as the Artisan Gill Swimbait looks just like a bluegill, sunfish, or other small fish. These baits have rotating hooks for a higher landing percentage, super-sharp BKK hooks, and a great natural swimming action. The small version is the 90, which weighs 7/8-ounces and measures 3.5-inches long, and the larger 130 is a little over 5-inches long and weighs 2.5-ounces.
Swimbait Republic Glideway 126 - $69.99
Swimbait Republic is a Spanish brand that became popular with their Glideway 176, and more recently, they released the 126 size, which is 5 inches long and weighs an ounce. One of the most unique features of both of these baits is how customizable they are. They call it a “freestyle” design where you can insert or remove weights to get a different action. These lead stickers can be placed in cavities on the bait to make it float, suspend, or slowly sink.
Game Changer Bait Co. The Glide - $21.96
This five-inch glide bait has great action and can be fished quickly with a tight walking action to trigger fish. The movement of the bait is great, but one of the most unique things about it is the lifelike finishes of the bait. Each bait has a printed design that looks just like the real thing, whether it’s the bluegill, shad, perch, crappie, sunfish, or baby bass that you are trying to mimic.
Deps Tiny Bullshooter -$50
The Bullshooter is a perfect imitation of a bluegill or sunfish, with the standard 160mm (6.5 inches) size and the smaller Tiny Bullshooter at 100mm (4 inches). It’s a perfect bait for swimming around shallow water, especially when the bluegill are spawning, and the bass are keyed in on them. You can fish them with a standard retrieve, and it will get the bait to swim along like a bluegill without a care in the world, or you can use a stop-and-go retrieve to imitate an injured bluegill or one rising to the surface to eat small bugs.
Bigger Baits
If large swimbaits and glide baits, the following may be of interest to you. Most are relatively new and have some unique features that set them apart.
Shimano Gravitator 220 SS - $49.99
Shimano is well known for its rods and reels, but it also makes several baits, including glide baits such as the Gravitator. It’s a hefty bait, weighing over three ounces and measuring in at nearly nine inches long, and it’s also packed with some unique design pieces. One of those is ARMABOOST, which essentially allows the bait to fold in half during the cast for a longer distance and less spiraling in the air, only to get back in form when it’s time to work the bait in the water. It’s also very customizable, allowing you to use inserts to change the gliding action and how far it will move to either side.
Berkley Chop Block - $15.99 - $29.99
The Chop Block is a soft glide bait that comes in three sizes (6-, 8-, and 10-inch) and is made with PowerBait soft plastic for added scent. They have the same gliding and chopping action of hard baits, but with a soft feel. They come equipped with super sharp hooks and have a neat magnetic section on the belly of the bait to keep the hook secure until it’s time to set the hook.
Savage Gear Shine Glide Pro Glide Bait - $34.99 - $44.99
Savage Gear makes some incredible-looking swimbaits and glide baits, including the Shine Glide. It comes in four sizes from 5.25 inches to 9 inches long, and all of them are slow-sinking models. They have a wide gliding action are easy to get to move from side-to-side to get the natural action that appeals to big bass. They all have premium finishes and a 3D-scanned body to make them even more realistic-looking.
Deps Slide Swimmer 250 - $169.99
While not cheap, the Deps Slide Swimmer is the king of big glide baits and the bait that many others imitate. It comes in several sizes, but the 250 is one of the most sought-after and productive lures for trophy bass hunters. The bait is silent and has a realistic "S" swimming motion that draws fish from a long distance thanks to its big size and natural swimming action. It's a big bait, weighing over 6 ounces, so you'll need a dedicated setup to cast and fish this monster of a bait.
Swimbait fishing means something different to everyone, but we can all agree that they work and help to trick some of the biggest bass in the lake. The baits listed above are great at catching those smarter and larger bass and are worth a shot if you are looking at adding some new swimbaits to your arsenal.
