Briant Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Thinking about hard swimbaits for winter time. Im thinking about a sinking hard swimbait that can be retrieved pretty slow and has subtle action. I have seen hard swimbaits with a huddleston swimbait type tail which is something i might start tinkering with when i make my own. Anyone have any ideas of good winter time swimbaits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briant Posted December 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Id also like to add that these wedge tailed swimbaits could be a topic itself. Some examples of this kind of swimbait is ABT wagtail or a "kick a mullet". If anyone has made any lure like this id love to see it. Thanks all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 It depends, if you just want the tail to flap around a little bit or do you want the whole lure to 'swim'. Swim baits look like they must be very difficult, but actually, the success rate is very high. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topwatersniper Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Actually, the idea of swimbaits intrigues me. I'm currently experimenting with different materials to make these. They look so good in the water! If done right, they could swim slowly enough to work in winter. I would love to know if you can get something to work, gonna be a long winter:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briant Posted December 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 (edited) It depends, if you just want the tail to flap around a little bit or do you want the whole lure to 'swim'. Swim baits look like they must be very difficult, but actually, the success rate is very high. Dave This is true. I have gotten into bait making recently and swimbaits are the most fun to make. All my swimbaits i have made so far are satisfactoy. Ill post a picture when i get the chance. Thanks for giving your 2 cents! Edited December 2, 2015 by Briant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briant Posted December 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Actually, the idea of swimbaits intrigues me. I'm currently experimenting with different materials to make these. They look so good in the water! If done right, they could swim slowly enough to work in winter. I would love to know if you can get something to work, gonna be a long winter:( Yes you will find that they are relatively easy to make and with a little research on this website you should be all set. I love using PVC board its so easy to use when you compare it to wood. It will make your lure making experience much less stressfull - TRUST ME . Ill be sure to show you what i have made when i get around to it. Thanks for chimming in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 If you want that sexy S-shaped glide, you need at least a 3 piece, better a 4 piece lure. The video from 1'55" shows my favorite swimbait that I made: Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briant Posted December 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 If you want that sexy S-shaped glide, you need at least a 3 piece, better a 4 piece lure. The video from 1'55" shows my favorite swimbait that I made: Dave Wow i remember coming across your videos a long long time ago! It was before i even thought of making lures! It looks fantastic sir. Thanks for the advice ill be sure to keep that in mind! Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briant Posted December 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 Also, could you tell me how to post pictures on this forum im sure its been asked a million times but i cant seem to figure it out! I want to show you my swimbaits or should i post that in the gallery? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 pictures in the forums are only to aid in asking or answering questions we'd love to see your swimbaits in the gallery... just click the upload button at the top of the hard baits gallery... chose file, upload, review and edit (this is where you can type your description) if using a mobile device (like me) youll have to switch to full version Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 I'm pretty sure I could duplicate+- the Huddleston tail and attach it to a hard swimbait, but I don't think it's worth the effort. For me, jointed swimbaits are a warmer water bait. Because fish are cold blooded, and the cold water of winter slows down their metabolism, a slower, less active swimming motion probably seems more natural to a predator. I know I get bit on slow moving stuff in the winter, instead of burning a bait. That retrieve has to wait until prespawn in late winter/spring. It's really hard to get the low speed stable body/swimming tail action that a Huddleston has with a hard bait. I've tried. The closest I've come is with a glide bait that just barely sinks, so I can swim it slowly. I use a Huddleston ROF 5, or another slow sink soft plastic bait, in the cold water months, if I'm fishing swimbaits. As long as the stripers will stay away from them, I can get multiple fish on the same swimbait. And I really don't fish near the surface much in the winter. I'm usually fishing the bottom in deeper water, with a top hook swimbait, so I can drag it along the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briant Posted December 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 pictures in the forums are only to aid in asking or answering questions we'd love to see your swimbaits in the gallery... just click the upload button at the top of the hard baits gallery... chose file, upload, review and edit (this is where you can type your description) if using a mobile device (like me) youll have to switch to full version Ill keep that in mind! Thank you for clearing that up for meCheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briant Posted December 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 I'm pretty sure I could duplicate+- the Huddleston tail and attach it to a hard swimbait, but I don't think it's worth the effort. For me, jointed swimbaits are a warmer water bait. Because fish are cold blooded, and the cold water of winter slows down their metabolism, a slower, less active swimming motion probably seems more natural to a predator. I know I get bit on slow moving stuff in the winter, instead of burning a bait. That retrieve has to wait until prespawn in late winter/spring. It's really hard to get the low speed stable body/swimming tail action that a Huddleston has with a hard bait. I've tried. The closest I've come is with a glide bait that just barely sinks, so I can swim it slowly. I use a Huddleston ROF 5, or another slow sink soft plastic bait, in the cold water months, if I'm fishing swimbaits. As long as the stripers will stay away from them, I can get multiple fish on the same swimbait. And I really don't fish near the surface much in the winter. I'm usually fishing the bottom in deeper water, with a top hook swimbait, so I can drag it along the bottom. Yeah i figured hard baits arent really subtle or a winter time bait :/. Perhaps it wouldn't necessarily be a winter time bait but the idea does interest me. I might just mess around with it anyways and ill show you all what i come up with. Thanks for your insight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robn510 Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 might want to look into spy baits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass100 Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 Swimbaits are one of my go to lures in cold weather. I have caught fish when you had to keep busting the ice out of your guides on every cast. That being said I am fishing for northern strain largemouth and smallies. You want to make a swimbait that will sit on its own hooks at rest without falling over. The least amount of action your swimbait has in cold water the better. I simply cast it out and let it sink to the bottom then very gently pull it a couple of feet and then let it sit back on the bottom, eat a snack, and then repeat. Works very well with soft and hard swimbaits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted December 5, 2015 Report Share Posted December 5, 2015 As with all vortex driven baits, there is a minimum speed for the action. Mine was around 12" per second. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 5, 2015 Report Share Posted December 5, 2015 (edited) Dave, The amazing thing about Huddleston 8" trout swimbaits is how little forward motion is needed to get the tail moving. Plus they look so real on fall that big bass follow them down, and eat they as they are dragged slowly along the bottom, like a dying trout. There are others that do the same thing. I used to drag Ospreys and Optimum swimbaits, and let their belly treble catch and stick, and then release, causing a kind of a stuttering retrieve along the bottom, with short bursts as they released. It was the best retrieve for late winter/early spring. Of course, I had to change the through line treble a couple of times a day, because the rocks dulled them pretty quickly. The top hook baits, like the Huddleston ROF 12 and 16, don't have that problem. Check out this link, where a Huddleston is disected: http://www.tackletour.com/autopsyhudd.html Edited December 5, 2015 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted December 5, 2015 Report Share Posted December 5, 2015 The Hud is a good design. I tried to design a soft swimmer for a customer. The weight distribution and the foam ended up very similar to the Hud, so I wasn't comfortable about that. But, I know how much work went into that design, to get the balance and the vertical stability. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briant Posted December 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2015 might want to look into spy baits. Another idea i need to mess around with! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briant Posted December 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2015 Swimbaits are one of my go to lures in cold weather. I have caught fish when you had to keep busting the ice out of your guides on every cast. That being said I am fishing for northern strain largemouth and smallies. You want to make a swimbait that will sit on its own hooks at rest without falling over. The least amount of action your swimbait has in cold water the better. I simply cast it out and let it sink to the bottom then very gently pull it a couple of feet and then let it sit back on the bottom, eat a snack, and then repeat. Works very well with soft and hard swimbaits. Thanks for the tips. Ill keep that in mind when im making my lures. Infact the one im making right now has a nice subtle action i just cant get the balancing right;(. Thanks for the input Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briant Posted December 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2015 Hi again guys. I want to update you all on what how far i have gotten. This is a 5 inch prototype made from pvc. Its really rough and not sanded down well but thats kind of how all my lures are lol. Notice the tail. It is a wedge shape similar to a huddleston. I tested the lure out this morning and it really does look like a spy bait (robn510 mentioned spybaits) and the tail provides a tiny little wag. Any critiques would be welcome. Now the question i have is, does the tail provide enough wag or too little? Im going to make a bigger tail and test it out to see the difference. Peace all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briant Posted December 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2015 I thought i attached the image file. Guess not woops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
