Getting Started with Swimbaits

Every year I like to add a new presentation or fishing technique that I have had little experience fishing with. This year I would like to learn more about fishing swimbaits for walleyes. Though I have fished ringworms and other plastics with good success this one in new to me.

I dont want to buy out Cabella! Any suggestions regarding effective swim bait products,jig types, colors, etc would be appreciated. I will be fishing these on the lower St. Croix, Rainy in late May, highlighted by a cross Quetico canoe trip in August. Any suggestions regarding presentation, best rods and line suggestions would also be appreciated.

Thanks to I.D.O. for your help.

I have a bunch of different swim baits and really like fishing them on the river. My favorite way to fish them is on a plain jig. You just need an oversized hook on the head. Get a 5″ swim bait that looks good to you and put it on a 1/4 ounce or even slightly heavier head with a big hook. Sometimes you need super glue to keep them from sliding down the hook. Cast, reel, repeat! Don’t over think it.

Like John23 said, don’t over think it.

I couldn’t find any jigs that I really liked, so I made my own mold and custom make all my jigs. I like Texas rigging them also with 3/0 or 4/0 EWG’s. Very easy to change weights by changing bullet weight. I also like X-fast rods for driving the hook home through the thicker plastic

Check out B Fishn’s H20 jigs. they have a “keeper” that can help hold it in place.

Line is personal preference. Most of the time I’m running braid(Suffix 832) for the main line. Fluoro leader if conditions warrant.

If I was in Quetico, I would have fewer rods. Probably have 8-10# mono. Will lose some sensitivity and a few more snags. Bonus of versatility and easier to pop it off of snags.

Been using swimbaits almost exclusively the past few years for spring/ early season walleyes and then again in fall. My go-to set up that has landed nearly all of my fish are the following: 1/4 oz VMC Mooneye jig with Z-man 3″ minnowz paddletail. When the water warms up and they fish really get on the chew I bump up to a 3/8 oz VMC Mooneye jig with the 4″ Z-man Deisel minnow. I superglue the plastic to the jig, and with how durable the Z-man Elastec material it is they last an extremely long time. If your fishing water with pike on them, I uni-uni my main line 10 lb 832 braid to 30 lb flour Leader material. Very rarely do Pike bite through that set up. Good luck.