Derek777
Well-known member
i had a chance to toss some swimbaits today. didnt expect to catch anything as the wind was howling and the water was milky coffee but i did get to run through a bit of my arsenal to see how things worked with my new rod and to just get the hang of each baits different characteristics and experiment.
so here goes:
Mattlures Ultimate Bluegill Female Gill:
really tough to tell how this swam or fished. basically ended up with debris on the line tie when fished slowly/dragged on the bottom and the bow in the line from the wind really hampered feel. couldnt really tell how it swam on a fast retrieve due to the color of the water, so ill have to reserve judgement until i can fish it properly.
rating: reserved for further testing
Jackall Giron Ghost Gill slow sinking:
this is about the minimum size id like to throw on my swimbait rod. i put this on after i had the big Deps Highsider on and my first cast was an adventure as the weight change and size change betwen the two baits was extreme. after i made the adjustment, i could toss it out fairly far with little effort. it swims in a funky s curve that flashes its sides enticingly. i like this bait, and think it should catch some fish should i throw it in situations that id normally use a medium diving crankbait. i like the slow sink as it gets the bait down nicely and it doesnt creep up to the surface on fast retrieves. i think this bait has alot of flexibility retrievalwise.
rating: very good.
Deps Highsider:
it's a big 3 jointed bait with a stinger treble on the last joint instead of the typical hard or soft plastic tail fin. casts really nicely, and i could get it to drop into the water with less of a splash than youd think youd get from such a sizeable bait with some creative timing with the thumb on the spool. after playing with retrieves, id consider it a wakebait/subsurface lure. it has a nice lazy s action without much side to side wobble. on slow retrieves it serves as a large wakebait, but its not excessive in the amount of water pushed. on the faster retrieves, it dives to about 6 inches below the surface with the same lazy s. its a bait ill have to play around more with to see what else i can get out of it, but i think it has alot of potential.
rating: good
Jackall Mikey Jr.
i have to say i really like this bait, and this bait has convinced me to try to full size version, as well as the 3:16 wakebaits. it has a slim s retrieve, but a crazy wobble which paired with that little s movement creates some cool action. using an ultra slow retrieve it has a neat topwater/wakebait action, and with a faster retrieve dives to about 8 inches to a foot, and looks really nice. id use this instead of a buzzbait or popper over weeds and during any topwater situation. also makes a really enticing rattle on the retrieve. got my only strikes/blowups of the day on this bait.
rating: an instant favorite
A.C. Plugs Handmade Triple Real Trout
casts nicely, and has a tighter side to side s action than youd think for a double jointed bait. its works great on a slow retrieve, waking nicely and with a touch of a hunting action. however if you speed up the retrieve, the bait has a tend to roll to one side. dives down to about 6 inches with the fast retrieve, and if it didnt have that tendency to roll, would work pretty decently.
rating: slow retrieve good, fast retrieve: weak (no picture handy atm)
Reaction Strike Bull Bream
this is a decent size bait, and it made a splash that any fish in the lake and surrounding lakes would take notice of. it has a nice s action on the retrieve. it sinks at a decent rate, but i found that it's best retrieve was as a decent speed which tended to lift it in the water column. i think its a distant third behind the shellcracker and the kiwami gill in terms of action and fishability, and quality. it also has this screw on tail that looks like its going to fall off at any moment, which im not a big fan of. im undecided if ill keep it or not. probably not.
rating: decent, but not great
Evergreen EsFlat
if you upsized the jackall giron, and exaggerated and upsized the giron's funky s curve action, youd have the esflat. it sinks pretty quickly, so a moderate retrieve is neccessary, but it works very well, and its size is a perfect imitation of a gizzard shad so i think it'll be a winner.
rating: excellent
22nd Century Triple Trout (custom painted pearl ayu)
this bait is everything its cracked up to be. great action no matter the retrieve speed, nice castability, easily chipped paint job. ill take that minor chipping beacuase its awesome s action.
rating: excellent (no pic handy atm)
Reaction Strike Real Shiner
this is basically a bargain triple trout knockoff. it has a jerkier s action than the the triple trout, and on a faster retrieve has a tendency to roll. it does the 180 very nicely though. im still deciding whether im going to keep this bait as well, but its basically 1/2 of the triple trout. half the price and half the action, plus the tendency to roll.
rating: decent, but no triple trout
Valley Hill K's Labo Kiwami Gill
this is the little brother of the shellcracker, and destined for greater things. awesome funky s action at any retrieve, great sound, and nice waking action with its tight wriggle.
rating: excellent
Valley Hill K's Labo Gill Desuwa
it looks like the kiwami gill with a lip. casts like a rocket, its basically a big fat ungainly looking jointed crankbait with a truly sexy action that has to be seen to be appreciated. its action is a nice aggressive wiggle that doesnt get out of whack despite the retrieve speed. can be waked or run like a crankbait about 1-2 feet. well built, and designed. in comparison to its sibling the kiwami gill, id say this is the more aggressive action.
rating: an instant favorite
Deps Killer Compass
casts pretty decently considering the line tie is in the middle of the bait. this bait is basically a sideways working topwater. its action is a kind of porpoising/waking in a decreasing arc as you reel it in. its kind of limited in its applications, but i can forsee its use along weed edges and walls and perpendicaluar-to-you types of structure. i think it will catch fish. id like to try the fish arrow slidejack in comparison to the killer compass to see the difference, but in terms of giving the fish something they havent seen before, the killer compass definitely does it, and does it pretty well.
rating: good
so here goes:
Mattlures Ultimate Bluegill Female Gill:
really tough to tell how this swam or fished. basically ended up with debris on the line tie when fished slowly/dragged on the bottom and the bow in the line from the wind really hampered feel. couldnt really tell how it swam on a fast retrieve due to the color of the water, so ill have to reserve judgement until i can fish it properly.
rating: reserved for further testing
Jackall Giron Ghost Gill slow sinking:
this is about the minimum size id like to throw on my swimbait rod. i put this on after i had the big Deps Highsider on and my first cast was an adventure as the weight change and size change betwen the two baits was extreme. after i made the adjustment, i could toss it out fairly far with little effort. it swims in a funky s curve that flashes its sides enticingly. i like this bait, and think it should catch some fish should i throw it in situations that id normally use a medium diving crankbait. i like the slow sink as it gets the bait down nicely and it doesnt creep up to the surface on fast retrieves. i think this bait has alot of flexibility retrievalwise.
rating: very good.
Deps Highsider:
it's a big 3 jointed bait with a stinger treble on the last joint instead of the typical hard or soft plastic tail fin. casts really nicely, and i could get it to drop into the water with less of a splash than youd think youd get from such a sizeable bait with some creative timing with the thumb on the spool. after playing with retrieves, id consider it a wakebait/subsurface lure. it has a nice lazy s action without much side to side wobble. on slow retrieves it serves as a large wakebait, but its not excessive in the amount of water pushed. on the faster retrieves, it dives to about 6 inches below the surface with the same lazy s. its a bait ill have to play around more with to see what else i can get out of it, but i think it has alot of potential.
rating: good
Jackall Mikey Jr.
i have to say i really like this bait, and this bait has convinced me to try to full size version, as well as the 3:16 wakebaits. it has a slim s retrieve, but a crazy wobble which paired with that little s movement creates some cool action. using an ultra slow retrieve it has a neat topwater/wakebait action, and with a faster retrieve dives to about 8 inches to a foot, and looks really nice. id use this instead of a buzzbait or popper over weeds and during any topwater situation. also makes a really enticing rattle on the retrieve. got my only strikes/blowups of the day on this bait.
rating: an instant favorite
A.C. Plugs Handmade Triple Real Trout
casts nicely, and has a tighter side to side s action than youd think for a double jointed bait. its works great on a slow retrieve, waking nicely and with a touch of a hunting action. however if you speed up the retrieve, the bait has a tend to roll to one side. dives down to about 6 inches with the fast retrieve, and if it didnt have that tendency to roll, would work pretty decently.
rating: slow retrieve good, fast retrieve: weak (no picture handy atm)
Reaction Strike Bull Bream
this is a decent size bait, and it made a splash that any fish in the lake and surrounding lakes would take notice of. it has a nice s action on the retrieve. it sinks at a decent rate, but i found that it's best retrieve was as a decent speed which tended to lift it in the water column. i think its a distant third behind the shellcracker and the kiwami gill in terms of action and fishability, and quality. it also has this screw on tail that looks like its going to fall off at any moment, which im not a big fan of. im undecided if ill keep it or not. probably not.
rating: decent, but not great
Evergreen EsFlat
if you upsized the jackall giron, and exaggerated and upsized the giron's funky s curve action, youd have the esflat. it sinks pretty quickly, so a moderate retrieve is neccessary, but it works very well, and its size is a perfect imitation of a gizzard shad so i think it'll be a winner.
rating: excellent
22nd Century Triple Trout (custom painted pearl ayu)
this bait is everything its cracked up to be. great action no matter the retrieve speed, nice castability, easily chipped paint job. ill take that minor chipping beacuase its awesome s action.
rating: excellent (no pic handy atm)
Reaction Strike Real Shiner
this is basically a bargain triple trout knockoff. it has a jerkier s action than the the triple trout, and on a faster retrieve has a tendency to roll. it does the 180 very nicely though. im still deciding whether im going to keep this bait as well, but its basically 1/2 of the triple trout. half the price and half the action, plus the tendency to roll.
rating: decent, but no triple trout
Valley Hill K's Labo Kiwami Gill
this is the little brother of the shellcracker, and destined for greater things. awesome funky s action at any retrieve, great sound, and nice waking action with its tight wriggle.
rating: excellent
Valley Hill K's Labo Gill Desuwa
it looks like the kiwami gill with a lip. casts like a rocket, its basically a big fat ungainly looking jointed crankbait with a truly sexy action that has to be seen to be appreciated. its action is a nice aggressive wiggle that doesnt get out of whack despite the retrieve speed. can be waked or run like a crankbait about 1-2 feet. well built, and designed. in comparison to its sibling the kiwami gill, id say this is the more aggressive action.
rating: an instant favorite
Deps Killer Compass
casts pretty decently considering the line tie is in the middle of the bait. this bait is basically a sideways working topwater. its action is a kind of porpoising/waking in a decreasing arc as you reel it in. its kind of limited in its applications, but i can forsee its use along weed edges and walls and perpendicaluar-to-you types of structure. i think it will catch fish. id like to try the fish arrow slidejack in comparison to the killer compass to see the difference, but in terms of giving the fish something they havent seen before, the killer compass definitely does it, and does it pretty well.
rating: good
