One long cast and it lands with authority. Large swimbaits rarely land quietly. After a couple quick turns of the reel handle the swimbait quickly comes up towards just below the surface making a gentle wake. The fast pace makes the swimbait’s tag wag back and forth resembling a live shad ripping across the surface. Its main body rocks moderate in effort to keep up. Without warning a giant spotted bass pounces on it almost ripping the rod and reel from the angler’s firm grip. Incredible, the angler was catching spotted bass on a hard swimbait in clear water? One more cast and a big largemouth inhales it. Okay, that’s not so usual, but the next cast into the school hooks a nice size striper. There is something to this swimbait that fish love. Maybe it’s the tail wag?

Anglers everywhere across the United States are finding out swimbaits catch fish lots of quality fish and in some situations giant fish. Swimbaits bodies come in hard, soft, or hard and soft bodies. Depending on where you are fishing and the situation one style of bait usually produces more fish. The size of the swimbait and retrieve rate more often than not is the key to catching fish on these lures. What most of these lures have in common is a tail that wags or moves. This movement makes it look real. Something a fish can eat or will strike out at to protect its area. The Wag Tail by ABT is a hard bodied jointed swimbait. It has 2 sections; a head and tail. The tail has a boot shape design and is jointed to the head. This joint makes it move back and forth giving it a swimming motion. “The head section I designed to have a natural swimming action; the tail also has a very realistic movement,” explained Allen Borden, owner and lure designer of ABT Lures (www.abtlures.com). Borden has caught numerous fish on the Wag Tail, but report that big spotted bass love it. “I have caught lots of big spotted bass on it out here in California; it’s a spotted bass killer. The key to catching fish on it is the retrieve. Each day it seems like they want the Wag Tail coming back at a different speed. I prefer to reel it in fast just below the surface and watch the bass come up and eat it. The Wag Tail can be reeled in fast and not roll on its side or slow rolled with the lure moving just enough to make the tail move,” said Borden.

There is no real secret to fishing a swimbait. Many of the same locations you fish any lure a swimbait can catch fish. Points, flats, creek channel swings are great places to fish swimbaits. Borden added one more location where he has caught monster spotted bass and that’s boat docks. “I like to approach the dock so I can fish the shady side first. I make a long cast towards the bank and reel it parallel down the dock back to the boat. The big spots and largemouth will come out from under the docks and just slam the Wag Tail,” said Borden. When fishing with the 5.5” long Wag Tag Borden recommends anglers use at least 17-pound test monofilament or fluorocarbon line, 7-foot or plus rod for leverage and making long casts, and a high speed reel that holds a fair amount of fishing line. Borden also added when fishing the lure, “The Wag Tail has an extra eyelet on the tail where anglers can add either a 2 or 4 size treble hook in case fish are short striking the bait.”

A number of anglers are new to this swimbait craze, but one common question Borden is frequently asked is, “When do I fish with a soft swimbait or hard bodied swim bait?” “The main difference is in the action, hook placement, and durability of the swimbait; soft swimbaits are not as durable and aggressive fish will tear them up,” explained Borden. Swimbaits can range in size for 2.5” long to 12-inches long. When and where to cast them depends on a number of factors including time of year, water temperature, water clarity, and which part of the water column you are targeting. The only major mistake you can make is leaving it in your tackle box.