Swimbaits for Ultralight Fishing

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[ifishcatfish]

If you are new to UL fishing, fishing these is actually easier than twitching a trout magnet. They are heavier and easier to cast, and also no special retrieve needed.

[atoadigi]

I agree 100 % with the 3 that you recommend, they flat out catch fish!!! I usually buy the Charlie Brewer ones in the 1.5 inch size and if I have to I will cut off a 1/2 inch to get more bites, they have worked the best for me as a search bait and I have had my best days in quantity of fish that I have caught with them. The Keitech's are great but their durability is terrible, and I have recently bought some of the Power Baits and have only used them once and they do produce bites. Thank you for this video, great information!!!

[JWoodcock]

Still digging into your collection. Your opinions are quite convincing to me - because of the clear convictions you hold based on experience, and your desire for a deep understanding of each thing you do. This swim bait concept for "fishing" for where the fish are sounds like a fun new thing to try.

[innovativeatavist]

Another great video! 25 minutes flew by. I love your honesty.
I can recommend the Mister Twister Sassy Shad in sizes 1.75" and 2.5", and in some situations the 3". When crappie are targeting small sunfish or threadfin shad, something about the deeper profile matching the hatch really has been helpful for me. They're affordable and the tail is thin enough that it still paddles at quite a slow retrieve, which has been important for me in cold water.
Mister Twister is also another old American brand, and for whatever reason even though the plastic is average and the colors are nothing special they just catch fish.
For the sane reasons their 2" and 3" twistertail grubs are almost the only ones I will use. In side by side tests they continue moving at slower speeds than any other twistertail I have tried so far. They're not particularly durable, but it's also not a big deal since you can buy a 100 pack.

[davidrauschenbach]

What is special? Marketing! To catch the consumer eye and interest. And yes I know I like 5 minute fish talks Ethan. Fish anything, now. So I show support by fishing some of his Mule fishing products. His channel has great content and has kept me watching. Mind you along with other brands also! Thanks for the reviews

[cespaia]

Extremely honest, 👏🏻👏🏻, bravo Viktor !

[dennisstewart]

Thanks for the information Victor, much appreciated. Nicely done, sir.

[a.o.]

I've actually never tried those 1 inchers. Gonna have to give them a go. Thanks!

[innovativeatavist]

I'd love to see you talk about your color preferences for these swimbaits and your stance on how important color choice is for crappie in general.
Some people will say "you need THIS color" others will say it doesn't matter at all. I'm somewhere in the middle I guess.

[panfishin-fool]

Ultralight swimbaits you just cant beat👌🏾🎣

[dmrrbn]

Hello, nice review. Keitech is most probably n.1 and will remain on the podium in most countries in the world. The only thing Keitech does not produce lures smaller then 2 inches. I like also japanese Reins, they have a very good smell and rubber, but most important they have lures in different forms and small sizes that really work. They cost like Keitech for a single pack but there are more lures in comparison to Keitech.

[TheFishingNomad]

I think more than most people you think like a fish. Your Zman example is perfect. Zman makes a lot of products that attract fishermen. Thats what all these companies are doing and it's pretty smart. Its not the fish spending their money on these products. These conpanies need to make money and they do so by attracting fishermen, not fish.

[midwestfischerman]

Walmart's Ozark Trail brand has a decent 2-inch swimbait that are a suitable size for panfish.

[ifishcatfish]

If you know some swimbaits that are worth trying and I didn't cover - please share, but let me know why do u think it is different and what separates it from the pack.

[bluesky]

Victor …great video …I started using zman tiny ticklerz after seeing you use a lot and in April here in Illinois it is catching crappie, perch, bluegill and bass….just wondering if you still like it or would you still favor the lures in this video more than the ticklerz micro 1 and 3/4 inch. …thanks again for all your great educational works here on YouTube.

[innovativeatavist]

1 year on and I can say that his advice is totally accurate.
Also his black 1.5 gram BG-1 jighead, coupled with a black 1.5" Charlie Brewer that is cut down (to give a more flush fit to the jighead compared to the 1") has been really really great for finding deep suspended post-spawn bluegill from the bank. Go buy some before I buy all of them again!

The 2" Keitech Easy Shiner with a 3/32oz #2 black lazer hook Lil Gripper jighead from Bald Eagle Jigs (great little company for filling out your jighead selection), has also netted me a LOT of stocked trout, largemouth, and even channel catfish in the winter and early spring. I use a 7' light rod with 6lb braid to about 5 to 7 feet of 4lb fluorocarbon leader (attached with a double uni knot). I count it down and then reel it back just fast enough for the tail to wag. Use a natural color and try to match the most common prey there. The results have been absolutely killer.

The only exception/addendum I would make to his advice is

The smelt and blue glimmer colored Z-man FryZ, despite being an admittedly ugly bait, in some small lakes/ponds has outfished everything besides 1.75" Mister Twister Sassy Shads (another old American company). It lasts a LOT longer than the Sassy Shads, but the black/pearl Sassy was probably just a little more productive.
I think the reason those two swimbaits have consistently outproduced the Keitech and Power Swimmer in that situation is that those farm pond fish are used to eating bluegill fry, which are deeper bodied. The "shad" profile matches the hatch better.
I just wish the Z-man and 1.75" Sassy Shads had more good colors, and that the Z-man didn't have those big ugly eyes on them.

I hope this helps someone! Tight lines!

[ChiefToad]

Been using zman for a long time, so can't agree with all that hate directed towards them. Everyone has their preferences. I get that, but the subjective take on the design choices of zman is pretty myopic. The elaztech plastic just offers so many advantages over basic plastics with regard to durability, action, the buoyancy factor. Another thing many people don't realize, is that you can very effectively infuse(not just coat) them with all manner of oil based scents, because the material will absorb it over time.(Like procure gel flavors for instance). Basic plastics can't do that. zman offerings in the ultralight category was pretty limited, until very recently, but their (micro)finesse stuff is all really effective. In fact the properties of the elaztech material are magnified when you downsize it to the micro size, making it even better choice in material for tiny jigs etc. I also really dig the mule fishing stuff because of this. And yes that stretchy, durable, and floaty plastic does indeed set them apart from all the others. Just glossing over zman/mule fishing baits is practically criminal. Rant over. That being said, I fish much more in the salt, so my proclivity falls towards that, I use a lot of my small baits for things like surf perch, smelt, mackerel, little jacks, and scad more often than for crappie, sunfish or bass, but I can tell you from experience that the various small to micro zman/mule stuff produces well for all of them.(On a side note...I got a real chuckle when I read in the comments that you can't specifically target bluegill with a 1.6" donkeytail jr. on something like a 1/32-1/16oz jighead. lol.)

[mattnguyen]

I recommend mule fishing. Their plastic is simply the best. Highly durable like zman Eliza tech but has good action like keitech

[yep.fishing]

This is also the best way to find perch. Ii almost exclusively use UL swimbaits for all my fishing.

[paulgiannetto]

Hi Victor. I bank fish Florida so crappie are not really the target but bluegills are and good sized ones at that. Any chance of doing a vid regarding your selection for a bluegill focussed arsenal.
Really enjoyed your review of the swimbaits. Thank you.