Weighting a swimbait

[ArtVandelay]

Just wondering guys, if you add weight to your swimbaits, say a soft bait like the Yum Money Minnow, do you prefer to use a weighted hook:



or add weight to your line, like split shot. Or something else entirely, maybe.

Thanks guys.

[Dust1n]

nope itmakes the bait wobble less.

[nicemustang]

Depends what your doing and how your fishing. I usually find myself using a jig head on them and popping them up and off the bottom in a slow troll.

[pikester]

Just the belly weighted hooks for rigged swimbaits. If you need to get deeper then switch to the factory rigged Storm Wildeye Swimshad in 4"- 6" lengths which range from 7/16oz - 7/8oz. These lures will let you work the 10'-28' depths much more efficiently if needed than the belly weighted plastics. Bounced off the bottom on a jig hook like Mustang says can be good too.

[Joe Fehr]

Myself I have never used swim baits. How do they work for walleye, pike etc? What type and size would a guy use? I really like the way they swim.
Sorry for the hijack!!

[nicemustang]

They are good. Two ways to fish them IMO. Rigged as OP aboves picture and chucked into shallows, weeds, etc. Works good for pike, bass (like on the TV shows) or walleye if they are around. Or put on a jig and retrieved along the bottom. I outfished my buddy once using that at pigeon lake on a mid lake hump 3-1. Cast it out, let it hit bottom, pop it with a slow drag back. Yes that is pigeon and fishing is easy...but it does work. Pike go through them pretty easily though...only a couple of fish and they are toasted.

[Dust1n]

are if you just use a regular hook wedless and you jerk it it walks the dawg abit kicking in preditory instints

[Duramaximos]

Originally Posted by Fish Hunter7

nope itmakes the bait wobble less.

I agree with this. I try to use a light weight jig or an offset hook without weight. I prefer to weight the main line above a swivel followed by several feet of floro leader. I'll somtimes pinch a small split shot above the eye of the hook to tweak the presentation in the water.

I find the weighted hooks usually give the bait and unnatural angle in the water.