Introduction: Here at TackleTour, we're often accused of fanning the flames of tackle enthusiasm, bringing anglers on a quest for the latest and hottest tackle. Today, we're taking a different approach. This is article is aimed to break down a few common barriers anglers may perceive about swimbait fishing and cover a few easy ways you can dip your toes into the world of swimbait fishing without breaking the bank.

This 40-inch northern pike is my largest fish to date thanks to a swimbait

Getting Started: I will start by saying I am not a swimbait expert. My shorter fishing seasons and lack of giant bass always forced me to play it safe when it comes to lure selection. That either disqualifies me to speak on swimbait fishing or, it provides relevancy to anglers looking from the outside in who are seeking a point of view similar to theirs.

From my home base in the far northern reaches of Michigan, it felt like swimbait fishing was never in the cards for me; "it costs too much, I don't have big enough bass around me, I don't have the right tackle..." These feelings are the foundation of the wall built around the church of swimbait fishing. It's a wall fortified by very real-seeming concerns that after some dedication to learning the dark arts of swimbait fishing, I found myself catching a higher rate of quality fish than I ever have before life with swimbaits.

Better feeling than the fight is landing the small pike before they cut your line

My Story: I have read many articles here on TackleTour, seen countless social media posts and watched videos of people fishing in what seems like a dream world; casting giant lures for giant bass. My first real exposure to real swimbait fishing was March of 2023 when I paid a visit to Zander, Editor-in-Chief of TackleTour, to his home waters in California. After some pre-fish planning in his garage, Zander decided he would attempt to corrupt me into the addiction of swimbait fishing, saying he would be forcing the bite in less than ideal conditions. After seeing the results, I knew I had to find a way to adapt that style of fishing into my game plan when my local lakes thawed.

Zander has spent a lot of time refining his swimbait techniques, especially wake and rat fishing in particular

Headed back home from that trip, the long airplane ride back to Michigan gave me plenty of time to think about my plan of attack. Putting plan to action, I analyzed my fishing gear and dug through boxes of tackle I have been stockpiling through Tackle Warehouse clearance deals and impulse shopping over the years. I came across a few swimbaits I picked up over the years during those long winter months where tackle shopping somehow scratches the itch to get back on open water.

Like flipping through old photos, digging though my spare tackle mixes nostalgia with "When did I get this?"

Lures: Swimbait fishing can be intimidating to even the most seasoned anglers. Specialized rods, reels, line and baits that can cost a small fortune. Glidebaits, rats, chopbaits... the subcategories seem to never end as well. Starting with smaller options, usually less than 3oz, will simplify your approach and get more fish in the boat instead of being discouraged by gambling on one big bite, often getting skunked using bigger swimbaits.

At the most recent ICAST multiple custom bait manufacturers released more accessible versions of their custom resin swimbaits

During TackleTour's coverage of ICAST 2025, Zander found that many manufacturers are focusing on providing more accessible swimbait options for anglers looking to get into swimbait fishing without the high cost often assumed is required. The lower "price to play" combined with more shared information about swimbait fishing is making the technique more accessible than ever.

Zander has been covering swimbait fishing here on TackleTour for over two decades. He typically likes fishing full sized glides and rats

Hard Baits: As the textbook swimbait, hard baits often hog all the attention. Their lifelike appearance and size are designed to produce the biggest bites in the lake. Usually weighing more than 1oz, these lures require stout tackle to effectively cast and retrieve. Often broken into sub-categories, I will cover a few of the main branches of hard baits and how to employ them to get yourself a few fish as you refine your technique.

My enthusiast level swimbaits are only used in "no pike present" waters

At the enthusiast level, hand-carved lures are the norm. These custom tuned lures are meticulously crafted to produce extreme lifelike action. Many diehard swimbait anglers will collect these small batch, unique hand carved baits as a way to fuel their enthusiasm, while supporting small business in the fishing industry. As you can assume, these lures are often much more expensive than mass produced plastic molded baits I will be mostly talking about in this article.

Lure cases protect your tackle and keep the rod locker organized

Jointed Swimbaits: Most common hardbaits you will see will be a slow sinking, 2-jointed lure shaped either like a bluegill or a shad. Most times, the lure will be designed as a straight retrieve but, read the packaging/description of the lure to see what the manufacture recommends. Experiment with different retrieves to see how the lure reacts.  Ranging in a variety of sizes, you will be able to match-the-hatch in any waters you fish.

Many hardbaits, including this well-loved Gantarel Jr., can be weighted to customized depth/action

The Jackall Gantarel Jr. is what Zander referred to as a "gateway bait," getting anglers interested in fishing swimbaits a taste of the thrill without the price tag of hand-carved lures... and I agree. The cost-to-performance ratio of the Gantarel Jr. is arguably the best in this category. This lure sat in a tackle box for years with limited use, usually just messing around with it on slow days of fishing.

Bass target smaller bluegill this time of year - match the hatch!

For a more consistent bite, there are a growing numbers of downsized versions of these jointed swimbaits. Being easier to cast and less intimidating to fish, smaller swimbaits in the 1oz range and below can easily give positive reinforcement required to move onto using larger lures. As your confidence builds, continue to pay attention to your cadence and retrieve. This will help you as you begin your swimbait journey.

The Fishlab Bio Gill is an affordable sunfish profiled option

Wakebaits/Rats: Topwater bites are undeniably one of the most fun patterns in fishing. Seeing a fish blowup to crush a lure on a calm day is pure gold. People often say the same about swimbait fishing so, what happens when you combine the two?

Early morning and calm water, it’s hard to deny a wakebait bite. The FishLab Bio-Gill delivers

Wakebaits create disturbance on the surface or just under in order to draw strikes from afar. Usually reserved for clearer waters, wakebaits can draw strikes from a surprising distance. Water clarity of about 3ft and above seem to produce more wakebait bites than the tannic waters many reservoirs have near me. I have used them aggressively in darker water but, only during high activity times in shallow water.

The turbulence acts as a road map for hungry predators

One thing to keep in mind is that you will initially get frustrated when you see a big bass follow your wakebait, only to turn away and swim back to where it came. Easy to be perceived as a failure, I use these times to build confidence that I was able to draw a big fish that far and also learn how I can tweak my approach slightly different to get the fish to commit next time. A few things I like to do to shake things up is "pop" floating wakebaits. When over a high percentage area like a log pile or weedlines, I will use quick, short jerks of my rod tip to create a brief but loud disturbance. I let the wakebait pause for about 5-10 seconds before "popping" again. With the smaller profile of these finesse options, you will often get bit much more than a "full-sized" swimbait.

Not a giant but, a swimbait fish nonetheless

Next: Getting started with Glidebaits