Snack Size Swimbaits

Snack Size Swimbaits


As swim baits go, the Snack Size Trout is a not a huge bait, but a very manageable size bait.

Coming in at exactly 7" from head to tail and weighing in at 2.2 oz for the floaters and 2.4 for the slow sinkers, the idea behind the design of the Snack Size Trout was for it to be big enough to call the attention of the bigger fish, but not so cumbersome and big that you would have a problem throwing it all day. Tournament anglers were definitely in mind.

The bait was also designed to be fished in a finesse type fashion (if it is even believable to think of a swim bait as a 'finesse bait'). There are times when fish don't want a giant clambering 13" trout.

This is when the Snack Size Trout shines.
Fishing the Snack Size Swim baits
As with most topwater swim baits and wake baits there are ways they can be fished, but here are several techniques that really make this bait shine above others

One is to fish the bait much like a rip bait or a fluke, with subtle rips and pauses. This can be done fast or slow depending on the read and reactions you get from the fish.

This can be mixed up and done in several ways, the obvious being twitches and pauses of the rod tip itself. A similar but different effect can be achieved through short rotations of the reel handle. This is much more effective while using braided lines, but can also be tried with other copolymers.

What you want to do is point your rod tip directly at the bait and reel in short, fast bursts and pauses - anywhere from a quarter turn, up to a few full turns with pauses both long and short in between. This will cause the bait to do a number of things: dart and turn, or roll slightly at higher speeds. This can also be used to turn the bait 180 degrees to face a following fish. Combine the reeling action with short fast rod tip movement and the bait really comes alive.

I had a day June on Clear Lake where the wind picked up on a point and I was pulling the bait through small wind waves and popping it out to go airborne and splash down very loudly. I caught 5 fish in a row doing this.

By design, this bait is not at its best when reeled strait it like some bigger lipped wake baits may.

Longer pulls of the rod tip let the bait be pulled just under the surface, only to pop back up as if it were a scared or wounded fish. This I find to be deadly early in the year pre-spawn when fish are actively feeding.

To state the obvious: the Snack Size Swim baits can also be dead-sticked - left on the surface to move freely by water motion alone. This can be great in clear water when fish are inactive.

Equipment
Because of its size and workability the Snack Size baits do not require giant swim bait set up.

I recommend using a small reel that can be easily palmed. One thing you want to look for is a high speed ratio at least 6.2 to 1. You will also need a bigger spool capacity for plenty of 20 to 25 pound test or braid. A reel such as the Shimano 300 is ideal.

I have several rods I fish the bait on all of which are available here at Hi's TackleBox.

Here in no particular order:

The Powell 765 7'6" small swimbait rod, the Dobyns 7'9" Mike Long series 796, as well as the Rouge 796. These three rods are all in my boat with a Snack Size Swimbait tied on.

Let's talk line: 90 percent of the time I throw 'The Snacker ' (as a lot of friends have nicknamed it) on 25 pound P-line Floroclear. I step down a notch with 20 pound CXX because of its incredible resistance to breakage. The other 10 percent I will use a 65 pound braid; I tend to use braid when I am really feeling tricky and that bait is going to work its magic. The response with braid is 2nd to none. I will usually reserve this for stained water and active post-spawn into summer fishing.

Finally - remember to think outside the small swimbait box and don't be afraid to try new tricks and techniques.