Soft-Plastic Swimbaits You've Got To Try
Just about any inshore predator species will smack an Al Gag’s Whip It Fish. This mid-sized striper couldn’t pass it up. Photo by Brian Coombs.
Check the tackle boxes of saltwater anglers these days and you’ll find an amazingly wide array of lure designs, shapes and color patterns. From diamond jigs to surface poppers, hard-bodied swimming plugs, bucktails and spoons, every lure category has its fans – but few rival the soft-plastic swimbait genera for ease-of-use, versatility, and overall productivity.
No doubt the appeal of these pliable offerings with a natural feel have exploded in recent years to where choices in this lure format can seem overwhelming. In fact, a quick perusal of our whitewateroutfitters.com website reveals more than 125 styles in sizes, shapes and profiles that allow anglers to match anything from sand eels to adult bunker. But that’s the beauty of these lures; there’s a productive pattern to turn the head of any predatory fish that patrols our local waters and beyond.
Following is an introductory run-down of some of the most versatile soft-plastics on the market today. There’s no need to carry them all, of course, but having a varied selection to match the hatch, current, weather and feeding habits of your intended quarry makes sense. We suggest that when you restock your favorites, you also pick up a couple new patterns, styles or even brands that catch your eyes or seem as if they might complement your fishing style.
The selections presented here are not ranked in any particular order as any one of these – or a hundred others – could be the hot ticket the next time you head out. So, think of this line-up as a starting place for restocking or filling out your soft-plastic swimbait arsenal and let your imagination run wild from there.
Introduced way back in 2002, these time-tested swimbaits are among the most popular paddle-tail soft-plastics of all time. Available in 2” to 9” sizes, these are great choices for imitating medium to large full-bodied baitfish including both peanut- and adult-sized bunker. Their life-like appearance – aided by holographic eyes and body flash, plus a tight swimming action, combined with a tough but soft body, draws strikes from all species of inshore predators - and raves from fishing fans the world over.
Weighted internally, Wild Eyes cast well and swim perfectly with a simple straight retrieve but can also be jigged or even trolled. Simply cast them out, allow them to drop to the desired depth, and start reeling. Reel faster to increase the boot-tail wiggle, or slower for a more subtle action. Adding an occasional sharp twitch to your retrieve can trigger reluctant lunkers to commit. Priced from $3.99 - $13.99.
Fish a lot at the inlets and in strong currents, or need to dig a little deeper? This is a great choice. Available in 5” and 6.5” inch versions weighing 3 ounces and 4.25 ounces, these lures are the bomb! They cast exceptionally well for swimbait-style offerings and quickly get down in the strike zone to entice big stripers, tiderunner weaks, and most other large inshore predators.
Throw these when bunker, herring or mullet are present. We suggest carrying along a search bait color like white or limetreuse, plus a bunker pattern when the menhaden are present. The blue back pattern works especially well should mullet or herring make the late-season scene. Priced from $10.99 - $11.99.
No Live Bait Needed (NLBN) Paddle Tails
A favorite of striper fans here on Long Island and throughout the northeast, these 5- and 8-eight-inch hand-poured soft-plastics come in paddle tail and k-tail styles. Both also incorporate two to four colors and iridescent additives that help their profile stand out day and night. With a large boot and thicker belly than most soft-plastic swimbaits, they are ideal for slow-roll retrieves in quiet water yet still perform fine in stronger currents. Match them with NLBN screw-lock style jig heads and they’ll stay secured in place for a surprisingly long time. Switch to heavier or lighter jigs to match the tide as the current strengthens or wanes. Priced from $6.99 for Paddle Tails and $7.99 for Jig Heads.
In addition to bass with stripes, these lures catch just about any predator that swims – including tuna anywhere and snook and tarpon down south - so be sure to smuggle a pack or two along on your next winter vacation. Choose the 5-inch body for fast action or the 8-inch size if it’s lunkers you seek. Either way, fish these lures with a slow and subtle retrieve punctuated by an occasional twitch and it’s hard to go wrong.
Al Gag’s Whip It Fish (Rigged)
“The thing that drives this lure’s success is that the head and body are both designed with hydrodynamics in mind,” says Whip It Fish inventor, Al “Gags” Gagliarducci. “I designed this lure so water would slide along the sides of the head and funnel back to lift the tail up. That gives it not only the side-to-side movement of the paddle tail but also a rolling shimmy of the body like a hard-sided swim plug. It was the first duo-action soft-plastic of its kind.”
It’s still out-fishing its imitators 13 years after introduction - and not just with stripers and snook. “It’s caught cobia to jack crevalle - and someone even jigged a giant grouper with it,” continues Gags, “In Alaska, people are using it for halibut. Imagine hooking halibut on a swimbait!” he says with a chuckle.
Gags suggest trying the threadfin shad color for snook, noting famed sharpie “Crazy Alberto” Knie has caught some real tanks along Florida’s Gulf Coast using that pattern. “Just cast out and retrieve it at a medium speed with plenty of rod twitches,” he concludes. “The lure does the rest.” Available in sizes 3” to 6”. Price: $4.50 - $9 for one rigged and one spare body.
Bill Hurley Cape Cod Sand Eel 7" Paddle Tail
Sand eels have been plentiful in our area over the past couple of years, which is why you’ll want to stuff a few Bill Hurley Cape Cod Sand Eels in your plug bag when you hit the surf. These have a long and slender profile with a small boot tail that closely matches the profiles of the larger sand eels that invade our waters from mid-summer through late fall. The olive color pattern sees the most play locally since it matches the hatch so well, but white can be outstanding in a rough and tumble surf. Price: $8.99.
With bluefin tuna often running close to the beach in recent years, Bill Hurley Tuna Bomb Jigs can prove invaluable to near shore big game enthusiasts. Often, the bluefin schools are lured into a relatively short ride from the inlets by vast schools of sand eels. Some days you can pop them on top, but others require a more refined sub-surface presentation for which this lure serves well. That they also work on the troll for both tuna and bass is an added plus.
With a 9” rat tail design and 4XXXX Strong Gamakatsu hook that can stand-up to the biggest tuna you’ll hook in our waters, these are a great choice for casting, jigging and trolling action. For casting and jigging, let ‘em free-spool to an appropriate depth at the edge of a tuna pod, then retrieve by alternating sharp snaps of the jig with a free-fall back to a tight line. Set the hook hard, dig in your heels, hold on tight – and be thankful for the smart design and super strength of these jigs as you bear down for the battle ahead. Price: $12.99 - $16.50.
- Bryce Poyer
