Buyer's Guide: Big Swimbaits, Glide Baits, and Swimbait Rods

Which swimbaits work the best? Which big baits should you try? Is there one rod that will throw every swimbait? Today's Buyer's guide is here to make your bass fishing life easier! Don't waste time with mediocre baits, focus on the proven options that put big bass in the boat every day. Matt shows his favorite picks for soft baits, hard baits, rods, and reels in today's Big Swimbait Holiday Buyer's Guide.

When it comes to soft baits Matt and Tim prefer baits with a jig hook on top. When necessary they switch to a weedless offering around thick cover. Baits like the Huddleston and Trash Fish are great in cooler water while the more rigid boot tail style baits shine year round. Color selection should be focused on imitating the prey species in your local lake but we've included a few color recommendations with each swimbait to give you a starting point.

For hard baits, we focused on a variety of different profiles. We've selected great options that imitate trout, baitfish, and panfish. No matter where you are in the country, these hard baits will help you catch giant bass. Don't be afraid to upsize your offering this year. You may be shocked to find that larger baits actually get more attention from bass and will often draw them from great distances to inspect your swimbait.

Below is a breakdown of the baits and tackle Matt discussed in the video. You'll find direct links to each product on a Tackle Warehouse, links to the hooks and rigging components when necessary, as well as to the rods and reels. These buyer's guides are designed to keep everything simple so you can share these videos with your loved ones for the holiday season.

Soft Baits...

-Huddleston 8" Trout ROF 5: http://bit.ly/2UVHiuQ

-Huddleston 8" Trout ROF 12: http://bit.ly/2azFTon

Colors- Trout, Ayu, Silver/Blue Back

-Osprey Tournament Talon 6" and 7": http://bit.ly/2bqsLS0

Colors- Chartreuse Shad, TW Shad, Reverse Hitch

-Little Creeper Trash Fish 8": http://bit.ly/2hmXtg1

Colors- Chartreuse Shad, LC Hitch, Just Shad, Rainbow Trout

-Owner Beast 10/0 Hook: http://bit.ly/2ancP66

-Keitech Fat Swing Impact 6.8: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Colors- Pro Blue Red Pearl, Electric Shad, Ghost Rainbow Trout

-Owner Beast 8/0 Hook: http://bit.ly/2ancP66

-Matt Allen Swimbait Head 3/4 oz: http://bit.ly/29RrTYN

-Scottsboro Tackle 6" Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2NpyLjU

Colors- Mullins Madness, ol Smokey, Payback Shad

-Owner Beast 8/0 Hook: http://bit.ly/2ancP66

Hard Baits...

-Baitsanity Explorer Ver. 2: http://bit.ly/33bQyxY

Colors- Trout, Kokanee, Shad

-River2Sea S Waver 168 and 200: http://bit.ly/2aiu8Sh

Colors- Light Trout, Warden, Rainbow Trout

-Storm Arashi Glide Bait: http://bit.ly/2nHdrL1

Colors- Oikawa Mesu, Green Gill, Threadfin Shad

-Jackall Gantarel: http://bit.ly/2adZI3R

Colors- Ghost Gill, Spawn Gill

Replacement Hooks and Split Rings...

Split Rings- Owner Hyperwire Size 4 or 5: http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

Hooks for Baitsanity, S-Waver 200, Arashi- Owner ST-36 Size 1/0: http://bit.ly/2cWpeyw

Hooks for Gantarel- Owner ST-36 Size 1: http://bit.ly/2cWpeyw

Hooks for S-Waver 168- Owner 3X ST-56 Size 2: http://bit.ly/2cVg7xW

Favorite Rod/Reel Combo...

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 966: http://bit.ly/2x9kxuS

Reel- Shimano Tranx 300 HG: http://bit.ly/2kYsvRw

Line- 80 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 35 lb Sunline FC-100: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

Budget Rod/Reel Combo...

Rod- Dobyns Fury 806H: http://bit.ly/2bGvlVV

Reel- Shimano Cardiff 300: http://bit.ly/2cvhtMO

Line- 80 lb Power Pro Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 30 lb: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9