Swing head info

[Jim Elam]

It has been a great spring already with lots of numbers days on the Varmint, wart, etc. Always trying to learn new things though, so I recently put down the little rig for 1/2 hr or so to work a swing head. Trailer was a large creature bait, and I had no bites, but can see the potential with the correct trailer this time of year.

My question is this... What situations besides the prespawn and spawn have people had success on these baits? Does it differ substantially from a Jika (jig rig)? If so, when and where would you use each?

Just trying to expand my horizons. Thanks in advance to those who have learned and and are willing to contribute.

Jim

[Quillback]

I like it post-spawn with a creature bait or a craw. Cast to the back corner of a dock and drag it parallel to the stalls, you can also flip it around dock stalls like you would a jig. Fish it shallow off gravel points early in the AM, then deep later in the day. You can fish a lot of plastic on it, worms, flukes, and paddle tail swimbaits.

My biggest beef with off the shelf swing heads are the hooks, usually they are not the greatest and they are molded in so you have to cut them off if you want to change out the hook. You'll also have to add a split ring or two to get the hook to ride upright.

I just looked at Swing Oil's site and see that they sell heads with a split ring. So you can put your own hook on them. Nice option as you can get finessy with them, and for example fish a Finesse worm on a 1/4 oz head.

[Sac River Jim]

i think the best way for me to describe how i use a swing head is I very seldom T rig anything anymore. I even have a version called a wrecking ball designed to throw big worms on. its a football head with a neck and a loop coming out the neck to attach a 90# german steel split ring to . I attach a skirt to the neck in the color i want to throw and then a 4/0 or 5/0 vmc ewg hook and a 12'' worm to fish brush piles in the summer. For me its a learning process its one my favorite presentations to throw and i'm constantly experimenting and tweeking it. Best way to fish it to start with is to think of it as a crank bait. i make long casts position my rod tip at about 60 degrees then wind it just fast enough to feel it drag over the gravel and deflect off bigger chunk rocks if fishing a transition bank.

[J-Doc]

I thought the swing head was supposed to be used as a "crankbait". Just throw it and retrieve it.

I chunked it quite a bit with a Rage Tail Space Monkey this weekend. Never got a bite?

[Quillback]

I thought the swing head was supposed to be used as a "crankbait". Just throw it and retrieve it.

I chunked it quite a bit with a Rage Tail Space Monkey this weekend. Never got a bite?

Fishing it like a crank is one technique. I do that with a Menace Grub, but I still like to maintain bottom contact. Post spawn, I do more of a slow drag and pause method. And there are days where it doesn't work so well. Especially now with the spawn, it's a challenge every day to see what they like.

[J-Doc]

Especially now with the spawn, it's a challenge every day to see what they like.

That's no joke. I would have zeroed Sat. morning out of my buds boat if I had not have picked up the Varmint. Tried watermelon candy. Nothing. Went to the old reliable and bam. Two fish. Ended up with a small walleye later. Skinniest thing I've seen yet but he fought like a 3lb bass.

Really taking a liking to the Varmint.

[Champ188]

That's no joke. I would have zeroed Sat. morning out of my buds boat if I had not have picked up the Varmint. Tried watermelon candy. Nothing. Went to the old reliable and bam. Two fish. Ended up with a small walleye later. Skinniest thing I've seen yet but he fought like a 3lb bass.

Really taking a liking to the Varmint.

J-Doc, were you on Table Rock? Donna and I had over 60 Saturday. Best five around 15 pounds. I don't think we talked to anyone who had less than 30. Ours came mostly on the varmint. A few on topwater and probably a dozen by bed fishing.

[HardHead]

I've had quite a bit of luck using a space monkey on a 7/16 lerew hard head, but usually not until the water warms up. Swim senko trailer also works brilliantly in 75+ wt. This time of year I pair a hard head and small strike king kvd rodent. I love the thing, as my screen name indicates.

We had a great day sat too. Fished mostly the back of cow, then scooner and mill about an hour each. Had 40+ fish with best 5 also almost 16lbs. Caught a couple 3lbers on secondary points in 18-20 fow. Had a 4lb 6ozer and a 3lb 13oz on 1/4oz shaky with a zoom craw. Saw plenty more nice fish cruising and bedding.

The Sunday benefit was a different story. Motor probs as soon as we got our marker, so we didn't start fishing until after 830. Went to the same areas. Tough fishing for the 1st part of the morn. Threw the hard head with various trailers, no luck. Got 1 2lber on the shaky head shallow, nothing on a wacky senko, nothing on a tube, nota in the jig. Crank and spinnerbaits were both shutout. About noon, went out to 20+ fow and started catching them on a 3/8oz shaky. Caught about 15 more fish and saved face with a limit, but no good fish.

[Jason Essary]

Awesome. I'm learning this thing.