As anglers, we all have our staples. Baits we always are sure to stock up on from year to year so that we don’t ever run out. One of those baits for me has been the Basstrix Paddle Tail Swimbait. It’s no secret that these baits catch a lot of bass. But they are so versatile and have proven themselves over and over again as reliable fish catchers.
Here are some of the things that stand out to me about these baits and how guys can apply them to their bass fishing:
- Great colors
- Proven swimming action
- Jighead or weighted hook
- Multi rig or single rig
- Sizes for everywhere
The original paddle tail hollow-bodied swimbait
Basstrix started a craze back about 8 or 9 years ago in bass fishing tournament circles. Steve Kennedy famously went out west and wreck big bass after big bass on famed California fishery Clear Lake. Before he left he dropped a measly $3,000 on swimbaits before heading back east. At least $1,000 of that was reportedly spent on Basstrix Paddle Tail Swimbaits.
The demand got dramatic and the production couldn’t come close to meeting the demand. In came a lot of other companies’ versions of the swimbait.
But the Basstrix Paddle Tail has stood the test of time and continues to be a top choice among bass fishermen for a variety of applications.
One thing that has helped it remain so popular is a plethora of good colors. Shads, Anchovies, Alewives, Herrings, Hitch, Perch and more. There is a color to fit just about every fishery out there. I usually stick with the Shad, Hologram Shad, Hitch and Tennessee Shad.
Wobble and a thump
Hollow bodied paddle tails have a pronounced swimming action with a side to side shimmy while the tail kicks pretty hard in the back. Because of that the bait is effective pulled through cover as well as fished deep on a jighead.
I believe that sway and thump has drawing power, especially on the slightly stained fisheries I frequent.
Good on lots of different rigs
What’s really nice about the Basstrix Paddle Tail swimbaits is they work on a variety of presentations. I mostly fish them on jighead in deep water whether fish or on the bottom or suspending on deep structure. But I’ve caught bass in a foot of water with a weighted swimbait hook. I’ve caught bass on an Alabama rig with 5 Basstrix Paddle Tails on it. I’ve caught bass with a smaller Basstrix Paddle Tail on the back of an underspin jighead like a Fish Head Spin. I’ve even caught some real nice bass using it as a trailer on a swim jig.
And the best part is I’ve caught bass now in just about every single month on a these swimbaits. They just work.
Sizes that matter
I like the Basstrix Paddle Tails because they come in so many sizes. I like the 3.5 and 4-inch size on underspin jigheads in clear water. I like the 5 inch on umbrella rigs. I like the 6 inch on single jigheads or weighted swimbait hooks. And I like the 7 inch on lakes where I think the bass it big forage.
Tuning them up
Plastisol doesn’t form completely the same every time. These swimbaits are made through a very manual process. So you will sometimes have swimbaits that swim a little different and look a little different. Depending on how long they’ve been packaged, sitting, and the temperatures they are stored.
One easy cure is to hold the head and dip the tails a little more than half way into boiling water for a short time. It will give them a little more flex and kick on a slower retrieve when you do this.
You can see several of the colors they offer an order the Basstrix Paddle Tail Swimbaits at Tacklewarehouse.com or at retailers that are lucky enough to have some in inventory.
