What size swimbait is best for bass?

A 3.5–5 in paddletail catches the most bass. Go to 6–9 in glide baits when you are targeting the biggest fish in clear water.

How fast should you reel a swimbait?

Just fast enough that the tail kicks steadily. Slower is usually better — slow-roll it near the bottom or the top of grass.

Swimbait Fishing for Bass: Sizes, Heads and Retrieves

Written by Atlas Editorial · Last updated 2026-11-05

For most bass fishing, a 3.5–5 in paddletail on a 1/4–1/2 oz swimbait head, retrieved just fast enough to make the tail thump, is the swimbait that catches the most fish — from shallow grass in spring to 25 ft schools in winter.

Swimbait types

Type	Size	Best use
Paddletail on jighead	3.5–5 in	Schooled bass on points and ledges, open water, A-rig
Weighted hollow-belly / weedless	4–6 in	Over and through grass, around wood, shallow
Glide bait (hard)	6–9 in	Big fish in clear water, spring and fall
Line-through / wake bait	6–8 in	Herring lakes, fall surface feeds

Swimbait head weight by depth

Count it down: most heads sink roughly 1 ft per second on fluorocarbon. Count to 10, start reeling, and you are near 10 ft.

Head weight	Depth it holds	Notes
1/8 oz	0–6 ft	Slow roll over grass, shallow spawn-time fish
1/4 oz	6–12 ft	Most common, steady retrieve
3/8–1/2 oz	12–25 ft	Count down, slow roll along bottom on ledges
3/4 oz	25 ft +	Deep winter schools, wind and current

Swimbait pro tips

Pro tip · Line

12–17 lb fluorocarbon for open-water paddletails on a 7 ft medium-heavy rod; 20–25 lb fluoro or 65 lb braid for glide baits on an 7 ft 6 in heavy swimbait rod.

Pro tip · Colour

Shad and herring patterns in clear water — grey or blue-back, white belly. Chartreuse-backed or bluegill patterns in stained water.

Pro tip · Hookset

Do not swing on the thump. Keep reeling until the rod loads, then sweep. A swimbait bite often feels like the bait just got heavy.

Pro tip · Herring lakes

On blueback herring lakes like Smith Lake, a 5–6 in swimbait or wake bait on the surface at dawn draws the biggest spotted bass.

Pro tip · Water temp

Paddletails work all year. Glide baits are best from 58–75°F when big bass roam shallow flats in spring and fall.

Questions from the ramp

Sources

Data last reviewed: 2026-11-05