Undoubtedly one of the hottest bait styles to come along in years is the soft-plastic swimbait. The Basstrix is the one that got it all started, kicking off the hugely popular paddletail craze almost a decade ago. Now it seems that every soft-plastic bait company since has attempted to come up with its own new and improved version. 

Indeed, if imitation is the highest form of flattery, Bruce Porter, who invented the Basstrix must be thrilled. 

The reason soft-plastic boot-tail minnows are so popular is because they flat-out catch fish, often without much effort. As a matter of fact, the insanely popular Alabama-rig, adorned with multiple swimbaits has proven to be so deadly—especially during the tough, cold-water periods of the year—that it has now been banned by the top FLW and Bassmaster circuits.

It seems too many rookie anglers were picking up swimbait-adorned A-rigs, one upping the big-name pros and walking away with too much money. We can’t have that, now, can we? 

And swimbaits haven’t just taken the bass world by storm, either.  Anglers fishing with X-Zone Swammers, Bass Magnet Shift ‘R Shads and Water Wolf Shadzillas—the top Canadian made swimbaits—have been nabbing huge walleye, gargantuan lake trout and giant northern pike and muskies. Truth be told, if you’re not swimming a Swammer or Shift ‘R Shad below the ice for lakers right now, you’re missing out some of the best action. 

The reason swimbaits catch so many fish is that when you pin them to a jig or weighted EWG hook, they swim in a uniquely three-dimensional manner. What I mean is that the boot-tail kicks back and forth, while the body sways in an exaggerated side-to-side manner. Few other lures behave the same way. 

To view this article in its entirety please visit http://outdoorcanada.ca/35484/blogs/how-to-rig-a-twister-tail-grub-tail-up-or-tail-down 

Author: Gord Pyzer, 

Fishing Editor, Outdoor Canada Magazine; Field Editor, In-Fisherman Magazine and     Television; Co-host, Real Fishing Radio Show; Host, Fish Talk With The Doc

Twitter: @GordPyzer

Source: Outdoor Canada