LINE THROUGH
As soft plastic swimbaits evolved some problems with those on the market at the time were the low hook up ratios due to the size of the bait relative to the hook (large hooks often killed the action) as well as the ability of a big fish to throw hook due to the leverage it obtained from the bulk of the bait. This spawned the creation of line through baits which consists of a baitfish body with moulded fins and a hole in the top of the head with a single treble. This bait allows the angler to use a single large treble hook but more importantly allows the bait itself to slide up and away from the hook once a fish is hooked. Available from 4 inch size through to 9 inches.
Rigging
Rigging is standard with these baits, thread your line through the hole on the top of the bait and tie a single treble to the end. Take a point of the treble and stick it back into the plastic so the hook does not dangle about.
Tackle
If you’re throwing 4 to 6 inch size baits a heavy duty cranking stick or even a 7 or 7’6 medium/heavy worm rod would do the trick. Rigged with 15-17 pound flouro (These baits tend to swim up to the surface so flouro helps in keeping them down). The larger baits from 6 inches onwards are rather heavy (often 2 ounces and more) and thus a swimbait specific rod or even your frogging stick at 7’6 or 8 ft would do the trick. Paired with a larger reel to help cast the bait out (Shimano Curado 300 or Abu 5600 size) this outfit will get the large baits out and help you bully big fish that take those big baits.
Application
The treble hook set-up is definitely not the most weedless option however this bait shines when fishing points and timber. Cast it out, give it a second or two to sink a bit and start a slow steady retrieve. These baits tend to lose balance if you try and burn them and I’ve had most of my success just slowly and steadily retrieving them to the boat. Line through baits due to their larger average size and profile (a more traditional swimbait) often get bigger fish to come have a look. In fact, it is common knowledge that one of the biggest advantages of swimbaits is that fish are prepared to travel out of their strike zones to investigate a swimbait .i.e. the bait has serious drawing power. The downside is that though you will get plenty of big fish to come and have a look and even follow the bait to the boat, not all of them commit to taking the bait… persevere though and you will get them to hit the bait. I have had numerous encounters at Rust de Winter as well as Loskop and Mteri where 3 or 4 large bass (I’m talking 3-4 kilo plus fish here) would cruise slowly behind the bait and then make a u-turn once they saw the boat. I sometimes have some success on following up with a weightless fluke or senko but most times they just disappear into the depths. The important thing is that as you will read in the diaries of all big bass hunters, big fish generally don’t move long distances if they’ve set up camp in an area so even if they’re not committing on a certain day, you know their location and can always come back another time to try. Oh and when they do commit to these baits they pretty much tear the rod out your hands, this is not a senko where the tap in the rod followed by that heavy pressure feeling signals a bite… they don’t inhale these baits…they absolutely annihilate them!! It’s the one thing that can turn you into a swimbait addict… throwing a swimbait all day with nothing to show for your efforts in the hope of that one super violent strike.
Bass Digest/February, 2014