8. ARM ANGLE
The middle wire should point straight back nearly all the
time. The outside wires can be adjusted in certain circum-
stances, such as when using “dummy” swimbaits without
hooks on the top wires.
“I want them all as close together as they can be without
tangling up on the cast,” says Smith. “If I’m in an FLW tour-
nament where I can have only three hooks, I want those
three [bottom two and middle] close together and the top
two bent way, way up to get as far away from those three as
possible.”
Since most fish that eat the rig swim up to get it, bend-
ing the wires in that arrangement increases the odds of the
fish striking the swimbaits with hooks (at the bottom), rather
than the dummies (at the top).
9. SWIMBAITS
While there are a lot of swimbaits being used on umbrel-
la rigs, the swimbaits made by Keitech have become the
standard go-to for many pros.
“I always start with four Keitech Swing Impacts – the 4-
inch regular, not the Fat – on the outside and one 3.8 Swing
Impact Fat on the inside,” says Smith. “The Fat has a little bit
bigger profile and has a wider tail action, and the regular
Swing Impact has more of a subtle kick. I probably run that
75 percent of the time, a nd that’s what I start with always.”
Smaller baits might work better in a lake with small for-
age, and the opposite is true where bass are foraging on
large shad.
“It becomes really, really hard to keep big baits way down
if fishing 30 to 35 feet of water,” Smith adds. “They create so
much lift and are so heavy. And you can only put so much
weight on it before it becomes too obnoxious to throw.”
10. SWIMBAIT COLORS
Smith’s theory on swimbait colors might vary from what
others use. Some mix and match colors, usually to make the
middle bait stand out. For Smith, all five swimbaits match.
“I let the bait in the lake I’m fishing dictate where I start,
but I like [the color] bluegill flash. I haven’t been to a lake in
this country where bluegill flash won’t work,” he says. “Ayu is
always a good option, especially if perch are present. In
darker water I might go to black shad. That’s one depart-
ment where I keep it pretty simple.”
The 4-inch Keitech
Swing Impact (top) and
3.8 Swing Impact Fat
(bottom) in bluegill
flash are Smith’s starter
swimbaits.
the nose Swivel
If you’re making a
homemade rig, make sure
you add a quality ball-
bearing swivel to the rig’s
nose. If you buy one from
a retailer and it lacks a
swivel, add one.
“the swivel helps if you
don’t balance the weights
or arms properly. It helps
ensure that the thing is
going to swim upright,”
says Smith.
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