By Tackle Warehouse | Updated September 2023
Known for catching both size and numbers, the paddle tail swimbait is a proven fish-catcher throughout the year and becomes even deadlier as the water temperatures begin to cool off during the late fall and winter months. While rigging up a soft swimbait can be as simple as threading it onto a jig head, there are countless modifications and rigging options that enhance attraction and make your presentation completely unique from the next angler. In this article, we will cover some of the key paddle tail swimbait modifications, pinpoint some useful accessories to add to your arsenal, and share a money-saving trick that will help you get the most out of each swimbait.
Line thru rigging systems improve hook-up ratios, extend the life of your soft plastics, and allow the swimbait to slide up the line on hooksets to eliminate the fish’s ability to gain leverage and throw the hook. By inserting a Red One Pagoda weight or a Fattube line thru rigging system through the nose of the swimbait and out the belly, you can easily thread your fishing line through the swimbait and tie on a belly-rigged treble hook. Deadly around suspended fish that are chasing bait, pick up some line thru tubes in a few weight sizes so you can easily adjust the running depth or dial in the perfect rate of fall.
When you want to add weight to your paddle tail swimbait, there’s more than one way to get the job done. While most anglers reach for a jighead or a weighted swimbait hook, there are a couple of must-have accessories that can fine-tune your presentation in a few quick seconds. Wrapping lead wire around the shank of the hook is a quick and effective way to add weight to your swimbaits and is perfect for making on-the-fly adjustments without having to re-tie. Nail weights also allow anglers to add small amounts of weight to their swimbaits to customize the fall, and they can also be inserted into the chin of a swimbait to create a nose-down feeding presentation when at rest.
Give your presentation some flash and vibration by adding a blade to your paddle tail swimbaits. Rigging your swimbait on an underspin or bladed swimbait hook is a quick and easy way to achieve the desired effect, but it can also be accomplished using a few flashy accessories. The Khanbaits Easy Spin allows anglers to convert any size of swimbait hook into an underspin using a reverse clip system that attaches directly to the bend of the hook. Alternatively, spring-lock style worm blades can also be screwed directly into the belly of your soft swimbaits to increase their presence and drawing power in the water.
Using dye to modify the color of your paddle tail swimbaits is another great way to stand out from the crowd, adapt to changing conditions, and customize your offering to better match the hatch. While most anglers know that dipping the tail provides some added distinction in dirty water, there are a variety of different ways to add a subtle pop of color for clear-water situations. Keep a toothpick or Q-tip in your tacklebox so you can experiment with painting on lateral lines and gills or adding a splash of color to the belly or under the chin of your paddle tail swimbaits.
When the fish are short striking or not fully committing to your swimbait, it’s probably time to add a stinger hook to help boost hook-up ratios. If you are using a swimbait jig head or an underspin with an exposed hook point, there’s an assortment of stinger hooks that attach directly to the jig hook to help convert more of those missed bites into landed fish. It’s also a good idea to keep a pack of size #4 or #6 treble hooks on hand, so you can improvise in a pinch by threading a treble hook onto the shank of a wide gap hook so that the treble rests cleanly along the belly of the swimbait.
Throwing away your chewed-up paddle tail swimbaits after only a few fish catches can become costly, especially when the bite heats up. Instead of trashing your soft swimbaits with a blown-out nose or hook pocket, hang onto them after a day of fishing, as they can be repurposed into a fantastic bladed jig trailer. If the nose of the swimbait is destroyed from a screw lock hook, start by cutting this section off completely. Next, cut off the paddle portion of the swimbait tail, leaving only the base of the tail intact. The flattened tail section creates reduced drag in the water and delivers erratic action that matches the high-pitched movement of the blade.
Paddle tail swimbaits are one of the most adaptable lures in bass fishing and remain effective under a wide variety of seasonal conditions as long as you modify or adjust your tackle accordingly. Whether you’re slow-rolling the bottom with a jig head during the winter or Texas-rigging swimbaits to slip through vegetation in the summer, experiment with some of these modifications to make your paddle tail swimbaits come to life!
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