To the Northeast saltwater angler, line-through swimbaits are a bit of a foreign concept. The baits themselves are solid-bodied soft plastics with a molded-in channel for the line to go through. Once threaded through the lure, the line is tied to a hook, which is then pulled back into the bait.
When a fish is hooked, the soft plastic slides up the line, which has two primary advantages. For one, the plastic slides away from the fish and out of harm’s way. Considering that some of these plastics, particularly the ones made for largemouth bass, can cost between $20 and $100, preventing them from getting chewed up and damaged, particularly by pickerel or other bycatch, is a big plus. Secondly, separating the bait from the hook diminishes the leverage a fish would otherwise have in its attempts to remove the hook. With jumping and head-shaking species like snook, tarpon, and largemouth, this improves the hookup-to-landing ratio.
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One of the hallmarks of many line-through swimbaits is their realistic design. Baits like the Z-Man Mulletron are a near-perfect match to the “hatch,” down to details like eyes and fins. Savage Gear also has a lineup of lifelike line-throughs that mimic trout, perch, shiners, and even burbot and pike.
Most line-through baits feature one of two tails—a traditional boot-foot paddletail or a wedge-shaped tail. The boot-shaped paddletail, a common feature across fresh and salt soft baits, wiggles and kicks wildly, often imparting a little roll to the bait’s entire body.
Swimbaits with wedge-shaped tails have a different action entirely. Most often, the bodies are precisely weighted so that they track straight, with minimal roll, while the large tail slowly wags side to side. Overall, it’s a much more natural presentation and deadly on pressured or large, keen-eyed fish. While the boot tail gives the impression of a wounded or fleeing baitfish, the wedge tail mimics a baitfish that’s completely oblivious to the presence of any predators.
Sink rates vary among line-through swim baits, but most sink slowly horizontally, allowing anglers to precisely work specific levels of the water column from just under the surface to around 10 feet deep.
The best presentation, particularly with wedge-tail line-throughs, is a simple cast and retrieve, with speeds varying from mind-numbingly slow to moderate. With boot-style paddletails, fishermen can effectively incorporate fast sweeps and twitches, but a straight retrieve, with the occasional pause or speed change, is usually best.
Savage Gear Pulse Tail Ballyhoo
Available sizes:
Available sizes:
R&R Tackle Tico Line-Through Swimbait
Available sizes:
