Check out this versatile bait for salt and fresh water fish.

[AJ's Dad]

I hope this isn’t breaking any website rules by pumping a specific lure but I have been having some success with this particular bait, and wanted to share it with everyone. I sent an email asking permission to post this and didn’t get a reply so I guess no news is good news. Here goes.

Throughout the year, I get emails and pm’s from other members of this site, asking about northern pike fishing locations and techniques. I respond and try to share things that are successful for me by relating types of structure I am finding fish on and around, types of lures and retrieves, water temps, and so on.

This year I started fishing a bait that is new to me. I have mentioned it a time or two in my posts, but I thought I would post this thread, and share some information with interested members of this site. Some of you may already be fishing this bait. If so, please feel free to respond in this thread and tell others about your experiences with it.

The baits I am talking about are the Big Hammer Swimbaits. When you see it, you may look at it and say, “It’s just a jig”. Watch it’s swimming action and you will likely think differently.
This bait has a soft plastic body and a square paddle tail. The lure is fished using a lead jig type head with the hook riding above the bait like all other types of jigs. The combination of the square tail along with the shape of the body gives the Big Hammer a sweet looking flap of the tail, along with a side to side rolling type action. In fact, with the right rod, you can even feel the thump of the tail on the retrieve. The material used in making the bait is very soft and pliable, allowing it to feel and appear very lifelike in the water. The bait comes in several sizes and colors. I have personally fished the 3”, 5”, 5 ½” and 6 ½”.
The lure is very versatile as far as species that it will catch. I have used them for walleye, pike, trout and bass. If you’ve read my posts, you know I’m mainly a pike guy, but I believe this lure will catch just about anything that swims. On my first trip out with it, I landed a nice fat 18” Lake Roosevelt rainbow. I’ve fished other jig type baits for brown trout and done well. I can only imagine how well they would like these Hammers in the 3” size. Maybe you Rock Lake guys should give it a try.
The Hammers have a big following among salt water fishermen as well. In fact that seems to be the mainstay of their market share. Check them out at http://www.swimbait.com/hammer.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and see the many species of fish these baits are used on, as well as where they are used. Click on photo gallery and you can see photos of fish caught all over the world. Why did it take me so long to find them????

I don’t by any means consider myself an expert with this bait yet. In fact, when I didn’t start knocking them dead with it right away, I let them collect dust in my tackle box for way too long. However, I was determined to make them work, so I busted them out and played around with them a little and started catching pike with them. I fish with a fellow Washington Lakes angler that can help me get tuned in on them. Farmer_aa of this website has been fishing them successfully for a couple of years now and he seems to really have them figured out. I have been refining some different presentations and putting fish in the boat with them this fall, but you can count on seeing more posts from me catching pike on them early next year.
The Hammers have a nice rate of fall to them when paused. They can be accurately fished over weed beds on a straight retrieve, in holes, and dropped very precisely on the outside of those weed beds. They are especially effective on deeper weed edges when the fish go down. Often a fish will bite just the tail then come back and nail the whole bait on a second hit. The lifelike feel of the bait brings them back. I have fished them with a treble stinger hook, and it doesn’t impede the action of the bait at all, but so far the main hook gets the job done very well. I have read where these baits have been trolled for trout, using a small stinger hook to increase hookups. The 3” size seems to be ideal for trout and also makes a great bait for walleye, and crappie.
That’s my 2 cents worth on this bait. I would highly recommend getting your hands on some and giving them a try, for whatever species you fish for. I think you’ll like the results.

[Mike Carey]

sorry, our InBox is having issues.

[MarkFromSea]

Nice write up on those Hammer Swimbaits! I bet they would work real well for lots of species. Thanks!

[AJ's Dad]

I was just looking at their website and saw these smaller bass size baits called the Ring Hammer.
I wish they made them a little bigger for pike, but they sure look good dressed with a skirted jig or on a chatterbait.



http://www.swimbait.com/rhs40.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[farmer_aa]

While you're listing the species, don't forget the sucker. Believe it or not, I've caught two on the 6 1/2" version. Both were hooked in the mouth. A versatile bait indeed. Don't fish them, though, I'd rather be the one to catch all those fish!