It’s no secret that minnow shaking has become one of the most popular techniques in all of bass fishing. If you’ve spent any time watching the pros in the Elite Series or on the Bass Pro Tour, you know that minnow shaking has been dominating the tournament space over the past few years. The industry has been obsessed with “forward-facing sonar” (FFS) and if you’ve every had the opportunity to use it, you’d understand why… it’s an incredibly effective tool for finding bass, catching bass and if you’re fishing derbies… cashing checks. I have a Humminbird Xplore with Mega Live 2 on my kayak, and it’s a complete game changer.
Whether you’re out on Clear Lake, Lake Fork, Guntersville, Erie, Champlain… doesn’t matter what fishery you’re on, all across the country lakes are filled with 3-inch minnows. And naturally, that means bait makers have followed suit, and now every fishing lure brand on planet Earth has at least one, maybe two, three… five or six different minnow profiles for sale. I have so many different minnows in my tackle box, and I’ll be honest… I catch a ton of fish with them here in Wisconsin, especially big smallmouth.
But as we kick off the 2026 season, something is shifting and I want to share what really crushed for me during the prespawn last year, and it wasn’t the finesse jighead minnow. Quite the opposite actually… BIG swimbaits. If you want to trigger a true giant this year, especially this coming spring, you have to offer them a meal that justifies the energy of a strike. And believe me, I was always skeptical of these giant baits, especially primarily fishing up north where a 5-pound largemouth is a tank. Is a fish really gonna try and eat something that looks almost half its size? The answer is unquestionably YES! I promise you… even a 2-pound largie will take a run at a 6-inch Magdraft.
This one right here, caught in April of last spring right off my dock, was a bit over 2 pounds… the bait is probably more than 1/3 of the length of the entire fish:
So for all my apprehensive northern anglers who never threw a big swimbait or glide bait, this is the year to change all that. Here is why you need to put down the spinning rod in 2026, and give the ol’ big swimbait a try, and everything you need to know to start throwing them.
Reasons To Throw Big Baits
1. Beating “Scope Fatigue”
In 2026, bass have become conditioned to minnows and forward facing sonar. The “LiveScope Effect” is real. Big, smart bass have learned that a tiny, vibrating jighead usually ends with a hookset. However, in some of these smaller northern fisheries where big swimbaits are less common, it’s a new look. And they work because they create a massive displacement of water. They appeal to a bass’s lateral line, not just its eyes. So, when a 6 or 8-inch profile comes thumping through the water, a different feel than the Chatterbait or paddle tail they’re probably used to, and they can’t help but wonder what that is. Which leads into my next point…
2. The Move Toward “Search-Bait” Versatility
One of the biggest myths about big swimbaits is that they are only for “catching.” In reality, they are the best scouting tools, especially when you’re fishing cover like docks or brush piles. A big glide bait or big swimbait will draw “followers” out of deep cover that would never look at a crankbait. Even if they don’t commit, they reveal their location. In a world where every angler is staring at a screen, using a big bait to visually “draw” fish out is a tactical advantage that many have forgotten. One of my favorite techniques for finding fish is to fish a Magdraft down an endless row of docks, watch the bigs follow it out. They don’t always bite, but you can make note of the docks holding the good bass, and then come back down the same row with a wacky rig or a jig to get them to bite.
3. The Prespawn Feedbag
We are quickly approaching pre-spawn window in the South and moving that way in the North in a few months. Big female bass are looking for maximum caloric intake with minimum effort. A 5-pound bass has to eat half a dozen 3-inch shad to get the same energy it gets from one 8-inch gizzard shad. By throwing a big swimbait, you are speaking directly to the biological survival instincts of the biggest fish in the lake.
Swimbait Gear
Rod
I think the two big fears about fishing big swimbaits are 1) average fish won’t bite it and 2) I need a big special rod to throw it, but that’s not the case. Most of these entry level swimbaits and glide baits can be fished on your standard worm rod. If you have a 7’3″ heavy, fast action rod… you’re probably in really good shape. But depending on the rod specs, you can probably get away with a 7′ to a 7’5″ medium heavy.
Here’s a couple multi-purpose options that will work:
Shimano SLX A – 7’5″ Heavy Fast – $99.99
Fenwick Eagle 7’5″ Heavy Fast – $119.95
St. Croix Bass X 7’4″ Heavy Fast – 145.00
Beginner Swimbaits & Glide Baits
Swimbait
The Megabass Magdraft is a bass angling staple, arguably the premiere big swimbait on the market. At 5, 6, 8 and even 10 inches long, they might seem a little intimidating, especially if you’re used to catching smaller bass, but I promise you, they get bit like crazy. Bass who aren’t even much bigger than the bait will even take a swipe at it, plus… it’s really fun to fish. I’d recommend going with the 6-inch model, but if you’re in places like Texas or Florida where bass can get huge, you can go larger. Natural, more translucent colors in clear water, bolder or more opaque colors in dirty water… can’t go wrong with a white.
Megabass Magdraft Swimbait 6″ – $17.99
Colors: Albino Pearl Shad, Pro Blue Chart, Borealis Shad
Glide Bait
Unlike standard swimbaits that rely on a thumping rubber tail, a glide bait is often times a hard-bodied, single-jointed lure. It is designed to swim in a wide “S” pattern mimicking large, relaxed baitfish wandering through open water. Its massive profile and natural movement act can pull bass from 20 feet away just to investigate. They can be VERY expensive so I suggest starting out with these two soft body offerings from Berkley…. if a toothy critter like a northern pike breaks you off, you won’t want to lay down in traffic after losing a $70 bait.
Berkley Nessie Soft Glide Bait 7″ – $12.99
Colors: Burnt Bone, Perch, Shad
Berkley Chop Block Glide Bait 6″ – $15.99
Colors: Burnt Bone, MF Blue Gill, Shad
And for a more detailed bait recommendation, specific to your exact location and waterbody, check out the Bass Forecast Bait Advisor.
Just input your ZIP code or share your location, and Bass Forecast will give you 5 bait recommendations, a bite rating, and suggestions for peak feeding times.
Bass Forecast Bait Advisor
What is Bass Bait AI – Powered by Bass Forecast
Our advanced bass fishing algorithms analyze over 11,000 factors, including weather shifts and bass behavior, to predict what baits will give you the best chance at success for any GPS location. Just enter your location, and it does the calculating for you.
Giving you the complete bait breakdown for major and minor Bass feeding times in any bass fishing location. Click HERE to learn more.
