There are many big swimbaits on the market today but Optimum Baits established in 1996, is one of the earliest California swimbait companies, and there's something to be said for that.

They're pioneering. Optimums were some of the first soft swimbaits developed to mimic stocked rainbow trout, the meal of choice for California's lunker bass.

They're ground-breaking. Optimum was the first company to release a swimbait with the jig head internally built into the bait.

In 2000, Optimum introduced the first soft swimbait to the Japanese market as well. That was in the year 2000.

In 2003, the Japanese national record bass (19.15 pounds) was landed on an Optimum swimbait.

A plethora of soft swimbait companies have sprouted up in the USA and Japan in recent years. Yet Optimum's swimbaits still hold their own, especially where it counts most, in the mouths of bass.

Top to Bottom: 6" Original, Weedless and Suspending Optimums

THE ORIGINAL OPTIMUM SWIMBAIT

With an internal lead head molded inside, use the Original Optimum to fish deeper areas and points, especially slowly and steadily retrieving the weighted swimbait just above bottom. The Original Optimum has the desirable deep-bodied shad shape you don't see much on swimbaits anymore. Most other swimbaits tend to have a trout's long tubular shape nowadays. Yet the Original Optimum's deep body shape is a great shad or sunfish profile. An action or strike trigger is that the deep body can flip or flash up on its side during the retrieve, just like real shad do all the time. The deep body also helps to fish it - or slow roll it - right along the bottom. The deep body elevates the hook several inches above bottom snags. So the deep body acts like a protective barrier that helps keep the hook that much further away from snags. It also has a harness to attach a treble (not included) to the belly for swimming at mid-depths.

THE SUSPENDING OPTIMUM SWIMBAIT

In 2000, Optimum introduced the first soft swimbait to the Japanese market. Since this was a completely new lure type to the studious Japanese anglers, they were keen to learn all about how to get the most out of fishing these huge trout-patterned baits from California. The Japanese immediately recognized the swimbait's potential, but the Japanese anglers wanted a swimbait that would suspend so that it swims on the surface. Because the Original Optimum swimbait was internally-weighted, it could not do that. The majority of Japanese bass anglers fish from shore, not from boats. The Japanese wanted a swimbait that could be swam with a slower retrieve near the surface, but still produce that great paddling tail action. So Optimum designed a new bait (in 2000) called the Suspending Optimum, which became an instant hit among Japanese anglers. It was widely accepted in Japan. Shore anglers were able to fish shallows with a super slow retrieve, and not snag up with the Suspending Optimum.

• Construction. The Suspending Optimum is hand-poured, perfectly weighted to suspend and pre-rigged with a through-wire hook harness. Optimum's through-wire design prevents a hooked fish from tearing the bait up so easily. It has this internal hook harness but is not weighted inside. It comes with a premium quality heavy duty treble to attach to the hook harness. Attach the hook eye to the belly split ring, and insert one hook point into the soft belly to prevent tangles when casting. Rigging instructions are included in the package.
   
• Action. The Suspending Optimum has excellent action and stability. As you retrieve, the body rolls back and forth as the tail produces a nice wake action. The thin diameter of the tail combined with the large paddle deliver outstanding kick and action.

The Suspending Optimum can be swam with a slower retrieve near the surface, but still produce that great paddling tail action. With a slow steady retrieve, the wide profile Suspending Optimum provides a huge surface-waking action ideal for anglers fishing from shore or in super-shallow areas where other swimbaits really can't go.

The shape of the bait causes the bait to rise to the surface. As with all large swimbait lures, the Suspending Optimum draws out huge bass that follow the lure. The difference is you can easily see the huge bass that follow the Suspending Optimum on the surface. That's great excitement and thrilling fishing.

If you want to keep it subsurface, each Suspending Optimum comes with insertable nail weights. An angler can optionally insert these nail weights into the body to lightly weight it to get it a bit deeper if desired. It comes with illustrated instructions how to rig it with the nail weights. It can also be fished with a light bullet sinker on the line.

Up to this time, most swimbaits being weighted, would simply sink quickly whenever the retrieve was paused, which meant anglers would often get snagged and lose their expensive swimbait. Now the Suspending Optimum lets an angler's swimbait work right near and beneath the surface, with little fear of snagging. The real beauty and what makes the Suspending Optimum so special is not only being more snagless than most, but the Suspending Optimum can be used in more ways and thus be more versatile for anglers:

• Stop and Go. The stop and go retrieve is also a productive method. When paused, the bait slowly sinks and rocks in a manner like an injured bait fish. A lot of times you may be followed, but the fish is too deep to be seen or otherwise out of sight. The occasional stop and go tactic often gets these fish to reveal themselves, and gets your heart racing!
   
• Twitch and Flash. When being followed by fish that don't strike, you can also use a "twitch and flash" technique similar to using a hard plastic lipped jerkbait. Just throw in a twitch every once in a while, and the Suspending Optimum will flash its broad sides, a tactic that often causes the chasing fish to strike.
   
• Drifting. In areas of current flow, such as incoming or outflowing creeks, a most effective method for fishing the Suspending Optimum is simply to drift and flow in the current. The Suspending Optimum comes with nail weight insets to help you adjust the weight and buoyancy for different conditions, depending upon the depth of the water and the speed of the current. When it gets to the end of its drift, the Suspending Optimum will do an about face and start to rise toward the surface. Don't pull on the line or do anything to upset this natural rising action. That instant is a high percentage strike point when bass that may have been following will lunge and strike at it.
   
• Suspending. The large silhouette and profile alone simply appeals to so many fish. It does have a lot of body movement and tail action which causes attraction, but also has an ability to catch fish when it becomes motionless, just suspending or sinking ever so slowly. You can pause it right over weeds or other cover, and it will hover there. That's something you can’t do with other swimbaits. You'll be amazed how many big bass swim up and inhale it when it's motionless.

THE WEEDLESS OPTIMUM SWIMBAIT

In 2003, Optimum expanded it's product line with the Weedless Optimum. It has the same body shape as the Suspending Optimum, except the Weedless Optimum has an internally-molded jig head and weedless jig hook. It also has a harness to attach a treble (not included) to the belly for swimming at mid-depths.

Most other swimbaits have exposed hooks, and anglers fear losing these expensive swimbaits to snags. Anglers can only throw most other swimbaits in open water next to fish-holding cover, hoping to coax bass out of the cover into open water. Obviously that does work some of the time, but bass often will not come out of cover to chase swimbaits in nearby open water. The Weedless Optimum can be thrown deep into fish-holding cover with little fear of snaggage. Being able to work a Weedless Optimum through trees, brush, docks, grass and other cover greatly advantages that angler over others trying to coax the lunker out of its preferred habitat.

The Weedless Optimum elevates an angler's chances to catch that prize fish of a lifetime. Most large swimbaits have exposed hooks, which means anglers have to coax big bass to come out to the open edges of cover with swimbaits. But now the Weedless Optimum lets an angler's swimbait work right in the trees, grass, reeds, wood and other cover due to its weedless ability. It has the appeal of a big swimbait but being weedless, can be used in more situations and thus be more versatile for anglers. It can be tossed into heavy cover without fear of getting hung up.

The Weedless Optimum's wire brushguard means it is no longer necessary to coax a lunker to come out of its preferred habitat. It can be used in and around grass, lay downs and rocky areas without the fear of snagging. You can throw the Weedless Optimum right into a trophy bass hideout with little fear of snagging - and expect to land the big one!

Additionally, the Weedless Optimum is built with an option in the belly to attach a stinger treble hook (not included). Adding a belly hook can increase your hook-up ratio when fishing open water. However, when you want to slow-roll the swimbait on bottom and around snaggy cover, simply use the Weedless Optimum as is - without adding a trailer treble hook.

• Deadsticking. The large silhouette and profile alone simply appeals to so many fish. It does have a lot of body movement and tail action which causes attraction, but also has an ability to catch fish when it becomes motionless, just laying on the bottom. You can deadstick it in thick cover. It is incredibly effective. That's something you can’t do with many other swimbaits - they'll snag.
   
  You can toss the Weedless Optimum into the thickest cover, just let it fall and deadstick it. You'll be amazed how many big bass inhale it motionless off the bottom. Equally effective is whenever a big bass follows a swimbait (they often do), you can convert a lot of those follows into strikes by simply letting the Weedless Optimum sink to the bottom and deadstick it. It doesn't matter how deep it is or what type bottom it is. If it can sink and reach bottom and lay there, get ready to set the hook on a big one! Most other swimbaits, you'll get snagged often doing this, but not the Weedless Optimum! About the only thing you'll snag is a big bass that followed you down to the bottom and bit as the swimbait lay motionless.

Optimum Bait Company is constantly looking for improved and innovative ways to help an angler’s chances to catch that prize fish with a swimbait. For example, the Black Silver and Chartreuse Shad colors in the chart below are new for 2007.

If you haven't fished an Optimum swimbait yet, you owe it to yourself to try one. These 5- and 6-inchers aren't so big. They will appeal to many 4, 5 and 6 pounders. They have more appeal to bass of that size range than most other lures in your tacklebox. And you stand a real chance to catch the biggest fish in a lake or pond - or land the biggest fish of your season or your lifetime - on an Optimum swimbait.

In terms of colors, Optimum swimbaits are hand-poured works of art. Like snowflakes, no two are exactly the same. All track close (but no two the same) to the sample color patterns pictured here:

Top to Bottom: 5" Original, Weedless and Suspending Optimums

By the way, when you are done using a swimbait, make sure they have dried off first, then store swimbaits back in their original packages. This helps them to stay straight and to preserve their originally-molded shapes.