Best Hard Swimbaits for Bass: Glide, Jointed and Wake Buying Guide

Our verdict

Hard Swimbait Top Picks

A hard swimbait is a rigid-bodied bait, cut into two or more hinged sections, that swims like a baitfish on a steady retrieve. This guide compares eight with a bass use named by their maker or a cited bass source: three glide baits, three multi-jointed swimbaits and two floating jointed baits that wake. Each is linked at an exact size and colour, with length, weight and sink or float class as the maker lists them. For rods, reels and the rest of the tackle box, browse our fishing gear guides.

Picks: SPRO KGB Chad Shad 180, SPRO KGB Lil Guy 120, River2Sea S-Waver 168S, Jackall Gantarel, Shimano BT Bait 99F, FishLab BBZ 4.5 in, 6th Sense Trace 6 in, Bucca Baby Bull Shad

Compare the picks

Compare the 8 Hard Swimbaits

Figures are each maker’s own; where the maker publishes none, the cell names the source used. “Glide” here means two body sections; “multi-jointed” means three or more.

How We Chose Hard Swimbaits for Bass

What each bait had to show

• A hard body, called a swimbait, glide bait or jointed hard bait by its maker or the maker’s listing. Soft paddle tails and line-through soft baits are left out.
• A bass use on the maker’s page or in a cited bass source.
• Length, weight and sink or float class from the maker, checked against the Amazon listing; “not published” where the maker gives none, and the listing or a retailer named where we used one.
• An exact Amazon listing read on the day of writing: colour, size, stock and seller.

Sources, and what r/bassfishing says

Sources, and what r/bassfishing says

Two ranking guides name six of these eight baits; only Field & Stream’s is a written test. Field & Stream’s swimbait guide, by Shaye Baker, is a fished test that mixes soft and hard baits; it covers the Chad Shad, Lil Guy, BT Bait and BBZ. Tactical Bassin’s hard swimbait buyer’s guide is a pick list grouped by role, with the reasoning in its video; it names the S-Waver 168, the Gantarel and the Chad Shad, and links to Tackle Warehouse. It is not independent of River2Sea: River2Sea sells a Tactical Bassin’ Series, and the guide lists the River2Sea Tactical Wake 210. We cite it only as a pick list, not as a test. Customer reviews on Tackle Warehouse are labelled as such: Tackle Warehouse sells these baits.

In the ranking r/bassfishing thread, many answers name soft swimbaits; one poster writes, “I don’t really have the budget for hard swimbaits.” Five of the eight picks here sit in the budget or mid-range tier.

Hard Swimbaits: Detailed Reviews

SPRO KGB Chad Shad 180, Two-Section Shad Glide

Evidence: Independently reviewed, exact model. Field & Stream: KGB Chad Shad 180.

SPRO says the Chad Shad gives “absolute control of depth and direction in everything from wide glides to choppy cuts,” from “super slow retrieves to the fastest burn.” Field & Stream’s Shaye Baker writes: “For the average fisherman who wants to break into the big swimbait game, the Spro Chad Shad is your ticket.” He adds that you can “burn it in without it blowing out.” Customer reviews on Tackle Warehouse add caveats: one says it “Does sink faster than expected,” and that “the bait spins when it is cast, so it will twist your line.” Sold by DepartureOutdoors on Amazon at the time of writing.

Specs (linked: Ghost Perch, 180 mm)

• Length and weight: 180 mm, 2.4 oz (SPRO); Tackle Warehouse lists 7 in, Field & Stream 7.2 in
• Sink: SPRO lists “ROF: 3-4′” and names no sink class
• Hooks: Gamakatsu #1 round bend trebles, Power Swivel (SPRO)
• Price tier: $$$ (live Amazon price in the table above)

SPRO KGB Lil Guy 120, Compact Glide Bait

Evidence: Independently reviewed, exact model. Field & Stream: Lil Guy 120 (one size).

SPRO describes the Lil Guy as bringing “the legendary action of the KGB Chad Shad 180 into a more compact, bite-sized profile,” with “a two-segment jointed body,” “a brush tail” and “swivel hook hangers,” and pitches it for when “cold fronts roll in or fishing pressure peaks.” Field & Stream: “At less than 5 inches and under an ounce, this bait is much more manageable on traditional casting gear than full-size glides.” Its caveat: “if you want to fish near the surface, you have to keep it moving quickly.” Field & Stream’s spec box says “slow sink” while its text calls the fall “moderate-fast”; SPRO publishes no sink class. Sold by DepartureOutdoors on Amazon at the time of writing.

Specs (linked: Platinum Shad, 120 mm)

• Length and weight: 120 mm, 0.9 oz (SPRO); Field & Stream 4.72 in
• Sink: not published by SPRO
• Hooks: SPRO lists “Treble RB Nano Alpha 5”, “Power Split Ring 3” and “Power Swivel Black 3”, on swivel hook hangers
• Price tier: $$$ (live Amazon price in the table above)

River2Sea S-Waver 168S, Wake-to-Sink S-Glide

Evidence: No independent test; maker specs. Source: River2Sea.

River2Sea: “Hold your rod tip up and S–Waver is a surface lure, allow the bait to slowly sink and the S–Action continues under water.” The action comes from its “Pin and Tenon Hinge” and a “soft PVC tail.” Tactical Bassin, which has its own lure series with River2Sea, lists the S-Waver 168 among its cover glides in its hard swimbait buyer’s guide, with Warden Hitch among its colours. We found no independent test of the S-Waver, so this pick rests on River2Sea’s specs. The Amazon listing gives 6 3/4 in; River2Sea’s table says 6 1/4 in, which we use. Our northern pike lures guide picks this same S-Waver 168, and our early spring bass lures guide picks the smaller S-Waver 120; this guide adds the 168 as a bass glide. Sold by DepartureOutdoors on Amazon at the time of writing.

Specs (linked: Warden, 168S)

• Length and weight: 6 1/4 in, 1 5/8 oz (River2Sea); listing: 6 3/4 in
• Sink: slow sink (“allow the bait to slowly sink”); surface wake with rod tip up (River2Sea)
• Hooks: two River2Sea #1 trebles
• Price tier: $$ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Jackall Gantarel, Floating Bluegill Swimbait

Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. Tackle Warehouse customer review: Gantarel, colour not stated.

Jackall lists the Gantarel as 160 mm, 70 g, floating, with #1 hooks. The Amazon listing calls it a “slow floating 6-inch double-jointed body” that “mimicks the size and action of a Bluegill.” Tackle Warehouse lists a 0-3 ft depth and “a chin hanger that allows anglers to add weight for a slow-sinking presentation.” Tactical Bassin lists it among its bluegill baits, naming RT Ghost Gill as a colour; we found no independent written test, so this pick rests on Jackall’s specs and owner reports. Customer reviews on Tackle Warehouse praise it and flag the hooks: one writes, “Trust me and change the hooks out before you fish this bait or you will regret it.” Another found “every one swims different.” Sold by SHIMANO FISH on Amazon at the time of writing.

Specs (linked: RT Ghost Gill, 160 mm)

• Length and weight: 160 mm, 70 g (Jackall); Tackle Warehouse: 6-1/4 in, 2.5 oz
• Float: floating (Jackall); depth 0-3 ft (Tackle Warehouse)
• Hooks: #1 (Jackall); two swiveling, feathered trebles (Tackle Warehouse)
• Price tier: $$$ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Shimano BT Bait 99F, Floating Finesse Swimbait

Evidence: Independently reviewed, exact model. Field & Stream: BT Bait 99F and 99SS.

Shimano describes “a floating, double-jointed finesse swimbait” with “Three articulated hard-body segments paired with a durable elastomer tail,” built for “shallow retrieves, wake presentations, and controlled pauses around cover” on “light spin or BFS tackle.” Field & Stream: “The Shimano BT is a fantastic hard-body swimbait.” Baker fishes it around “schooling bass that are relating to small baitfish,” and adds the caveat: “The only downside is the strength of the hooks.” Field & Stream gives 1/5 oz for the floating model; Shimano’s page we read gives no weight. Sold by SHIMANO FISH (shipped by Amazon) at the time of writing.

Specs (linked: Gizzard S, 99F)

• Length and weight: 99 mm, 3 8/9 in (Shimano); weight not published by Shimano (Field & Stream: 1/5 oz)
• Float: floating (Shimano); a slow-sinking 99SS model is sold separately
• Hooks: size not published; three elastomer tails in the pack (listing)
• Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)

FishLab BBZ Hard Swimbait 4.5 in, Four-Piece Slow Sinker

Evidence: Independently reviewed, exact model. Field & Stream: BBZ Hard Swimbait 4.5 in.

FishLab calls it a “four-piece design” with “tournament-grade BKK treble hooks” and a “super slow sink/suspending action” that “allows the bait to hang near structure.” Field & Stream tested this size: “I tested the smaller of the two offerings at 4 ½ inches.” Baker found it “can be reeled at any speed” and caveats: “My only gripe is that the front hook will sometimes get caught in the gap between the head and mid-section of the bait.” He swapped in a short-shank treble to fix it. Field & Stream adds that the BBZ “took home Best in Show at ICAST 2024.” Sold by Amazon.com at the time of writing.

Specs (linked: Sexy Bone, 4.5 in)

• Length and weight: 4.5 in, 5/8 oz (FishLab; Field & Stream and the listing agree)
• Sink: super slow sink / suspending (FishLab)
• Hooks: size 1 BKK trebles on the 4.5 in (FishLab)
• Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)

6th Sense Trace 6 in Slow Sink, Multi-Jointed Slow Sink

Evidence: No independent test; maker specs. Source: 6th Sense.

6th Sense says the Trace’s “segmented body allows each section to move independently,” and offers “Floating, Slow Sink, and Fast Sink options”: “use a Slow Sink for controlled retrieves through suspended fish.” It sells four sizes; the maker says “The 5-inch and 6-inch models provide versatile profiles for everyday swimbait fishing.” We found no independent test of the Trace, so this pick rests on maker specs. 6th Sense’s page text gives no weight; Tackle Warehouse lists 1.65 oz for the 6 in slow sink, and the Amazon listing 1.6 oz. Sold by 6th Sense Lure Co. on Amazon at the time of writing.

Specs (linked: Bluegill Spawn, 6 in, Slow Sink)

• Length and weight: 6 in (6th Sense); 1.65 oz per Tackle Warehouse (listing: 1.6 oz)
• Sink: Slow Sink (6th Sense; listing title)
• Hooks: “ultra-sharp black nickel treble hooks” (6th Sense); size not published
• Price tier: $$ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Bucca Baby Bull Shad 3.75 in, Four-Segment Baby Shad

Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. Tackle Warehouse customer review: Baby Bull Shad 3.75 in, colour not stated.

Catch Co’s own article on the bait says it can be fished fast to create “that killer wake,” or counted down, and that “A medium to medium-heavy rod will do the trick” at 1/2 oz. Tackle Warehouse lists 3-3/4 in, 1/2 oz and slow-sinking, and describes “durable ABS plastic” with “a double-jointed, four-segment construction.” Catch Co’s article names no sink class; its Amazon listing says “SLOW-SINKING.” Customer reviews on Tackle Warehouse: “This is a good starting bait if you’ve never used a hard swim bait before,” and “change the hooks and split rings before your first cast.” Sold by Amazon.com at the time of writing.

Specs (linked: Bluegill, 3.75 in)

• Length and weight: 1/2 oz (Catch Co); 3-3/4 in per Tackle Warehouse and the listing
• Sink: not named in Catch Co’s article; slow-sinking per Tackle Warehouse and Catch Co’s Amazon listing
• Hooks: two trebles (Tackle Warehouse); size not published
• Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Glide, Jointed or Wake: Choosing a Hard Swimbait

The type sets how the bait swims; the sink or float class sets where. Our types of fishing lures guide puts swimbaits in context with the rest of the tackle box.

Glide baits for bass

A glide bait has two sections and swings side to side on a slow retrieve or a twitch. The Chad Shad and Lil Guy are SPRO’s two sizes; the S-Waver is River2Sea’s S-action glide. Field & Stream: “A glide bait works best in the spring and fall, when bass are somewhat aggressive and in shallow and mid-depth cover.”

Multi-jointed swimbaits

Field & Stream: “Unlike glide baits, multi-jointed swimbaits like the Triple Trout have more than two sections.” Here that means the BT Bait (three hard segments), the double-jointed Gantarel, the BBZ and Baby Bull Shad (four), and the Trace. Shimano and 6th Sense both describe “fluid” swimming action for theirs, where SPRO describes “wide glides” for the Chad Shad.

Wake and floating swimbaits

Three picks can wake, per their makers or sellers: the floating BT Bait 99F (Shimano), the S-Waver with the rod tip up (River2Sea), and the Baby Bull Shad reeled fast (Catch Co). Jackall lists the Gantarel as floating but does not say it wakes.

Sink rate, depth and rod

6th Sense sums up the classes for its Trace: “Fish a Floating model near the surface, use a Slow Sink for controlled retrieves through suspended fish, or choose a Fast Sink to reach deeper water.” Tackle Warehouse lists 0-3 ft for the floating Gantarel. For tackle, Tactical Bassin’s budget swimbait combo uses a 7 ft 8 in heavy rod, while Catch Co puts the 1/2 oz Baby Bull Shad on a medium to medium-heavy rod. See our baitcasting rods for bass and fishing lines for bass for the rest of the setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

There is no single size. Field & Stream says big largemouth “typically respond better to larger baits,” and that “a 7-inch glide bait like the SPRO Chad Shad” catches largemouth “from 12 inches up to 8 pounds.” Small baits such as the 99 mm BT Bait match small forage.

A glide bait has two sections; a multi-jointed swimbait has more than two, per Field & Stream.

Both, by model. Here the Gantarel and BT Bait 99F float, the S-Waver 168S slow-sinks, the BBZ is a super slow sink or suspending bait, and the Trace comes in floating, slow and fast sink.

That depends on depth and season; hard swimbaits are one group. For crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwaters, see our types of fishing lures guide and our bass lures for beginners.

The bottom line

Final Verdict

Glide baits: the SPRO KGB Chad Shad 180 (check price) for big bass, the SPRO KGB Lil Guy 120 (check price) on standard casting gear, the River2Sea S-Waver 168S (check price) to wake or sink. Wake and floating: the Jackall Gantarel (check price) bluegill and the finesse Shimano BT Bait 99F (check price). Multi-jointed on a budget or mid-range: the FishLab BBZ Hard Swimbait 4.5 in (check price), the 6th Sense Trace 6 in Slow Sink (check price) and the Bucca Baby Bull Shad 3.75 in (check price).

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.