BassdozerStore.com: Hippo Tackle ~ Hollow Core Swimbaits

September 22, 2010

Hippo Tackle ~ Hollow Core Swimbaits

Hippo Tackle's 5" hollow core tube swimbaits.

Yes there are many hollow core swimbaits. What makes the Hippo different is it does not have a big fat belly like the others. The Hippo is easier to rig and it's able to swim at slower speeds since its slender shape makes it more supple. Most other hollow swimbaits require way too big of a hook, and will not swim at slow speeds due to their bulky bellies.

So the Hippo isn't as stiff as big-bellied hollow swimbaits.

The other thing that's different about the 5" Hippo according to Doug King of Pro Bass Adventures is that the Hippo works better than other soft swimbaits that he's seen used in Mexico where Doug operates fishing lodges on Lake Baccarac and El Salto, two of the best trophy bass lakes on the planet. The best producer for many anglers on these lakes is the swimbait, and the 5" Hippo is best of all, claims Doug.

"There are many ways the Hippo can be fished successfully. The most common is with an extra wide gap, shank-weighted hook made for this type of hollow body swimbait fishing. There are many of these swimbait hooks on the market now that will work well. You can use the kind with the corkscrew spring that screws in the nose of the bait, or simply the weighted shank and the offset bend like the Falcon Bait Jerker. The best size is 5/0 or 6/0 depending on the hook model (they all vary in size). There are many hooks that I've tried that work well for this rigging. The retrieve is normally just a slow, steady retrieve fished over brushy points or in open water," says Doug King.

"The Hippos can also be used on a variety of jig heads, or as trailers on spinnerbaits or on chatterbait type vibrating swim jigs....with or without the skirts," Doug says, adding that many of his biggest bass in Mexico lately have been by replacing the skirts on big spinnerbaits with 5" Hippo swimbaits. "It's thin belly makes it exceptional on a spinnerbait," explains Doug.

Shown rigged on 6/0 Super Jig heads.

Shown rigged on 6/0 Mustad Shank Weight hooks with corkscrew wire clips.

Mustad Shank Weight hooks and Super Jigs feature the same 6/0 Mustad UltraPoint hook.

One more tip is to try to keep them in the original package, since this will help keep them as straight as possible, and that's very important (that any soft bait be straight) to help maximize your chances to catch fish. So don't take them out of the original package until you go to use one.