I’m a sucker for a big bait. Wakebaits, glide baits and swimbaits — it doesn’t matter. There’s just something resolute about the commitment it takes to throw one of these big baits all day for one or two bites. So, I was excited to test out the Savage Gear Live 3D Bluegill Line Thru Swimbait. The name of this bait is about as big as the bait itself, which covers my whole palm and half my fingers.
When I’m testing a bait, I like to fish with it until I hook a big one. But I knew I had to put my head down and get to work if I was going to catch a picture-quality fish on public water in July. Even the most diehard swimbait angler will tell you that big baits catch big fish, not necessarily numbers. I like a good challenge though, especially when a plan comes together.
First Impressions
I must admit, I was a little taken aback when I first pulled the bait from the pack. It looked to be the size of a saucer, and it only had one hook on it. Again, I like fishing big baits. But most of the wakebaits and glidebaits I throw have two big trebles dangling from them; not one tucked up tight to the belly. And even the swimbaits I fish with single trebles—like the Magdraft and Cull Shad—are more slender and easier for the fish to eat. Nothing about this bait screamed “easy to get a bite.”
On the Water
Alas, I rigged the 3D Bluegill up and hit the water. When I tossed it overboard to see how it would swim, I was immediately in awe. This is the most realistic bait that I’ve ever seen in the water. Not only is the paint scheme obviously realistic, but the action of this thing— it’s incredible.
On a fast and steady retrieve, the bait scurries through the water. Slow rolling it produces the same swaying action, just softer and a little wider. And then, when you stop the bait, it half spins around and stalls just like a real bluegill. Then, it hangs there for a moment before slowly starting to sink. A quick turn of the handle has the bait right back on its way.
I knew there were bluegill bedding on one of my local lakes, so I started lobbing the 3D Bluegill down the bank and around areas where bream spawned in the past. I worked this bait for a few hours, occasionally picking up something else to throw over in a patch of grass. Then, finally, while reeling the bait over a brushpile in about seven feet of water, I saw a swirl and felt a tug as my rod loaded up.
An exhilarating battle ensued. The bait immediately detached from the hook and went soaring up my line when the fish made its first jump (this was by design for a line-thru swimbait, but we’ll get into that more in a minute). As the fish neared the boat, it made a couple last-minute surges, and then I was finally able to reach out and lip it. With a nice 4- to 5-pounder in hand, I chuckled to myself and breathed a sigh of relief—I had my fish.
A Line-Thru Swimbait
So, what is a line-thru swimbait, and why is fishing one worthwhile? Big baits get big bites, pure and simple. But, big baits are often heavy. And heavy baits give bass the ability to gain a lot of leverage and throw them. But, with line-thru baits, you don’t tie off to the bait itself. Instead, you run your line through the bait and then tie off to the hook, or some sort of harness or rig.
This then allows you to use a big bait without the fish being able to gain leverage to throw the bait. As soon as the fish strikes, the hook detaches from the bait, and now the lure can slide freely up and down the line. Leaving only the hook in the fish’s mouth; the fish could still tear free from the hook, but there’s no way for it to throw the hook anymore.
Rigging Options
There are two rigging options for this swimbait. A single tube runs straight into the nose of the bait and then splits off into two tubes, one that goes up and one that goes down. You have to run the line into the nose hole and wiggle it around until it pops out of the top or out of the bottom, depending on your preference.
I tried rigging the bait both ways, with the hook on top of the bait and with the hook below the bait. I didn’t like the action of the top-hook method, nor do I think a fish would hook itself as well. The bottom hook rigging allowed me to wake the bait right along the surface and fish it down to three feet below the surface pretty easily.
After you run your line through the bait, tie onto the eye of the hook harness. Then you will take the tip of the metal wire and carefully slide it into the slot and subsequent chamber that is in the back or the belly. This chamber is out of sight, underneath the meat of the bait, but it feels rough and strong. You should be able to see the slot where the wire goes in pretty easily, then you just kind of have to scratch around a little until the wire slides into the internal chamber.
Specs and Recommended Gear
The slow-sinking Live 3D Bluegill measures 6 inches in length and comes in at a whopping 3.5 ounces. There are 4 colors available in this one. I fished with the female bluegill, but the male bluegill looks fantastic as well, maybe even better. The feathered hook is beefy, plenty sharp and strong, and the hook is well masked by the feather.
When it comes to gear, this isn’t a bait for a standard rod and reel. I’ll admit I did have this bait rigged up on a 7-foot, medium-heavy when I caught that first one on it. But it was way overloaded, and I was only using it because it was the best option I had in the boat at the time. Since that first trip, I’ve been fishing this bait on the F5 Black Metal 715MH (this rod has been discontinued) and Shimano Curado 300 K in 6.6:1, a much more capable combo that has handled the weight of the bait well.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed and will continue fishing with the Savage Gear Live 3D Bluegill Line Thru Swimbait. This is, again, a different style of fishing. You’re not going to get a lot of bites, but the ones you do get will be memorable. Since that first big one I caught on it, I’ve had a couple more near misses with the bait, where two different bass around 3 pounds tried to annihilate it right as I was bringing it over cover. I didn’t hook either one, but those three bites have kept me coming back for more.
I’ll say it again, I can’t recall ever fishing with a more realistic-looking bait—especially not one this size. The action is impeccable compared to the real thing. You’re going to need beefy gear to fish this bait well. But the price point is awesome for a bait like this at $29.99. If you’re wanting to try out big bait fishing but don’t know where to start, I highly recommend the Savage Gear Live 3D Bluegill Line Thru Swimbait.
