UFO 6” Gill Swimbait – Abducting Bass Night and Day (continued)

Price & Applications: Fishing together I learned that Eric is constantly thinking about bait design and patterns, and his attention to detail is a key reason why UFO swimbaits are so good. UFO lures are known to be very consistent and after learning more about the build progression I totally understand why, as they are swim tested multiple times during the process. Eric is also a talented painter and many of his most popular baits feature his own paintwork, including my very first bait, the UFO 6” Sunkist Gill. In the past he has also worked with several other excellent painters, including Click Bait Customs and Bassjak, and is also employing a new painting process called Reelest Imaging. This ultra-realistic finish is so good that it can easily be mistaken as a wrap, but it is indeed paint.

The Sunkist pattern matches the hatch beautifully, and this season UFO Bait Co. is cranking up the realism even further with paint from Reelest Imaging

In terms of durability the clear coat process on UFO swimbaits is also excellent. After fishing the 6” Sunkist Gill hard for six months there are a few minor scratches and hook points but overall, the bait looks almost new. I’ve caught so many fish on this bait I’ve worn out the first set of Owner hooks, and the semi-rigid tail has held up well. Some of the older UFO baits feature a softer tail which is not as durable, and slightly less buoyant, but still very good. I would rank UFO swimbaits that are painted and clear coated directly from the builder as among the most durable out there.

Even though the 6" Gill may seem big to some anglers it is actually well within normal forage dimensions. Many sunfish are actually sized similarly to the Mothership

The UFO 6” Gill retails for $199 dollars each but the biggest challenge is getting in on a drop or pre-order. The secret is out on UFO swimbaits and demand from anglers and flippers is high. The good news is UFO does build a lot more 6” gills than Motherships so they are available throughout the year in different patterns. Eric wants these baits to be fished and one really cool thing that he has even done is open preorders specifically for first time buyers. Once orders are placed it takes time for builds to complete but the UFO is known for delivering quality, good communication, and taking care of customers if damage to lips or joints occur in the field, and replacement tails are available direct from the brand’s website.

Comparing the 6" Gill with a new three piece wake, the Delta born DD Gill

Many anglers will still probably get their first UFO secondhand, and it is not uncommon for 6” Gills to sell for $280-300, and sometimes even more, depending on if the colorways are highly desirable or the baits are mint. While this is a lot for a bait the good news is that with both consistency and durability being strong suits for these gills, as well as a big collectability factor, these secondhand baits have the potential to serve their new owners well for many seasons and still not lose a lot of value overtime. My advice is to fish the UFO, don’t let them sit idle, the drawing power, versatility, and effectiveness of these baits can be otherworldly at times.  

I've wanted a UFO swimbait for a long time and once I got one it was hard to put down. After a season my confidence in this bait cannot be overstated and I've been on the hunt for more to bolster my rotation

Conclusion: For some anglers the UFO Mothership is considered a grail-class bait, and with good reason. The uniqueness of this bait really stands apart both in design and how it fishes, and the bait pushes a lot of water and is very loud when twitched and crawled. While the Mothership is inimitable the 6” UFO Gill, in all the variations, is a much more accessible bait that is easier to throw and catches both numbers and quality fish.

Thanks to my friend @marcusvidrine I was able to add a Ship to my big bait arsenal. I've been experimenting with it with various rods including the new Shimano Expride B 8' XXH which is rated up to 10oz.

This is the bait that I recommend for anglers that want to have a UFO tied on every time they hit the water, and this really isn’t a stretch once you witness how effective a fish catcher this bait is. Ideal for any water that is inhabited by sunfish I’ve also seen the UFO be deadly in water where few to no bluegills reside, as it can draw fish in with a combination of movement and sound.

My two top producing surface custom swimbaits this season, the UFO 6" Sunkist Gill and Illude Rad Rat 10. The Lanciotti Psycho has been my top producing single jointed gill wake

After experiencing such a great season with the 6” Sunkist Gill I have since procured another lipless slow sinking SU collab gill secondhand, and a friend of mine @marcusvidrine hooked me up with my first Mothership. Between these three baits I now have a UFO always tied on in my locker or boat deck. In fact, when it comes to wake and topwater swimbaits this past season my three most fished custom swimbaits were an Illude Rad 10, the UFO 6” Sunkist, and a Lanciotti Psycho Gill. I’ve easily caught over a hundred quality fish on these baits just this season alone, and my confidence in them cannot be understated, especially during the warmer months.

Though somewhat challenging to acquire there really is something special about UFO swimbaits that makes both the price and effort worthwhile. The 6" Gill is just about as good as it gets when it comes to custom built gill wakes that you can fish everyday

There is a reason why UFOs have achieved a legendary status among swimbait anglers in such a short amount of time. It all boils down to the brand’s instantly recognizable style, consistency, effectiveness, excellent durability, and perhaps the biggest intangible is the sheer fun factor that comes with fishing these baits. The UFO 6” Gill is everything you want in a garage-built bait, and then some. The UFO 6” Gill Wake in particular is responsible for abducting bass day and night all over the country, and the only swimbait this year to win our Ultimate Enthusiast Award. At times it really seems as if UFO has infused some extra-terrestrial mojo in these baits, they flat out slay.