Ease of Rigging : The biggest decision with Keitech's Swing Bait is how one chooses to rig it. Keitech USA's website has a graphic suggesting a #1 sized worm hook for their Swing Bait. I liked it better on a size 2. You can also fish this bait on a ball head or as a drop shot bait, but I was curious to see how it behaved on a bare hook without the assistance of weight. Granted, I was also testing the rod and reel at the time.

First hook out of my utility box I tried. Figured it I'd better check Keitech's recommendation

Ease of Actuation : Cast out onto the water, the Swing Bait, fished unweighted (not weightless because the bait itself weighs 2 grams) sits mostly at the surface. Begin your retrieve and the bait's tail kicks instantly. Cast it out far enough and you can get it to buzz along the surface like a super stealthy and tiny little, one legged toad.

Well, they recommend a size 1 worm hook - looks too long to me

Quality of Movement : I was mesmerized by the Swing Bait's action. For such a tiny size, it causes a good amount of commotion. But all that lasted only a handful of casts because my Super Trout Advance line was just too bright to inspire confidence I'd get a hit. So I tied on a leader of six pound (6lb) fluorocarbon (Spro FC Leader) and tried again. The effect the FC leader had was to pull the bait down enabling me to fish it just under the surface.

So I tried a #2 (from BKK) and this size I liked much better

Once I made that change, the hits quickly followed. Most were undersized bass, but that's what happens when fishing small baits - lots of small fish. Still, on light line and tackle, it's a lot of fun. Hence the popularity of BFS techniques.

Doesn't take long to get bit on a bait this small and active

Still, to change things up, I pulled out a BFS sized underspin by Zappu, the Bredy Weedless Underspin. I only had it in #3 size on hand, but it fit the Swing Bait just fine. Note the Bredy Weedless Underspin is also available in #2.

Trouble is, with a bait this small, you get a lot of small bites

This change allowed me to get the bait a little deeper where I hoped, larger bites might occur. I was right, and down one stretch of bank for about a dozen straight casts, I was either getting followers, short strikes or catches every time. It was quite the scene though I fail to understand how I could get short strikes on a bait so small.

Shown here rigged on a Zappu Bredy Weedless Underspin in size #3

Durability : Nevertheless, through all that action and the hits I did manage to convert, the Swing Bait showed surprising durability. I figure this has a lot to do with the bait's size. Fish just inhale it so there's little to tear or rip off during battle. Granted, it's still a soft plastic bait so anything is possible. Just my experience but this bait held up better than I would have thought.

The Swing Bait comes packaged in a clear plastic clamshell to help keep the baits from fouling in storage