Introducing the Optimum Double Diamond Swimbait.

Action: Were they successful? Well, the secret with the Double Diamond, as with all baits of this ilk, is in the rigging. Choose a weighted hook with the weight too far forward and this bait holds nothing special. However, choose a weighted hook with the weight placed closer to the bend of the hook and you move the center of gravity for this bait right into the proper wheelhouse revealing a bait that shakes, shimmies and swims with the best of them at any speed. The journey to that proper rigging for us, was a bit of a long one but once we found a couple of options we quite enjoyed the action of this bait as it swims.

Fished on jigheads, this bait was a no brainer for fish like this Cabezone caught off the coast of California - they slaughtered this bait.

Alternatively, the Double Diamond is just as at home with a jig head hook like those made for swimbait bodies. Just chop off a bit of the front of the bait, thread it onto a jighead and fish away. In this configuration the body does not shake and shimmy as much but the tail certainly churns away very easily and at just about any retrieve speed.

 
And I mean, literally slaughtered it. The bait tears easily on jigheads so be sure to have some soft bait glue handy to effect repairs.

The one downside to this practice? The baits don't hold up so well on the jigheads due to the soft plastic used to make the baits. Of course, throw in some of your favorite soft bait glue, and these baits can be made almost as good as new in no time.

 
Perhaps a more conventional rigging is with a single EWG hook.

Fall Rate: As with the Basstrix, the Double Diamond's fall rate is limited only to your imagination in how you rig it. It can be rigged to fish in shallow water two to four feet in depth or rigged to fish forty to fifty feet down as we did off the coast in pursuit of rock fish.

As you can see, the tail of this bait is very flexible.

Application: From just under the surface to fifty feet of water was the depth range we fished this bait and we were met with success pretty much all around. The great thing about these weightless, unrigged soft bodied swimbaits is their versatility, and the Double Diamond is no exception to this rule.

We made use of some aftermarket weights like this product from Lunker City.

Features: Optimum's Double Diamond Swimbait comes with some very subtle design features. First is the open channel down the middle of the bait made to assist in weedless rigging. It is just that, a channel that does not require you to pull the bait open to rig risking a premature rip in the plastic. Second is the notch at the tip of the bait showing you how much to take off to make the bait effective for fishing on jigheads. These two very subtle features are quite handy when rigging baits on the fly.

One of the more successful hook options we found for the Optimum Double Diamond Swimbait.

Speaking of rigging, one of the more effective weighted hooks we found for this particular bait was the Mr. Blitz Peli-Lock hook. The weight of this hook is located far enough down its shank to act as a keel for the Double Diamond. The shape of the weight itself also seems to add to the bait's action. As you can see in the following photos, rigging is quite simple and the bait keeper device really holds onto the bait securely.

With the new generation of weighted hooks, rigging is really as simple as one...

Two...

Three...

Finding the right rigging was the key, but once we did, fish like this striped bass came calling!

Conclusion: It's been a tumultuous relationship with the Optimum Double Diamond Swimbait, but as soon as we found the key to rigging, we were able to relish in the bait's fish catching delight. From crazed striper to voracious rock fish, the Double Diamond pulled multiple duty for us over the course of several months and held up surprisingly well in the process thanks to some soft bait glue. It is an unconventional looking bait yes, but it works and catches fish quite well.

Looking for Optimum's Double Diamond Swimbait? Try TackleWarehouse.com

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