This is the multi-species swim bait that catches fish all year. 

All swimbaits are not made equal. Some need a little more speed to get the tail moving and are better in the summer. Some have a thin tail that moves well at slow speeds but goes straight and lifeless at higher speeds. Do-it Molds has come up with the perfect swimbait for all seasons: The Ripper.

The Ripper is a 3.5-inch ribbed-body swimbait with a boot tail, designed to swim with the same tantalizing action whether it’s at a snail’s pace in 38-degree water or burned at high speed in the heat of summer. I proved it to myself, testing the Ripper under both extreme conditions.

One thing I noticed right away when I tried this bait for the first time is its “traction.” Let me explain. Some plastic swim baits slide through the water so easily that you can’t feel them coming back. It’s like reeling in empty line. The Ripper is just the opposite. The ribbed body and the pulse of the tail give you traction on the retrieve. You stay in contact with it like you would a crankbait. You can feel the thump of the tail like a crankbait swimming.

As mentioned, the tail swims with the slightest movement so it swims on the fall as well. You really have to take this into account when you are casting it out and waiting for it to get to the bottom. Several times this summer it got hammered as it fell, and I nearly got the rod ripped out of my hand as I admired the scenery. Remember, this tail never stops swimming!

The body features a great baitfish profile and what photos don’t show well is its tri-oval cross section. The shoulders slim down to the belly like a real fi sh. Not only is it realistic but it adds a slight rock and roll to the entire body during the retrieve.

One last thing that really surprised me this summer was its unbelievable success at night. I have night-fi shed all my life and my go-to bait has always been a black spinnerbait with a big thumper black blade. This summer I tried the Ripper at night and it hammered walleyes, bass, pike, and even some crazy rock bass. I never thought I’d find a soft plastic that would produce like a spinnerbait and be much more weedless.

To learn more about fishing the soft-plastic swimbaits and best rigging methods, look for Marc’s full article in the January issue of MidWest Outdoors magazine, available now on the newsstand or by subscribing on our website.