HomeFeaturesAdvanced Product Review – River2Sea SWaver Swimbaits are perhaps the most misunderstood genres of bass baits. What was once a category for fish shaped lures eight-inches and above has developed into a larger array of lures with different sizes and uses. There are swimbaits designed for trophy bass, there are those designed to appeal to larger than average fish and a list of sizes in between. There are also differences in application. Some baits are designed for swimming near the surface, others designed for slow rolling through the water column and others designed for fishing on the bottom. Just like any other lure, a swimbait angler must decide which is appropriate for the conditions. If the choice is for a slow sinking, hard bodied swimbait with a different action, then River2Sea has the bait in the SWaver. The SWaver is a single jointed swimbait that does not rely on a diving lip or the tail for action. Instead, the SWaver glides in a side to side, zig-zaag type action, known as “S-Action;” hence the name “SWaver.” The lure comes in two sizes, a 4 3/4″ version and a 6 3/4″ version, both are slow sinking models. Construction The name of the game in hard swimbaits is durability and finish. The nature of giant bass is extremely mean, and they strike and fight so hard that they can often destroy inferior products. The SWaver has both of those features. In testing the lure, River2Sea worked to make sure that the pull strength for breakage tests met a minimum of 60 pounds on a straight pull of the joint. But, they did not want the durability of the hinge to create a clunky swimming action. The answer is in their “Pin and Tenon Hinge” system. To describe it basically, there are two yoke styled tenons that extend from the front part of the body, those insert into slots in the rear section of the body, and a pin that runs through the lure from top to bottom, creating incredibly smooth action, but allowing for maximum durability. River2Sea uses heavy hardware in the construction of the SWaver, including beefed up split rings and they use their own proprietary black nickel Big Bite treble hooks that are extremely sharp, and durable. The rear tail section is actually a modular, semi-soft plastic. River2Sea does include a replacement tail in the package. Although in the time we have tested, and from talking to several folks who have used extensively, we have not seen a need for replacing the tails at all. Functionality SWaver is the kind of swimbait that does not need specialized gear to fish. Because it weighs around an ounce and a half, we can throw it on Flippin’ gear easily, though we found that we preferred it on 7’6″ Duckett Fishing Micro Magic cranking rod. The softer tip allows a fish to turn with the lure without pulling it from their mouths. We like a 6.4:1 retrieve speed reel for fishing the SWaver, and a Lew’s Tournament Pro suited us just fine. We also prefer to use 15 to 17-pound fluorocarbon for the lure, the denseness of the material aids in speeding up the slow sink rate which helps in keeping the lure down in the water column a little further when you want to. We started with Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon, but also experimented with Sunline’s Reaction FC Fluorocarbon because it had a little more stretch for absorbing shock of aggressive strikes. Retrieving the SWaver is easy, the lure actually creates its own action when retrieved. Simply make a cast and employ a slow, steady retrieve and the lure zig-zags back and forth on its own. The action comes when the lure reaches the apex of its glide to the side. Once the angle of the line to the rod tip becomes too great, the joint turns in relation to the pressure of the retrieve, and the lure reverses directions. It truly is an ingenious design that allows everyone to be successful with the lure. An angler can wake the lure just under the surface by keeping the rod tip up, or allow the lure to swim through the water column by pointing the rod tip at the water and retrieving steadily. SWaver sinks slowly, at about a half a foot a second, so keeping that in mind will help you know how deep the lure is while it is sinking. We did notice times where a faster sinking bait better suited the situation, and we added weight by upsizing the hooks one size. We also added a Storm Suspend Strip to the belly on the front half of the body, and the added weight did not hamper the action of the bait at all. Casting is great most of the time, however, because it is a jointed lure, it will catch the wind and tumble causing casts to be short from time to time, however, there really is no way to change it or even a need to worry about it, because most of the time it casts well. Conclusion The SWaver is an excellent bait for people who want to experience swimbait fishing with lower cost, or for those who worry about the reputation of swimbaits being so large. At 6 3/4″, the SWaver is about the size of a Super Spook or similar topwater bait, which is perfect for attracting quality bites anywhere in the country. In researching this product, we learned that the lure has taken fish as large as 15 pounds in California, and has been taking quality fish from lakes in Texas and elsewhere throughout the Southern states. It is a great lure for imitating golden shiner or large shad and can be excellent for fishing around a variety of cover or structure types. With a price tag of $12.99, it is the kind of swimbait that an angler can use for many seasons without fear of breakage or loss because of the stout equipment and line.
