Bassdash Glide Bait Review
Glide bait fishing has become very popular in recent years and many bass anglers are looking for a bit smaller, cheaper glide baits to get their foot in the door with this technique.
Because glide baits can be super expensive and intimidating, there are a number of companies that started selling very budget friendly glide baits, and the Bassdash Swim Shad is a super popular budget glide bait.
But is it any good, or is it just a waste of time and money? After some testing and comparing, we have the answer!
Sizes
The Bassdash Swim Shad glide bait comes in two different sizes. We suggest the 4.5 in. size if you are new to glide bait fishing and are looking for something more manageable that will still get you lots of bites.
Additionally, the 7 in. size is over 2 ounces in weight, so it would require a more heavy duty, swimbait rod, reel, and line setup.
So that bigger size of glide bait is a bit more advanced and probably not what you are looking for. But if you do have the necessary equipment to throw bigger swimbaits, feel free to get the bigger size as well.
The 4.5 in. size only comes in at 0.65 ounces, making it feel just like many traditional bass lures such as a jerkbait, walking bait, and even spinnerbaits or chatterbaits.
So whatever rod and reel setups you already own will pair just fine with the smaller Swim Shad.
Rating: 4/5 (wish they had a 5-6 in. size, but the available options work fine)
Swimming Action
The Swim Shad has a very traditional, “S” swimming action that is common amongst may glide baits. For reference, it swims just like the River2Sea S-Waver and the 6th Sense Draw glide baits.
Of course, the action isn’t quite as consistent as those more expensive glide baits. It will occasionally roll over on its side a bit and the joint will sometimes get a bit stuck.
But the occasional roll is nothing out of the ordinary for budget glide baits, and a quick pop of the rod tip is usually enough to unstick the joint and get the bait swimming back to normal.
Overall, the Swim Shad has a very solid swimming action and definitely doesn’t disappoint when you factor in the price.
Rating: 3.8/5
Swimming Modification
There is a quick modification that you can make to the Swim Shad (or really any glide bait for that matter) that will make it swim a bit more choppy.
This way you can fish the bait a bit faster, more erratically, and almost walk the dog under the water.
All you have to do for this modification is to take a file or dremel and shave down the front joint of the glide bait. Shave or sand it down to your desired depth.
The more you file, the more range of motion the glide bait will have, and the more choppy it will be in the water.
Make sure you get both sides of the bait very evenly filed so that there aren’t any abnormalities in the action of the lure.
Materials / Construction
The Bassdash Swim Shad is made from ABS plastic, which is the same as all other mass produced, affordable glide baits on the market.
So it obviously isn’t a premium, resin material bait. But in terms of the materials, it is a very standard ABS glide bait with internal steel ball weights to give it some weight and balance.
When it comes to durability, I haven’t had any issues with it breaking or cracking at all. Now I am generally very careful with my lures, so I haven’t slammed it into any rocks or hard objects. So I can’t truly speak on how durable this bait is.
But being an ABS plastic bait, it should hold up just fine to any fish that you catch, but if you do smack it into hard objects, there is a good chance that it could break.
The Swim Shad also comes with a rubber tail that gives the bait a bit more realistic profile than a hard plastic tail.
I personally prefer brush tails on my glide baits, but rubber is the next best tail material after that, so it isn’t a huge issue.
Especially with the smaller, 4.5 in. glide bait size, a rubber tail is not bad at all. Overall, the materials and construction are nothing super elite, but are just about the same as you will get from any other cheap glide baits on the market.
Rating: 4/5
Price
This is probably the real reason you are reading this article in the first place. Both the 4.5 in and 7 in Swim Shads are only $11.98.
This is an incredibly affordable price when you compare it to the rest of the glide bait market. Even when comparing that price to other ABS, mass produced swimbaits, it is about as affordable as you will find.
The only other glide bait that comes in around that price is the Berkely Nessie Soft Glide Bait.
And we do have a whole article on that bait, but when it comes to hard plastic glide baits, you can’t really beat the price of the Bassdash glide bait.
Rating: 4/5
Overall Opinion
When it comes to cheaper glide bait options, I think the Bassdash Swim Shad is a great choice, especially if you want a bit smaller glide bait to get you started with swimbait fishing.
It isn’t going to blow you away, but it does its job well and is cheaper than just about everything else on the market.
Additionally, there are literally thousands of public reviews on the Swim Shad, so it has a very reliable and consistent quality.
If you already own a bunch of glide baits, the Bassdash glide probably isn’t worth adding to the collection, but if you are just looking to get your foot in the swimbait door without breaking the bank, the Bassdash Swim Shad is one of the best glide baits you can get.
It’s easy to use, catches lots of fish, and only costs $12.
Reeling this In
So, is the Bassdash Swim Shad a game-changer? Not exactly. But is it a waste of money? Absolutely not.
For around $12, you’re getting a lure that mimics the action of baits triple its price. While it lacks the refined consistency of a premium resin glide, its “S” action is more than enough to fool hungry bass, especially if you’re willing to perform a quick joint modification to sharpen its movement.
