The Optimum Boom Boom swimbait was released in 2016, but it has already become a favorite for Indiana’s Mario Mills, a member of the Optimum Baits Pro Staff. “It has quickly become one of my favorite baits because it is ready to go out of the package and catches fish. It is great for fishing here in the Midwest where we have so much clear water,” he begins.
Not Too Big
While many Midwest anglers may shy away from throwing swimbaits for fear that they are simply too big for fish in their region, Mills disagrees. “It is a big misconception that they are too big. The 6” swimbaits are the perfect size for bass in our area, especially on lakes that have big gizzard shad like Patoka Lake in Indiana, but it works everywhere because not many people are throwing swimbaits like this,” he says.
Tournament Strategy
“The Boom Boom is always my go-to when I have a limit and need to get a bigger bite during a tournament,” Mills says the strategy to use the swimbait for a kicker fish has paid off across the Midwest in local derbies to larger BFL events across the region.
Mills has fished in a variety of different situations and has several different retrieves he uses for the different seasons. He breaks down how he fishes the bait at different times of the year, what he does to modify the baits and shares the gear he uses for these thumping swimbaits.
Boom Boom vs. Baby Boom Boom
The Boom Boom swimbait recently welcomed a new little brother, the Baby Boom. The downsized version has the same great colors and action as the original but is 4.5” long and comes as a weedless swimbait. Simply put, Mills adjusts it based on the size of the forage. “I like the smaller one when the baitfish are really small and since the Baby Boom Boom is a weedless version it works great around thicker grass,” he says.
The original Boom Boom is 6” long and is available in both a pre-rigged version as well as a weedless version. Mills utilizes both and adjusts based on the situation he is fishing. Here are some of his retrieves he uses based on different scenarios.
- Early Spring
“This time of year many of the big females are suspended in vertical cover like timber and the pre-rigged Boom Boom is a great way to catch those fish. I’ll fish it with a slow to moderate retrieve and around the wood,” says Mills.
- Mid Summer
“One of my favorite ways to fish in the hottest part of the year is to wake the baits just under the surface with a fast retrieve,” shares Mills. For this situation, Mills will often use the weedless version. - Submerged Grass
Mills likes to fish the weedless Boom Boom and Baby Boom just above the grass. “I’ll keep it barely above the grass and let it tick the top of the grass. I like to fish it as slow as I can get away with and the great thing is this bait has a great thumping action you can feel,” he says. - Fall to Winter
As fish begin to go deeper, Mills will use a countdown approach with the pre-rigged 6” Boom Boom before beginning his retrieve. “This time of year I will wait at least three seconds to get it down some and then fish it will use a slow to moderate retrieve. You can wait even longer to get it down a little deeper if needed,” he says.
Color Selection
For Midwest waters, Mills keeps it fairly simple with color selection. “All of our waters are really clear and the shad patterns work great in clear water. Some of my best producers are Shad and Ghost Minnow,” he share.
Modifications
While the bait is ready to go right out of the package, Mills will make some minor changes based on the conditions. “One thing I will do if the water is a little dirtier is to use some chartreuse dye on the belly of the bait to make it stand out a little bit,” he shares.
The other change he will make when fishing deeper water is to insert a Reins Tungsten TG Nail Sinker into the belly to get it deeper. The final modification is to add the Zappu Hitch Hook. This product is designed to attach to the top of the hook of and will increase hookups for any swimbait.
Gear
When most anglers think of swimbaits they envision giant rods and big reels, but the Boom Boom swimbaits can be fished on standard bass gear. Mills prefers a 7’4” Kisler Medium Heavy Helium 3 for the larger version and a 7’3” Light Medium Heavy in the same lineup for the Baby Boom. He fishes both of them with a Revo STX 6.4:1 reel spooled with 15-pound Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon.
Fishing the Boom Boom swimbaits allows anglers to have a swimbait that features a great action at all speeds. The thumping tail kick and excellent colors available have made it a favorite for anglers like Mills who are looking for the next big bite.
