One of the best known creature baits out there is the Brush Hog made by Zoom, a soft plastics company located in Watkinsville, Georgia. Since its inception it has is become one of the most popular baits they produce.
In fact they became so popular that a lot of time anglers refer to creature baits in general as Brush Hogs. That increasing popularity resulted in a whole family of offshoots giving anglers more of a selection when it comes to size and presentation.
Brush Hogs are most commonly used for punching and flipping in to cover, typically rigged Texas style. However they can also be rigged on a jig head or used as a jig trailer. The idea is to drop this bait down in to areas other lures can’t reach and get these hiding bass to bite.
Let’s take a look at the different size Brush Hogs that are available.
Brush Hog – 6″
This is the original version, and is named accordingly. This big and bulky six-inch bait is designed for a large presentation. Not only because of its size but because it creates a lot of water disturbance as it moves through the water. A 5/0 hook is optimal for this size bait.
Baby Brush Hog – 4″
If the original is too big then you can downsize to the Baby Brush Hog. This version has less girth and is a full two inches shorter, which is a big reduction in bait size when it comes to bass fishing. As a smaller bait it is better at getting through thicker vegetation. It’s also a good option to have when you want to downsize to get bites in tough conditions. For this size you want to downsize to a 3/0 or 4/0 hook.
Midsize Brush Hog – 4.5″
There are only two simple reasons to use the Midsize Brush Hog, when the original is too big and the baby is too small. It’s only a half inch larger than the baby but anglers want what they want. Sometimes even half an inch can be the difference between getting bit and getting skunked. The added length also allows you to go back up to a 4/0 or 5/0 hook.
Tiny Brush Hog – 3″
The Tiny Brush Hog is the smallest version Zoom makes at only three inches long. It is ideal as a finesse bait, and/or rigged as a trailer on a finesse jig. If you’re going to finesse fish this bait then you should be in the 2/0 or 3/0 range for hook size.
Super Hog – 4″
This is an interesting version that isn’t just as reduction in size. The Super Hog design replaces the two long ribbon tails at the rear for a thin, flat, and splittable tail. If you choose to separate the tail you will get more action. If you leave it connected you can expect more of a subtle, “beaver style” action. Hook sizes in the 3/0 to 4/0 range will work best.
