5/8 oz: 15 ft and less — 3/4 oz: 15 ft or more
Reveal Jerkbait
Fast-sinking jerkbait for targeting fish feeding on bait balls with FFS. Constant twitching; it sinks fast so keep it moving.
View Reveal
Baits engineered for Forward Facing Sonar.
Forward Thinking™
Designed for a variety of techniques, situations, and water depths — so you can put the right profile in front of fish you’re already watching.
What It Is
Forward Thinking™ is a lineup of baits built from the ground up for Forward Facing Sonar (FFS). When you can see the fish and the bait in real time, profile, fall, and action aren’t marketing fluff — they’re the variables you can actually control.
Every bait in the series is purpose-built: weights placed for the right fall and roll, profiles that match what fish are eating, and actions tuned for how you’re fishing — whether you’re shaking a minnow under the transducer, mid-strolling a subtle tail, or working a blade in 15 feet.
These are the best baits for Forward Facing Sonar when you want options that are engineered for the way you’re already fishing.
Find Your Bait
Choose your intent, depth, and water clarity. We’ll recommend the best fit from the Forward Thinking™ lineup.
1. Technique / intent
2. Depth (target depth)
3. Water clarity
No wrong answers — use this as a starting point. Color rule of thumb: natural/translucent shines in clear water; dark/bright shines in dirty. Flake can help in super-clear water to catch light. Final colors are on each product page.
The Lineup
Eight baits built for FFS: systems (head + tail), hardbaits, and specialty presentations.
Winter · 10 ft+
BD Blade
Blade bait built for the way you fish with FFS. Deadly on vertical and hovering fish.
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Included: Subtle Head, Subtle Tail
Subtle System
Subtle Head + Subtle Tail. More subtle than typical paddletails — less kick, built for FFS and mid-strolling.
View Subtle System
Included: Sway Head, Sway Minnow
Sway System
Sway Head + Sway Minnow. Weight above the line tie and above the minnow’s center of gravity — falls side-to-side, easy rolling action. Cadence: constant reeling + constant rod-tip shaking.
View Sway System
Finesse · clear water · pressured fish
Sway Hair Jig
FFS-optimized Sway head design with a shad-matching profile. Same cadence as Sway System. Choose over Sway Minnow for heavily pressured fish, ultra-clear water, or smallmouth and spotted bass.
View Sway Hair Jig
Up to 15 ft · competition bite
Wall-Hanger Glidebait
Slow-sinking glide with 180° chopping action and 360° barrel swivel hooks. Use with FFS to fire up groups of fish competing to feed. Up to 15 ft. Big largemouth.
View Wall-Hanger
Included in Subtle System
Subtle Head
Part of the Subtle System. Pairs with Subtle Tail for mid-strolling and subtle paddletail presentations on FFS.
View Subtle Head
Included in Sway System
Sway Minnow
Part of the Sway System. Designed to fall and roll with the Sway Head for the classic “shaking a minnow” presentation on FFS.
View Sway Minnow3 Core FFS Presentations
These are the techniques the Forward Thinking™ lineup is built around.
Shaking a Minnow (Sway System)
You’re reeling at a steady pace while shaking the rod tip so the minnow rolls side-to-side on the fall. On the graph it looks like a wounded shad. The Sway Head puts the weight above the line tie and above the bait’s center of gravity so the bait falls with that rolling action instead of nose-diving. When fish are suspended or holding on structure and you want a compact, natural profile, this is the presentation. The rolling action triggers bites from fish that are keyed on bait behavior, not just presence.
Mid-Strolling (Subtle System)
Mid-strolling is a controlled, steady retrieve with a paddletail that has less thump than a standard boot-tail. The Subtle Tail is built for it: less kick, more glide. You keep the bait in the zone without the heavy pulse that can put off fish in clear water or when they’re not chasing. With FFS you can hold the bait in the cone and adjust speed and depth until you get a reaction. When fish want something subtle and natural, the Subtle System is the call.
Winter Blade Bite (BD Blade)
When fish are stacked 10 feet and deeper and hovering or barely moving, a blade bait fished vertically or on a slow lift-and-drop is one of the most effective presentations. You can watch the bait and the fish on FFS and time the fall and the hop. The BD Blade isn’t a new shape — it’s a blade that’s proven, and it pairs with FFS because you’re not blind. You see the drop, the reaction, and the eat. Winter, 10+ ft, vertical or near-vertical: that’s the blade bite.
Quick tie-ins: Use the Reveal when fish are on bait balls — constant twitching, fast sink. The Sway Hair Jig when they’re pressured or the water’s ultra-clear and you want a finesse profile. The Wall-Hanger Glidebait when you need a big profile to trigger competition and fire up groups of largemouth.
Designed with Jacob Wall
Forward Thinking™ includes baits developed in collaboration with Jacob Wall: the Sway System, Sway Hair Jig, and Wall-Hanger Glidebait. Built around real time on the water with Forward Facing Sonar — so the profiles, weights, and actions match how you’re actually fishing.
FAQ
What is Forward Facing Sonar (FFS)?
Forward Facing Sonar lets you see fish and structure in front of and around your boat in real time. Forward Thinking™ baits are designed so their profile, fall, and action look right on the screen and in the water — so you can match the presentation to what you’re seeing.
What is a Jighead Minnow for FFS?
A jighead minnow presentation is when you fish a soft minnow on a jighead with a steady reel and rod-tip shake so the bait rolls and darts. The Sway System and Sway Hair Jig are built for this: the head design puts weight above the line tie so the bait falls with a side-to-side roll that shows up clearly on FFS and triggers bites.
What are the best baits for Forward Facing Sonar?
The best bait depends on technique and conditions. For shaking a minnow: Sway System or Sway Hair Jig. For mid-strolling a subtle paddletail: Subtle System. For bait-ball feeders: Reveal Jerkbait. For winter vertical and blade bite: BD Blade. For firing up groups and big largemouth: Wall-Hanger Glidebait. Use the “Find Your Bait” selector above to narrow it down.
Which Reveal Jerkbait size should I use?
Use the 5/8 oz in 15 feet and less, and the 3/4 oz in 15 feet or more. Both are fast-sinking; keep them moving with constant twitching.
When do I choose the Sway Hair Jig over the Sway Minnow?
Choose the Sway Hair Jig when fish are heavily pressured, the water is extremely clear, or you’re targeting smallmouth or spotted bass. Same Sway head and cadence; the hair gives a different profile and can get bites when the minnow doesn’t.
What colors work best in clear vs. dirty water?
In clear water, natural and translucent colors that catch light (e.g. Dirty Shad, Electric Shad) tend to work. In stained water, silver and shad patterns (e.g. Silver Shad, Gizzard Shad). In dirty water, bright and dark contrast (e.g. Pearl White, Sexy Shad). Flake can help in super-clear water. Final color options are on each product page.
How do I fish the Sway System?
Constant reeling at a steady pace with constant rod-tip shaking. The combination gives the minnow a rolling, darting action. The head is designed so the weight is above the line tie and above the bait’s center of gravity, so it falls side-to-side instead of nose-down.
What depth is the BD Blade for?
The BD Blade is best in 10 feet and deeper, especially in winter when fish are stacked and hovering. Fish it vertically or on a slow lift-and-drop; with FFS you can watch the bait and the fish and time the presentation.
