Truscend Swimmax Easy Catch Review: budget jointed swimbaits that actually catch fish

I’ve been seeing these Truscend Swimmax jointed swimbaits all over Amazon, so I finally grabbed the B2-12cm-20g set to see if they’re just hype or if they actually put fish in the net. I’ve used them mainly for pike and perch, with a bit of bass fishing on the side. I fish from the bank most of the time, with a 7–28 g spinning rod and 20–25 lb braid, so that’s the context for this review.

Over a few sessions, I threw these lures in different conditions: clear water, murky canals, and a weedy lake where I usually use soft swimbaits or spinnerbaits. I rotated them against a couple of my regular hard baits (Rapala jointed and a Savage Gear swimbait) to see if the Truscend actually made a difference in follows and hookups, not just “it looks cool in the water”.

Bottom line: they do catch fish, especially pike and perch, and the action is pretty solid for the price. They’re not magic lures, they don’t instantly fill your bag, but they’re far from being just cheap junk. There are some annoyances though, especially with the hooks tangling and the jointed body in weeds, and they’re not indestructible despite the heavy-duty marketing.

If you want a straight, no-BS take: these are good value if you’re looking for hard jointed swimbaits to cover water and trigger reaction bites. Just don’t expect premium finish or lifetime durability, and be ready to swap hooks or tweak your setup a bit if you’re picky.

For the price you usually pay for this 3-piece set, I’d say the value is pretty solid. You get three ready-to-fish jointed swimbaits with decent hooks, realistic enough action, and materials that hold up reasonably well. If you compare that to buying three big-name brand swimbaits, you’re paying a fraction of the cost. For someone who’s still experimenting with hard baits or doesn’t want to risk losing expensive lures in snaggy water, that alone makes them worth a look.

In terms of catch rate, they sit in a good middle ground. They’re not magical, but they do catch fish and compete fine with some of my more expensive lures. If you’re a beginner or you’re putting together a family-friendly tackle box, it’s nice to have a lure that you can hand to anyone and they can just cast and retrieve without complicated rigging. The fact that the action works at slow and medium speeds helps a lot for that.

On the downside, there are a couple of things that keep them from being a total no-brainer. The paint doesn’t stay pretty forever, the hooks can tangle on the cast, and they’re not great in heavy weeds. If those points bother you a lot, you might prefer to spend more on a lure with better finish and a slightly more polished design. Also, if you only fish a couple of times a year, you might not need a 3-pack; one or two better lures could be enough.

But overall, for regular weekend anglers, kids learning to cast, or anyone who wants a few hard swimbaits that won’t break the bank, the price-to-performance ratio is clearly in their favour. They’re not perfect, but for what they cost, they get the job done and catch fish, which is really what matters.

The design is classic jointed swimbait: hard ABS body, several segments, 3D eyes, and printed scales. Up close, the paint job is decent but not mind-blowing. It looks good enough for the fish, but if you’re used to high-end Japanese lures, you’ll see the difference in detail. Still, for something in this price range, the finish is pretty solid. The B2 colour I got has a natural baitfish look with some flash, which works in both clear and slightly stained water.

On the retrieve, the wiggle and vibration are actually the main strong point. On a slow to medium retrieve, the lure has a nice wide S-shaped swim with a noticeable body roll. If you speed it up, it tightens into more of a fast, vibrating wobble. I tried it next to the bank and you can clearly see the segments working, not just the tail. That jointed movement is what seems to trigger pike follows for me, especially when I throw in a couple of pauses.

There is a rattle inside, but it’s not insanely loud. It’s more of a medium click than a big clack. In murky water, I did notice that fish seemed to find it faster than some of my silent lures, especially perch. I can’t say the “gurgling” is obvious unless you’re burning it just under the surface, but you do get a bit of surface disturbance when you crank it hard, which is nice in low light.

One thing to note: because of the jointed body and the two treble hooks, the lure isn’t very weed-friendly. If there’s a lot of floating weed or grass, it’ll snag. Also, when you cast hard, the rear treble sometimes catches on the line or the tail section, which kills the action until you reel it in and fix it. It doesn’t happen every cast, but enough that it’s slightly annoying. Design-wise, it’s a good all-round swimmer, but not a smart choice for heavy weed beds or very shallow, snaggy water.

The body is made from ABS plastic, which is standard for hard lures. It doesn’t feel cheap or hollow, and the segments are joined with Dyneema fiber rather than simple metal pins. That Dyneema joint is actually one of the better points: it gives the lure more flexibility and seems less likely to snap clean off compared to some budget jointed baits I’ve broken on pike hits. After several sessions and a few toothy fish, the joints are still moving smoothly, no obvious fraying.

The hooks are BKK trebles. Out of the box, they’re sharp and reasonably strong. I didn’t feel the need to replace them immediately, which I usually do on cheaper lures. On pike up to around 70 cm, they held fine, no bending. If you specifically target very big pike or muskie, I’d probably upgrade to heavier trebles just for peace of mind, but for average-sized fish they’re good enough. The split rings are okay but not top-tier; I’d call them serviceable.

Paint and finish are where you notice the price a bit more. After a few pike and some accidental knocks on rocks, the lure shows small chips and teeth marks, especially on the head and first segment. Nothing dramatic, but if you fish a lot, don’t expect them to stay pretty. On the plus side, even with the scratches, the action is unchanged, so it’s more about looks than function.

Overall durability: I’d say these are tough enough for regular weekend use, but not indestructible. If you hammer them constantly on rocky bottoms or into metal structures, they’ll eventually show it. Compared to some ultra-cheap no-name lures, they definitely hold up better. Compared to high-end brands, they’re a step below in finish and long-term cosmetics, but that’s expected at this price.

After several trips, a handful of pike, and quite a few casts into less-than-gentle spots, the lures are still fully usable. The joints are intact, no segments have loosened or gone stiff, and the Dyneema connection hasn’t frayed noticeably. That was one of my worries, because some cheaper jointed lures I used before ended up with a floppy or half-broken section after a couple of fish. So far, the Swimmax is holding together better than those.

Cosmetically, you do see the abuse. Pike teeth leave clear marks on the paint, particularly around the head and near the hooks. The clear coat isn’t super thick, so expect scratches and some small chips if you’re fishing around rocks or metal. For me, that’s normal “working lure” wear and tear, not a deal-breaker. The important part is that it still swims the same even when it looks a bit chewed up.

The hooks have held their shape on medium fish. I haven’t landed a true trophy on them yet, but on fish up to around 70 cm, no bending or snapping. The points will dull after a few fish and some contact with the bottom, so it’s worth touching them up with a file or swapping them out if you’re picky. I’d say the hardware is good enough for casual to regular use, but heavy users might eventually upgrade split rings and hooks.

If you’re the type who loses lures to snags regularly, these sit at a nice price point: durable enough that you don’t feel like you’re throwing junk, but cheap enough that losing one doesn’t ruin your day. Just don’t expect them to look fresh after a season. Functionally, though, they seem built to handle repeated sessions without falling apart.

Let’s talk about what matters: do they catch fish? In my case, yes. Over a few outings, I had several pike and a bunch of perch on these, mostly on a steady medium retrieve with a couple of pauses. The swimming action is convincing enough that fish follow and commit, especially when the lure suddenly slows or speeds up. On one session in a murky canal, I rotated between a spinnerbait, a soft swimbait, and this Truscend. The Swimmax got fewer weeds than the soft swimbait and at least as many hits as the spinnerbait, which surprised me a bit.

Where they shine is covering water. Because they cast well and run at a decent depth, they’re good for fan-casting from the bank and picking apart likely spots: drop-offs, weed edges, and near structures. The internal rattles help in low visibility; I had two hits in very stained water where I’m pretty sure the fish homed in on the sound more than the visual. They’re not magic, though. I had a couple of blank sessions too where nothing hit them, but on those days, not much hit anything else either.

Hookup ratio is decent. The trebles are sticky enough that most strikes turned into solid hookups, especially on pike. I did lose a couple of perch that nipped at the tail and didn’t fully commit, but that happens with most hard lures. If you’re really focused on perch or smaller fish, you might find the 12 cm size a bit big; they’ll still hit it, but you’ll miss some tail bites.

One annoyance during use: sometimes the back hook or tail segment tangles on the line during the cast, especially if you really whip it or there’s wind. When that happens, the lure comes back spinning or dead, and you’ve basically wasted the cast. It’s not constant, but it does happen enough that you notice. In terms of pure performance per euro, though, I’d still call these pretty solid all-rounders for pike, bass, and bigger perch.

The version I bought is the TRUSCEND Swimmax Swimbaits Set (3-piece), size S, 12 cm and about 20 g each. In the B2 colour, you get three hard, jointed swimbaits with treble hooks already mounted. They’re sinking, not floating, and they’re basically designed to cover a lot of water with a steady retrieve. Each lure has multiple segments linked with a Dyneema fiber joint inside, plus BKK treble hooks, which is a nice touch at this price point.

In practice, these sit in that middle weight range where you can throw them on most medium spinning or baitcasting setups without changing anything. At 20 g, they cast far enough to reach spots from the bank, but they’re not so heavy that they feel like a brick on the rod. I’d say they’re aimed mainly at pike, bass, and bigger perch, but I can see zander/walleye hitting them too if you work them a bit deeper.

The marketing talks a lot about wiggling, vibrating, rattling, and gurgling all at once. On the water, what you really get is a strong side-to-side body roll with some internal rattle noise. You don’t really hear a big “gurgle” unless you burn it near the surface, but the sound is enough that you notice it if the water is quiet. They definitely look like a wounded baitfish, which is exactly what you want for pike and bass.

Overall, the set is pretty straightforward: three ready-to-fish lures, no spare parts, no fancy box. It’s a simple, grab-and-go pack. If you’re expecting a detailed manual or rigging tips, forget it. But if you just want to tie on and cast, it’s ready out of the packaging.