February 14, 2020
By Ned Kehde
We published a gear guide about Biospawn’s ExoSwim on Feb. 17, 2019. Since then, they have created a smaller ExoSwim, which has caught the attention of Midwest finesse anglers.
We contacted Eli Rosenberg, who is the Director of Media Partnerships for Catch Co., which is the parent company of BioSpawn, and asked him about the new ExoSwim. Straightaway, he sent us some to work with and describe.
Here is what we discovered about this smaller ExoSwim:
Its head, torso, and tail are solid.
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When it is measured along its dorsal, it is 3 1/8 inches long. Along its ventral, it is 3 1/2 inches long. Along its side, it is 3 3/16 inches long. ExoSwim says it is 3.25 inches long. The position of its paddle-tail affects how long it is, and the tail’s position is different when it is placed on its dorsal, ventral, and side.
It has a dome-shaped head. The tip of the head has a small indentation, and that is where the hook and collar of a jig is inserted. The head is five-sixteenths of an inch long with a width of about seven-eighths of an inch at its widest spot and a circumference of about 1 7/16 inches. Its epidermis is smooth.
The torso is about 2 3/4 inches long. It is adorned with 11 pronounced segments, which are semi-coned-shaped or tapered. The first four segments are rounder than the last seven. The last seven become flatter and are somewhat oval-shaped. The width and circumference of the torso diminishes as it approaches the tail. Segment number four has a width of about a half of an inch and a circumference of about 1 9/16 inches. Segment number 7 has a width of about three-eighths of an inch and a circumference of about 1 1/4 inches. Segment number 11 has a width of about three-sixteenths of an inch and a circumference of about three-quarters of an inch. The epidermis of these segments is smooth.
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Along the torso’s dorsal area, there is a hook slot that stretches from segment number two to segment number six. This slot is fifteen-sixteenths of an inch long and slightly more than one-sixteenth of an inch wide.
Along the torso’s ventral area, there is another hook slot that stretches from segment number one to segment number seven. It is 1 1/4 inches long and slightly more than one-sixteenth of an inch wide.
The section of the torso between segment number 11 and the tail is eleven-sixteenths of an inch long. It is flat and thin. At its junction with the tail, it possesses a flange-like motif. This segment is an abstract version of the caudal peduncle region of a fish. Its dorsal is straight and one-sixteenth of an inch thick. Its ventral is curved and one-sixteenth of an inch thick. At its junction with segment number 11, it is a quarter of an inch wide, and at its junction with the tail, it is about three-quarters of an inch wide. Its epidermis is silky smooth.
The ExoSwim is adorned with a paddle-like tail, which some anglers call a boot. It exhibits somewhat of the shape of a reniform leaf. From the top of the paddle to its bottom, which is called its major axis, it is three-quarters of an inch long. It is three-quarters of an inch wide at its widest spot, which is its semi-major axis. It is thin and about one-sixteenth of an inch thick. It has a circumference of about 2 9/16 inches. The epidermis is smooth.
ExoSwim’s designers say that the combination of the tail’s paddle and the 11 segments of the torso create a series of lifelike movements.
According to an ExoSwim press release, anglers can affix it to an Alabama rig, chatter-style bait, drop-shot rig, spinnerbait, swim jig with a skirt, swim jig without a skirt, underspin, weighted swimbait hook, and wobble jig. Most Midwest finesse anglers will prefer to work with it on a 3/32-ounce mushroom-style jig, and there will be times when they will opt for an 1/8-ounce jig.
It is manufactured in the following hues: Chartreuse Pepper, Electric Blue & Chartreuse, Electric Shad, Feider Shad, Goby Smoke, Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin Pearl, Lab Magic, Pearl Flash, Pro Blue Red Pearl, and Sun Gill.
Fifteen percent of its body weight is impregnated with salt, and it is not buoyant. It is also impregnated with BioScent, which consists of anise, amino acids, and fish oils.
A package of six costs $5.99.
Endnotes:
Here is a link to BioSpawn’s website: https://biospawn.com/products/copy-of-exoswim-3-1-4 . In the endnotes of our Feb. 17, 2019, gear guide, Josh Douglas of Isle, Minnesota, who is a member of BioSpawn’s pro staff, a veteran guide, and successful tournament angler, explained how he employs the ExoSwim. Here is the link to that Midwest Finesse column: https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/biospawns-exoswim/357382 . His 373 words appear in endnote number one. Most of the time, Midwest finesse anglers will employ the ExoSwim with a straight swimming presentation, replicating Charlie Brewer’s do-nothing retrieve. But all six of the standard Midwest finesse retrieves will be effective at times with an ExoSwim. Here is a link to a Midwest Finesse column that explains how we employ those retrieves: https://www.in-fisherman.com/listing/learn-midwest-finesse/83225 . As we have noted countless times, Midwest finesse anglers are inveterate customizers of soft-plastic baits, and it is likely that some of them will shortened the ExoSwim a tad by amputating its head.
