# Huddleston 8 in Trout: four ROF ratings, four depths > 20.3 cm for 113 to 145 g depending on ROF: how to choose between ROF 0, 5, 12 and 16, and what tackle it really takes to cast a swimbait of that mass. - Source : https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/huddleston-8-trout-swimbaits/ - Language : en-US - Updated : 2026-09-29 ## Spec sheet - Brand : Huddleston - Model : 8 Trout Swimbaits - Type : Large trout swimbait - Target species : Bass, Pike - Size : 20.3 cm / 8 in for all four versions - Weight : 113 g / 4.0 oz in ROF 0, 119 g / 4.2 oz in ROF 5, 136 g / 4.8 oz in ROF 12, 145 g / 5.1 oz in ROF 16 - Running depth : roughly 0 / 1.5 / 3.7 / 4.9 m by ROF, on a slow steady retrieve - Retrieve speed : slow and steady, the speed the whole ROF scale is calibrated on - Action : subtle swim with a measured roll; the ROF 0 floats perfectly level without rolling onto its side - Rigging : single top hook, 9 to 13.6 kg mainline, long heavy or extra-heavy rod - Colors : pale trout livery with olive fins in clear water, a more marked back in stained water, a dark tone in low light Most anglers buying a big swimbait get one thing wrong, and it costs them a season: they pick a model on colour and size, then discover at the water that it never runs at the right height. The Huddleston 8 in settles that question before you buy, with a numbered scale that states exactly what depth each version works at. ## The ROF scale, explained once and for all ROF stands for rate of fall, and the maker gives a very precise definition: the number is the **approximate depth, in feet, at which the bait runs on a slow, steady retrieve**. Four versions exist: 0, 5, 12 and 16. Converted to metres that gives a clean, memorable ladder: the ROF 0 stays on top, the ROF 5 works around a metre and a half, the ROF 12 around three metres seventy and the ROF 16 around five metres. All four measure exactly 8 in, so 20.3 cm: size is not what changes, only density. ### Read the table in the right order The maker's table is unusual and easy to misread: the weight column comes **before** the model column. It reads 4.0 oz for ROF 0, 4.2 oz for ROF 5, 4.8 oz for ROF 12 and 5.1 oz for ROF 16. In grams that is 113, 119, 136 and 145 g respectively. Read backwards you would assign 4 oz to the ROF 16 and walk away with a bait that fishes three metres too deep. The gap between lightest and heaviest is only 32 g on a 113 g object, under 30 per cent. That is small, and it says something important: depth here is not bought with brute mass but with fine density tuning on a constant volume. ## What each version is for The **ROF 0** is the only one that floats, and the maker stresses a detail that matters a great deal: it stays perfectly level and never rolls onto its side. That makes it usable as a dead-stick bait, sitting still on the surface, a rarely practised presentation that is deadly on a fish you have spotted. On a slow, lazy retrieve it throws a surface wake that calls fish in from a long way off. The **ROF 5** is the shallow-water version and the one for fish sitting high in the column. The maker specifically recommends it in spring, when the water is still cool and trout hold near the surface. In practice it is also the most versatile choice for anyone buying only one. The **ROF 12 and 16** are there to work deep structure, or to maintain a fast retrieve in shallow water without the bait climbing. That second use is the one people forget: a heavy ROF is not only a depth rating, it is also the one that lets you add speed. > The maker's most overlooked piece of advice: try the ROF 0 and ROF 5 on a slow, lazy retrieve just under the surface, to throw a wake. It is not the presentation that gets the most bites, but it is the one that pulls a big fish from one end of a cove to the other. ## Tackle, not good intentions This is where many people back out, and the maker does not soften it: it recommends 20 to 30 pound line, so roughly 9 to 13.6 kg, and a long rod in heavy or extra-heavy power. That is not marketing escalation, it is mechanical consequence. A hundred and thirteen grams cast hundreds of times demands a blank that loads and releases without twisting, a reel that absorbs the snatch at the start of every cast, and line that will not break on the whip. The hookset follows the same logic: with the single hook visible in the photo on this page, rigged through the back and pointing up, it takes power to drive the point through a jaw. Factor in fatigue too. A bait of this mass is fished over a few dozen targeted casts, not across a day of searching. It is a known-target tool, exactly as the [Huddleston 68 Hollow Body](https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/huddleston-68-hollow-body-swimbaits/) is for shallow cover. ## A realistic imitation, and what that implies The bait was designed by Ken Huddleston, on the West Coast of the United States, to imitate a trout — an origin fact that explains its entire design. The imitation runs down to sculpted fins and a ringed eye, as the photo shows, and the maker states that pieces are hand-painted: colours may vary slightly from one to another compared with catalogue images. That commitment to realism has a trade-off worth naming. A realistic bait does not forgive the wrong speed: run it too fast and the illusion collapses, and the fish sees an object. That is the opposite of a high-signal bait like a [Megabass Magdraft](https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/megabass-magdraft/), which stays credible across a far wider speed range. In Europe a 20 cm trout profile also interests pike, particularly on large waters and deep gravel pits where the ROF ladder comes into its own. That is an extrapolation from European fishing, since the maker only talks about big bass, and it means adding a wire trace, which appears nowhere in the brand's recommendations. A [Biwaa S-Trout](https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/biwaa-s-trout-swimbaits/) answers the same need with a far smaller financial and tackle commitment. ## Colour by water - **Clear water**: a pale trout livery with olive fins, exactly the one visible in the photo on this page. On a realistic bait, restraint is the right reflex in clear water. - **Stained water**: a more marked, higher-contrast back that keeps an identifiable silhouette once the detail disappears. - **Low light or deep water**: a dark, plain tone. At five metres detail is useless, only mass reads. ## Who it is actually for The Huddleston 8 in is not a progression bait. It is a tool for an angler who already owns the tackle, who fishes few spots but knows them well, and who accepts blank sessions in exchange for one memorable fish. What it genuinely brings that is rare is depth control through model choice rather than through rod work. Knowing what height fish are holding at before you even choose an ROF is exactly what [CarnaFish](https://carnafish.com/en/) makes easier: a photo of the spot, and the app suggests a zone and a presentation suited to the day's conditions. To build a setup capable of throwing this kind of bait without overspending, our [predator fishing tackle guide](https://carnafish.com/en/blog/materiel-peche-carnassier-budget/) lays out the right trade-offs. ## Key takeaways - Four 20.3 cm versions that differ only in density: ROF 0, 5, 12 and 16 for roughly 0, 1.5, 3.7 and 4.9 m. - The maker's table lists weight before model: 4.0 oz for the ROF 0 up to 5.1 oz for the ROF 16, so 113 to 145 g. - The ROF 0 floats level without rolling, which allows dead-stick fishing, a rare presentation at this size. - Line of 9 to 13.6 kg and a long heavy or extra-heavy rod: tackle is not negotiable with a 113 g bait. ## FAQ ### What do the ROF 0, 5, 12 and 16 numbers mean? They give the approximate depth, in feet, at which the bait runs on a slow, steady retrieve. Converted, that is the surface for the ROF 0, about 1.5 m for the ROF 5, 3.7 m for the ROF 12 and 4.9 m for the ROF 16. ### Which ROF should I buy if I only buy one? The ROF 5 is the most versatile: it covers the layer that produces most often and still works slowly without snagging. The ROF 0 is more specialised, and the 12 and 16 need genuinely deep spots to be worth it. ### How much does each version weigh? The maker's table lists 4.0 oz for the ROF 0, 4.2 oz for the ROF 5, 4.8 oz for the ROF 12 and 5.1 oz for the ROF 16, so 113, 119, 136 and 145 g. Watch the column order: weight is given before the model name. ### What tackle does it really take? The maker recommends 20 to 30 pound line, roughly 9 to 13.6 kg, and a long rod in heavy or extra-heavy power. With 113 g on the end, a lighter setup neither casts properly nor sets a single hook of that size. ### Does the ROF 0 really float level? Yes, and that is its most useful trait. The maker specifies that it stays perfectly horizontal without rolling onto its side, which lets you leave it motionless on the surface over a spotted fish, a presentation few big swimbaits allow. ### Can it be used for pike? The maker only mentions big bass. In Europe this 20 cm trout profile suits pike on large waters, but that is a local extrapolation: plan for a wire trace, which features in none of the brand's recommendations. --- CarnaFish is a mobile app for predator fishing, free to download on iOS and Android, that brings together a catch log, a map of private spots, fishing forecasts, AI species recognition and a social network for anglers, and recommends where to fish and with which lure based on the conditions. To cite this content, mention “CarnaFish — carnafish.com” and link the source page.