# Shimano BT Bait 99SS: the jointed swimbait that fishes at 1/4 oz > Three hard segments, a replaceable soft tail and only 7.1 g: how to fish this small slow-sinking swimbait on a BFS reel or a light spinning outfit. - Source : https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/shimano-bt-bait-99ss/ - Language : en-US - Updated : 2026-09-18 ## Spec sheet - Brand : Shimano - Model : BT Bait 99SS - Type : Jointed slow-sinking swimbait - Target species : Bass, Perch - Size : 9.9 cm / 3.9 in - Weight : 7.1 g / 1/4 oz - Running depth : just under the surface on a steady retrieve, any depth if you let it sink - Retrieve speed : slow and steady, with pauses of two to five seconds - Action : multi-segment undulation just under the film, then a slow level descent on the pause - Rigging : straight to a 0.20 to 0.25 mm fluorocarbon leader, light spinning or BFS outfit, factory hooks not specified by Shimano - Colors : a holographic silver flank like the one shown in clear water, a dark back over a white belly under cloud, a gold tone in lightly stained water Some days the fish eat small and refuse everything else. The year's fry are four or five centimetres long, the perch are tracking them at the surface, and the fifteen-centimetre swimbait you tied on for a big bite gets ignored twenty casts in a row. Shimano's BT Bait 99SS is built for exactly that moment: under ten centimetres, seven grams, and an action that holds together on a light outfit. ## Three hard segments and a soft tail Shimano describes a three-piece hard-body construction extended by a replaceable soft tail. That is not a finishing detail: the combination puts two different materials to work in the same action. The rigid segments supply the overall undulation and the detailed profile, while the soft tail keeps quivering when the body slows down, including on the drop, where an all-rigid body would produce nothing at all. The tail is a consumable, which is honest enough: Shimano includes three elastomer tails in the box. A pike or an aggressive perch slices that kind of appendage off without effort, and that is precisely why spares are supplied. Get into the habit of storing them flat in their original bag rather than loose in a box, because elastomer deforms. The figures Shimano gives fit on one line: 3.9 in, that is 9.9 cm, for 1/4 oz, roughly 7.1 g, in the slow-sinking class. The model name repeats the length in millimetres, which leaves no doubt about the format. ## Slow sinking, not suspending The class Shimano states matters because it governs the whole retrieve. On a steady wind the lure swims just under the film, high enough to track it by eye in clear water. As soon as you stop reeling it sinks slowly instead of hanging in place — Shimano talks about imitating a dying or struggling baitfish, and that is indeed the behaviour this density produces. In practice it gives you two lures in one. Wound continuously, it is a small surface-running swimbait for covering an edge quickly. Alternating retrieve and pause, it becomes a falling presentation where the lure does three quarters of the work while your line sits still. The longer the pause, the deeper it gets: that is your only depth control, since there is no lip to drive it down. > Count your pauses out loud rather than at random. When a bite comes on the count of three, you know exactly what depth the fish is holding at and you can reproduce the same fall on the next cast. It is the only way to turn a lucky fish into a pattern. ## A lure built around light tackle Shimano states the target clearly: a light spinning or bait finesse system setup. Seven grams is not much for a ten-centimetre body, and that is the point to check before buying. On a standard casting rod with a standard reel you will not cast it properly — there is not enough mass to drive the spool, and you will spend the day picking out backlashes. The right outfit is a light rod rated around 1.5 to 7 g or 3 to 10 g, 2.10 to 2.30 m long, with a thin 0.08 to 0.10 mm braid and a 0.20 to 0.25 mm fluorocarbon leader. On BFS the same logic applies with a casting reel built around a lightened spool. The fluorocarbon leader beats tying braid straight to the lure: it cushions head shakes right under the surface, which is where fish come off most easily. ### Hooks, worth checking on arrival Shimano's description does not state the type or size of hooks supplied with the BT Bait 99SS. In the product photo the lure is shown bare: two hook hangers are visible under the belly, but no hooks are fitted to them. That is an observation from a product photo, not a specification — so check what is actually in the box. If you have to sort it out yourself, stay with small fine-wire trebles and light split rings: on a seven-gram lure, oversized hardware changes the attitude and kills the action. ## Working a swimbait this size The first retrieve to try is the simplest: a slow, steady wind with no rod input at all, tip pointed at the water. The multi-segment action is enough on its own, and it is usually what draws the follows. When a fish follows without eating, stop dead: the slow level fall that follows is the second presentation, and it is generally the one that converts. The third, more technical, is a short sideways rod tap during the retrieve to break the track. A jointed body answers that kind of input well: it kicks across for a fraction of a second before settling back on line, and that offset imitates a baitfish changing its mind. Against a big glidebait such as the [Gan Craft Jointed Claw](https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/gan-craft-jointed-claw/), the BT Bait obviously plays in another size bracket, but it borrows the same principle of breaking the track at a scale you can fish on fine tackle. On a tight spot where perch are busting bait at the surface, a BFS jerkbait such as the [Megabass X-70 BFS](https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/megabass-x-70-bfs-jerkbait/) covers a different part of the job: sharper, noisier, less natural at constant speed. The two sit well together in the same light-tackle box. ## Finish and colour choice Shimano highlights its Scale Boost technology, which produces highly detailed holographic scales, and 3D eyes meant to add realism. The maker positions the lure explicitly for clear-water situations, where fish study a bait before taking it. That is a marketing argument, but it is consistent with the rest: a ten-centimetre lure weighing seven grams is not there to pull fish from a distance with vibration, it works on appearance and speed. - **Clear water, bright light**: a holographic silver flank like the one in the photo, dark back and pale belly, which copies the livery of most baitfish. - **Overcast or low light**: a version with a genuinely dark back over a white belly, whose silhouette reads better from underneath. - **Lightly stained water**: a gold tone, which keeps some light signal when the water loses transparency. Choosing the right size of lure depends first on what the fish are eating in that place and that season. That is the kind of reading [CarnaFish](https://carnafish.com/en/) makes easier: one photo of the spot, and the AI suggests a zone and a presentation suited to the day's conditions. To build the groundwork on fishing an edge with finesse tackle, our [guide to perch fishing with lures](https://carnafish.com/en/blog/peche-perche-leurre/) covers the rigs and the spots that go with this format. ## Key takeaways - 9.9 cm for 7.1 g in the slow-sinking class: a jointed swimbait format you can genuinely fish on light spinning or BFS gear. - Three rigid segments and a replaceable soft tail, with three spare tails supplied by Shimano. - The pause is your depth control: the longer it lasts, the deeper the lure gets, because there is no lip. - Shimano does not detail the hooks and the product photo shows the lure bare: check what is fitted when the box arrives. ## FAQ ### Does the BT Bait 99SS really sink? Yes, Shimano lists it as slow sinking. On a steady retrieve it swims just under the surface, and the moment you stop reeling it eases down instead of hanging in place. That behaviour on the pause is where most of its efficiency comes from. ### Can it be cast on a standard casting outfit? Not easily. Seven grams on a ten-centimetre body is too light for a standard casting spool, and the lure catches wind. Shimano aims it at a light spinning or BFS setup, and that is where it performs. ### How many spare tails are included? Shimano states three elastomer tails included. It is a wearing part: an aggressive fish slices it off, or it tears after enough casts, and the lure then loses part of its action on the drop. ### Which hooks should be fitted? Shimano's description says nothing about it, and the lure appears without hooks in the product photo. If you have to handle it yourself, stay with small fine-wire trebles and light rings: added weight changes the attitude of a seven-gram lure very quickly. ### Is it as good for perch as for bass? Yes, and that is one of its best uses in Europe. The ten-centimetre format matches what a good perch hunts in late summer, and a slow swim just under the surface is exactly what works on surface activity along an edge. ### How does it differ from a classic glidebait? A two-piece glidebait works through wide lateral kicks produced at the rod. The BT Bait 99SS, with three segments and a soft tail, produces a tighter, more continuous undulation that is already alive on a straight retrieve with no input from you. --- 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.