Hammer 4

When you say "Big" swimbait, just how big are we talkin bout here ? Lets say your going to toss up to a 6" bait, i.e Huddelston 68, which weighs from 2 to about 2 1/2 ozs. A rod with a rating of 1 to 4 ozs. would be good for that. If you intend on tossing 8" baits, i.e. like a Huddelston, then you would need a heavier power rod. I own both of these rods that I'm going to recommend, price is $ 149.99. The reviews on them speak for them selves. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/iROD_Genesis_III_Series_Casting_Rods/descpage-IRGCT.html

This holds true for every swimbait rod I've owned, no matter the brand, if it their TOL, or mid priced rod.

I've had my Maui Jims for going on 9 years now. Figure over that time period, they come out fairly reasonably priced imho. I've used them for fishing, golfing and everyday wearing.

Just a thought, but for a quick Cheap fix, wrap the rod in saran wrap. Done right it should keep the water out, the bad part is unwrapping it. lol

I agree about the 300 Tatula being worth the extra $ 70.00. I looked at the Curado, as I use to have a 301 E7 that I loved, imho the Tatula is very close to the performance of the E7.

Do you not fish in the rain ? I've had rods get soaked, never hurt them.

The 'Californian' rods? I believe they are phenix feather blanks. The actions, powers, and lengths match up identically. I have some too. Yup, I have the 7'1" ml spinning rod, great action imho, and under rated too.

3 brands. 1 Turners house brand, spinning rod. 2 Diawa Tatula rods, both baitcasters. 4 Irod baitcasters. These are by far my favorite.

Sniper user here also.

I agree with the above statement re: rods are overrated, I wouldn't say Grossly, but enough to maybe mislead those not in the know. This applies to most, if not all brands.

Keep at it, try to get the bait say under 4', once your good at that, keep going lower. I use to fish a salt water harbor, that had a boat repair dock that at high tide was about 2' off the water. Lot of good sized spotted bay bass hang out to the rear, so getting your bait to the back of that dock was key if you wanted to hook some good fish. I was skipping that dock from a float tube..with a 7' rod.

Also, bluegill or any " Game Fish " cannot be used as bait in most of Cali.

I don't throw them often, but when I do, it's the Kietech 2.8 on a underspin.

I skip any bait that is skipable...is that a word lol

On that rod that's rated to 3 oz. The norm is that the sweet spot will likely be about 2 oz, anything heavier will possibly make the rod feel over loaded, which then requires a LOB type cast, so you may lose some distance. 6" hudds depending ROF can weigh up to 2 1/2 oz's.

Split shot, drop shot. The roboworm 4.5" in Hologram shad is deadly for me. Morning dawn, MM and grape are very productive too.

That screen name looks really familiar. Anywho, welcome back.

If you have a Diawa spinning reel, they were designed to have a tapered line lay. So trying to get to where the line lay is 90 degrees isn't the best way to go. Mine has a slight taper going from smaller at the bottom to maybe 2 degrees larger at the top of the spool.

I've used both speeds. When I bought my Fuego I opted for the faster ratio. Easier for me to slow down vs speed up. So far, using it for varied lures, it works just fine.

This pretty much sums it up for me as well.

Good news. After their 5 day quarantine, everyone feels fine. I want to thank all of youz guys for the kind words, and prayers. Now my Son and Grandson need to plan a fishing trip for us soon, as our Dec, trip was canceled.

I have both, including baby bass. If I'm throwing the S Waver, my first choice is going to be the lite trout, bluegill would be next.

I've caught and landed some fairly large fish, to include toothy saltwater fish that were 10 to 12 lbs and fight WAY harder than any freshwater bass on 10 lb mono, never had the line break due to size of the fish. Having said that, I'm guessing your line's condition, or the knot was at fault, or the line rubbed on some form of structure that may have caused it to break. Been using 10 and 12 lb mono for years, never had my line break due to the size/weight of a fish cause to break.

I'm going to have to agree with Mike. I found that Sunline Sniper is just a tad bit more manageable. This after using Invisx for about 3 years.

So, my Son and his family could not come over for Christmas due to everyone in the family being ill. So we said that if they are feeling better, they would stop by on New Years day. In the meantime, my Son went and got tested for covid, he finally got the results back today, and he tested positive. He and his family all have been fully vaxed, except for getting a booster, which could have made a difference. So in the meantime they are all quarantined. I'm just hoping they all pull through this soon. All this couldn't have come at a worst time for my wife and I. Everyone here on BR I hope is staying safe. Regardless of your belief's, please consider your loved ones. Not looking for sympathy, just needed to vent somewhat.