Please delete thread, thanks.

[deep]

...

[I.rar]

I saw a beast largemouth (had to be double digit or close to it) almost swallow a dink I had just released at my feet. It's unreal that fish that size are in these lakes where I regularly catch bass in the 1-3lb range. I'm making an effort this year to get a swimbait rig (soft bodies to start). 

I'll be that guy with a bfs rig in one hand and a swimbait rig in the other. 

[WRB]

Good article.

For me the easiest decision in selecting a swimbait rod is the power rating by looking at the upper end value to be at least 25% higher than the lures I use.  I always touch and feel rods to make the final choice. The difficult decision for selecting off the shelf SB rods is the handle length; I prefer the center of reel seat or trigger location to be 14". If the rod handle is too long the butt gets tangled in clothing when fishing in cold or rainy weather, too short and casting big swimmers is too tiring.

A fore grip is essential for SB rods for the reasons you talked about and illustrated in the photo, that is exactly how I hold all my baitcasting rods, most of the time.

What is the blue tape?

Tom

[deep]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Good article.

What is the blue tape?

Tom

 

Thanks!

The blue tape is RodWrap grip tape.

[blckshirt98]

One thing that might need to mentioned is that for anyone looking to fish swimbaits in a tournament, many tournaments have a rod length limit of 8'.  Just something to consider before spending a few hundred bucks on a nice swimbait rod then realizing you can't use it in a tournament you may want to enter.

[WRB]

The 8' rule was established to prevent Dee Thomas using 14' flipping rods ( jigger poles) because he was dominating tournaments. B.A.S.S. set the maximum rod length at 8' and it hasn't changed in over 30 years. Most bass boat rod lockers are designed to hold rods up to 8'.

Very few anglers use rods longer than 8', the 8'+ rods are used by dedicated trophy bass anglers using swimbaits exclusively or shore bond anglers where the longer rods give them an advantage to increase casting distance. Dobyns offers one 8'6" swimbait rod for example, Loomis has 8'+  salmon bounce back rods that a select few swimbaiters use...very few.

Tom

[FloridaFishinFool]

On 1/20/2016 at 6:08 PM, deep said:

Small disclaimer: I do not consider hollowbellys or small paddletails as swimbaits.

May each of you catch a new PB this year; on or otherwise.

 

[Big Bait Fishing]

i do not use a foregrip on my swimbait rod !! but i use a low profile baitcaster ( a Revo Toro 51 presently , i will get a Lew's BB2 Pro soon , just haven't got around to buying one since i work 6 days a week ) i palm my reel and don't have any threads exposed so i can easily touch the rod /and or keep a finger on the line when deadsticking . for all those that use soup can baitcasters , i understand the want of a fore grip , i try to keep my rods (all of them ) very minimal . and yes , for me 8' rods don't cut it as my handle length ( measured from the back of the reel seat ) is 18'' , i feel having more than 6 1/2 ' of rod length is a good thing !! my rod has 7 1/2' as it's a 9 foot rod ...

[Big Bait Fishing]

13 hours ago, WRB said:

Good article.

For me the easiest decision in selecting a swimbait rod is the power rating by looking at the upper end value to be at least 25% higher than the lures I use.  I always touch and feel rods to make the final choice. The difficult decision for selecting off the shelf SB rods is the handle length; I prefer the center of reel seat or trigger location to be 14". If the rod handle is too long the butt gets tangled in clothing when fishing in cold or rainy weather, too short and casting big swimmers is too tiring.

A fore grip is essential for SB rods for the reasons you talked about and illustrated in the photo, that is exactly how I hold all my baitcasting rods, most of the time.

What is the blue tape?

Tom

that's why a custom built rod is pretty mandatory !! almost every " swimbait " rod has way too short of a handle , i've experimented over the years and have found that an 18'' handle is perfect ! but again , most of the baits i throw are 4 oz. + , mostly in the 7-13 range , but do throw the ROF 16 Hudd a lot too

[Big Bait Fishing]

very good article by the way !!! 

another thing i would like to add for any one interested in getting a custom swimbait rod , don't limit yourself to bass swimbait rod blanks as i have found that muskie rod blanks make the best blank for chucking big baits ...

[deep]

...

[WRB]

The Hud rod by Ken Huddleston uses a 8' 806 Irod blank, spiral wrapped Fuji guides and reel seat, not sure about the handle length, it's cork and should be as close to a custom made rod that is off the shelf. 

Palming reels is the popular technique, if it works for you do it. My hands aren't big enough and after 6 decades of bass fishing not going to change how I hold rods. The distance from your wrist to the elbow is as long as a handle needs to be, unless the adding handle length aides in a longer cast and it does. The longer handle shortens the rod in front of the reel and gets tangled in clothing while fishing. I use 9' salt water jig rods to cast iron for yellowtail, calico bass and surface feeding tuna, you can't palm the salt water casting reels...too big.

The 9'  salt water jig rod would make a good swimbait rod, it's over kill for LMB. Fishing from shore I can see that a longer rod allows for longer casts.

Tom

[Big Bait Fishing]

13 hours ago, WRB said:

The Hud rod by Ken Huddleston uses a 8' 806 Irod blank, spiral wrapped Fuji guides and reel seat, not sure about the handle length, it's cork and should be as close to a custom made rod that is off the shelf. 

Palming reels is the popular technique, if it works for you do it. My hands aren't big enough and after 6 decades of bass fishing not going to change how I hold rods. The distance from your wrist to the elbow is as long as a handle needs to be, unless the adding handle length aides in a longer cast and it does. The longer handle shortens the rod in front of the reel and gets tangled in clothing while fishing. I use 9' salt water jig rods to cast iron for yellowtail, calico bass and surface feeding tuna, you can't palm the salt water casting reels...too big.

The 9'  salt water jig rod would make a good swimbait rod, it's over kill for LMB. Fishing from shore I can see that a longer rod allows for longer casts.

Tom

the Hudd rod sounds good ecxept for the moderate action .

[blckshirt98]

I haven't used one yet but I'd think the moderate action would be fine because if you're chucking 3+ ounce swimbaits you'll be lob casting them and that moderate action will help you launch those suckers.

[WRB]

I am familiar with Irod 8' heavy swimbait rod and it has plenty of backbone to handle 4-6 oz swimmers. You don't want fast action swimbait rod, it shouldn't be as moderate or slow as a crankbait rod, somewhere in between. Enough muscle to easily luanch heavy lure without wearing out the caster and stout enough to get solid hook sets with the heavy wire top hooks.

Everyone has his or her preferences. The one thing most everyone with swimbait experience agrees on is go up in power, you can cast the lighter weight swimmers with heavy power rods, doesn't work trying to cast heavy lures with under powered rods.

Tom

[Jaheff]

Pretty deep, Deep!!  Nice write up.

[Airman4754]

I have a Phenix UMBX Swimbait 8' Heavy. It's rated for 8oz and it handles 8oz with ease. I wanted a rod that I wouldn't get fatigued with or outgrow it. This thing is an absolute beast of a rod. 

In this picture my Dobyn's 806 Punching rod is next to it. 

[Big Bait Fishing]

21 hours ago, WRB said:

I am familiar with Irod 8' heavy swimbait rod and it has plenty of backbone to handle 4-6 oz swimmers. You don't want fast action swimbait rod, it shouldn't be as moderate or slow as a crankbait rod, somewhere in between. Enough muscle to easily luanch heavy lure without wearing out the caster and stout enough to get solid hook sets with the heavy wire top hooks.

Everyone has his or her preferences. The one thing most everyone with swimbait experience agrees on is go up in power, you can cast the lighter weight swimmers with heavy power rods, doesn't work trying to cast heavy lures with under powered rods.

Tom

what about hooksets on a long cast with 8-10 oz. baits ?? so is this rod under rated or have you just not thrown bigger baits on it ?

i know every one has their own preferences on rod action , for me , i like a stout rod with a fast action and numbing backbone for hooksets on long casts with rubber baits , but said rod has to be light weight for it's power , cause like you said , it sucks to have an overwhelmed rod when fishing big baits !!!

[WRB]

I have developed a hook setting technique that works for me. Imagine getting a good hook set with a jig in 30' of water cast over 40 yards, you can't do it using the rod regardless how long or powerful it is...too much line to pick up. Reel set by reeling quickly to get the hook point started, the rod starting to load up then a hard sweep set. Works with swimbait, crankbaits, spinning baits and jigs on long cast.

Under powered swimbait is miserable to cast and if the rod weighs too much the combination wears anyone out quickly. Today light weight construction rod with good power that launches the big swimmers are fun to use and the work great! 

Now all I need is good population of giant bass to catch.

Tom

[Big Bait Fishing]

my 9' Big Nasty weighs the same as a Dobyns 795ML

[Big Bait Fishing]

17 minutes ago, WRB said:

I have developed a hook setting technique that works for me. Imagine getting a good hook set with a jig in 30' of water cast over 40 yards, you can't do it using the rod regardless how long or powerful it is...too much line to pick up. Reel set by reeling quickly to get the hook point started, the rod starting to load up then a hard sweep set. Works with swimbait, crankbaits, spinning baits and jigs on long cast.

Under powered swimbait is miserable to cast and if the rod weighs too much the combination wears anyone out quickly. Today light weight construction rod with good power that launches the big swimmers are fun to use and the work great! 

Now all I need is good population of giant bass to catch.

Tom

with the rod i use and Gamma poly flex , hooksets are pretty good to say the least !!

[soflabasser]

Thank you for posting this!

[clh121787]

I've experimented with swimbait rods for a while. And it took a while before I found a set up I was truly happy with for 6-8oz baits. Like Tom said alot of rods maybe rated for 8,even 10 ounce baits. But are over loaded with a 6.5 oz bait. Un like others I don't use the fore grip. My last rod a custom was made with out one, plus I think the look way better without it.

[Big Bait Fishing]

2 hours ago, clh121787 said:

I've experimented with swimbait rods for a while. And it took a while before I found a set up I was truly happy with for 6-8oz baits. Like Tom said alot of rods maybe rated for 8,even 10 ounce baits. But are over loaded with a 6.5 oz bait. Un like others I don't use the fore grip. My last rod a custom was made with out one, plus I think the look way better without it.

as most people know that St. Croix's rods are underated , my rod's lure weight rating is 3-8 oz. but should be more like 5-16 oz. , and that's two handed casting , not lobs .

i never have had a use for a fore grip and i totally agree with you that rods look alot better without them  .