Hard body swim baits

[Miken216]

What kind of set up do you use I’m about to buy some Jackall ganteral jr swim baits and was curious what line and rod I should use and gear ratio I have a legend extreme 2020 h/f action with a 7.3 zillion hd with 65lb braid and was curious if this would be good should I run a leader

[Shimano_1]

I fish those style baits on a med heavy rod with a 7 ratio reel and 20 lb fluoro.  Not a big braid guy other than on spinning gear and my frog rod.

[Bluebasser86]

I use a Dobyn's 795 and Curado 300E a majority of the time. 20lb mono does the trick. I do not like braid for big baits that sink. Just a matter of time before it cost you a bait on a cast off.

[Bass Rutten]

A legend extreme heavy/fast with braided line (with or without a leader) is going to be a guaranteed exercise in frustration with glides and jointed swims, you will lose fish if not miss strikes entirely unless they’re suicidal. At the very least ditch the braid for a 15-20lb copoly line or better yet opt for a rod with a moderate to moderate-fast taper. The dobyns 795 is a versatile rod and a great value.

[Miken216]

14 hours ago, Bassjam2000 said:

A legend extreme heavy/fast with braided line (with or without a leader) is going to be a guaranteed exercise in frustration with glides and jointed swims, you will lose fish if not miss strikes entirely unless they’re suicidal. At the very least ditch the braid for a 15-20lb copoly line or better yet opt for a rod with a moderate to moderate-fast taper. The dobyns 795 is a versatile rod and a great value.

So my st croix legend tournament sweeper spinner rod has 6.3 steez tw sv on it with 15lb flyoral its a mh/mf rod 7’ 

[Bass Rutten]

The gantarel jr is 1 1/2oz, that rods lure rating tops out at 3/4oz, I doubt thats going to work without a very soft lob cast which will rob you of distance. I’d just try your other rod with mono line first. Gear ratio is preference, but most prefer faster 7 or 8:1 for glides and swimbaits, and slower 5 or 6:1 for paddletails, but any can work in a pinch. Experimentation is the best teacher.

[Bluebasser86]

Swim baits require specialized gear. It's one of those techniques you can't really get by trying to use standard gear.

[MN Fisher]

8 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Swim baits require specialized gear. It's one of those techniques you can't really get by trying to use standard gear.

Don't walk - run away from the swimbaits. It's a black hole that turns the bait-monkey into the bait-gorilla.

[Bluebasser86]

2 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Don't walk - run away from the swimbaits. It's a black hole that turns the bait-monkey into the bait-gorilla.

If you're balking at the thought of buying a rod and reel combo to fish them, then I'd heed this advice. I've got thousands of dollars wrapped up in swimbaits plus a few combos that are for nothing else except throwing big swimbaits. It's expensive, and an inefficient way to catch fish, but if you get it you get it, or it gets you rather.

[Hammer 4]

1 minute ago, Bluebasser86 said:

If you're balking at the thought of buying a rod and reel combo to fish them, then I'd heed this advice. I've got thousands of dollars wrapped up in swimbaits plus a few combos that are for nothing else except throwing big swimbaits. It's expensive, and an inefficient way to catch fish, but if you get it you get it, or it gets you rather.

This is why you pick and choose your swimbaits carefully. Even here in So. Cali the bigger swimbaits, 8" and longer don't seem to produce like they did some years ago. Dropping down in size, say 6" and below will yield better results in some cases, also you don't need the super xxh 8' rod or a size 300 reel.

 

 

[Str8BraidPowa]

I fish this exact bait on a Dobyns Fury 795 with TranX 200 HG (this bait stays on 80% of the time). No need for the faster reel with this bait but I wanted it for other purposes. If I go to the full size Gigantral I use my Fury 806 with TranX 400 HG. Love both setups, use 65lb braid on the 795 and 80lb on the 806 (water is generally pretty stained to worry about a leader, will tie one on if it clears up).

[Bluebasser86]

On 8/30/2020 at 11:42 PM, Hammer 4 said:

This is why you pick and choose your swimbaits carefully. Even here in So. Cali the bigger swimbaits, 8" and longer don't seem to produce like they did some years ago. Dropping down in size, say 6" and below will yield better results in some cases, also you don't need the super xxh 8' rod or a size 300 reel.

 

 

7" baits are the sweet spot for me. Right amount of drawing power but small enough that a 2lb fish has no issues taking a shot at it. They also aren't a workout to fish all day either.