Paddletail Swimbait Setups

[Gbo1990]

So I’m looking for opinions on what everyone thinks would be the most ideal rod and reel for throwing 3-5 inch paddle tail swim baits with a weighted hook? 

[optimator]

I don't know about ideal but my Toadface with a 1/4 oz head absolutely bombs those baits. I have a SLX XT on it. 

[casts_by_fly]

That’s a 3.8-4.8 keitech and 1/8-3/8 oz for me. On the smaller and lighter end, 1/8 hook plus a 3.8 is about 3/8 oz total weight.  A 4.8 with 3/8 is about 3/4 oz total weight. You’re right in the sweet spot for a MH to lighter heavy bait caster there. With the gauge of the hooks, I prefer something a little faster actioned or with a bit of oomph. Length is personal preference. If I’m target casting, I like my falcon head turner at 6’10”.  If I am trying to cover a lot of water I will bump up to the falcon heavy cover jig rod at 7’4”. Both have a lot of oomph and lighter tips. The HCJ has 6” more length and a slightly slower action than the head turner, but not much. 

[Big Hands]

For something like the 3/0 and 5/0 Flashy Swimmer with a 4.8" Keitech Fat Swing Impact, my 7'3" Daiwa Kage MH/F works great. For the 5/0 Flashy Swimmer with 5.8" Fat Swing Impact, the 7'1" Phenix H/F (all of those are fished with 15 lb Big Game. And for the 6/0 Flashy Swimmer with a 6.8" Fat Swing Impact and the Little Creeper Sunfish with the 8/0 Beast Hook Flashy Swimmer, my 8'6" Kage 861HRB Swimbait rod with 20 lb Big Game mono is perfect for horsing them out and away from the tules. I'm not chunking and winding these through open water. I am fishing them in, around, and through cover (tules and bushes) in 1-5 ft. of water dragging them across the bottom. You have to bust 'em hard and get them moving to you quick or you'll get wrapped up in a hurry.

 

 

 

This is the Little Creeper with the 8/0 Beast Hook Flashy Swimmer on 20 lb Big Game. That swimbait rod handled it's business nicely.

 

 

If you're swimming smaller baits through relatively open water, you might not need so much rod, but even the 3/0 hook needs a firm hookset to bury the barb.

[djhands]

I use a 13 fishing envy black 2 mag medium with a metanium 8.1.  Or my conquest 904 with  antaris DC In 7.1

[ChrisD46]

Strike King Flashy Swimmer + Keitech Swing Impact Fat :

 

1/0 size + 3.3"

3/0 size + 3.8" ~ 4.3"

5/0 size + 4.8"

[Pogues2300]

Medium heavy fast rod 

[Swest18x]

I bought a Hammer JAK 7'3 medium heavy in the off season and it's been my favorite rod this spring for throwing smaller swimbaits. You can throw smaller paddle tails like an easy shiner, or bigger fat impacts. A really fantastic, versatile rod. It has a bit of a soft tip/more moderate action but sets single hooks fine, and has more power than you'd think. I hooked into a 20 pound carp on a mini swammer she handled it fine.

[waymont]

Loomis 843c MBR in whichever line you can afford.

[Reel]

I use a G Loomis GCX rod, MH 7' 6'' 903 with a Conquest reel

[badfish79]

This is a chuck and wind presentation, nothing special needed imo. Uglystik GX2 combo in whatever power matches the weight profile of your jighead and plastic. Or you can go fancy too. I use an NRX+ 843 MBR lol.

 

But for serious, I would probably use a Dobyns 703c or 704c, in whatever series you think you need. Sierra or Kaden are nice.

[Dye99]

Ive been doing a ton of swimbait fishing this season. Its a great way to put fish in the boat.

I have run a loomis IMX pro SWB 862 with a Shimano Alderbaron. 10lb J braid and when the water is clear 8lb flouro leader.

Depending on water depth I use keitech 1/4 swimbait jig heads and Keitech 3.3's

[WIGuide]

Usually I use two different setups for swimbaits in that range. For the 3.8" I'll throw those on a 6'6" M/F St. Croix Extreme with 12 lb. fluoro and the 4.8" I'll bump up to 7'1" St. Croix Victory MH/F also with 12 lb. fluoro

[Gbo1990]

I like to throw the Keitech Easy Shiner on either a Owner Flashy Swimmer or Gamakatsu Weighted Spr-Lock hook. Also like to throw a few other different brands of paddle tails as well. Recently just started throwing the Megabass Spark Shad an it’s slowly becoming one of my favorites. I’ve been throwing them on my 13 Fishing Defy 7’ moderate paired with a Slx Mgl but I just got a Dobyns Fury 703 today so I plan on trying it out this weekend 

[txchaser]

for the flashy swimmer:

1/0 with 3.3 - Medium (barely doable on a MH) 

3/0 with 3.8 or 4.3 MH

5/0 with 4.8 or larger H (MH can cast it fine but it's a lot of hook to set with a MH) 

 

IMO the 3/0 with 3.8 or 4.3 is the most versatile size anyway, start there, with a MH.

 

Reel doesn't matter much, just pick your smoothest one since you'll be reeling a lot. 

 

[JN94]

I throw a lot of paddletails. For jigheads with exposed hooks, I use a M power fast action up to 3/0 in size. Mostly throw 2/0 though. Those are for 3-4" paddletails and 1/8-1/4 in head weight. For 4-5" paddletails, I step up to a MH F. Generally using 3/16-3/8 head weights and 4/0-5/0 hooks. I also tend to throw any EWG hooks on the MH setup, just due to the additional power needed for hookset versus an exposed hook. At the moment I'm using a Poison Adrena 6'10" Med Fast and a Zodias 6'10" MH Fast for these, but specific rods are interchangeable as long as they have similar ratings 

 

Edit: I also fish braid to leader 

[Pogues2300]

On 6/14/2023 at 5:17 PM, badfish79 said:

This is a chuck and wind presentation, nothing special needed imo. Uglystik GX2 combo in whatever power matches the weight profile of your jighead and plastic. Or you can go fancy too. I use an NRX+ 843 MBR lol.

 

But for serious, I would probably use a Dobyns 703c or 704c, in whatever series you think you need. Sierra or Kaden are nice.

When my grandpa bought me an ugly stick back in 19dicketydoo I thought I had the best! But yeah now I also use mostly loomis lol.