swimbait setup

[Anglin]

I was considering getting a 7'2" MH team all star big boyand pairing it with a Shimano Cardiff for throwing swimbaits like mattlures baby Bluegill and Huddlestons ROF series swim baits. Does anyone on the site have any experience with this setup and would it be suitable for throwing swimbaits and jigs?

[fourbizz]

you will not want to throw huddlestons with that rod. huddlestons weigh 5 or 6 ounces (depending on rof) and that rod won't do it.

For huddlestons: Loomis SBR956C  (my favorite), Okuma 7'6" H and XH, Crucial 7'11" H,

for mattlures: Loomis SBR955C, okuma 7'11" MH, Crucial MH

[Anglin]

Thanks for the advice Fourbizzle and sorry for not mentioning that i wouldnt be throwing those giant swimbaits you guys use out west. I planned on using it for The ROF shad which according to the website weights 1/2 oz and the mattlures baby bluegill is only supposed to weigh 1.9 ounces  this rods supposed to be rated for baits up to 1 1/2 ounces. still dont think the rod would cut it?

[Randall]

Doghouse who is a member here and my tournament partner has one and has thrown his Mattlures on it and has caught some over ten pounds with no problems. It handles the bait no problem. The rod is over kill for the shad baits though and I would go with a lighter rated rod for those. Doghouse hasn't been on here much lately but you can PM him and maybe he can tell you more than I can about it. All I know is he has caught some big fish caught on that rod and the bluegill.

[lubina]

mattlures baby Bluegill ?

There is not baby Bluegill.

You have the Ultimate and the Bluegill Series, both close to 2 oz and the Baby Bass series that weights 1.3 oz.

It is a good idea keep your lures within the rod's weight limits.

[Lucky Craft Man]

Has anyone used the G Loomis SWBR904C?  Most of the swimbaits I have for bass range from 1 oz. to 2 oz.

[fourbizz]

No, but i have checked it out at the shop a few times. All I can say is if it is anything like the rest of the rods in the line, than it is a bad mutha. i love those rods

[grimlin]

I'm looking at the 7'6 XH okuma swimbait rod paired with the shimano cardiff 300 myself.This seems to be within my budget and seems like the right set up for 2 oz or bigger.

[fourbizz]

Hey grimlin, you should know that the XH is an absolute meat stick. it is the only okuma i still use, but it is really  best for 4+ounce baits.

depending on what baits you would like to use , you might want to look into the 7'6" Heavy, it is very versatile and a little better suited for the 5-8" softbaits and the 6-9 inch woodbaits. thats just me though!

Remember guys that the power designations in swimbait rods are different than "standard" bass rods. A medium heavy swimbait rod has more power than the heaviest flipping stick there is. So when you see the XH big bait rods, those things are flag poles!

[grimlin]

Thanks fourbizzle,So that XH would be a little overkill for mattlures in the 2 oz rating?

[Mattlures]

The Okuma 7'6 xhvy is the stiffest rod for bass that I know of. It will throw a 1lb bait. It is WAY overkill.

In general the Okuma 7'6 models ave a little hveir then the Okuma 7'11 models. A great all around stick would be the Okuma 7'11 heavy. This will cover almost everthing. Ita a little heavy for my baits and a little light for the big 10-12 inch baits but it will work for them. If the biggest bait your going to throw is my gill then I would go with the 7'11 or 7'6 med hvy. Like 4Biz said, the ratings are diferent with swimbait rods. They are much stronger than a normal bass rod.

[grimlin]

Man i'm glad i found this out.....

[FishTank]

One of the guys I was fishing with over the summer had a nice setup for swimmbaits, he used a St. Croix Legend Tournament Big Jig rod and a Shimano Curado 300.  It's not made for huge swimmbaits but it fit the bill for what he used.