Critique My Gear

[RobbyZ5001]

I have been trying to build the quality of my setups as well as covering all techniques. Please critique my gear, and let me know what you think I should add.

Some ideas I have are two swimbait setups (one heavy/one light), a light spinning setup for dropshot, upgrade my flipping stick, and upgrade my frog rod.

What I have:

GLX BCR803 /Curado 201e7- Jig Setup

avid 7' med fast/stradic 2500 - Jerkbaits

avid 7' mh fast/curado 201e7- crig/spinnerbaits/buzzbaits

quantum tour edition pt 7'6 XH fast/ revo s- flipping stick

Cabelas XML 7' H/ revo stx- frog rod

avid 6'6med fast/ revo winch- cranks

cumara 7'2 med fast/ chronarch 51mg- Shakyhead/Dropshot

american rodsmiths 7'6 med deep crank/ BPS pro qual 4.9:1- deep crank

What I have on my possible buy list:

okuma 7'11" med-heavy w/ a cardiff 300 (light swimbait)

okuma 7'6" heavy w/ a cardiff 400 (hvy swimbait)

Dobyns Savvy Cast Rod 7'3 mag heavy (frog)

Cumara 7'2 med xfast spinning/ shimano sahara (dropshot)

Gloomis Shakyhead Spinning 6'10" Mag-Lt (dropshot)

Lucky Craft 7' med fast fat mini magic (shallow/mid crank)

I am thinking about possibly using my winch with a new crank rod, and buying an stx to use with my 6'6 med fast avid for topwater.

Any thoughts would be great. If I need to better explain anything please ask. I know it is a lot to look through, and I appreciate the help!

Thanks!

[BASSclary]

I have been trying to build the quality of my setups as well as covering all techniques. Please critique my gear, and let me know what you think I should add.

Some ideas I have are two swimbait setups (one heavy/one light), a light spinning setup for dropshot, upgrade my flipping stick, and upgrade my frog rod.

What I have:

GLX BCR803 /Curado 201e7- Jig Setup

avid 7' med fast/stradic 2500 - Jerkbaits

avid 7' mh fast/curado 201e7- crig/spinnerbaits/buzzbaits

quantum tour edition pt 7'6 XH fast/ revo s- flipping stick

Cabelas XML 7' H/ revo stx- frog rod

avid 6'6med fast/ revo winch- cranks

cumara 7'2 med fast/ chronarch 51mg- Shakyhead/Dropshot

american rodsmiths 7'6 med deep crank/ BPS pro qual 4.9:1- deep crank

What I have on my possible buy list:

okuma 7'11" med-heavy w/ a cardiff 300 (light swimbait)

okuma 7'6" heavy w/ a cardiff 400 (hvy swimbait)

Dobyns Savvy Cast Rod 7'3 mag heavy (frog)

Cumara 7'2 med xfast spinning/ shimano sahara (dropshot)

Gloomis Shakyhead Spinning 6'10" Mag-Lt (dropshot)

Lucky Craft 7' med fast fat mini magic (shallow/mid crank)

I am thinking about possibly using my winch with a new crank rod, and buying an stx to use with my 6'6 med fast avid for topwater.

Any thoughts would be great. If I need to better explain anything please ask. I know it is a lot to look through, and I appreciate the help!

Thanks!

I like that idea 

Also, maybe add a plastics/t-rig setup

[RobbyZ5001]

I like that idea

Also, maybe add a plastics/t-rig setup

Yeh I tend to throw them on my current designated jig rod, cumara, or mh avid.

[Hammer 4]

Re: the swimbait rigs..I would suggest the following.

For lighter swimbaits, I would go with the 7'11" H vs the MH..this rod will throw baits like the 6" BBZ ect pretty well, and can be used for some 8" baits. I had a Chronarch bpv 101 mounted on mine for awhile. I now have Curado 301's, which work great.

As for the heavy swimbaits, may I suggest if it's within your budget, to look at the Dobyn's 807 Mag. While the Okuma is a great rod for the money, I feel it has a tip that's a tad to soft for the bigger baits, while the 807 chucks baits like the 8" hudd, punker, BBZ ect a country mile, and I would also recomend going with a rod closer to 8' for max. casting distance.

You can find used 807's for a great price, even the Gen 1 is a great rod, the gen 2 is even better, but more costly.

[RobbyZ5001]

Re: the swimbait rigs..I would suggest the following.

For lighter swimbaits, I would go with the 7'11" H vs the MH..this rod will throw baits like the 6" BBZ ect pretty well, and can be used for some 8" baits. I had a Chronarch bpv 101 mounted on mine for awhile. I now have Curado 301's, which work great.

As for the heavy swimbaits, may I suggest if it's within your budget, to look at the Dobyn's 807 Mag. While the Okuma is a great rod for the money, I feel it has a tip that's a tad to soft for the bigger baits, while the 807 chucks baits like the 8" hudd, punker, BBZ ect a country mile, and I would also recomend going with a rod closer to 8' for max. casting distance.

You can find used 807's for a great price, even the Gen 1 is a great rod, the gen 2 is even better, but more costly.

Thank you for the input. I am just entering the swimbait world, and I am not sure I want to dump a ton of money into it just yet. Do you think it's possible to use one swimbait setup? I have a feeling it's a dumb question, and the answer would be no. I would like to throw soft hollow bodies all the way up to hard jointed swimbaits. The baits in particular that I would like to throw would be lunker punkers, matt lures soft/hard gill, HUDS, Berkley hollow belly, and the slammer.

[Hammer 4]

You could, BUT..it would depend on your bait selection, i.e. the lightest, and heaviest baits.

For example, on the Okuma guide series 7'11" H, I can throw baits from 1 oz to about 3.5 oz's, w/o feeling the rod is gonna snap. I have thrown the 8" Hudd SS, and the 8" BBZ SS, and my 9" Punker with the Okuma, however, I feel better and get more distance with the 8' Dobyn's 807 Mag.

You could always start with the 7'11" H Okuma and a Curado 300 series reel, which I would recommend over the Cardiff, unless you get a smokin deal on the Cardiff, and upgrade down the road if you feel you want to be dedicated to swimbaiting..just a thought.

[Bluebasser86]

If you are throwing what most of the country considers smaller swimbaits (3-5") then the MH will be plenty of rod. I throw a 4" hollow belly and a 4" TruTungsten along with a 4" King shad quite a bit with a 7' med/hvy mojo rod and 200 curado. If you want the bigger reel I would definately get the 300 series curado. It holds plenty of line and is a much better reel. I had a couple 400 Cardiffs I used for muskie and catfish and they only lasted a couple years before they got really rough and one of them just quit engaging after the cast. If you really want the round reel, spend the money and get a 400 calcutta, you'll be glad you did when it's still working many years down the road!

[Bass Dude]

Nice rod selection and good set-ups.  But I go by the Rick Clunn method and use the same action/length for multiple purposes.  It makes it consistant for casting accuracy and feel.  I think we get caught up in trying to get the perfect rod for a specific technique.  Then we have a rod that we can ONLY use for that application.  If you think about it..the same action for spinnerbaits is perfect for c-rigs, rattle baits, topwaters, and light pitching/flipping applications.  I have three crankbait rods, all the same action/length and work great for all my different c.bait applications. 

Works for Rick, works for me!  It really does make a difference when you can change rods and the feel is exactly the same.

Just my opinion....and Rick Clunn's!!

[RobbyZ5001]

Nice rod selection and good set-ups. But I go by the Rick Clunn method and use the same action/length for multiple purposes. It makes it consistant for casting accuracy and feel. I think we get caught up in trying to get the perfect rod for a specific technique. Then we have a rod that we can ONLY use for that application. If you think about it..the same action for spinnerbaits is perfect for c-rigs, rattle baits, topwaters, and light pitching/flipping applications. I have three crankbait rods, all the same action/length and work great for all my different c.bait applications.

Works for Rick, works for me! It really does make a difference when you can change rods and the feel is exactly the same.

Just my opinion....and Rick Clunn's!!

]

That is solid advice. I have two problems with it though. The first problem is if we only have the same setup the tackle junky inside of us all will not be happy. Second I am not sure which combos I am the happiest with.

[Bass Dude]

Good point about the tackle junky!!! ;D ;D   This way lets you satisfy that with more lures!!!!!

[tholmes]

Critiquing your gear is easy.

You have more, newer and more expensive gear than I do ;D

Tom

[WanderLust]

Critiquing your gear is easy.

You have more, newer and more expensive gear than I do ;D

Tom

I was thinking the same thing.

Some good points though.

[Bassn Blvd]

"Critique My Gear"  That should be left for someone other than your fishing buddies.

[21farms]

i know SO many guys that jumped into the swimbait craze and dumped hundreds and hundreds of dollars on the big rods and reels and baits only to abandon it a few months later. count me as one of them! trust me on this...it's tough on your shoulders and muscles, you don't get many bites and it's no fun for anyone trying to fish conventionally with you. my advice is to buy used...there's tons of it out there cheap if you go to the buy and sell forums at swimbaitnation and tackletour.

for hollow bellies of 6" and less, you don't need special gear...a 734 or 744 is more than adequate.

[J Francho]

The Cardiff 300 will be fine for big baits.  Look for used Calcuttas, though.  There's good deals out there, and they're easy to bring up to better than new.

[RobbyZ5001]

"Critique My Gear" That should be left for someone other than your fishing buddies.

I can't change what I am stuck with. Might as well not let it bother me at this point in life... :-/