Swimbait rod for the river

[TheFishinFool]

Im curious as to what rod you guys use for throwing big swimbaits in the river.The rods i ususally throw swimbaits on are at least 7'6" and i think that would just get in the way unless i was fishing by myself.I usually fish out of a coleman crawdad but a canoe some to and usually im in the back and its just hard to sling a rod like that where i want without worrying about wacking one of my buddies in the head:p.Id like to find one 7 foot or under but one capable of throwing big baits up to 2 oz or so.Never really thrown a swimbait in the river but as i can see the results and the results are PIGBEASTS.Any help would be appreciated,TFF

[PawPaw]

I would think you can use a rod at least 6ft. 6in up but I would recommend at least a Medium Heavy action with a Fast tip. That's what I use and it works fine. I don't have any rods I fish out of my yak with
that are more that 6' 10" long.

[patrick reif]

I'm building a spinner swimbait right now that's about 7" long and will be around the 3/4-1 oz range when fully assembled. It's modeled after the Bulldawg muskie plug

I really can't help with 2oz baits though, however, the St. Croix avid AC70MHF is a good rod for swimbaits. It's a little fatter than I care to throw all day, but it's light and stiff. The price can be a bit prohibitive as well, but it's a nice rod with a great warranty. 3/8-1oz lures and 10-20# test line I bought mine used on E-Bay a couple winters back for about $75 with shipping. It can handle heavier weights, but I wouldn't go over 1.25oz

On a budget rod would be the Fenwick HMXT 610. It's rated for lures in the 1/2- 1 1/2oz range and 12-25# line. This rod is a broomstick with a super fast tip. I paid about $85 as i remember. It's a good rod, but not great. The handle needs to be about 4" longer and a little fatter. I've earmarked this for my spinner swimbait rod. I think it'll be okay for that. It's a little tip heavy so I taped $2 worth of quarters to the butt. I figure if the fish ain't biting, I could throw a quarter in the river and wish for a fish.LOL

I also have a fenwick HMX 60H. I've only got about 4 floats this year with this rod, but I like it. 6' long and super stiff. It's rated as a heavy action, but I think it's more of a MHF. I'm using it for spinnerbaits and have grown a new appreciation for a shorter rod with spinners. Once again the Fenwick has a shorter butt than I like, and the handle is a bit skinny, but it's a good rod that I can live with.
Rated for baits 3/8-1 3/8oz with line between 10-25# test

If I was throwing a 2+oz swimbait and wanted a specific rod for that bait only, I'd likely head to BPS with a spooled reel and the bait I was going to use, and search their Extreme line up.
It's rated 3/8- 1 3/8oz baits with 10-25#test line

[blake]

Go custom. Plenty of blank choices that are affordable that can handle 2 oz. A good builder will help you decide how fast or slow of action that you need. Plus you get to decide rod length and more importantly handle length.

I have been trying to search for a 2-3 oz swimbait rod myself, especially something with a shorter butt to use in a kayak while sitting. I have found some shorter musky rods at Thorne Bros and Rollie Helen's but I think the action might be off on them. Keeps leading me back to another custom rod.

[TheFishinFool]

I was kinda leaning towards a custom rod.Because if i went that way i think i would be able to use the rod for more applications.But also beeing tight on money almost makes me want to go cheaper.So many needs and wants.:rolleyes:

[patrick reif]

if you're gonna go custom, have it built for one job. Don't skimp on the materials either.

Start with a quality blank and follow through with quality componants...for one job

Best advice is to never fish with something you can't afford to lose.

[HiCountry]

I just use my 7' crankbait rod for my swimbaits. Seems to work ok for me.

[sumtershoaliefan]

I've been using a 7" medium heavy falcon cara and it works great. You really also need to make sure you're using a reel that's designed for throwing big baits as well. I really like the Diawa Zillion for this.


SSF

[riverlover]

I've been using a 7" medium heavy falcon cara and it works great. You really also need to make sure you're using a reel that's designed for throwing big baits as well. I really like the Diawa Zillion for this.


SSF

So would an older Chronarch work for this?