There's nothing like a big swimbait to lure monster bass into a strike.
But you don’t want to grab just any rod when casting swimbaits, as they can be so heavy that they threaten to destroy less robust rods with each cast. And when you do get an eight-pounder to nail your swimbait, you'll have that much more weight and resistance to overcome.
As a result, descriptions like "powerful," "durable," and "fight-ready" better be a lot more than just advertising copy!
I know that picking a swimbait rod isn't quite as easy as popping into BassPro, and I'm here to help.
Below, you'll find reviews of some of my favorite swimbait rods, as well as a complete buying guide to get you up to speed right now.
No products found. | Dobyns
Length: 8’
Power: Mag Heavy
Action: Fast
Lure weight: 3 - 10 oz.
Line weight: 20- 50 lbs.
Dobyns rods are perennially at the top of our short list for specialized bass rods, and the Champion Series Swimbait Rod is certainly no exception.
They manufacture the blank for this rod from high-modulus graphite and then wrap it in Kevlar to ensure premium durability. Up-armored like a Humvee destined for Afghanistan, the 807 MAGH is a beast that can load under 10-ounce swimbaits and never miss a beat.
Casting is excellent with this rod, due in part to component quality that crushes the competition. Expect Fuji Alconite guides, a Fuji reel seat, and a cork grip that'll be the envy of every fishing buddy you show it to.
When I tied into a big bass, I knew it was no match for the Dobyns and 30-pound braid, and I was right.
This rod has backbone to spare without feeling like you're fishing with a baseball bat in your hands, and the long cork handles really do provide plenty of space for hard fights and maneuvering one-handed when the time comes to land your fish.
If I had a niggle about this awesome rod, it would be that it's just as heavy as you'd expect, and my arms and wrist started feeling the fatigue a lot earlier in the morning than I expected.
That said, this rod mastered everything that I hooked, and if I were chasing strippers, trophy bass, pike, or musky, I'd be excited about what it has to offer on the cast and fight - and you will be, too!
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Cons:
No products found. | Bass Pro | Tackle Direct
Length: 7’11”
Power: Extra-Extra Heavy
Action: Fast
Lure weight: 5 - 14 oz.
Line weight:
Okuma's tackle is well regarded for its consistent price-to-performance ratio, and if you're looking for a dedicated swimbait rod that won't set you back two Benjamins, you should take a closer look at this option.
Their Guide Select "A" Swimbait Rod is made from IM-8 graphite, and Okuma has beefed this blank up even more with what it calls "Unidirectional Fiber Reinforcement technology," that promises increased durability and strength.
In hand, this rod feels admirably stout, and it had no trouble loading under heavy swimbaits and topwater lures like rats.
Was it as confidence-inspiring as the Dobyns?
No, but then that's not realistic, either, given the price difference between these two sticks.
Nevertheless, when I put this rod through its paces, I found that it cast well with heavy lures, and the Fuji K-series guides did good work keeping my line intact.
The XXH power was nice to have when I was retrieving an 8-ounce swimbait and got hammered, and the full strength of this would probably only be necessary with stripers, pike, and the like.
The handle is made from EVA foam, and the designed is a split-grip fan's dream come true in a heavy rod.
Yes, this rod is heavy, as you'd expect, and the component quality falls a bit behind the Dobyns, a nod in the direction of pricing.
But for less than two bills, the Guide Select "A" Swimbait Rod is a great buy, and you'll be more than pleased with its performance.
Pros:
Cons:
Length: 8'
Power: Extra-heavy
Action: Mod.-fast
Lure weight: 2 - 8 oz.
Line weight: 20 - 50 lbs.
KastKing has built an enviable reputation for quality at a fair price, and while their rods don't enjoy the name recognition of Dobyns, St. Croix, or Penn, they're nicer than you might imagine.
To see if that was the case in this instance, I decided to test the KastKing Speed Demon Pro Tournament Series rod on a long weekend on the water.
I came away impressed, to say the least, and I while this rod may not rival the Dobyns in performance, it's a real competitor with the Okuma.
KastKing offers this swimbait rod with a carbon fiber blank that's been reinforced with "Carbon Nano Tube resin technology" that decreases weight and improved durability and fighting strength.
The result is a rod that shrugs off hard casts with big swimbaits and fights like it can't lose.
KastKing delivers this rod with Fuji LN guides, a quality component choice, to be sure, but nothing like the Alconite model the Dobyns wears, and that's generally true across the board with this rod: at this price, you can't expect premium anything.
But a few minutes in your hand will have you smiling at the casting and fighting of this rod, and the split grip looks as good as it feels.
I didn't have any trouble in the short term with this rod, but I have heard rumors that it's not as tough as it could be, especially over months or years of use.
Is that deal breaker?
I don't think so: if you're rod is going to break because of a manufacturer's defect, that tends to happen immediately or not at all.
Pros:
Cons:
Length: 7'9"
Power: Medium-heavy
Action: Fast
Lure weight: 1 - 5 oz.
Line weight: 15 - 30 lbs.
Not every angler needs a beast tamer like the Dobyns Champion, and if you throw lighter swimbaits, this Champion XP rod might be just what you're looking for.
Dobyns builds the blank of this rod from high-modulus graphite, essentially duplicating the tech of the 807 MAGH.
In practice, that means that you get the added strength of Kevlar wrapping without the added weight, and while this rod can't handle an 8- to 10-ounce swimbait, it can cast a 1- to 5-ounce lure a country mile!
It can also fight any bass out there, and plenty of anglers like this rod for applications like pitching and flipping, umbrella rigs, and even flutter spoons.
Why?
It has the power to pull heavy lures through the water without a lot of effort on your part, and it doesn't fatigue your hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders anywhere near as quickly as heavier options.
Expect the Champion XP to wear premium Fuji components that keep this rod head and shoulders above the competition.
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Swimbait rods are typically specialized, offering heavy-power blanks, long handles, and the backbone you need to pull an anchor onboard.
But there's a lot more to a good rod for this technique than just stiffness.
Let's take a look at how we pick our own swimbait rods.
I like a swimbait rod in the neighborhood of about 8 feet.
The reason is that you want a longer rod to help you load and casts heavy lures, and longer sticks definitely launch big, hard-bodied swimbaits further than a standard 6- to 7-foot bass rod.
The other reason to go long is that when you're fighting mean fish like stripers and pike, that extra leverage is always nice to have.
This is the real dividing line: do you want a rod for stripers, pike, and musky or are you looking for a bass rod?
If you're chasing big freshwater species, an extra-heavy rod with all the power you can muster is the best pick. You'll want that "steel" to win fights, turn heads, and control brutes up close to your boat.
But if you're a bass fisherman, a lighter rod will more than cover your bases, as even the lightest rod on our list will dominate a trophy bass.
If you're unfamiliar with the idea of a rod's "power," let me explain.
"Power" refers to how much force it takes to get a rod bending, with extra-heavy power rods feeling unyielding until you load them with a heavy lure or tie into a big fish.
"Action," in contrast to "power," means where on the rod force will bend it.
The faster the action, the more sensitive the tip, and the closer near the end of the rod the blank will want to bend.
For swimbaits, I prefer a fast or moderate fast action to really work these lures into the tight turns, long glides, and side-to-side runs they're rightly famous for.
I look for swimbait rods that can handle at least 20- to 30-pound braid.
Anything less is too little for swimbait fishing, in my opinion, as you really want to be able to run heavy, no-stretch line when you're casting long distances and may need to set the hook with 50m yards of line in the water.
Swimbaits are anything but light, and I want a rod that can load under the size I plan to use.
Typically, that's not less than 3- to 4-ounces for me, and it may be as heavy as 8 to 10.
This is a big concern.
Casting heavy lures with lots of oomph means that your rod is going to be subjected to massive stress.
And repeated casts over the course of a weekend are going to test your rod's resilience, no question about it.
And from the tip to the ferrule, reel seat to the guides, big nasty fish are going to try to destroy your tackle.
Finally, I want a swimbait rod that casts from Port Fourchon to Grande Isle, or for those of you not from south Louisiana, a long, long way.
I want to be able to stand off and avoid spooking bass, especially in early autumn, and I want to have the accuracy I need to make precise throws to set up long runs, target transition zones, and drop my swimbaits where they matter the most.
For fighting, I want the best guides I can afford, a never-say-die blank, and plenty of power to wrestle big fish.
I can't tell you which swimbait rod is the best fit for you and your budget, but I can recommend every rod on our shortlist today.
They'll all get the job more than done, and if you choose the right one for your swimbaits and budget, you pretty much can't go wrong.
Have I missed your favorite swimbait rod?
Leave us a comment and let me know!
My name is Thomas Barto I have an f r 765 flip and stick fury series Dobbins rod and Dobbins rod fr 806sb 8 ft one piece it's rated for 2 to 8 oz and my and my fr765 flip is rated at 1/4 to 2 oz and it's a medium heavy flip with a fast action now these are the only two Dobbins rods I own and I'm just getting into swimbaits I want to start off with an s waiver 165 and I have some bluegill swim baits that are weighted just under the two oz mark I would like to know if these rods are capable of doing the job or do I need to buy one more rod also the reals to use I have only one round reel it's an old one but very good condition and that's an old quantum classic 1421 m6c can you can you tell me if I'm in the right ballpark or not
try what you have