What type of rod do you guys who use the Big Hammers and other smaller swimbaits in the 4-6 inch size look for? A couple of weeks ago I was fishing the 4 inch Big Hammers with good success but I was using a 6'6" MH rod that just wasn't the right setup. I had trouble getting a good hookset on fish and if a fish hit near the beginning I couldn't hardly do a thing. A lot of fish were lost near the boat so rod with a softer tip would be a good idea. I have been looking for something that 7'6" but I can't seem to find anything. The rod will used with 10-15lb line and matched up with either a Curado or CT250. Looking over the reviews on the site I was interested in St Croix but it 8ft and a little more than I was hoping to spend. I'm mostly a troller but this year I plan on expanding with a few new presentations.

I had the same problem last spring Rob and the other members here helped me solve the problem. For me the Rogue jr swimbait stick is the best choice it is 7'9" H w/ a crankbait like action it is perfect for throwing storms/big hammers/optimums ect Overall for this type of bait you want a rod that has enough power to horse the fish and keep them under the water but will flex enough so you dont pull the hook and you want a heavier rod than you think you need because big fish like to eat these little swimbaits. Always keep the fish under the water when fishing a hammer because IME I have lost everyone that has jumped.

The question I have is what size lead heads are you using. One rod migh be better suited for a 4" Hammer on a 1/2 ounce head, but another rod for the 1 ounce head on the 5 or 6" bait.

I use Hammers primarily in the salt. I use a 7'1" GLX Loomis jig rod for 4" with a 1/2 ounce head. On the bigger baits like 5" hammer and 3/4-1 1/2 ounce head on my Calcutta 815 (I think the new one is MH or H) And maybe an 820 if I am fishing heavy kelp or rock.

I should have said that would would use a set up like Dan is talking about in deep water Kelp. For freshwater casting for LMB I think the set up I mentioed is much better.

Rod selection on hammers or any small leadhead type swimbait like that has a lot to do with what species of fish you're fishing for. Bass have this horrible habit of jumping and spitting those baits so my theory on the bass is to use a softer tip rod than I normally would. Guys who fish Hammers for dorado will tell you they lose a lot of fish on them too because the dorado jump so much.

So for bass, I use my Rainshadow SW967's which are very parabolic and soft action ...but a custom one is going to run up around $200. The new Okuma Med-Heavy may be a good option once it becomes more available they just aren't quite out yet in volume. I have one on order and will do a review on that rod when it comes in. If you want something right now for bass or jumping fish for cheap, the Heartland like Urban mentioned is totally the right action.

For saltwater and non-jumping fish then you want to use a super stiff rod and just drive the hook in. Captain Larry Heron is one of the best calico bass I've ever fished with and he throws his Hammers on very stiff Shimano rods like the Calcutta 815 and 820 even with ligher line like 12 and 15lb.

One last consideration would be how soft or hard the fish's mouth is. I know a lot of guys like to use the 3" hammers trolling for trout and that's a case where not only do the fish jump but they have really soft mouths so you have to go even lighter on the rod actions.

Anyway, hope that helps some.

I think this is the perfect scenario for the Daiwa Heartland rod. The rod was not perfect for the big baits, but it was what I had so I used it. Now that Im set up for big baits, I use the Heartland for all the smaller baits like optimums and mission fish. I think it works great, and its an affordable rod.

Thanks for the help guys. Rob and Dan, you guys both had some very good comments and brought up considerations I hadn't thought of when considering the different rods. I will check out the Heartland and also the Okuma. The rod will be used for browns, macks, cutts, and some bass fishing.