I have been having alot of luck latley w/ 4-6" swimbait big hammer and optimum internal heads I have been using a jig rod 7' MH fast tip and I definatley miss more than I catch. What is the best action for fishing these type of baits?

Poll question: What kinda of rods do you like for big hammer type swimbaits?

Poll result (10 votes) Heavy Fast Tip (7 votes) Vote Medium Heavy Fast Tip (1 votes) Vote Heavy Moderate action (2 votes) Vote Medium Heavy Moderate Action (0 votes) Vote

On 4" swim baits that I use for Stripers in the fall I like my heavy composit cranking rod (it is a Shimano so I know it wont meet your standards ;) )

Not sure if it would work for the 6" baits but I have noticed that I have started loosing less fish when I started using cranking rods (I was using a glass rod before I bought the composit rod)

John isnt a cranking rod concider a moderate action? That is also what I was thinking probably using a cranking rod but all the ones I have are M action so I will have to get something else.

the one I have is a heavy action cranking rod. Loomis makes several model of cranking rods with different actions. I usally use the rod for big cranks like a Norman DD-22

I like the Calcutta 815XFA, I have not fished the 715XFA, but it might be great too.

Hey Sacto John,
I was also thinking that the H loomis crank rod would be good but the back handles are real short. I decided to use my 8' M and it works great for 4" baits basicly a crankbait rod. Anyhow I only missed a few and got a 7.14 and a 6.1 on it yesterday so it will handle a good fish.
Thanks for the imupt.

Hey Talor,
I use those style of swimbaits in the bays here in San Diego and catch a ton of bay bass. I always use a 7ft hvy rod because I fish real deep and have a lot of line out. The fish wont hold the bait long so you have to stick them fast. Thats were the stiff rod helps. Fresh water bass maybe diferent but if you find your self missing hookstes try a low stretch line(fluoro) and a fast rod. You will hook alot more fish.

Hey Matt,
I was having great luck w/ my 8' M for bigger fish that just gulp the bait and loosing alot of smaller fish I am not really fishing in water deeper than 6'. I have 2 set ups right now for my smaller swimbaits

4" swimbaits 8' M 17lb floro
5-6" 7'8" H 20lb floro

My problem right now is that I cant hook fish that are not engulfing that bait consistantly on either rod if I just wack it I end up pulling the baits away from them? What do you think.

I fish 6” storm wild eyes on an Okuma GS-C-761MH. I have taken many largemouth on this set up. It might not be your rod. I run through times when the fish are not taking the storm well, they are just bumping it. The Okuma GS-C-761MH also works well on wood baits.

Henry

My experience is only with salty bass but they arent that diferent, plus they are usualy small. It sounds like you are pulling the bait out of their mouths. I have seen it a couple times in the shallows where a spottie will engulf the whole bait and I set the hook and the fish is on for a few seconds and then just spits it out. I think that that style swimbait is easy for them to grab ahold of and not get hooked. Just like with the big swimbaits some lube should help if that is the problem. I like megastrike because it lasts a long time. I know you know this but your hooks need to be sticky sharp. A lot of cheap leadheads dont have real sharp hooks and espesialy with that type of bait dull hooks will cost you fish. Henry also makes a good point. if they are just slapping it then you might want to downsize a little.

In saltwater, like Matt is saying, you are fishing deep and you need a firm hookset. Any of the Shimano 812, 815, 820 rods are great for big hammers. The Okuma swimbait rods have the right actions also. The thing in saltwater is that the fish don't jump, well at least most don't.

If largemouth bass didn't jump, or if I was fishing mostly 25lb test and could fully horse the fish in, I'd use the same stiff rods like above. The problem is that they do jump, and I fish mostly 16lb test with big hammers, and consequently the bass have a bad habit of spitting the bait with 3/4 or 1oz leadheads. That's why for largemouth I throw the Rainshadow SW976 which is an 8' composite action. It has the power to move the fish but it is not a stiff rod by any means. The basic idea for me is to stick them as hard as possible, reel as fast as possible, and if they are heading up to jump, use all 8 feet of the rod to try to hold them down. Where you lose a lot of fish is when they eat it in shallow water and they jump immediately. Its just a tough situation when that happens.

This is the time of year when the big hammer bite gets going for me on grass lakes especially. All the bluegill and shad up shallow make that bite really turn on :) I need to go fishing...

Rob you basicly hit it on the nose I have the rogue jr. swimbait rod w/ you have compared to the rainshadow in the past. Even that is not working I hook the fish and ten seconds later there in the air. I did manage to get a 7lb14oz and a 6lb1oz the other day and went out sunday and lost 4 over 5 on the jump. Anyhow I am happy I have finnaly found a great place for swimbaits and know why everyone loves them so much.

If I had to guess, the bass are probably clamping your bait. I really believe that a lot of times when a bass hits a Big Hammer, it thinks that its hitting a bluegill and it grabs the bait by the head and tries to crush it. Bass I think know that bluegill are spiny fish, so they try to kill them, then turn them around and eat them. When you get drilled on the Big Hammer and swing and the bass shoots straight up and spits it, I think a lot of times you don't even have the hook in the fish because the fish was just clamping down on the leadhead. Sometimes all you can do is set as hard as you can and then keep setting the hook. Going up to 20 or even 25lb test can help too. There's too much stretch in 10-15lb a lot of times.

Thanks rob I am not really sure if that is what is happening all the time but a few times for sure. I have also fought them for a while and they jump and there gone. If I am able to spot it early I can get the rod in the water and keep them from jumping but that does not always work. I guess I will have to figure someting out to keep these fish on.

PS check out this fish I got on a 4" storm the other day what do you think happened to it?

http://www.calfishing.com/gallery/1/aaf?full=1

I use a Calcutta 810,812,815 and 820 XFA for all my swimabits, but that's saltwater only. I use a MBR853 GLX loomis for the spotted bay bass w/ 4" hammers and 1/2 head. It all depends on head size and where your fishing at. Calicos close to the kelp I use a 815 or 820 so you can pull them away before they wrap you in the kelp.

What's the fun in that Dan? Fish like Jack with 8 pound and a Jerk-itt in the kelp or up on the boilers. LOL.

Jake

I like to land my fish not lose them to the kelp because I fish too light of line. I still only use 15#

Hi, I didn't read thru all the responses, so if someone mentioned this already, sorry. Concerning missing fish...are you swinging when you get bit? That will cause that. When bit, keep winding-- wind like a madman until the tip loads. Don't swing until that happens. The reason why is that you have a either a lot of line out and/or stretch in it so you if you just swing, they aren't even feeling it. Winding a fish on sets the hook many times before the rods does. Also, by continuing to wind, the fish will keep biting up the bait much like a dog with a sock being pulled from it. Swinging alone may just jerk it from them if they don't have a good hold yet. As for rods, I like MH or H heavy tips like on Shimano Calcutta XFAs or Terramars.

Big Hammer Swimbaits-Hammerhead Jigheads
www.swimbait.com
Pro-Cure Scents
www.pro-cure.com

That wont really work either because they are just wacking it some are not even geting the hook at all. I have found the best way to get em' is let them have it for just a second and then wack it. Anyhow there still comming off on the jump I lost a 7+ yesterday on a 5" steves shad.