What could be the best swimbait rod?
I am trying to find good rod for osprey 7'and missionbait.
Will G.loomis Musky rod do good job?

For 7 and 9 inch type baits there are a pretty decent number of good rods out there. Personally I fish this Rainshadow SW976 blank. It's composite, 8' and fishes like a big crankbait rod with a very uniform bend in the rod. Only problem is they are hard to come by and you have to get them custom wrapped. The good part is that the blanks only cost me 45 bucks :-)

Stock rods, I don't know any models off hand. Brands to check out. Loomis, Graphite USA, Graphtec, Wade's Rods, All Star. Do yourself a favor and buy something 8'. Anything under 7' 6" just isn't right for that stuff IMO.

Thank you very much,swimbait for rod info.

I got a stock St Croix Muskie rod that's 8' that I use to throw the wood plugs and big swimbaits I'll check the model number and post it here

i got an 8 ft gl2 loomis rated 1-6oz, use for the trout plugs and also for throwin the plastic in the ocean and such.

If anyone is interested in Swimbait's blank, here's the information:

Rainshadow Composite:
SWS967 8'0" 1 15-25 0.660 6.0 MOD-FAST MED/HVY $58.84

http://www.customtackle.com/cgi-bin/cts/ctstore.cgi?page=rainshadowcomp.html&cart_id=9826587_14330&partner=cts

I would recommend getting a rod that is designed for throwing swim baits.Definitely graphite composite. Which boils down to a saltwater inshore rod. I fish a phenix 965 or 908, you can get the same rods from Loomis if you prefer. Just be aware that, the one with the Loomis Name on it will cost a lot more and make no mistake it's the same rod. Also the the calstar GX-8, Grafighter extra light 8 or 9 ft. Pac Bay, Loomis, Lamiglas, and Seeker all have a lots of moldels of plastic sticks.

It all depends on if you just plan on trowing larger baits (stiffer), tope water soft plastic baitss (light tip for poping), or if you plan on throwing smaller baits as well bigger trout imitations (mid range). As mentioned in the other post I would also recommend fishing a longer stick. Don't be afraid to fish an 8 or even a 9 foot stick. it will give greater castind distance and control. You notice the advantage once you use it. Good luck.

JErryG

try looking at roguerods.com. they have a swimabit rod that is especialy for big swimbaits.

hey guys,
i got a #CT-90H penn rod that was donated to me by my dad's friend. it says that it is rated for 15-30 lbs. test and 1-3 oz. lures. i believe it's made for salmon/steelhead fishing. i was wondering if you any of you guys know if this rod would be adequate enough to throw any of the swimbaits all you guys like to use in the winter. any help would be greatly appreciated.

I found a place on that has the Rainshadow SWCR967 blank for $41.81. That's a great price for a composite rod. angelfire.com/ks/bingham/batsalt.html

I saw it at several sites but this one was the cheapest by far.

JerryG

I personnaly use the Loomis GL2 BBR 884, it's an 8' Mag Heavy rod. It is rated for 2-10oz. and I throw the 9" Osprey's and Castaic Soft trout with no problem. It casts a mile and has the back bone to drive the hook home. Great rod but costs around $180, but well worth the price in my opinion.

What about the reel, spinning or bait casting?

Bait casting for sure.

For the rod you might want to check out the Shimano Calcutta XFA815 or XFA820 or similar rods in their lower priced models.

absolutely, I think the Calcutta's are world class rods, very powerfull, and extremely light, also, they are wrapped by G-Loomis, the 815 is a beautiful rod for throwing 7" baits, whereas the 820 is ideal for the wood, IMO. Can't beat Shimano's warranty either!!!!
Dane

On the bait casting subject..what techniques or tactics would you recommend to unfrustrate a prospective convert? What model reel would you buy for the beginner? I had an old Shimano Bantam combo but I could only throw it side armed (overhead would cause bird's nest)

If you want to go all out get a Calcutta. Otherwise you could go with a Cardiff or Catala. I don't have any of the those but I have heard they are good.

Practice, practice, practice. You will be frustrated and you will be picking backlashes out - it's part of the game - part of the learning process (and you will also learn how to un-tangle backlashes - how the loops are formed and why they tangle). When I learned I practiced throwing from a pier I found that extra time it takes for the bait to hit the water helped.

When you learn to be proficient at it and discover all of the benefits of casting over spinning you will realize that all the frustration was worth it.

I like the G-LOOMIS that Jeff mentions (GL2 BBR 884). IMO, musky rods don't have the backbone to throw anything heavier than 4 ounces. I've got a Shimano Calcutta 400S baitcasting reel on it. The lack of a level-wind takes a little getting used to, but the lack of friction from the line guide increases my casting distance.
NoTrollMotor

if you are beginning, i would suggest a shimano bantam curado. 5 ball bearings and one roller bearing and very smooth. retail for about 130-140 dollars but well worth it. the first one i ever bought and i do not buy anything else. plus it has some brake settings to help prevent the backlash until you get more used to it.
<mailto:timgomes@attbi.com>

>On the bait casting subject..what techniques or tactics would
>you recommend to unfrustrate a prospective convert? What
>model reel would you buy for the beginner? I had an old
>Shimano Bantam combo but I could only throw it side armed
>(overhead would cause bird's nest)

I swing a 8 foot big bait special by Phenix,along with a cutta 400.Slick as snot.I like it better than a nine foot rod i use to throw made by all star,the california calico special althogh it definatly did the trick.And i can throw all baits with the Phenix seven inch stockers all the way up to 12" Slammers .It trolls great as well,the all star was a little to fast actioned.Hook ups are definatly alot smother with the Phenix.All this stuff is too expensive in my opinion but if you want the best.........you know the rest.Keep your lines tight and your rod tips up!