Swimbait Rods

[jrk]

Hello all.
Interested in getting input on swimbait rod recommendations for my son’s Christmas gift, and I know diddly about what’s good and bad out there, although I’ve looked pretty hard across internet.
First bait would most likely be a slow sinking or floating Deps Bullshooter 160, which I believe is just shy of 4oz. It’d be nice to have ability to thrown above this for some of the Huddlestons in medium size. I know all about rod weight ranges from my saltwater throwing, where some rods do better on low side of spec where others do better on high side of spec.
I’ve no idea of what to expect budget wise, but making an assumption that 300 would cover a pretty nice rod. I see Dobyns a lot, see some good reviews on iRod builds, assuming Loomis does some, maybe St Croix’s Musky stuff.
Forgot to mention neither my son or I are fans of the micro-ish guides out there...as we mostly throw braid to leader, so this suggests a desired requirement.

Sincerely appreciate any input you can share on helping with this decision.

[Cranky]

Dobyns 867 would be the absolute gold standard for standard production rods or look into a Low Down Customs (LDC) as they’re very popular with the “in the know” Swimbait crowd.

Pretty cool of you to track down a Swimbait rod for your son!

[Revofisher]

i second the low down custom rods i bought one last year and it is a excellent rod for swimbaits. the white label are his rods that are made and put on the site for sale. they run 320 ish but are well worth it. The white label rods are spiral wrapped and come in three models 7'9 med hvy , 8' hvy, and 8' x hvy . the rods are mod fast taper.

[ogrich31]

I really enjoy my iRods. My favorite would be the 794 Large Swim, but the smaller guides are a no go for connection knots. There's the 804 Bailey's swim that has larger guides, but I haven't used mine yet.

You can always check out the Phenix M1 heavy swimbait rod, the one that's rated 1-6oz (iirc). Tons of people love that rod, but I'm not sure how big those guides are. If you're interested in that rod, let me know and I'll check the shop later to see if they have one and let you know what size the guides are.

For higher end, there's always customs, LDC, F5. Also, the Destroyer Onager is probably the most sensitive and balanced swimbait rod I've owned.

Cranky mentioned the Dobyns 867. Tons of people love this rod, including people I fish with. I've owned one of these also, and wouldn't use it for Hudds. The tip is too soft for my liking, but it would be great for treble hook baits. 6.5oz is probably the max I feel ok throwing (not great for that weight imo), but I know guys who say it's good for higher.

Where are you located and how big do the bass get? Any toothy critters in your waters? Will this rod be just for largies or for white bass as well?

[i_am_R2]

The Megabass XX Leviathan is worth considering. I am pretty amazed at how light and balanced it feels. Fished it only a few times so far but I really like it.

[jrk]

Wow...sincerely appreciate the responses.

I've really enjoyed watching my son become enthusiastic about fishing...he fishes every chance he can and has done pretty well. Swimbaits is something he's been interested in...and a no go if no rod to throw obviously. The 867 sounds like a nice rod. I had read about the LDC, but not up to speed on the details. Not heard about F5, and am a huge fan of the little lures I've tried from Megabass, so I'm sure those rods have to be nice.
Regarding the 867...I thought I read where this rod's wr was 4-16. I was assuming it would start getting soft around 8-10, but Ogrich31's comments have me concerned about 6 starting to load this rod.
I believe if I could find a rod that handled 3 - 8/10, this would be perfect...knowing full well that the higher end would be watered down a bit.

Ogrich31...mainly LMB...fresh, anywhere from Richmond, VA - Buxton, NC and occasionally south Fl. Yes, some of our waters have some pike, and some even musky.

[Cranky]

867 my opinion is 2-8oz is the best range. Some ppl throw way heavier with it but honestly for a rod you can order easily and readily available from a variety of places, I think you’d be hard pressed to beat a 867. There’s a reason most Swimbait guys use the 867 as a reference against other rods. You could get a 908 too but then you’re gonna lose the low end of the range. 867 is a better rod for Bullshooter size range stuff and has a very very capable operating range.

If you’re looking at LDC get a 8’ XH (3-8oz) and it would cover those bases. They have production models that are off the shelf plus obviously you could get a custom built.

Also may or may not be your style but a gift certificate to cover a rod of his own choosing isn’t a terrible idea either if you’re worried about him being more picky than you. Just throwing that out there.

[ogrich31]

If you're going up to 8.5oz, I'd look at the iRod Bailey's swim 804. I feel it casts heavier baits better than the Dobyns 867, but once I reach 7-8oz, I have a different rod for those baits. The Dobyns 867 does have a softer tip. It's just not the taper I like for swimbaits, that's all.

[ogrich31]

^^ used mine twice after my first post. Heaviest I used was 7.5oz with it.

[fishes]

The Megabass XX Leviathan is worth considering. I am pretty amazed at how light and balanced it feels. Fished it only a few times so far but I really like it.

I second this