Swimbaitstud

Lmk if you ever have questions on the big stuff!

I usually lock it and back off if I hang a good one. For lighter line or cranking I’ll just back off a couple turns to where it feels good

Bull wake is a good one. Probably my best night fishing bait ever

You will 100% not regret getting a slammer! 9” two or 3 piece is money in any color Off topic, but can you tell me about that bait? Was just going to pick up a few. What setup you throwing it on?

I think a big misconception is that these are a one-bite-per-day kind of baits. That’s not true at all. Especially once you start to figure them out. Another misconception is that you’re only catching giants on them. I have days catching twenty 2lbers on a 8-10” wake bait. But it’s another technique you have to LEARN! You didn’t pick up a crankbait and become a pro with it in 10 casts, but you stuck with it. People make 10 casts with a big bait and immediately begin doubting the bait. “It’s too big”. “Fish aren’t eating bait this big”. “The splash scares the fish”. None of these are true. I fish team tourneys….by myself. Most days in summer, I only fish a swimbait. Spring and fall it’s a mix of swimbaits and conventional. My pb smallie and LM both came on a swimbait. My biggest 5 bag ever came on a swimbait. Most of my tourney wins come on swimbaits. They are worth giving a try! I have no idea how I managed to post this in the tackle section 🤪

I have 3 or 4 of the previous gen 200s and all are 6.3. The 6.3 is gonna be better for wakes and cranks generally. But if I was using it for everything I’d honestly go 7.3 I think. For the size wakes you will be throwing it’ll be fine. Once you step up to a 300 size and big rod for stuff over 3oz, then I’d drop down to a 6.3

For $150 new I hear the new tatula x is killer

Ive been a minority here in Maine for many years, being into the big stuff. Was wondering who here lives the big baits? Whats your favorite? What do you consider big? What’s the heaviest or longest you’ve caught fish on? My favorite bait of all time is a 9” slammer. I have a “few” of them dated back as far as 1998. For me, a bait isn’t big until you get to the over 10” range. My heaviest bait catch was on a Roman made mother I think. That’s an 11oz bait. The longest is definitely a slammer snake or super slammer. Those are 15” and 16” baits. That said, I do t really fish much of that stuff anymore. A lot more 6-10” baits for me now

That spro king daddy is a big fish magnet!

I also prefer a longer leader and it’s not ideal with the t-wing. I run all Daiwa but don’t love the t-wing. Even a pretty clean blood knot or Alberto knot won’t pass thru. Prob with having to keep your leader to 4-5’ is that I’m always have to tie a new leader on thru the course of a day after retying regularly

I’m bringing back the tube hard this year. Used to serve me well 20 years ago and I feel like people have forgotten about it with all the new bfs stuff now. Gonna throw it on a jighead and flip it also

This was an awesome read! I’m prob in the same boat as the OP and have been kinda learning the history of the zillion. Been a daiwa guy for years but all 200 and 300 big bait reels. Just been getting into the tatula and zillion the last year. I have very little experience like some of you, but here’s a few things I’ve noticed on my few zillions: -‘21 I just picked up so haven’t fished it yet, but it’s light and smooth. This is the 8.5 and went on my drx755 and I think will be money for a jig/pitchin/froggin -‘16 zillion tws in a 7.3. I actually like this one a lot for all around applications. It casts really well, is smooth and light and I like the CT frame. Had this on a dc734 and did anything from spinnerbait to bladed jig, swim jig, senko and it did them well. -zillion tws as said above is wide and heavy. Had it on a spinnerbait/bladed jig rod and did not like it at all. This is a 6.3 and really struggled to find a good application. This year, I’ll have it paired on an 805cb for 14-19’ cranks. I think it’s going to do great. It seems to need a dense bait to get good distance and it’s a very rugged reel. I have another in a 5.5 and that’ll be on my 806cb for the deepest cranks and maybe a few swimbaits

I eat and write with my right. But I throw and kick with my left. My left arm is by far the stronger arm but right hand is more coordinated lol. Takes me about 8 minutes to reel in a cast with my left hand and I look like a clown doing it. Fortunately I cast left so I don’t have to switch. And here’s the real kicker…..I reel right on a baitcast, but left with a spinning reel 🤣

Pretty stoked on the new big jig/pitching setup. Just got this xtasy 755 and zillion sv tw. My first xtasy and man it’s nice. Got a 706cb as well and a new coastal sv 150 to go on a 736 for frogs and flipping. I’ve been busy trying to get back into conventional. As I would say is a theme of this forum…..the bait monkey wins again 🤣

Got lots hanging on the walls but this is my best fishing art lol. 9” Slammer and 8” Huddleston on my backbone. And you can’t see it well but also have “Bassaholic” across the top. Also have an owner st41 treble on my chest but that one has a long story to it haha

Picks up my 2001 Tracker pt185 about 6 years ago. Has a 90 mercury 2 stroke. It was all original and had barely been used. But it’s old. I added a deck extension so it fishes much bigger. Upgraded the original MG trolling motor to a fortrex 80. Currently running a HB helix 12 msi up front with 2 helix 7s at the console. Just started the new carpet project this fall and got the rear deck done and will finish the front in June. Hoping some day I can afford to go to a pt 195 just for some stability in rough water, more storage room, a quicker ride and To have something newer that doesn’t always need work!

Ty, sir!

Haha I love it!

This is a saltwater bait made by Gag’s Grabbers aka Al Gag’s baits and is called Mr Bunker. Been out of production for a long time. There was a 3” and 4” version. I had the 4” in a bunker color and caught hundreds of fish on it, including a 6-5 that’s still my tourney PB. I also saw a 5.5 and 7lber caught on it in the same day.

If you ever wish to try the greatest bladed jig and spinnerbait rod that exists, try the 746cb. I got the 805 and 806 for crankin so I could move my two 746s back to cb/sb duty. Also have a 706cb on the way tho. Got it for big jerkbaits like the pointer 128, as well as some lipless and tight quarter spinnerbaiting. I’m finding there’s a lot you can do with a heavy cb rod!

Couldn’t find the giants this year and never broke 6 but did manage the pb pike with this 8-3 on a 9” slammer. It was a good year nonetheless

That’s awesome! And also, I’m sorry to hear that 🤣

I cranked last year on the Dobyns xp746cb and kd735cb. This year for the bigger/deeper stuff I picked up an xp 805cb and 806cb. I’d like to get better with the 8 and 10xd for that 17-23’ range

Good 6” magdraft rod. Anything with trebles from 1.5-3.5oz really

I second copperstate tackle. Great place for sales. Just picked up a daiwa coastal and Dobyns 805cb and 736. Free shipping and they dont charge extra on 8’ rods