Curious on how many of you have a setup to chunk large swimbaits and glidebaits. If you do, what do you use?

6 or 7 big rigs. Rods are Megabass Orochi, Daiwa DX and one old heavy medium fast white rod I use for medium sized topwater baits(can't remember the maker, but once hooked they're getting netted). Tatula 300, Scorpion 300, Tranx 300 & 400 and an old Lew's 300 Super Duty.

Don't follow my lead, you will suffer.🤣

I have a Diawa DX Heavy (2-8 oz rating) collecting dust. It handles baits in that range well. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for me. I just don’t have it in me to make long casts with baits in that range all day. WRB warned me that it was a lot of effort for the occasional big reward. After a couple of seasons, it turned out that I am not that kind of bass fisherman.

Speaking of the reels, I've used many different 300 size reels and they all work well. Just pick your favorite brand as several major brands make a model that size.

The only thing I'd say is to use a 300 size reel rather than a 200 size reel. The 300 reels not only have more capacity but are generally built for that added weight. Plus, these low profile 300 size reels aren't that big. Most of them are within an ounce or so of 100 size reels from 20 years ago.

Now, if all you have is a 200 or that's what you prefer, then go for it. I just think with as small and compact as reels have gotten that the 200 size has kinda gotten squeezed out.

I’m with you. I don’t like throwing around super heavy baits in search of bass. But I do own and fish a smaller rig. I experienced it a bit before deciding on a setup. I intentionally limited myself in several ways.

My swimbait rod will not comfortably throw baits over 3oz, which is good because neither will I. I mostly use it for 1-2oz baits, and while I’m not interested in throwing it all day, I do like having a rod to toss some of the 6-7” soft swimbaits around. I usually have a Daingerous, Magdraft or weighted swimbait tied on.

I also I’m not super keen on rods that start to approach fly fishing length because I own a kayak and they’re just cumbersome to have around. So I went with a rod below the 8’ length everyone seems keen on, but it works for what I’m doing.

And lastly, I don’t enjoy large baitcasting reels. I found a 200 size reel that works well enough for my purposes and isn’t too large.

Shorter rod, smaller reel, lure weight limit. These helped me not hate Swimbait fishing.

If I lived in California, I would invest in multiple rigs and simply deal with the things about those setups I don’t like. It’s REALLY fun when larger fish are eating those monstrosities. And honestly, you can get used to anything if it produces.

12 minutes ago, Happybeerbuzz said:

I have a Diawa DX Heavy (2-8 oz rating) collecting dust. It handles baits in that range well. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for me. I just don’t have it in me to make long casts with baits in that range all day. WRB warned me that it was a lot of effort for the occasional big reward. After a couple of seasons, it turned out that I am not that kind of bass fisherman.

Forgot about my 300 Calcutta Conquest MD

Dobyns champ 795 and a Lews BB1. 25LB. flouro,

I have 2 for larger swimbaits, a 300E Curado on a Dobyns 795 and a 300 Tatula on an Okuma Guide Select. I also have a rod I use for smaller swimbaits like big boot tails, hollow bodies, smaller glides and wakes, and line thrus which is a St. Croix Mojo Trigon 7' 4" H with a Diawa Tatula 200.

Daiwa 200 reels are basically Shimano 300s when it comes to size and capacity.

I have a 710 Hf St Croix BassX for 3/4 to 3 Oz baits. Has an og Citica E on it and I probably throw this rod more than most of my much higher end conventional gear.

Next step up is a 79Hr Tatula swimbait rod with Catalina tws (think older ZillionHD but jdm). It's pretty good but I sort of lack in the 3-5oz baits so it's not used a lot compared to others.

Big boy is a 710XXHf St Croix BassX. Tatula 200 on it. Not a super high-end combo but it does 90% as good as a Megabass or Leviathan for one eighththe price (paid 60 shipped). I throw Deps 250s and the big Baitsanity glides on it a fair amount. Baits this size get the fish to follow and show themselves which has helped find them (sans ffs). Like the old Nintendo game Black Bass, throw the bait and see the shadows come up behind it. Big baits can def be tiring, a rod that is comfortable is a huge help.

I put together a 'big baits' rod to expand my capabilities last year. I already had the chronarch 200E so I grabbed a Falcon Cara big bait rod (1-5 oz, 7'9"). I'm not throwing monster baits (8" magdraft biggest) and I'm not doing it a ton so I wanted something that was good for the more modest 6" baits in the 1.5 oz range and also maybe useful for other things (this rod is great for punching 1 oz plus bait). For throwing a 6" magdraft or similar 1-2 oz bait this rod is awesome. It's just the right power for managing that size of bait easily- just like throwing a 1/2 oz jig on a much smaller rod. Going up to the 8" magdraft, it will throw it just fine, but that's loading it up pretty deep. That said, it will throw it 40 yards with no problem.

I've got 3 setups for swimbaits:

• For hardbaits up to 3oz (S-Wavers, Deps 175, small wakes, rats, small crankdowns, small crawlers)

  • Rod: Dobyns Fury 795

  • Reel: Daiwa Tatula 200 w/ 20lb P-Line PF Original (copoly)

• For hardbaits 3oz+ (baits like bigger wakes, Cl8 baby possum, psycho trout/gill, Large MS Slammers, Deps 250)

  • Rod: Dobyns Champion 867

  • Reel: Daiwa Ryoga 1520 w/ 25lb P-Line PF Original (copoly)

• For softbaits (Hudds, Real Prey, WCZ, Burrito, 3:16)

  • Rod: Dobyns Champion 807

  • Reel: Daiwa Lexa 300 w/ 65lb braid to leader

Yeah a few options to cover everything small to large-ish.

Poison Adrena 74HR

Expride 77HMF

Spro KGB Chad Shad 79HM

Champ XP 794.5AR

IMX Pro 966SWBR

dobyns champ xp: 795
dobyns 836
dobyns 795 travel rod
irod genesis 3: 764 and 783
bass pro carbonlite glidebait rod
2x lews super duty 300 6.x:1 ratio (32 ipt)
1x shimano scorpion 300md (42 ipt)
1x abu beast 300 (27ipt)
1x 6.x:1 tatula 200
1x 7.x:1 tatula 200
it took me a while to figure out what my preferred setup style is. Now working on offloading the gear that i picked up in the process since I don't need 6 rods and reels. (not an ad)

No and 99.999% sure I never will.

Unless you are throwing baits on one of the reels designed for minimum weight with the skeletonized aluminum gears, hollow shafts, etc. I don't think any of the reels are out of the realm of use, after all we have been throwing the weighs involved with other species, presentations and similar presentations in other species, larger species without issues for a very longtime, fresh and saltwater.

3 hours ago, new2BC4bass said:

No and 99.999% sure I never will.

Why not?

33 minutes ago, spoonplugger1 said:

Unless you are throwing baits on one of the reels designed for minimum weight with the skeletonized aluminum gears, hollow shafts, etc. I don't think any of the reels are out of the realm of use, after all we have been throwing the weighs involved with other species, presentations and similar presentations in other species, larger species without issues for a very longtime, fresh and saltwater.

I’ve done the whole “let’s throw bigger weights for bigger species on 100 size bass reels” and you can get away with it for a while but I was much happier when I switched to using more appropriate sized gear for those tasks.

1 hour ago, brophog said:

I’ve done the whole “let’s throw bigger weights for bigger species on 100 size bass reels” and you can get away with it for a while

Backlashing a 100 sized reel with a 5oz bait flying through the air is a quick way to turn a functioning gear set into not that.

22 hours ago, WetBlanket said:

Why not?

Zero interest.

I use Leviathan rods for swimbaits. Best I have found yet. They truly are incredible rods.

Really want to get the Studio Composite TRANSWORLD 7109-5 to pair with the Z2020 and soon the IMZ. But expeeeeeensive.