I don't throw big swim baits , should I be doing so and what tackle and baits do I need to do so ? I know that I missed a good opportunity when Monticello was open .

Do you have patience to ignore the smaller fish easier to catch seasonal patterns?
Do you have the stubbornness to ignore your fishing partner catching fish after fish on a wacky worm/ drop shot/nail weighted senko/square bill as you heave and retrieve for hours without a bite while he makes fun of you getting excited about seeing a follower?

If yes, you have the commitment necessary.

Start with the equipment you already have and start only throwing a swim jig with a 7 inch fluke on it on a heavy rod into creek channel swings at the mouth of creeks where there is a rocky hump with tree tops. Be prepared.

I would rather fish for 1 big bite than 20 small fish . My partner and I do it regularly , he will throw something to just get bit and I will throw something to catch larger fish . Case and point , 2 trips ago he caught 10 fish throwing a carolina rig and I only caught 2 throwing a jig but one of them was a 9 lb 3oz beast .

Get a few mag drafts and mag draft free styles or those type of baits and some Owner a Spro Chad Shad. A Dobyns Fury 795SB is less than $150 and a deeper spool quality 6:4 or 7:1 reel.

I throw the mag draft on a 7'5" heavy rod as well.

Do you guys throw your swim baits on braid or mono ?

I have a love hate relationship. As far as gear I like an 8 foot rod. I built all of my swimbait arsenal on North fork Composites SWB series blanks 5 thru 9 as far as weight goes. Choice between 50-65# braid or 20-35# fluoro, mono, or copoly. I prefer braid to fuoro leader myself. Daiwa Tatula and Lexa in 150 through 300 size are on my rods. Obviously you have soft or hard baits. That can of worms on baits is deep and expensive. Start with a bait such as a Huddleston. Its a proven fish catcher and simple enough to use. Once you get into glides spend the money on legit builds rather than ebay cheapos. I am guilty myself of buying those and now they sit outside the boat. They will catch a fish here and there but there is no comparison to a custom built and tuned glide. The bite on big swimbaits are few and far between as so every advantage you can utilize is important. Deps 150 would be a good starter glide and again a proven fish catcher. Its not a custom bait and mass produced but it is quality and proven. You can scale up to the 250 once you obtain the gear to throw it. Another is the storm Arashi glide. Very affordable and for the money it is a good bait. Sometimes I want to leave all my conventional at the house and just go throw big baits all the time. However I never do. I just dont have the time so every trip I am able to get on the water I want to get bit. It is not uncommon to throw big baits for a week or even 2 without getting bit. Obviously it helps to be around fish but even then there will be a lot of followers without commitment. There is no doubt however that big swimbaits catch monster bass. Check out Butch Brown who is OG AF over in Cali. Texas is a different animal but the potential is there. Milliken is a good example. I normally have a big softie and glide on the deck and will throw it first into each spot I come to. My thought is the biggest female that is hopefully in the area will assert her dominance and bite it just as a territorial dispute or out of hunger. Still waiting but you never know.

20-30lb fluorocarbon mostly. 20-30lb co-poly or mono would work a well. Or braid to leader, use actual shock leader and not just line off a spool of line.

I throw them A LOT. Almost to a fault at times. No big bait is going to help you catch more fish. Look at them as tools for finding the right fish once you know where fish are. There is a time and place for every style of big bait. I base it off of how I would fish an area conventionally. I.e, if I'm throwing a jig, I'd replace it with a big soft bait I can creep the bottom with. In situations I would throw a spinner bait, I'll throw a glide or a multi jointed swimming bait. If they are eating cranks, then I'll throw an over sized crank down jointed swim. Start cheap and learn when/where to use them accordingly and then move up the ladder until you reach a spot where you are comfortable. These are only tools that are going to help you if you have a basic understanding of fishing and patterns. Once you understand how to utilize bigger baits, it's some of the most fun you can possibly have.

50lb braid to 5ft leader of 20lb Pline CXX. Has never failed me. Casts far, PLine CXX is extremely forgiving when used as a leader. I would never use it as main line. Because CXX is so bouyant, I use a super sturdy saltwater cross lock snap on all non topwater swimbaits (even the wakes) that will accommodate to keep the nose down.

I don’t have the tolerance to babysit 25lb fluoro; or I’d use just straight 25lb fluoro for everything except topwaters.

I have the Dobyns Fury 795SB (never used) and the Shimano SLX 7'8' SB rod (used once, about 10 cast) $200 + shipping.

This is what 12lb CXX leader can do.

I think you should.

If I were you I would take one rod and maybe 2 or 3 of the same swimbait with you (a few extra in case you lose the one you had tied on)

Just fish that swimbait, gain confidence in it, and then put all your other gear back in the boat once you’ve caught them on it.

I first did this with a jig years ago, when they were new to me and I didn’t have any confidence in them, now that’s my go to bass bait.

This is a good one to start with. Get the 7" Blackback Shad and a couple Owner 8/0 weighted Beast hooks so you can rig it Texposed. Throw it on 20-25# Flo and drag it slowly near the bottom. I've caught numerous fish in the 2-3# range on this very bait. A standard 7-7.5' flipping rod will suffice for this bait.

I've caught fish up to 10.17 on the 8" Mag Draft rigged same way. You have to modify the 8" MD to use a 10/0 weighted Beast Hook. You need a technique specific rod for this bait as it weighs almost 4 oz rigged and you have to swat em pretty hard when they bite. With both baits, when you get bit resist the urge to set the hook immediately. Reel into them for 2 seconds then hit em hard - kinda like a frog.

I throw the big bait until my shoulder hurts then I pick up a jig and fish it to rest my shoulder.

7 ft med heavy St Croix Avid Inshore with Shimano 400 Tranx, 20 lb P-line... 6 inch swimbaits is as big as I go with 8/0 Owner Flashy Swimmer, 5 inch bait with 5/0 hook,when I need to get the skunk off.. works great for snook and tarpon too.



Shimano Tranx 400



St Croix 7 med heavy Avid Inshore