I'm looking at swimbait rods, and I'm looking for some information from ya'll to help me with the selection process. Should I get a 7'6" or 7'10"? What action rod is best, medium heavy or heavy.

I've been looking at the Okumas and have heard a lot of good about them.

Just need help to ensure I get the best all around rod for slinging swimdonkeys.

Thanks as always!

Depends on the swimbaits you will be throwing. I throw hollow-bodied ones like the 6" Basstrix on a Loomis MBR 844C. It's a 7' rod.

For the BIG swimbaits like an 8" Osprey and some of the heavier hard-body versions, I throw them on a Loomis SWBR 955C which is a 7'11" rod in med-heavy with a moderate-fast action.

You'll get about as many opinions as there are rods. There's tons of good ones out there.

I'd take a look at the Phenix Ultra Swimbait lineup. I just built a custom on the 7'11" XH blank and it is bad to the bone. Very light for the amount of power. Not for smaller swimbaits, but for big baits/big fish, it's a great setup. Here's the Phenix link:

http://www.phenixrods.com/products/freshwater-fishing-rods/bass-fishing-rods/swimbait-fishing-rods/

So would a 7'6" be an all around good size? I plan on throwing 5" hollow bodies and the 4" hard swimbaits by H20.

Please help me decide.

Thanks.

If all you want to throw is the little baits like those you've mentioned, stick to a smaller rod. The 7'6" rod is perfect. For baits like what you've mentioned I use the Dobyns 765. That's a 7'6", 5 power rod. Any more than that will be overkill.

7'6" is fine for those applications, depending on the action.

The lures you have listed require two different rods.
The 5" hollow body swim bait is best fished on a 7'6" heavy action rod with a fast tip to facilitate setting the hook through that much plastic, especially on a long cast.
The 4" to 5" hard plastic swim baits should be fished on a 7' to 7'6" medium heavy action rod with a slow to medium tip to keep the fish from throwing the treble hooks.

Dobyns 795sbmt is what I use. Perfect design for big 5-6" swimbaits.