I've got a customer who requested a 7'0" MH to work some larger swimbaits with. When I say larger I mean LARGER 4-6"!! He showed me a couple pictures of them and they are roughly the size of the palm of your hand. Slightly over the top if you ask me but who am I to judge baits. He stated he currently used an uglystick g2x 7'0" MH that worked the baits fine but wanted a upgrade and a matching rod to the jigging rod I recently built him .

Obviously I'm concerned about the weight of the lure in relationship to the blank as it swims through the water.

I was thinking of either going with the
Batson MB843 or MB844
Batson CB70MH or CB70H

I'm also concerned that building on such heavy powered blanks will limit his fishability with lighter crankbaits and the like.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Take a look at Rainshadow's RX7 Swim Bait blanks, although they are 7' 10" they're designed for those extremely heavy swim baits.[www.getbitoutdoors.com]

The Bushido SWB710/12-25 is a great swim bait rod.

Thanks guys. the swim bait blanks pretty much limit the rods use to swim baits though correct. I mean I know you could use them for other lures but how much does it limit the fishability? I've never fished with a 7'-10" swimbait rod

In researching normal crankbait blanks for myself I noticed that MHX has a line of extra heavy power blanks designed for the "XD" crankbaits. I assume that goes with the Strike King naming system for some of their crankbaits. I think those blanks would go with the 6XD and above, what you describe sounds like the huge 10XD. They are just big deep divers. I would also assume such a rod would see specialized use and he would have lower power ones for the more typical sized crankbaits.

Look into a Seeker S glass or the Rick Forhan versions of it.
If it has treble hooks it is the blank i prefer and it works for bass to GT's/redfish etc.
I make them mainly as spinning setups but they works as well as a casting blank, spiral or regular wrapped.

If the blank will keep the treble hook in the bass' face where it belongs, what difference does it make what lure the treble hook is attached to? Seems to me to hook to blank relationship is the key.

I'd say it depends on the size of the swim baits that will be thrown, some people are throwing 10+ oz swim baits so that's going to limit you to a pretty heavy rod. You can use a swim bait blank for other actions, it's just might be too stiff or overkill.

All rods need a certain weight to load and cast well If you can measure the weight of the bait you will have a good idea of the lure weight of the blank you need

Bill - willierods.com

Adam, after you decide on a blank please post what guide train you intend to use. I'm about to build much the same rod and am undecided on the guides. Thanks, Lynn

I'm utilizing the amtak hzhf single foot guides in size 6 for the runners and double foot 7 and 8 for the stripper and transition.

Thank you Adam, I'm doing much the same thing. Can't stand the thought of double foots to the tip for runners. Lynn

I've built on the Batson CB66MH blank, and in my estimation it doesn't have the power to fish that large of a bait. I throw some hard bodied swimbaits, Mostly the Jackall Mikey, and Giron which weigh 3/4 and 1 1/8 oz. and IMO those baits are too big. It handles baits in the 3/8 - 5/8 oz range quite nicely though.

Personally, I'd be looking for a blank with a moderate fast action and a lure weight rating of at least 2 oz. on the high side. My next build is going to see double duty with its secondary use as a swimbait rod. I'll be using a blank with a moderate fast action that's rated for 3/8 - 2 oz baits.

In the shorter length your looking for, maybe one of the shorter, lighter powered musky blanks, or an inshore salt blank would be an option.

Adam, one of the Batson guys uses a Rainshadow SW967f for swimbaits and flippin. this a 2pc. blank rated for 3/4 to 4oz., .635 butt/7 tip. This is what I'm going to use. The SW967 is one piece and rated the same with a .680 butt/7.5 tip. The 1pc. weighs more. These blanks are 8ft., But they might cut it for you, keeping the warranty intact. Not sure about that though. For me if it's 7-10 it might as well be 8ft., but mine's 2pc. Happy hunting, Lynn



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/2016 02:10PM by Lynn Behler.

Well guys I searched around at the local FTU and found one of their house brand mag bass blanks that felt like a freakin brick in 7'.

Give me your honest opinion on how you think it would hold up. to the occasional big ole swimbait and other heavier cranks.

IM8-MB844
7'-0"
IM8 Graphite
line - 12-20
lure 1/4-1oz

Heavy-fast

Of a secondary concern.
What size guides would you guys use? 8,7,6 with 6 tip was my go to thought.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/2016 02:41PM by Adam Lathrop.

Sorry Adam, I got stuck on the mention of 7ft. 10in. in your 2nd post. I'm not suggesting you cut a foot off an 8 ft. blank. That said, rated for 1oz sounds a little light to me. Lynn

Adam, I personally wouldn't use a higher powered fast action blank for hard bodied swimbaits, or really, for any bait that uses treble hooks. The only exception would be a soft plastic, line through body swimbait. In my earlier post I mentioned the baits I use, and that I believed that my highest powered crankbait rods didn't really have the power to fish them well. As a result, I was throwing them on a heavy power fast action rod that I use mostly for fishing bigger spinnerbaits, or hollow bodied swimbaits up 6".

My landing percentage when using hard bodied swimbaits on that rod is pretty dismal. I'd estimate it at about 50%. The real gut buster of that landing percentage is the fish that hit the larger profiled swimbaits are most always good fish. One thing is for certain.

The type of blank you recently mentioned is not going to be a good blank for fishing smaller crankbaits. It just has too much power, and that power is going to cost you fish because of the smaller hooks that smaller crankbaits use.

Moderate to moderate fast action blanks are the preferred blanks for keeping fish hooked on hard body treble hook lures, buttoned up.

Thanks guys,
I was able to source out an MHX SWB956 swimbait blank that I'm going to put him in. It well within the budget and I think it'll work out well for him

Specs
7'-11"
12-25 line
1-4 oz lure
mod-fast
heavy power
I'm going to have to increase the guide size as the american tackle holographic tiptop only goes down to size 8 with a 7 tip.
8 runners with 10 and 12 transition and stripper

ANYONE? gUIDE SIZE AND NUMBER OF GUIDE RECOMMENDATIONS?