Swimbait fishing has become a norm in bass fishing niches. For a long time it was a small select group of anglers throwing ridiculously large lures on super heavy gear trying to catch the apex bass in a lake. From stripers to largemouth, these big baits would produce giant bass across the country. And you had to have the best swimbait rods to be able to handle these big baits. A lot new swimbait anglers tried it on their flipping sticks and found out the hard way they needed something more specific to handle throwing these big swimbaits.
The industry is flush with large hard and soft swimbaits, as well as giant glide baits. And now there is a growing trend toward more bite-sized swim and glide baits that mimic a lot of other prey in lakes and rivers, like bluegills, yellow perch and other panfish as well as blueback herring and shiners. So the once big bait-only genre finds a wide range of options from 2 1/2 up to 12 inches.
So we thought we’d share some of the best big swimbait rods available right now to help anglers understand the options and best choices currently available. I love to throw glide baits and hard swimbaits and have tested and fished a lot of rods over the years. What’s being made right now are some of the best we’ve ever had, thanks to custom builders who have honed their craft and have access to better materials now. And mass-produced companies have even adopted the angling community’s love of fishing big swimbaits.
OUR PICKS FOR BEST SWIMBAIT RODS FOR 2024
- iROD Quercus Swim Jr – Buy from Tackle Warehouse
- F5 MVMT2 Swimbait Rods – Buy from F5 Rods
- Low Down Customs Standard Issue – Buy from Low Down Custom Rods
- Leviathan Rods Omega – By from Leviathan Rods
- Jenko Savant – Buy from Tackle Warehouse
- Shimano Zodias Swimbait Rod – Buy from Tackle Warehouse
- iROD Genesis III Sniper Swim – Buy from Tackle Warehouse
IROD QUERCUS SWIM JR
I have a ton of respect for iROD. Their rods are very well made and generally available for purchase without long wait times. And they are priced where most guys can afford to own one. The new Quercus is their latest line and I love the Swim Jr rod. It can handle 1- to 4-ounce baits and is a 78H with a Mod Fast taper on the rod. This gives it some flex, which tends to keep treble hooks pegged.
I’ve been fishing a lot of gill baits and medium glides on it and love how this rod casts and fishes them. It has premium cork split grips, Fuji “0-Type” guides and ultra-light nano carbon reel seats—it’s a step up from their Genesis III rods in terms of components and aesthetics. And their 30 ton graphite blanks with carbon fiber-reinforced WXW wrapping make for strong but light swimbait rods.
Full disclosure, Matt Newman the owner, is a personal friend of mine for going on 20 years. He was one of the original big swimbait guys out west that helped bring the technique into the mainstream. He has worked with a lot of great swimbait anglers (himself included) to design quality rods and offer them at competitive price points for a while now. I still have some of his original rods from 10 years ago.
F5 MVT V2 SWIMBAIT ROD
One of the custom swimbait makers I’ve always respected is Brad Vanderpool from F5 Swimbait Rods. He was the first custom maker I ever bought a swimbait rod from, purchasing two of his original MVT travel swimbait rods. They are 3-piece swimbait rods that work incredibly well, even with the ferrules. I’ve had mine 10 years now and its still going strong, which is why I trust his rods so much. I’ve carried them all over the country in my truck traveling to fish.
His newer MVT V2 versions have upgraded components and better blanks with Japanese Toray 30T/36T graphite/carbon fiber blend triple spiral wrapped for unwavering strength and sensitivity. The 806H has a Mod-Fast taper and can throw 2-8 ounce baits and makes it a great option for a ton of different big baits. And I love the the solid cork handle on these new MVT V2 rods.
They have a wide range of custom options and standard lines as well in the F5 lineup. All of their rods are well made with great components. My longterm use of their rods gives me a lot of confidence to fish these rods hard with heavy baits without worrying about them failing on me. You can find their rods on their f5rods.com website.
LOW DOWN CUSTOMS STANDARD ISSUE
The Low Down Customs Standard Issue is another custom-built swimbait rod that has been a staple in the avid swimbait community. Ben builds some of the best quality custom swimbait rods on the market. The Standard Issue 8H can handle 2 to 7-ounce baits.
This rod features some beautiful details with super high-end components like a Fuji PTS gloss black reel seat with double locking hood, removable handle for easy storage and transport, a 16-inch full grip with high-density EVA foam, Fuji K Series Alconite guides, BC grey non-tangle tip top with a right-hand spiral wrap and carbon trim throughout. The spiral wrap provides a lot of power and a straighter pull on the fish which prevents the taper of the rod from getting in the way of the line on a big fish.
Throwing big baits puts a lot of torque on your reel and the reel seat. Many loosen up over time, allowing the reel to move out the proper position. This rod has one of the best reel seats, locking big reel down so you don’t have to mess with it again. I wish everyone used locking nuts like this rod has. All of these extra details make it so nice. You can find the Standard Issues and his other swimbait rods at their website.
LEVIATHAN OMEGA
Another great custom swimbait rod maker is Eric Gomez of Leviathan. His Omega rods are legendary in the swimbait community. The XH8 with a mod-fast taper can throw 2- to 8-ounce baits easily. They use custom graphite blanks made with Toray carbon fiber specifically designed for Leviathan Rods by North Fork Composites.
The full-length EVA grips covered with Dragon Scale shrink wrap offer superior durability, balance, and casting leverage. Top it off with Fuji tangle-free K-Series guides and a Fuji double-locking graphite trigger reel seat and you have a super high-quality swimbait rod capable of handling anything you throw at it.
This rod is one of my staples right now for big glides like the Deps 250. You can find these rods at their leviathanrods.com website.
JENKO SAVANT SWIMBAIT ROD
I actually had a hand in designing these swimbait rods (read my review here). My best bite around the house is with crankdowns on shallow stumps, lay downs and around docks and rip-rap in the pre-spawn period and late summer. So I wanted a rod that acted like my best square bill rod, but could handle precision casting baits up to 3-ounce billed swimbaits.
This is not a rod for big soft swimbaits or Alabama rigs. It’s for roll casting lipped swimbaits into super tight targets—not a rear back and throw it hard stick. But for target casting crackdowns, it is absolutely perfect and one of the only ones like it on the market. The parabolic bend loads the trebles into the fish and they just don’t get off.
Just like how a good crankbait rod keeps a crankbait pegged, this rod is meant to keep fish hooked on billed baits. And try it for throwing big crankbaits like a 10XD. You’ll be amazed how far you can throw one with this rod. It’s built with a Custom Contour Line pattern AWG full grip, 36T blank, Fuji ECS carbon reel seat with Backstop nut and Fuji Alconite guides.
SHIMANO ZODIAS SWIMBAIT ROD
These rods dip into the mass-produced category, but they have a lot of custom design elements that make them one of my favorites for throwing soft swimbaits like 6- or 7-inch Scottsboro Swimbait on a 1-ounce head for ledge fishing big bass or an 8-inch Megabass MagDraft around docks.
I often throw big soft swimbaits. The head typically weighs 1 ounce and with a big plastic body, it can be 2 ounces or more all together. And these baits need to be thrown a long ways which puts a lot of torque on the rod, so it takes a stick with some backbone. But you also need a bit of tip flex to make long casts and drive a hook home in deep water and current with a big bait. This rod has caught a lot of big deep swimbait bass for me. For situations like this, the swimbait rod I like is the 74XH+ that can handle baits up to 3 ounces.
IROD GENESIS III SNIPER SWIM
Anglers will find the Genesis III to be one of the best swimbait rods for the money on the market. These are no-nonsense rods that continue to get better as newer, improved materials become available. My original Genesis I rods have lasted more than a decade and now the Genesis III rods offer better components and blanks while still only costing $149, making them one of the best values in swimbait rods.
The Genesis III rods feature 30-ton graphite blanks, WXW carbon fiber wrapping, Fuji Alconite guides and tip, and a custom two-piece reel seat. The Jr. Swim is my favorite in the lineup as it’s one of the most versatile, handling everything from soft swimbaits to medium-sized glides. Despite this, it does a great job remaining lightweight while handing big swimbaits. These are great, durable rods that fish well and last.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A SWIMBAIT ROD
To me, a good swimbait rod is one that can handle the copious amounts of torque that comes from throwing heavier-than-conventional lures and fighting larger-than-average fish. So you need a rod that can take a heavy dose of use and abuse, and still be as good in three years as it is now. You need components that offer fluid casting and retrieves, but can handle the extreme forces the rod is subject to.
Double locking nuts that hold reels in place under extreme pressure are nice; sturdy, easy-to-grip extended handles; double-foot guides and other obvious, strong components are some of the things I look for on a good swimbait rod. And of course, buying from reputable brands with track records of making good rods should give you added confidence.
There are a handful of good custom makers and several mass-produced manufacturers that offer some good swimbait rods.
BEST SWIMBAIT ROD BRANDS
We are blessed to have so many good options for swimbait rods at a variety of price points and powers, actions and tapers. There are a handful of brands that have proven themselves in both the custom arena as well as the more mass-produced offerings. A custom rod maker will make small batches, with very high end components and some of the best blanks available to make super special rods.
The mass-produced brands are generally well made, but the blanks usually offer less versatility and variety. Most will top out at around 3 ounces, though a handful of brands like iROD and Dobyns make rods that can throw much bigger baits. Here are the brands we think are making good swimbait rods right now.
