Cochran53

I use the unweighted beast hook, then I take the lead weights with the rubber in the middle, pull the rubber out, and crimp onto the hook shank. That has worked really well for me. I like the 1/8 oz and 1/4 oz. Seems to keel the bait perfectly but you still get that head wobble and big tail kick. Either way, you should pick some up. They are awesome baits, and Chad's customer service is top notch.

795 is my choice for the 6" and the 4x4. I actually like throwing the 5" on a ML Jig and worm rod. For both, go with the 795.

Yup. My 7 lb even fish I caught on Mother's day was totally spawned out. Super fat head with no belly. It's frustrating, but that's fishing.

I've gone out a couple times now with it and caught one good fish and a few under 3 lbs. The drag is great, and it feels really smooth. I actually love this reel. It's my favorite reel in the price range for sure.

Man. I get excited when I catch a 2 lb spot here (the state record is like 2 lbs )! Nice fish!

I was thinking the exact same thing.

Went out for an hour or so on Mother's Day with my dad and my girlfriend's brother. We were just doing some bank fishing. I was cranking down a Bullshad 4X4 and this little post spawn Iowa fatty thought she'd make her myself some dinner. She went 7lbs even and was just over 23" long (bad picture on the board, I know). Anyway, I caught the swimbait bug again. Goodbye paychecks!

Basically, try out some set ups and see what you like . You can always pass along your initial set-ups to get some new guys into Swimbaits. My suggestion would be to start with Dobyns (probably the most popular and tested production rods) and if you decide to get way into it, look into custom rods.

There are quite a few posts on this topic mostly asking about specific brands or specific rods. For me, I like a bit more parabolic action for treble hooks and a faster action for jig hooks. I think it ultimately comes down to personal preference, though.

This ^. I bought my 14 ft Jon boat at an estate sale 5 or 6 years ago. I've put more into it than you need to, but I'm saving up for a big boy boat . The other really nice thing about the aluminum boats is that I fish a lot of lakes with flooded timber. Some of them have big jagged stumps that sit about 2-6" under the water. You can bang around with an aluminum hull boat and not worry too much. Good luck! (I'll post a pic of my boat later - the boat is actually from like 1963).

In! Thanks SU!

I love that color pattern. Might have to get a 10"...Also, I just want more Triple Trouts

Nicely done sir!