Has any one used the Shimano SLX-A Heavy Swimbait Rod yet?

[danthefisherman]

1 hour ago, DEPS_250 said:

Resurrecting this thread.

@danthefisherman I need some input on the SLX 7'8" and the Fury 795SB. I am in a pickle between picking the SLX 7'8" or the Fury 795SB as a dedicated small to medium 1-4oz glide bait rod. 

1. Is the action on the SLX 7'8" soft enough and parabolic enough for fishing glide baits with braid to leader? I am a braid to leader guy and I need a rod that is soft/slow enough to handle braid since braid has no stretch. I was able to track down a SLX 7'8" in a local tackle shop. I spent a good 15 mins bending it and trying out all kinds of reels on it, in order to get a feel for the rod and if it would work for me. My initial impression was that the action was somewhat still too fast and stiff for my applications/baits. Do you think the rod's action can handle braid to leader applications pretty well for treble hook baits? 
2. You said that the Fury 795SB felt 'more' parabolic. Would the Fury 795SB be a better choice for me since I am looking for a rod that is pretty soft/parabolic? Based on your experiences so far, would you probably steer me towards the Fury vs the SLX? How much softer/parabolic would you say the Fury 795SB is compared to the SLX 7'8"? 
3. Can the Fury 795SB handle a 4oz bait? I have heard that 1-3oz is the sweet spot. DRT Klash 9 at 4oz is the heaviest bait I would be willing to push the rod. 
4. Does the SLX 7'8" bend enough on the back cast with lighter baits around 3/4 to 1oz and therefore can it handle light baits well too? 1oz Ima glide fluke is the lightest I throw. I like my rods on the lighter side and do not like rods that feel they are 'too much rod' and therefore 'stiffen' and hinder the action on my glide baits. 

I am leaning more towards the SLX purely for price, aesthetics and the slightly longer handle. 

I am currently using an Irod Kaimana 794c Poe's Mag Stick for fishing 1-4oz glide baits. It gets the job done but I feel like the action is a little too fast and stiff for glide bait fishing. I like my glide bait rods to feel more like a big crankbait rod, if that makes any sense. Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

If I could only choose one for the scenario you described, I would pick the Dobyns. I have mine paired with a Curado 200HGK and absolutely love it for 1-3oz…not to mention it doubles as my a-rig, frog, punch, and heavy jigging rod. It can throw 4oz, although I would probably step up a reel size. Loads well and feels great in hand. I used to not like the “short” handle but it really lends itself well to kayak fishing and really is plenty long for leveraging the small-mid size baits. Limited lifetime warranty which is great.

The SLX is a good rod too, it just doesn’t have that same refined or sensitive feel as the Fury. It’s biggest benefit is being able to handle heavier baits (which is the only reason I pick it up instead of the Fury), but this is sacrificing castability on the lighter end of the spectrum. I’ve fished down to 1oz baits and they cast ok with a good reel, but I was losing a ton of fish until I switched to all mono for the added stretch (from braid to leader). The rod definitely feels “bigger” in hand even though it’s supposed to be an inch shorter. The long handle and action of the blank really allows you to load up the rod and launch heavier baits which minimizes fatigue. Price-wise the SLX is cheaper but you only get warranty coverage for one year.