Lighter swimbait rod review for 1/2-3oz wanted

[BullyBee]

1 hour ago, Jdcampbell said:

Well I will warn you. They use micro guides in the jr. swim. I absolutely hate it since I’m mainly a braid to leader guy. I wish iRod didn’t use them on almost all there rods. I’d have a lot more of them. Even with an FG knot it’ll make you cringe with the sound of casting the knot through the guides 

Ugh I hate that.  I might order a rod tonight, I have to see how all the sales are online. 
 

if I could get the Fenwick elite predator 1-4oz rod I would in a heart beat. There’s one shop that still has one but it’s all the way across the country and they don’t ship that particular rod. 
 

I have a G Loomis 1/2-2oz “walleye bottom bouncing” rod I can use for lighter stuff, maybe I will ship focus to 1-4 rods

[Jdcampbell]

2 hours ago, BullyBee said:

18 minutes ago, BullyBee said:

Ugh I hate that.  I might order a rod tonight, I have to see how all the sales are online. 
 

if I could get the Fenwick elite predator 1-4oz rod I would in a heart beat. There’s one shop that still has one but it’s all the way across the country and they don’t ship that particular rod. 
 

I have a G Loomis 1/2-2oz “walleye bottom bouncing” rod I can use for lighter stuff, maybe I will ship focus to 1-4 rods

Yeah, 1-4oz might be better. Usually the 4 is more than you would want to throw on them anyways. The 795 is rated 1-5 I believe but would never go that high. 1-3.5oz is the rods best handled weights, IMO.

[Jdcampbell]

7 hours ago, BullyBee said:

I do use braid to leader, but I’m def gonna look into this rod. I live in Canada, and it’s hard to get a lot of the good stuff. 

Also, if you’re willing to take a 20 hour round trip, I’d sell you mine, lol. I live in North Idaho. I’m about an hour away from the border

[Jerkbait22]

They are hard to find but I have a 21 Megabass levante leviathan on order that according to a review here shines from 1-4oz.  I probably won’t get to fish it until spring to post my feedback but maybe something worth looking into at the $200 price point if you can find one. 

[Jdcampbell]

15 hours ago, Jerkbait22 said:

They are hard to find but I have a 21 Megabass levante leviathan on order that according to a review here shines from 1-4oz.  I probably won’t get to fish it until spring to post my feedback but maybe something worth looking into at the $200 price point if you can find one. 

Been wanting to try one of those. They seem like awesome rods. 

[BullyBee]

16 hours ago, Jerkbait22 said:

They are hard to find but I have a 21 Megabass levante leviathan on order that according to a review here shines from 1-4oz.  I probably won’t get to fish it until spring to post my feedback but maybe something worth looking into at the $200 price point if you can find one. 

How heavy of a rod is it? I was looking for a medium heavy if possible. 

[FishDr]

If you can find one, the Okuma MH swimbait rods are worth a look. I use one for my “finesse” swimbaits and also throw 3/4 oz topwater frogs with it. I’ve caught pike on it and it does a good job. It’s a bit more parabolic than the Okuma H and works well for baits in your target range.

[Jerkbait22]

14 hours ago, BullyBee said:

How heavy of a rod is it? I was looking for a medium heavy if possible. 

It’s rated XH but people say the rating is off. If you go over to the member reviews forum there is a very detailed review by triple illusion.  He said he even uses it for Norman DD22 crankbaits which weigh 5/8oz. 

[Morph808]

Could try the Dobyns 794SB.

[Bassmann86]

Not sure your budget and what length of rods you like. I’m using a Megabass Destroyer TS Poker for the 6” and smaller soft baits and for the smaller treble hook baits I’m using a Destroyer TS Blackjack. I recently picked up a Leviathan omega 8” MH for A-rig duty in the salt but haven’t had a chance to get it out. 

I’ve also heard great things about the Leviathan omega finesse swimbait rod for everything under 2oz 

Another one to look at if you can find it is the Irod Kaimana Coastal 794C. The ratings on the rod are off and it can actually fish everything from 3/8oz dark sleepers up to the klash 9. Tackletour recently did a review on the 794. It’s one of the best bag for the buck rods for the smaller stuff 

[CAG]

I just got an Omega Finesse Swimbait rod. Initial impressions are: build quality is really great. Super fast tip and extremely parabolic. Light weight. Will be heading out tomorrow to throw a G2 Shellcracker on it and see how it handles.

[CAG]

Just finished throwing the G2 on the Omega finesse. Handles like a dream and is a joy to fish with. In a way, it reminds me of my Megabass Orochi swingfire, which is one of my favorite rods to use. 
 

Didn’t  catch anything but it launches the bait and was very accurate. It’s only been one outing but I highly enjoyed it and can’t wait to really get it going in the spring/summer.

Edited January 29, 2022 by CAG

[brinkerhoff150]

Lowdown customs also makes a medium light (ML) model that is rated 1/3-3oz. I think it's in the 7'3 and 7'6 length range.