Best Swimbait Techniques and Rod & Reel Setup

My plan for this trip was to put the KastKing Royale Legend Pro 7’6” swimbait rod through its paces to see exactly how this rod performs. I paired the rod with the KastKing Mg-Ti reel spooled with 8 lb. braid with a 10 lb. fluorocarbon leader to present Keitech 3.3 or 3.8 Fat Swing Impact swimbaits rigged on 1/4 or 3/8 oz. jig heads.About the rod & reel: The rod is a two-piece rod and once assembled feels very sturdy, yet light weight. It’s ergonomic design places the open reel seat nicely into the palm of your hand, providing excellent feel from even the lightest bites. I like the way it loads on the cast and paired with the Mg-Ti reel I could easily send these 3/8 oz. baits 45- to 50-yards. The nice thing about the Mg-Ti reel is the audible click on the magnetic control, spool tension and the star drag. These features make it super easy to dial in the precise setting to achieve maximum effortless casting while enjoying backlash free casts.

Choosing Swimbait Sizes and Effective Presentation

My first location produced six fish by rigging the 3.8 Fat Swing Impact on a 3/8 oz. football head and dragging the swimbait across the rock rubble bottom in 21- to 24-foot. The key to this presentation is maintaining bottom contact throughout the retrieve. In this location my fourth fish of the day was also my big fish of the day, a solid 6 lb. 8 oz. smallmouth bass. Once that bite slowed down, I switched to an area that had some scattered boulders and vegetation with rock rubble mixed in. This area is a community hole, but the fish haven’t really stacked in there yet for their winter pattern, or so I thought. I knew I wanted to check it to see if the fish had moved in and I’m sure glad I did.On my first cast with the 3.3 Fat Swing Impact on a 3/8 oz. jig head I connected with a solid 4 lb. 10 oz. smallmouth, and it was on. I stayed in this general area for the next 90 minutes and about every five or six casts I was hooked up. When I decided it was time to head back to the boat ramp my fish clicker read 36. I know I missed clicking on a few of them and I had another three or four pop off due to a light bite. The key to the 3.3 Fat Swing Impact presentation was casting out and counting the lure down to 19 to 20 then begin a slow steady retrieve. During the retrieve I could see the swimbait on my FFS and adjust my retrieve speed to ensure I kept the swimbait no more than 24-inches over the bottom. As a bass hit the lure and hooked up, I’d see three or four more follow it about halfway back to the boat before they’d lose interest and melt back into the bottom. When those following fish hit the bottom, they’d stop moving and they looked just like rocks on the bottom. I’d hook another one, and as it began to fight, I’d see another three or four fish rise off the bottom for a repeat performance. It was absolutely a rod bending kind of day we all dream about.

Landing 6lb Smallie and Photo Highlights

This was made possible with the Royale Legend Pro 7’6” Swimbait rod paired with the Mg-Ti reel. The rod and reel combination allowed me to cast efficiently, feel light bites, and handle each fish with ease. The rod flexes smoothly while maintaining strength, and the reel features adjustable spool tension, magnetic control, and star drag that ensures backlash-free casting. If you’re looking for a quality casting setup for swimbaits, I highly recommend this combination.

Here’s a few photos from today’s trip.

Capt.Burnie Haney is a U.S. Army veteran and retired Sergeant Major with a 38-year military career. A tournament bass angler since 1992, he has won five Angler of the Year titles, set the NYTBF five-fish weight record, and qualified for two National Championships.

In 2017, he was inducted into the New York State Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame. Today, Burnie focuses on multi-species seasonal fishing adventures.