Hey Sean,

This has been a fairly popular topic on the forum over the last few years :) I always put a plug in for the Rainshadow SW967. It's my favorite all around big bait rod. You have to get them custom wrapped though. The Calstar 800XL is also a great rod for getting custom wrapped.

In the retail market, there are some solid choices. The Roge Rods swimbait series is very nice. I don't like cork handles much, but other than that they are sweet. The Graphite USA 711 rod is very kick ass if you want something for the big heavy baits. If you want to get into something for a good price, get one of these new Okuma rods. They are legit swimbait rods, not some flipping stick or worming rod that is re-marked as a swimbait rod.

In general, you want something 7'6" to 8'6". I like 8' myself. And I like a rod that has some give in the tip, especially for wood baits. Wood baits are just big crankbaits. So a giant crankbait rod is about what you want. The rubber baits, you want something stiffer with serious backbone, but you can still get rods that are ballsy and have give in the tip. Calstar 800L is killer for the heavy rubber baits.

Just whatever you do, don't buy some flimsy rod with a short handle. Some of these so-called swimbait rods on the market are a joke IMO. And don't be afraid to get an 8' rod. You're casting a 2 to 8 oz lure. You need more rod.