Let's be frank, bass fishing is expensive.  And swimbait fishing is the most expensive type of bass fishing there is in terms of equipment and lures.  Seems like every other day I'm reading a post or an email from someone asking how they can get into swimbait fishing at a reasonable price.  People want to know what the best rod and reel are for the buck.  They want to know what the best swimbait is.  They want to know what a good but inexpensive line is ... and they want to know this information because swimbaits are expensive and buying 15 of them isn't an option for most people.  I want to assure you that I'm aware of this but it doesn't change the facts that good equipment = success. 

Let's also agree right off the top that big bass are good at breaking standard bass equipment and they are really good at breaking cheap equipment.  If you haven't had a cheap or standard component has fail on you, trust me it is only a matter of time.  I have never met a serious trophy bass fisherman who used cheap hardware on their lures, fished reels with bad drags, or used fishing line that broke easily.  The more bass over 10lbs a person has, the more likely it is that each aspect of their tackle is high quality and extra strong. 

It is easy to be stubborn about low grade equipment and point out the many times that average and standard gear has gotten the job done ... but there will come a time, usually the most critical moment, when equipment failure will cost you the best fish of your week, your year, or your life.  I've been burned many times and you will get burned too if any aspect of your equipment is questionable.  Don't do like I did and learn the hard way, just believe me now and save yourself the headache of lost trophies.