Swimbait/Punch Combo

Has anyone used the same rod/reel combo for medium sized swimbaits and punch rods?

I have a punch rod for up to 3oz and was hoping to double it up as a swimbait rod for the baits in the 2-2.5oz range.

I haven't bought a reel yet and was hoping for suggestions if people have done this. I know punch reels are generally low profle but high gear ratio. Ive seen most swimbait reels to be full sized baitcasters with line capacity but are thrown with a much lower gear ratio.

Thanks fellas.

It won't be perfect but it will get the job done fine.

It won't be perfect but it will get the job done fine.

Thats what Im hoping for, at least until I get some confidence in the baits and spring for a devoted set up.

Any reel suggestions to meet each application's needs?

Curado 300E is what I have my eye on for when I get a swimbait set-up.

i have....the one i gave you ha

i just wanted a specific swimbait rod eventually that has a more moderate taper. and my flipping stick can easily handle a 1.5 oz. punching setup.

i have....the one i gave you ha

i just wanted a specific swimbait rod eventually that has a more moderate taper. and my flipping stick can easily handle a 1.5 oz. punching setup.

Haha yup that was my plan. Yeah my flipping stick can do the job in most situations.

Its the reel selection Im struggling with. Everything Ive read says slow retrieve for swimbaits, fast retrieve for punching so Im lost.

you can get away with a slower retrieve for punching i would go with something in the 6.0:1 yea you gotta crank a couple more times to get a fish outta the sticks but its a good happy median between them thats what i use

Daiwa Lexa 300 is a good swimbait reel too.

Daiwa Lexa 300 is a good swimbait reel too.

agreed!

Bobby, I have a punch rod and I have a swimbait rod. My swimbait rod is the 7'11" shimano crucial heavy swimbait rod. I started using it as a 2nd punch rod this year so I could have 2 different weighted rigs in the boat. I actually started liking it BETTER then my punch rod specific to the point where i was going to it 1st and using the punch rod as the back up. I think it has to do with the length. My punch rod is 7'3" and the swimbait rod is 7'11"

Bobby, I have a punch rod and I have a swimbait rod. My swimbait rod is the 7'11" shimano crucial heavy swimbait rod. I started using it as a 2nd punch rod this year so I could have 2 different weighted rigs in the boat. I actually started liking it BETTER then my punch rod specific to the point where i was going to it 1st and using the punch rod as the back up. I think it has to do with the length. My punch rod is 7'3" and the swimbait rod is 7'11"

Thanks Rich. What kind of reel do you have on the swimbait rod? Spooled with 65lbs braid I assume?

I had a Shimano Cardiff till it broke. Its a relativly inexpensive reel ($120) and did the job well. It wold have cost me 3/4 of the price of the reel to fix it so I just dumped it. I started using an older curado dhvs that I had that I used for crankbaits and spinnerbaits (which I hardly ever throw). Its a bit bigger then the new curados and can hold more line. I love it. If I was buying new today I would get the Curado 300E like someone else suggested or the 300EJ . I go back and forth between braid (50lb) and mono (25lb big game). I am sure I have told this story before but.... I lost what I think was a new PB at the side of the boat on a swimbait using braid 2 years ago. The fish was all of 8lbs and maybe more. I thought she was toast so I brought her close to the boat. She got her 2nd wind and power surged under the boat and pulled the hooks right out. I went to mono for a while after that but have since gone back to braid and I just keep my drag looser. I am always terrible at backing of my drag properly. I tend to have it winched down tight all the time.

I had a Shimano Cardiff till it broke. Its a relativly inexpensive reel ($120) and did the job well. It wold have cost me 3/4 of the price of the reel to fix it so I just dumped it. I started using an older curado dhvs that I had that I used for crankbaits and spinnerbaits (which I hardly ever throw). Its a bit bigger then the new curados and can hold more line. I love it. If I was buying new today I would get the Curado 300E like someone else suggested or the 300EJ . I go back and forth between braid (50lb) and mono (25lb big game). I am sure I have told this story before but.... I lost what I think was a new PB at the side of the boat on a swimbait using braid 2 years ago. The fish was all of 8lbs and maybe more. I thought she was toast so I brought her close to the boat. She got her 2nd wind and power surged under the boat and pulled the hooks right out. I went to mono for a while after that but have since gone back to braid and I just keep my drag looser. I am always terrible at backing of my drag properly. I tend to have it winched down tight all the time.

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ That is definitely NOT awesome ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

I had a Shimano Cardiff till it broke. Its a relativly inexpensive reel ($120) and did the job well. It wold have cost me 3/4 of the price of the reel to fix it so I just dumped it. I started using an older curado dhvs that I had that I used for crankbaits and spinnerbaits (which I hardly ever throw). Its a bit bigger then the new curados and can hold more line. I love it. If I was buying new today I would get the Curado 300E like someone else suggested or the 300EJ . I go back and forth between braid (50lb) and mono (25lb big game). I am sure I have told this story before but.... I lost what I think was a new PB at the side of the boat on a swimbait using braid 2 years ago. The fish was all of 8lbs and maybe more. I thought she was toast so I brought her close to the boat. She got her 2nd wind and power surged under the boat and pulled the hooks right out. I went to mono for a while after that but have since gone back to braid and I just keep my drag looser. I am always terrible at backing of my drag properly. I tend to have it winched down tight all the time.

Ouch that is a tough one to take. If I will be doubling up punch/swimbait Ill have to go braid, Ill just need to tweak the drag when switching over to swimbait application.

i know i want something with a lot of torque that can handle the hard pull of a big bait. in the very least, an abu garcia winch is the lowest i'll go.

i really think it's an advantage having a fast reel for any type of flipping / pitching. it get's the line and fish in faster. i'm going to get a revo rocket eventually.