Casting
cont'd:
While the flipping
sticks could handle the
weight of the baits for
the most part the tips
were often overloaded
and you never really
could cast with complete
confidence. In addition
with the completely
rigid butt section found
in most flipping rods
casting a swimbait all
day would turn your arm
into jelly. With a
proper swimbait rod like
the 711H casting large
plugs won’t even tax
your muscles.

No hook hanger means you
need to hook your baits
on your reel
Retrieving: The
same lively tip in this
rod that makes it
possible to cast lighter
baits also allows you to
work lures without
having to move the rod
excessively. With
extremely stiff sticks
you have to move the
entire rod to get
swimbaits to surge
forward, with the 711H a
simple twitch of the
rod, similarly to the
jerk used when working a
large jerkbait, was
enough to impart
realistic action to
swimbaits like the Spro
BBZ1 and the Jerry Rago
Raptor.

The rod may be big but
it still features a
blank through reel seat.
The reason we didn't
find it as sensitive as
some of the other MAX
rods was simply due to
the rods size and thick
gloss coat
As with all fishing
techniques being
flexible and adapting
are key. With swimbaits
that often means
switching out your baits
to target different
depths like floating or
sinking models.
Sometimes the difference
between getting just
followers or real
strikes is as simple as
varying your retrieve.
The Powell 711H allows
anglers to work a wide
range of lure sizes and
weights with the
forgiving action.

Preparing to lob cast a
good sized bait
Power: It took us
longer then we would
normally like but Cal
and I finally found the
fish at Clear Lake. We
ultimately located some
bass willing to pursue
the big swimbaits we
were testing under and
around docks. The fish
would charge out at the
swimbaits and twice we
actually witnessed
decent sized fish follow
our lures but fail to
commit. Determined to
fight a respectable fish
with the 711H we
continued to cast over
and over again alongside
the structure.

I was surprised how easy
it was to toss big baits
with single handed casts
When it seemed like all
we could do was get fish
to follow we finally got
our first hookup. It was
a solid strike, and it
was undeniable, the bass
was hooked and it headed
straight toward us! I
cranked down on the
Daiwa Black Sheep and
caught up to the fish
hurriedly at which time
I could feel the weight
on the end of line. The
tip of the 711H
immediately angled
towards the water as the
remaining three quarters
of the rod responded
quickly.