MNGeorge

Got a bottle as a gift...found it to be a bit harsh. I much prefer Gentleman Jack...neat.

Another one time favorite was the Bass Magnet...don't remember who made it. It was a crawfish body crankbait with a fairly long diving lip and it suspended when the retrieve was paused.

I still have a bunch of Bomber crankbaits in various color selector colors...should maybe get some of them wet next year.

White has been by far our best color...regardless of what brand frog.

Totally agree on MBR 782 IMX. We often go lighter than 1/8 even to weightless as in Wacky rigged stick worms and that rod throws them with ease. You can usually pick one up on Ebay for around $150, especially if you're not in a rush to get one. I have a REVO STX HS on mine as do several of my fishing friends, but I think any reasonably good quality reel will let you take full advantage of the rod.

There's a difference between "need" and "gotta have". ;D

I agree, wait to call tomorrow with your entire order...whenever I've had issues with an on line order, I called and everything got worked out to my satisfaction.

Why are RI products excluded from everyone's Black Friday sale. I've got a lengthy list of their stuff to order, but no one has it included in their sale. :'(

LPO??? Have never heard of that one...what is it?

LPO??? Have never heard of that one...what is it?

LPO??? Have never heard of that one...what is it?

Tubes are a very productive option for LM Bass...one of our top 4 or 5 baits from Spring right through late Summer.

Has anyone else noticed the full moon is on the 18th...talk about timing...WOW!

MNGeorge and friend will be there from Sunday through Friday...room and slip reservations made. Something to look forward to all winter.

X2 The Smallmouth love it...wife, not so much. ;D

X2 I use 12# Yozuri H2O Fluoro with 30# braid on all my casting outfits except my slop rod. 4 wraps with the braid, 3 wraps with the H2O, plenty of saliva and have never had a knot fail. Easy to tie and passes through the guides better than any other knot I've tried.

The photos of the Megatube Craw on another site's website differ quite a bit from what's shown on your website...is it just the camera angle, lighting or what? Not trying to be a pain, just asking.

I've made a number of recent converts to my preferred tube jig...a Fin-tech Titleshot jig. It's very snag resistant, comes with a Mustad Ultra Point hook and you can catch many fish on one tube before it finally gets too torn up to re-use. Titleshots come in weights from 1/16 oz. up to over 1 oz. and a variety of hook size options on some weights. Try the Titleshot jig, not only for tubes, but with craws and beavers also.

I have one Crucial, maybe I should say two Crucials, my first and last one. It's heavy, very unbalanced and not all that sensitive...about the only thing positive I can say about it is that it has plenty of backbone.

Where are you finding the 703 has an extra fast action? The Dobyns website describes both rods as having a fast action.

I've had a 705 for about a week now, caught a lot of Smallmouth with it and agree with jdw about the power of the rod. It's rated for 1/4 to 1 ounce, but IMHO, it won't handle much over 1/2 ounce baits. I used it to throw a 3/8 oz. jig with a Sweet Beaver trailer and it feels a bit soft for even this much weight. Also, what Lamiglas calls "fast" action, I would classify as more of a moderate action...in fact I thought of using this rod as a backup crankbait rod. It is fairly light and pretty sensitive, especially given the price point.

I bought an Excel 705 recently based on the good reports here and a reasonably good review on TackleTour. While none of the reports here nor the TackleTour review dealt specifically with the 705, I must say I'm disappointed in the power of the rod. It's rated for 1/4 to 1 ounce, but IMHO there is no way this rod will handle much over 1/2 ounce baits...it just doesn't have the backbone to handle more weight. On a more positive note, it is fairly light and pretty sensitive, especially given the price point, and it is made in the USA, if that is a consideration for you. Even the full retail price seems fair for what you get.

What are the differences between Gen.1 and Gen.2 Dobyns rods and is there an easy way to tell which is which? Thanks.

Big Texan, Hill Billy Special and Magic Craw Red would be my "big three", but Green Goby, Watermelon/Green Pumpkin and Junebug also have been good at times.

If you've actually fished with both a Loomis IMX MBR 844c and a Dobyns 704C, I'd appreciate your input comparing the two rods. I broke my 844 and have initiated replacement for it through Loomis' Xpeditor program, but since it's now a "one time deal", I'm looking for a suitable replacement should I ever happen to break the replacement Loomis. Thanks for any responses.