DTack

I would stick with what one of the 3 people who answer rod questions at Dobyns gave you. As far as the rods being a bit heavier in power than other recommendations, that is somewhat typical, and I agree with the recommendations. I like to rate my rod based on handling the biggest fish I think I may hook on that particular technique. Considering that you may fish Guntersville at times I would want to be properly equipped. Topwater736c Worm (texas rigged weighted) 735c Flippin' 765flip Spinnerbait 734c Crankin' 705CB Glass Another thing to consider with the rods listed above: Not sure what baits you throw at the same time, but if you get to a lake and for example you're not throwing a chatterbait or spinnerbait for a portion of the day you could throw the spook or the popper on the 734c and would be in perfect shape. Also for the worm rod the 735c would be great or the 745dx if you are looking to upgrade a bit. Once again these rods may seem a little high in rating but I prefer to be overpowered 95% of the time rather than underpowered 5% of the time. It all comes down to personal preference and there are more than one way of doing things. Hope you enjoy the new purchases either way!

Squarebills the KVD are pretty tough to beat. I am wanting to try the Spro fat John and the 6th sense baits. For medium and deep divers I am a fan of the Norman baits, lil N and DD22

I think that would be helpful to some folks reading the thread. Thanks for posting!

All great suggestions. I would also not overlook the Norman Deep Lil N or the DD22. Old, cheap and effective.

As was already answered, the Savvy is a bit slower in action. In this situation I believe it may actually make the rod closer to what you are looking for. In my opinion that rod would be a great choice and very versatile. The 735 Savvy may also be a good choice! Either way, enjoy your new rod you choose, hope it helps you land more fish! And thanks for igniting the cool discussion.

Great post, exactly right, different strokes for different folks! All depends on the overall system you're using I believe. Did you ever use your 7'3 custom with heavy mono/fluoro or just with the braid? Definitely hard to argue with Mueller's success as well, what a stud. I haven't handled the rod Hite uses (probably never will) But I wonder how the action compares to the 734? Maybe they're actually really close, I really wouldn't be surprised.

Awesome post, exactly right no reason to fix something that's not broken. Couldn't agree more though, someone with Hite's success with a particular bait, when he talks, I'm listening. Another thing I noticed about him with his bait is he doesn't set the hook, just reels into them. Cool to watch!

In the process of catching 7-9 lb fish regularly he probably started experimenting to find what works best for him with his system. Would a 7' MH work, I'm sure it would. Would it catch every fish? Doubt it. Would any rod for that matter? No. Does Brett Hite know more about catching 30+ lb limits on a chatterbait than I do? Absolutely. Will I listen to what he has to say? Yes, absolutely. Will I go out and buy an $800 imported rod because he says so? Absolutely not. Will I reconsider my rod choice the next time I lose a fish on a chatterbait? Likely. Due to his success using a Glass rod and my success using a Moderate Fast graphite.. I don't believe they are too slow of a taper to quickly drive a big jig hook. I DO NOT by any means think that a 7' MH rod will not catch chatterbait fish. Everyone is different, I think rod, reel, line and even hook can play a factor when hooking a fish and putting them in the boat. For someone looking to use a rod for multiple techniques or baits, I think a 7'3-7'4 medium heavy to heavy action is an awesome choice!

I really can't make much recommendation. I haven't used a glass rod at all for it. I wouldn't personally be comfortable with one rated as MH, I think that is why he had some special made as Heavy and uses one rated as Heavy by Evergreen.

My vote is a Shimano Symetre, I use the 3000 size. I don't do any other types of fishing with a spinning reel so I can't comment on that at all. With bass fishing I've had a couple Symetres for 3+ years and a couple of those years I fished 100+ days a year. Reel is still going strong and I feel like I've put it to the test on black bass, once again I don't have any other type of experience to compare it to. I have not personally used another brand of reel as I haven't felt the need as far as spinning tackle goes. Baitcasters I own a few Daiwas mixed in.

Another vote for the San Diego Jam

Has anyone who is saying a glass rod has too slow a taper or too much tip to drive a single jig hook home taken a look at Brett Hite's results when using a vibrating jig? Just curious, because he has done well with it and caught a lot of big fish on it... Not saying it can't be fished and fish can't be landed with standard 7' medium heavy graphite rod, but to say a HEAVY glass rod won't work doesn't seem right anymore.

He has been a big fan of the heavy glass rod for a while. Before using the Evergreen he had a rod made by Performance Tackle that was also a 7'4" medium-heavy/heavy glass model. He is definitely worth listening to when it comes to fishing a chatterbait or vibrating jig. The only caution I would throw out is that you may be looking at a heavy glass rod that is in fact HEAVY in your hand if you're not ponying up for a high priced rod.

Keep the 805CB it works just fine for squarebills if you can handle a longer rod, it would also be versatile for just about any crank aside from smaller squarebills. Smaller squarebills like the small speedtraps may be tough to throw on it, but you will have other rods you could throw those on. It actually makes a great spinnerbait/chatterbait/small swimbait rod as well. The 765cb glass is a lot more moderate rod, it will definitely work just know that it is built differently than the 805cb. If you want a glass rod with a lot of tip and give to it, the 765cb may be better for you. I would also advise swapping out the 736 for the 766. The 736 is awesome for frogs, but it does not do as good a job punching or flipping as the 766 does and the 766 does just fine for frog work. Do you prefer the 7' rods over the 7'3"? If not I may have a couple different recommendations. If you're ok with 7'3" rods I would consider the following: Keep the 702sf and 702c for what you've listed and the 702c for your ripbaits. Sub the 703c for 733c, to me the 733c has a bit more versatility in the overall action of the rod. I agree with the recommendation of subbing the 704c for a 735c or possibly 734c, the 735c would be my first recommendation. Feel free to PM or ask questions why I recommended these rods. Good luck on your upcoming events as a co-angler, you're off to a great start!

If it's something that I've caught a lot of fish on in a certain condition I will make sure I have 3 total in the same color.

I don't own any G series shimano reels, but I do have multiple E series curado and citicas. My citicas are rigged with braid which gives them the heavy duty treatment... Frogs, buzzbaits, punching, lots of casts with squarebill crank baits on braid and same with spooks.

If you haven't purchased yet, may also consider the Dobyns champion 804c, it was designed for Carolina rigs, and the little extra length gives you a good increase in line pickup on the hook set!

It is my second choice for braid, I don't use it on spinning rods at all only in 65+ lb test

Dobyns champion extreme dx702sf for light line and open water. If you are looking at the slightly heavier variation I like the dx744c in the full handle.

I am not sure what your price range is but the Dobyns 805cb rm is designed for deep cranks and is the best I have used. If 8'0" is too long they also make a 765cb in graphite as well. Let me know if you'd like more specifics.

I have the full grip myself, with a 200e on it. This is definitely one of my favorite all around rods. It is my choice for 3/8-3/4 oz jigs in our rocky reservoirs. I also pitch and flip senkos on the rod, throw spinnerbaits on our reservoirs, and throw a heavy dropshot on the rod. In my opinion it is one of the best rods on the market, and the best for what you're looking into. Hope you love it half as much as I do.

Not a Gimmick. KVD line & Lure is the one that I use.

which size huddleston?

I'm going to go against the grain a little bit here and recommend the 764 Champion. I love this rod and it's versatility!

I would personally recommend the 735 for Jigs.