Craiger12

The 705CB wouldn't be my first choice for throwing 1/4oz cranks, but you will love it for anything in the 1/2 - 3/4oz range. I love my 705CB for lipless cranks. I have fished the 765C and think it will serve you well as long as the cover isn't incredibly heavy and you don't plan on punching with it. Overall, I say go for it. I don't think you will be dissapointed at all with either rod.

Another vote for full grip. In my opinion they look better, feel more comfortable, and balance better.

Thanks for the help guys. I'm a big fan of Owner hooks and have heard great things about the Stinger trebles, so I think I will stick with those.

I'm looking to replace all the trebles on my Red Eye Shads with some Owner Stingers, but I'm not sure what size hooks to use for the 1/2 oz and 3/4 oz versions. What would you suggest?

I'm pretty sure they are manufactured in Korea.

Let me know how that goes if you will. I havn't touched anything as of yet with either the 4" or 6" version. Could just be me though :-/

I usually pitch and really never flip, but I use braid exclusively for heavy cover situations and have no trouble with an extra-fast tip. For what you described I would recommend a Dobyns 735/736 depending on how heavy the cover is. I am currently using the 735 but I'm looking to step it up to the 736 for pitching into the really heavy stuff. As for a reel, I would look for something with a solid drag such as an STX. However, I use a Zillion and haven't found the drag to be an issue.

I use a Dobyns Champion 733C for what you described and would absolutely recommend it over any other rod in that price range. I prefer 7'+ rods, if that is not for you then I would recommend either the 703C or 683C depending on your preference. I feel that the added length really helps with casting distance and it is weighted beautifully so that it doesn't feel as long as it is by any means.

Love my Zillions. Love my Core 51s. Love my 2010 Premiers. I just realized that these are the only reels I currently own.

A Daiwa Sol can be had for ~$150 new or lightly used these days and is a great finesse baitcaster. The retrieve is a little slow for my liking with bottom baits at 23.5 IPT, but it is an excellent reel and will cast light baits really well.

x2. I think the gearing of the Sol would handle deep cranking just fine, but I would certainly want to upgrade to a 90mm handle and I don't think 100mm would be overkill at all.

I'd say a 4 power for jigs up to about 5/8 oz, and a 5 power for heavier jigs. I would agree. I will also add that as much as I love my DX744C, I can't seem to put down my Champion 735C for t-rigs and jigs. Latley my go to bait has been a t-rigged brush hog with a 3/8oz tungsten weight that I have been throwing on the 735C. I have another one that I plan to use for big blades and small swimbaits. I think it may be the best all around rod in the entire Dobyns lineup.

I'm getting a Curado. No doubt about that. I wonder how it would look on an Extreme? Nah, I can't even begin to think that way... ;D ;D ;D It would look great on a DX704c, and there's no way you would ever say, "Man, I wish I got the Champion instead of the Extreme."

Well the E7 is going to be the better reel for this application IMO due to the faster retrieve, not to mention I much prefer the larger knobs of the Curado to those of the Citica. As for the rod, personal styling preferences would play a role for me (I hate split grips and prefer 7'3"+ rods for bottom cantact baits). However, I recommend the Dobyns over the Loomis for asthetics as well as performance in this case. I currently own 5 Dobyns rods (4 Champs and 1 Extreme) and I plan to pick up 2 more in the next few weeks. I am down to just one Loomis GLX at this point. I much prefer the feel of Dobyns rods over Loomis and really wouldn't consider buying a rod from any other company at this point.

Of the reels you listed, I would go with either the Curado or Chronarch for heavy cover. If you liked the Core 100, you will probably like the Chronarch, as it is an aluminum version of the core. It will weigh a bit more, but at 7.6 oz I do not consider it to be heavy by any means.

I do not have any first hand experience with either of these reels, but why not consider the Saros F as well? Its price falls between that of the Stradic and Symetre, but can be found NIB for ~$100. I have owned the Saros and it was a great reel. Before purchasing the Saros, I spent a long time trying to decide between the Saros and Stradic. In the end I couldn't justify the the extra money for the Stradic. I believe the only difference between the Stradic and the Saros is that the Stradic has "AeroWrap II", which lays line more efficiently on the spool during retrieve and is supposed to allow for improved casting distance. However, the Saros and Stradic both feature what Shimano calls "Paladin Gear Durability Enhancement", which from what I gather is a precise blend of aluminum and brass to make for the perfect balance of smoothness and durability among the main and pinion gears. Also, they both feature a direct drive handle mechanism so the handle is threaded directly into the main gear. The Symetry does not have either of these features and it has one less total bearing (4 vs. 5). There may be other differences as well, but these were the main differences I considered when making my purchase. As always, it comes down to whether or not the price difference if worth it for you. Personally, I would go with the Saros F, which is why I did. Hope this helps.

I completely agree. I do not own the 805, but I do own 5 Dobyns rods and I love each one. I wouldn't even consider purchasing from another company at this point.

I use braid for all my jig and soft plastics fishing and never use a leader.

I just broke one of my Dobyns rods a few weeks ago while spooling line because I did something incredibly stupid. It was the first rod I ever broke and I was so mad at myself at the time. However, I called Dobyns the next day and they got me a replacement rod sent out the same day for $100. The price would have been $60 but I paid extra for faster shipping so I could use the rod that weekend. I was extremely satisfied with the customer service at Dobyns. I guess they now have the best warranty/replacement program out there. Fortunately for me I prefer their rods over any other company at this point anyway.

x2

I agree with the previous post. I use the DX744 for this application and feel that a 4 power rod is much more appropriate. You might take a look at the 744 unless you are dead set on a 7' rod. I feel that the extra length really helps move line on hook sets and can be especially helpful in deeper water when more line is out.

Brass gearing?

The D7 can be found in your price range. You can also find a Core 51 for about ~$50 more if you are willing to pay the extra money. To me, the Core fits much better in my hand and the weight difference is significant, although I don't care too much about that.

I have yet to do so, but I plan to use my Dobyns 735 for this application. I may be in the minority on this, but I feel that a true swimbait rod would be overkill for 3-5 inch paddletails. I would think that most heavy action rods could handle the task.

I always store all of my reels with the drag loosened. I'm a little weary of taking my reel apart as I have never taken a BC apart before. Will it be difficult to access the drag washers and check the spring washers? Also, do I need to add grease to the Carbontex washers when making the swap?