webertime

I will cut you...

I've caught fish out of a cup of Saline Solution with Keitechs.

I have a 735 Excel 2, a 703 Excel 1 spinning and had a 734 Excel 1. They are not as fast as most companies fast rods, so that my help them load and toss lighter baits. My old 734 had the same specs as the Excel 2 733 you are looking at, and if the action is the same as I suspect, it MAY be a bit to moderate to fish anything other than trebles and/or light wire hooks. So as far as breakage or anything. I fished the snot out of my 735 Excel 2 this year and caught dozens and dozens of fish including 5 smallies over 5lbs. It was a dedicated Carolina Rig rod (Citica E, 20lb Abrazx, 1oz Mojo, LONG 17lb mono leader) with occasional 6" Hudd tossing. I set the hook on many a boulder in 40' and that rod never ever winced. I did very very well in tournaments this year on that rod and when it was all over and I was breaking down my gear for the winter I found that I had nearly rounded out the handle/driveshaft interface on the Citica and only a trim ring on the rod had come loose. I am really trying not to buy another 735. AND it is a beautiful rod, if that matters.

If I may make another suggestion, the Fenwick Silverhawk that Cabelas sells for $59.99 (when on sale) is a fantastic 7' MLf rod. I use it for Spybaits and small plastics for Smallies up here.

Hahaha, I bet it's more than a 1/4oz... Last year on Champlain the Smallies were not biting the really aggressive plastics. It was the smaller more subtle acting plastics that hammered them, hence no Rage Tail.

I see posts fairly frequently saying, "I'm going to flip 3/8oz Texas Rigs... what rod?" It seems that a lot of people don't take into account the weight of the plastics that they will be throwing when considering a rod. I got bored one night this last summer and weighed out a bunch of baits I use a lot and thought that some people might find this useful. I weighted 5 random baits and averaged them. GYBC Fat Ika .38oz Senko 5" .37oz Senko 6" .37oz (weird...) Senko 7" .50oz Senko 10" (Doc Irv) 1.59oz Keitech Swing Impact Fat 2.8 .12z Keitech S I F 3.8 .30oz Keitech S I F 4.8 .39oz Keitech S I F 5.8 .77oz Keitech Easy Shiner 4" .17oz Keitech Easy Shiner 5" .34oz Pit Boss 4" .34oz Pit Boss 3" .19oz Zoom Ultravibe Speedcraw .23oz Kickerfish Tail Slapper 4.8" .46oz Kickerfish Tail Slapper 3.8" .31oz Zoom 5" Fluke .29oz Keitech Sexy Impact 5" .37oz Keitech Sexy Impact 4" .21oz Zoom Fluke 7" .81oz Big Bite Baits Real Deal Craw .35oz Keitech Salty Core Stick 5" .40oz

The 7ft ML spinning rod is awesome for spybaits

They don't have the action you'd expect, they just sort of collapse on themselves and become a blob. They are very thin too and not to durable.

The Avid 70MHM is awesome.

I got some abec 3 bearings on ebay for dirt cheap. They are in a slow rotation part of the reel so going higher abec is a waste. Smooth drags are available through their website or our very own DVT.

New: The Cuardo I is really nice. The Tatula is nice but it may feel big in your hands dude, they do mine. Used: There are a ton of TD Zillions out there for $100-$150, add the price of a cleaning and Smooth Drag upgrade and I'd take one of these. The Citica E used is $50-$75. Add a bearing under the drive shaft ($3) and a Smooth Drag ($8). Once this is done this reel is 98% of the performance of a Curado/Chronarch E. And for the investment you could upgrade a few of your combos from those Silver Max's...

I like the 7'MHM St. Croix rods (Mojo on up) and the Lamiglas Excel (2) 705g for my cranking (79 at TW now). The new crankin' sticks from BPS are getting more and more expensive over the last 3 years (?) They've gone from $69.99 to $99.

Blue/chrome ratl trap Or Pointer

Largemouth 5.46lb on a 4.8" Keitech Swing Impact Fat with a 1/8oz swimbait hook. I caught 6 Smallmouths over 5lbs this year (5.0-5.18lbs) all on Zoom Speedcraws Carolina Rigged with a 4-6' leader in 17-46'. Biggest non Speedcraw Smallie was 4.87lbs on a Lucky Craft Pointer 100 this fall.

If Cabelas still has the Tourney Trail with the cork grips for $29.99, then game over. They have a 7'6" H 1-3oz model that is really nice and I've owned Okuma's, Quantums, Phenix, and St. Croix swimbait rods. This rod is everybit as useful as the much higher dollar models I've used.

This is for a guy that is a co-angler in a tournament. http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/tournament-choice-deluxe-tackle-bag/pid-856003?color=Green+Dark+01&N=272574546+4294951535 I've been fishing out the back of the boat for the last few years and have come to find that using a bag that carries smaller boxes allows for better organization. The above bag is my current one, it says 6 but you can add 2 3601's in the main compartment as well. All my tools in the big front compartment, line/scents in one of the side compartments, random plastics for the water I am fishing in the other. With the smaller bag, you will also be able to fit it in even the smallest boats compartments or if you must it is easier to tuck away at your feet. I fish primarily on Lake Champlain, this lake has the classic Smallmouth rocky deep water of the main lake and up north, while also having the Florida-esque gnarliness of Ticonderoga and Missisquoi Bay. I am saying it has a huge variety of water for one lake. That being said I speak to my boater about where we will be going and taylor my tackle to the water we will fish. The smaller boxes help in this way... If I am going to Ticonderoga I will be bringing frogs and thick stuff. Having those in the one 3600 allows me to throw that in without having to paw through my stuff prior to the tournament to make sure I have what I need. Likewise, down there I will not be throwing jerkkbaits, so I can just pull that box out. I with the 3700's they carry so much that I would put things together that theoretically will not be thrown in the same water. Rod wise I bring 4-6 rods, maybe it's just mental since I usually only use 1-3. I found that a Bac Rac is a really helpful item to have, although they have become absurdly expensive for what they are. It gets the rods/hooks away from the boaters seat and your legs, it also keeps the tangles to a minumum. If the Bac Rac will not work on the boaters boat, then I keep my rods in socks so they tangles around eyelets is minimized. A trend you are spotting at this point is; keeping things neat, compact and organized. This makes you more efficient, quicker to pack for a run (boaters appreciate that) and give you more room to move and be comfortable. This is huge for me, if I am not comfortable I get distracted and make mistakes... IE I waste money... Other things I have found myself doing: Spare baitcasting spools (backlashes and swaping your Frog rod with braid to flouro spooled carolina rig) Mend it for your plastics (not having a pile of dead soldiers is nice) Tools kept on my body (clip cull tags to my hip and pliers in a pocket) Powerbar type food (no mess, compact and fast) I never use the back seat so I ask the boater if we can leave it. I'm 6'5" and have gotten stuck under them far to many times while in the livewell. DON'T STEP ON THE SEATS Have the net tucked into the driver seat so you can grab it quick for your boater and it's right near you if you need him to net for you.

I tend to throw baits that resemble Mainebass1984 (small and pale)...

I have the 735 Excel 2 (first one in the country). It is my favorite rod. The 705g is by all accounts an amazing rod.

Looks like 1980's Skiing outfits. I'd still fish it if it was a nice rod.

Doc Irv has a 1.75" craw. $4 for 24 and any color you want.

Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw. Tiny and subtle. My favorite craw. Big Bite Baits Real Deal Craw. Awesome on a biffle head. Rage Craw for days that the bass want food that needs Adderall.

I use the Recon now for flipping, frogs, Back up C-Rig rod and to toss punkers and shellcrackers.

I used the Avid for throwing Keitechs (4.8 fat 1/8-1/2oz weights), spinnerbaits, Texas/Jika rigs up to 3/8oz. Using 14-16lb Flouro. Vendetta was senkos small spinnerbaits, sort of my "random stuff" rod using 12lb. YZH

I'm looking at getting a few new rods for the upcoming season. I will be replacing a Abu Vendetta 7' MF, a Phenix Recon 766 and a St. Croix Avid 7' MHF. I am looking at the Dobyns Champion 734 and 735 Full Handles which should cover what the Vendetta and Avid covered... This is question one... If you have fished both the Avid 7 MHF and the Champion 735, would you call them similar in power? I am also interested in the Savvy 766 Micro model but can't find to much information on it. I would love some feedback on that model. I know they aren't super sensitive, but I am sure they are good enough for the flipping I will be doing. Has anyone used the Champion 804 (Carolina Rig Special)? Are there any other Dobyns in either line that I should be considering? Thanks all.

Sort of depends on what you want to do with the rod. If you are going bottom contact then a Rage or preferably an Avid. If you are tossing treble baits or spinnerbaits then a Mojo or Premier.