SeanW

All though tubes are great for spots, smallies and largemouth, I prefer the Reaction Innovations Boom Boom tube for the LM. I prefer quad dipped tubes for spots and smallies.

Sounds great to me, but Im on the other coast.

Sounds great to me, but Im on the other coast.

Sounds great to me, but Im on the other coast.

Sounds great to me, but Im on the other coast.

Speaking of Powell and I hae not fished a 735 Dobyns. Its a meat stick, also known as a frog rod. Id prefer a 734 for the stuff you mentioned. A 734 is a better all arounder by either manufacturer.

Here in Northern California as the season ends the next is beginning. Its my off season now, but it just means Im getting ready for the new season is beginning. Usually temps dont drop below 48deg water temp. Winter is a great time to fish is California as the lakes are usually free of the shi and pleasure boaters.

Here in Northern California as the season ends the next is beginning. Its my off season now, but it just means Im getting ready for the new season is beginning. Usually temps dont drop below 48deg water temp. Winter is a great time to fish is California as the lakes are usually free of the shi and pleasure boaters.

Here in Northern California as the season ends the next is beginning. Its my off season now, but it just means Im getting ready for the new season is beginning. Usually temps dont drop below 48deg water temp. Winter is a great time to fish is California as the lakes are usually free of the shi and pleasure boaters.

It with stood Mike Iaconelli all year Im sure braid will be a walk in the park. I intend to use one as a frog rod and another as a punch rod. Both will have 65lb spiderwire on em.

Id say this. Then again LM are a bit different then smallies. Still Id approach it the same as any other day as it is the fall, and the fish should be preparing for winter. Some reaction, some jigs, and if the fish/bait are deeper I would drop shot.

Troy Linder(Als son) is a physical therapist and has some videos to address fishing issues/injuries. Its called Fit 4 Fishing. Check it out it helped with my shoulder and elbow issues.

in that price range Id look at the Veritas or the Verdict by Abu Garcia. The 7'3 would be great for that.

I will be adding some of these to my arsenal. Ive noticed more typical actions on the verdict and vendetta models. I think the paint they are using may be effecting the rod stiffness(guessing) . They are great rods for the money. Id suffest checking out the $79 Vendetta's also, You will be pleasantly suprised.

Depends on what and where you are throwing the swimbaits, as well as which ones. For hollow bodies I use 15lb 100% flouro. Shell Crackers and OB Minnows I use 20lb fluoro or Big Game. If Im throwing a Hudd and fishing it along the bottom where there is rocks and wood I use 25lb 100% fluoro. The deciding factor is often depth I am fishing at. If I can use Big Game I do as its really good line and its not expensive.

as mentioned rods are such an individual thing. I use Powells for the most part. However Ive recently been using the Abu Garcia Veritas rods($99). They also have the Verdict due out any time and they are even lighter and have the adjustable butt handle($139 I think). Just go into the shop and try a bunch out. Either take a reel or borrow one from the shop so you can get a feel for it. I prefer my own reel so I can line the rod and check the action. Not all actions are created equal.

the 7'11" rod can be used for a lot of things. I like em for buzz baits, punchin and flippin, swim baits, big jigs, carolina rigging. It really depends on the length rods you prefer. I like longer rods. As for the shorter models can be good for tight quarters casting. I usually just pitch the bait in that case, but every body is different.

I knew they hated lizards, but never thought about shakey heading a lizard so it nosed down in a bed. Great tip. Almost forgot how awesome a carolina rigged lizard can be. 8-)

Ideal time? I think you need to let the fish tell you what they want. Usually pre-spawn you can catch em about anyway you want to. I prefer a jig, but a creature can also be very productive. Drop-shotting can be a great method as well. Just depends on the type of area you are fishing.

Tackle warehouse is a great place to buy from. I suggest you go to a local shop and check stuff out first so you know what you want before you order.

I believe the tip heavy guys can be seen a mile away. Its very bright yellow. Ive tried em and they are decent rods, but a tad tip heavy for my liking.

The best rod is the one the fisherman feels comfortable with. Personally I dont require the most sensitive rod, but then I have a hair trigger and feel my baits well. Everybody is different in that aspect. I believe line is just as if not more important. Balance is over rated. Just ask the worlds best tournament anglers.

As David mentioned your favorite worm is a great place to start. How ever there really are not many plastics you can fish on a dart head. Creature baits work, craw worms, grubs, tubes. It is just more of a finesse technique, but it does catch big fish as well. I generally prefer to throw my creatures on a darter, and worms on a shakey head.

Lets get the facts straight. Both are great rods and you cant go wrong with either. The Savy series was the latest rod by Dobyns, and was brought about to compete in the price range of the Powell and others. It is not as good as the Powell rods. The other Dobyns rods are great rods and priced higher, and they are lighter. However this does not mean better, that really comes down to personal preference, as do all rods. Also comparing thse lines to GLX or IMX and saying they are equal is true in some ways. I dumped all of my Loomis rods and went over to Powell and Abu rods. To me they (including Dobyns) are better then those loomis rods. Warranty is part of being a great rod, and Im sorry to say Loomis has fallen way behind in that area. TO answer the original question, both are great rods. You really need to try em out and find out what you prefer. In my area we have demo rods available so you can actually fish them. Sean, not to argue with you, but it's more than just personal preference... Is the difference between an ugly stick and a steez just personal preference? Given that the gap between a Powell and Champion isn't as large as that comparison, there is still a noticeable difference between a Powell and a Champion Series rods... The Savvy and Powell on the other hand are a closer comparison. The "Not as good as a Powell remark" is your personal preference, not a fact. I've seen and heard numerous guys selling off their Powells to purchase Savvy rods. Guess we will have to agree to disagree. It is personal preference. Unless you believe that you need that expensive rod to catch more fish. It is always preference my friend, its called a choice. Some folks fish 10 different brands of rods. Its what works for them. So you mentioned proof, yet you made claims of one being better then the other. Show me some proof and I will change to Dobyns. See there is no proof. I can catch the same fish with a $79 Abu Vendetta that you can with a $250 Dobyns. You fish them because you like them. I fish Powell because I like them. I feel they are of equal quality. However I like the keepers better on the Powell. There is a point where the weight thing is a dead issue to me. I mean just about all quality rods are fairly light. Balance is really about what reel you use on the rod. Its not automatically balanced with all reels. Its very easy to balance a rod with butt weight, or not quite as easy with different reels. Like I said Ive owned several Dobyns rods, I really liked em. However I dont feel I am a better fisherman then I am with an Abu Garcia Veritas rod.

I agree on the Abu Soron, great reel. I have several Stradics and while its a great reel, the drag system is not comparable at all. The Soron drag is much better. I fish light line on my spinning reels so drag is everything.