BradGuenette

Any reasoning for stepping up in power!?

I couldn't be happier with the CPR mount from green fish! http://www.greenfishmovement.com/shop/cpr-mount/

For all of you 10XD lovers out there this rod is finally now available, I've been chucking them on the 805CBRM since they have been released and while it worked it's going to be nice to have something that really has to power to toss these giant baits!!

As much as I love my DX744 the DX784ML just seems to suit what your looking to do better. This was my first season fishing the DX784ML and I found the extra length allows me take up extra line and get control of big fish at the side of the boat. I used it mostly for dragging heavy football jigs in deep water. If you were strictly going to use it as a pitching rod I would stick with the DX744, but if fishing footballs/C-rigs the DX784ML is the stick for you. I will mention that it is noticeably faster the the DX744, it really should be rated as xfast.

The Champion extreme is the ultimate feel rod and for finesse techniques such as the ones that you are looking to do it makes a big difference in overall sensitivity to have an extreme, it is an investment but you will never have to replace it with anything else. Not only would you be gaining from the benefits of a extreme but also the added length of the rod, longer casts, better line pick up & the advantage of having more leverage when fighting a fish. The DX742 is an incredible rod. I just have to warn you, once you get one you will want another. I use it for alot of techniques. It has the perfect balance of tip and backbone.

Chris I found the DX703 too heavy when throwing lighter baits, 1/8oz heads didn't seem to load the rod properly. The power is there but it doesn't have the tip that the DX742 offers to throw these light baits.

For me I personally think the dx 702 is just to light for your application. I personally use the DX702 for vertical open water applications and it hits it's limit at 1/4oz,I think you'd have a hard time pulling fish away from cover. From the sounds of it the DX742 fits right into what your looking for, a great combination of the two with the power being somewhere right between, think of it as a 2 1/2 power. The 742 is a very very versitle rod so much that I ended up with two I liked them so much, the sweet spot on this rod is 1/4oz & I have thrown up to 3/8oz with no problems. If you are dead set on getting a 7' rod I would highly recommend the champion 702sf, it has that low end power that the DX702 is lacking for your intentions.

For me less is more in cold water situations, try dragging a tube, fishing a drop shot or even a hair jig. Some of favorites are minnow style baits, tubes&hair jigs. There have been days where nothing will beat a dead sticked tube and then there are days when they want the hair jig. Figure out what the fish want and how they want it presented. I cannot stress enough to slow down, and when you think you have slowed down... Slow down even more.

Take a look into the Dobyns SSM 692sf as your primary drop shot rod. It also excels as a shaky head and darter head rod!! Has plenty of sensitivity, nice soft tip but the backbone you need. Dobyns Savvy Series is the best $150 rod on the market! Dobyns has a great warranty and they stand behind their rods.

http://www.americanlegacyfishing.com

Dobyns Champion 734 most versatile stick I own!

Enjoy the new stick!

If I'm fishing vertical, watching the sonar and dropping down to the fish I use the Dobyns DX702 paired with 6lb seguar tatsu, the shorter rod really allows me to keep the bait in the right zone. When casting the bait out and working it back to the boat I prefer the Dobyns DX742 paired with 10lb sunline sx1/8lb fluro leader.

Berkley Twitchtail Minnow, Reins Bubbling Shad, Megabass Vision 110, Heddon One Knocker, Jackall Aska60,NorthStar Jigs.

There are many reasons for me to to downsize my presentations for success. Fish mood is a big one,When fish are neutral or inactive smaller baits often seal the deal better than larger offering. Cold fronts, ultra clear water & fishing pressure are many other reasons to go smaller. Downsizing success is sometimes a matter of matching the food source. Key in on profile, colour and action, At times using smaller lures is the only way your bait will get noticed.

705CB Glass is my favorite squarebill rod by far! The 705cb is also a great square bill rod the graphite is quicker than the glass, but that is to be expected. I use the 705 cb around grass fishing traps ect. and the 705 glass in a more rock/wood situation. I also was not a fan of glass rods until I actually fished the 705cb glass, it is unlike any other rod I have used in that it doesn't feel 'dead' like alot of other glass rods on the market. Once you're holding it you won't be able to tell it's a glass rod, for me I also find it loads up alot better then the graphite version, If I were going to own just 1 crankbait rod, this would be it.

Rudy, If I were you I'd be taking a hard long look at the Champion 762sf. Rated 1/8-1/2oz it would be ideal for the weights you have mentioned. The extra length you get from the long rod will really help your casting distance from the bank in getting those lighter weights out there. I'm currently using the 762sf for mojo rigs and couldn't be happier. The length really comes into play when making long casts on big flats and enables me to pick up a ton of line on the hookset. My next choice would be the Champion 702sf, or even better with the Black Friday sales coming up you can pick up a Extreme for the price of a Champion.

My go to top 5! All in the Dobyns lineup; DX742sf-dropshot DX764sf -tubes DX745-jigs DX743-swimjigs DX742sf-finesse jigs I'd feel pretty confident only bringing these setups in the boat, but depending on the bite I would switch out the 2nd DX742sf for another moving bait of some type i.e square bill on the 705cb glass.

I toss 10xd's on my 805CBRM paired with a BB1 pro and this setup handles them great, no fatigue throughout the day.

6'3" MF Shimano Cumara paired with a Chronarch 50MG for me, I'm also using #10 fluoro.

You have your $300+ extremes, $250 champions and $150 savy. Seems pretty reasonable to me.

Tubes tubes tubes

Dobyns rods hands down. Best customer service in the industry, rods for all different types of budgets, and endless different options to key in on the perfect rod for the variety of applications you can to use it for.

Split tail off a gulp minnow works best for me

Do yourself a favor and buy a Dobyns rod, Call the shop and they will take care of you. 530-671-1989