kickerfish1

From a price and options standpoint try the Berkeley havoc line. Lots of options for style of baits, trailers and profile. Also you will find colors that work well for you like junebug and bamabug. For finesse fishing drop shots and shakeyheads roboworm and jackall are my favorites. Flickshakes, I-shads, and crosstail shads. From the roboworm variety any of the 4 and 6 inch worms and the fx sculpin, alive shad and zipper grub. For larger and non finesse I really like Strikeking and rage. Next would be Zoom with the horny toad and trickworm. Yamamoto senkos and ikas are great weightless baits. Keitech fat swing impacts and RI dippers for swim jig trailers. These are some of my favorites in a nutshell

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Sorry, I wasn't attempting to single you or anyone else. Just more of a general statement or observation stemming from what Rockchalk had posted. With many larger companies you have a full hierarchy of hoops to jump through before reaching those in the know about a said product. However with most rod manufacturers, there are fewer hoops if any and one can find out a great deal about the rods behaviors and components from the guys that helped build and construct them. I have 5 rods in the dobyns lineup but I would not consider myself an expert especially to someone that fishes different waters and those with larger fish compared to what I see in the Midwest. Best of luck with your decision and new rod! And if you do get Gary he will talk your ear off. A very nice and knowledgeable man to talk with.

That's awesome you talked to Gary. It baffles me how many people want to take a guess or ask others what rod to get when they have the rod line picked out. I have called multiple times and the owners or rod designers are actually far more accessible than most think. Their suggestions have been spot on and never did I feel pressured. Usually at dobyns you get one of the family members. I am glad you had a positive experience and got a rod that should fish what you need it to!

As far as the sensitivity compariosn to an NRX I don't think its fair to compare rods that differ by $200. However the dx series is quite sensitive in its price range. I have zero issues ever detecting bites with it. The NRX is essentially a top 5 rod line for sensitivity in the eyes of many, with only a few custom builds and JDM rods competing on the same playing field. For baits up to a 1/4 oz or so this would be a very good rod in the extreme lineup. It is only availiabe in a full handle so if you want a split grip you are in tough place between the 702 and 743. The 702 won't be as effective for weightless baits and jigs where a bit more power is needed for hooksets. It would serve well for drop shots and other finesse rigs. The 743 wouldn't be much of a finesse rod or drop shot rod but would be the rod for weightless plastics and light jigs and Texas rigs. The 742 is the perfect combination of the two.

New2bcbass... for me the rod serves as a "mag" finesse casting rod. I have over 2 dozen rods, most of which like the 742 are very technique, or weight range oriented. I can throw 1/8 oz weight plus hook and plastic or 1/4 oz jig or Texas rig plus plastic, but it tends to be a bit out of the rods comfort range and my intended needs for it. I do feel that about that 3/16 to 5/16 oz range is the sweet spot for the rod with likely diminishing returns once you deviate much in either direction. I believe the rod rates up to 5/8 oz but I wouldn't fish anything close to that on it. I would cap it at 3/8 oz and bump up a power for 3/8 on up.

Spinning. It is much easier to let out line to get the bait "down there". It is also much more cost effective than true finesse casting reels. Lastly the drags on spinning reels seem to prtotect light line situations better from pulling the hooks out or losing fish. Sure it is fun to try it on casting gear but even with some of the better finesse pairings I still prefer spinning gear.

I don't fish over 8# on spinning and rarely over 12# on casting. Only exceptions are a few braided line situations where the cover is very heavy.

The dx742 is a good cross between a ML and a Medium. What types of baits and weight ranges did you have in mind? I use mine for senkos, flukes, ikas, hydras, 3/16 oz drops shots and shakey heads and finesse jigs that are 1/4 oz plus trailer. Anything over a 1/4 or under 3/16 oz would be a different rod for me. That rod would you run you about $265 shipped if you find a retailer offering 20% off. They are some of the most visually stunning rods out there especially for reels with an orange finish and plenty sensitive for feel techniques!

I have not used the lamiglass line of rods but the phenix recon 713 or 714 would match it well both in performance and looks without damaging the wallet. The dobyns champion extremes would also look nice but nearly double the price. Lots of models in the dx line up that would equate to a medium light or medium. I have an a custom alphas on the 742 it is a great rod for baits between 3/16 and 5/16 ounce.

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Just a personal preference, but I find 20# just to stiff and large in diameter for casting purposes. The heaviest I would use is 15# but I much prefer 12#. It sounds like a fair amount of pitching was done and the 20# line would certainly be a better choice where you will be fishing heavier cover and not needing any distance. Good review! Did you feel the line was more sensitive than other floro lines you have used? I didn't see this in the review and wondered if you had drawn any conclusions good or bad. I would put this line up there as the best I have used and especially good for slackline sensitivity for weightless plastics. Shooter is my favorite heavier jig line, sniper is my favorite value based floro line, while tatsu is my go to for some of my primary setups.

As others have noted fish your buddy's Duckett for say an hour or so then fish your champion. Rig a similar bait and to a degree a similar type of line if possible. That brief comparison should control enough variables to where you can get a basic idea of how the rods feel and perform in your hands. If you feel their is a clear winner, then that might be the direction I would go. If they both feel similar and leave you wanting more then at that point you can consider a better rod if you have the funds for it.

I have a few roosters on some of the Northstar Hippy jigs. It is a very large profile bait when you figure in the size of the rooster and the hair and living rubber combined. I would highly recommended running a 1/2 oz jig or better if you plan on casting them any distance at all due to the wind resistance. I would imagine the tail on the bait would also make a good swim jig trailer, but I haven't used this combination yet.

Yes, otherwise the 3/4 oz megabass x-pod is capable of some incredibly far casts. Of all baits under an ounce this one really flies for me better than anything else I have tried.

Appreciate the feedback everyone. I guess I should have been more specific. For the sake of discussion all crankbait or moving bait rods will be eliminated. If one was to use the Loomis BCR or JWR series rod lines for example, how could the sensitivity felt, be different among rods doesigned to fish a similar weight range of baits... say that ever popular 1/4 - 3/4 oz weight range many of their rods are rated for. Perhaps the answer is far more difficult to pinpoint. I can certainly see how overall rod weight and comfort can play a part, but you would think that using the same series of blanks, guides, and reel seats that they would transmit vibrations the same. A 7'1 MH JWR rod vs a 7'5 JWR rod would only have differences in legnth, overall rod weight, taper, and to a degree tip speed/action. Maybe this is where the sensitivity difference lies, but again I am not a custom builder or rod design expert by any means. Thanks for the replies and if anyone else has anything else to throw in I would very much appreciate hearing it, even if it is more scientific in nature.

Often times folks will refer to a specific rod as the most sensitive or gem of that rod line. A perfect example would be the NRX 893 casting rod being considered the most sensitive among NRX casting rods. My question is this: Is it possible for a specific rod model in a specific line of rods to be more sensitive than another model with in the same line of rods? Using the Loomis NRX line for example, how could say the 893, 873, and 854 differ in terms of sensitivity. I am really looking for the science behind it from build standpoint. Brainstorming this with another individual we came with: 1. Perhaps a rod that is overall lighter in weight will transmit bites easier. 2. The tip action and how inner workings of the blank were finished. I would appreciate hearing some thoughts from folks who believe that different rod models within a series can be more sensitive than other models in the same series. I am not saying I subscribe to this theory but continue to hear of others that do. Thanks guys/gals!

A great finesse swimjig trailer and the standard size dipper on flip/swim style jigs. Very good action and a fairly heavy plastic body that casts well. Certainly one of my favorites when I need a paddle tail style trailer. Some folks will use them as A-rig trailers, weightless plastic baits, or on a weighted hook. The sun gill is a must have color for bluegill or perch colored jigs. The other good thing is they are more durable than say the keitech swing impacts, which leads to more mileage out of said bait.

Nice reels, rods, and bling! The guys at Hawgtech are top notch!

Pretty awesome footage!

Thanks for the follow up and nice catch! Flickshakes are some of my favorite finesse baits when the bite is tough. Sounds like the reel will be a winner!

Black Friday sales are generally the best in terms of greatest percentage discounts offered. Labor day will be a good sale as well.

Awesome Mike. Can't wait to hear more and see some footage...

Care to elaborate?

Just call them and they will do the discount over the phone. I haven't had an issue with them not.