Smallieseeker

Another vote for the Dobyns Champion 736 glass. Light sensitive and well balanced for a glass rod. It has the perfect amount of give to really let the fish get the bait but still has the backbone to set the hook.

Paddle tail swimbaits The Ned rig Chatterbait with a swim senko trailer

I never heard about this, when was it?

They are all I fish anymore. I normally make one big resupply order every year. As many have pointed out they are well built, great hook, and great colors. I also prefer the football head on these since I’m fishing around a lot of rock and riprap. I did pick some bubble blades up this year to try, I haven’t used these yet.

I’m using a Dobyns Champion Extreme 743 paired with a Shimano Stradic ci4 spooled with 8 lbs fluro. Great combo for shakey heads and weightless plastics.

Yes the rattles are removable and yes it’s a very good jig for a very good price. I also like the war eagle finesse jigs.

I have been using dobyns almost exclusively for 2 seasons now in all their line ups except the colt series and while they are not the most sensitive rods in their price range they are still plenty sensitive and still worth their price especially when you purchase them during a sale like I do most of the time. Despite what some people are saying on here I have always thought their balance was perfect even on there 8 foot rods. Their actions are the biggest selling points for me. They are soft enough to absorb the fight and runs a 5 lbs smallies will give but still have plenty of backbone to give a great hook set. I loose very little fish while fishing anymore. Dobyns may not be for everyone but for my fishing they are perfect. They are overall a great durable rod that still has plenty of sensitivity. And the company will back their rods with a great a warranty. You will not be disappointed no matter what line up you choose from imo.

I have tried a few also and the one I keep going back to is McCoy’s mean green and xtra clear copolymer. Has great abrasion resistance and great line management. I have never felt like i needed more sensitivity out of it either. I have also bought some silver thread an40 to try this year and so far I haven’t been disappointed but I have only used it for a couple months so time will tell.

Reels Spinning: Shimano Casting: Diawa Rods Dobyns mostly with a few Shimano and St Croix

I have never used St. Croix trout series rods but do have a couple of their panfish series rods. One of them is the 7 foot light xfast and it’s a great rod and the one I would recommend I use it to throw micro cranks and 1/16th oz jigs. There is nothing extra fast about this rod. It has a great parabolic bend to it and I get great hook sets with it. But I really wouldn’t recommend throwing a 1/4 oz on it. I’m sure it could be done but there are better options out there for that weight.

I think a tatula sv would work good for that. I can throw 1/4 oz lures with out any trouble and still get good distance with mine on a medium light rod.

I like it for 1/4oz to 3/8oz. Any lighter or heavier I just use a different set up. I have actually heard the opposite. I’ve read that the Sierra is just a little bit softer than the champ and the champ extremes. I can’t say for sure tho bc my only experience with the champion extreme casting rods was a 4 power.

After reading so many good reviews I bought the Dobyns Champ Xp 736 glass. Absolutely love the rod! It’s light for a glass rod and has great balanced. I do how ever use this rod for mainly chatterbaits/Spinnerbaits and the occasional heavier top water. But if I ever find my self needing to throw something in the 6xd range this would be the rod I would use. And just to point out I have never lost a fish on the rod yet.

If looking at the Dobyns fury I would go with the 735 for frogs and heavier jigs, 705cb for trebles, and I know you want to keep it under 7 feet but the 734 or 733 in the dobyns line up are special. They are super versatile and are an all round good rod that has many uses.

I throw them on a Dobyns Sierra 682 casting with a tatula sv. Works good I never had a problem casting them but there is nothing wrong with using a spinning set up either.

I just use a plain ball jig head in 1/8 oz with either 2/0 or 3/0 hook depending on the size of the bait. I also prefer a 90 degree line tie. Where I fish at here this is a hard technique to beat.

I have a dobyns 704 rod in the champion extreme line up and love it. I have no complaints except for I wish I would have gotten the 7’4” version. I would say it’s a pretty versatile rod too. I have thrown smaller jigs (1/4-3/8oz) weightless senkos, Texas rigs, shakey heads, spinnerbaits, bladed jigs with out any problems. Never thrown a treble hook lure on it so I can not comment on how it does there. I know you mentioned you was looking at the champion line up but I don’t think their actions would be that far off from each other.

I have used rage craw, rage menace, and Berkley pit boss before and have had great success on all 3. If I had to pick a favorite it probably would be the rage menace.

Pflueger also has a president combo that would fit with in your budget. I have had one for a few years and have nothin bad to say about it.

X2 on the fury. I bought a 200 dollar fenwick rod a few years back that was marked down below the price of the fury and really was not impressed with it. To be completely honest the fury is still a better cranking rod than the fenwick which retailed almost a 100 dollars more.

I did the same thing only will be putting it on the Dobyns DX743

I have a carhartt rain defender hoodie that I love. Keeps me warm and repels water nicely.

Haven’t tried them yet but at only 10 dollars I think they would be worth trying out. I honestly think these will be better then the teckel. I saw a video where you can adjust the tail to create subtle changes in the sound and splash. I have plans to pick some up on my next order.

I don’t fish them a whole lot here mainly early spring and late fall but when I do I like the Eco Pro Tungsten swing shads on Picasso heads.

I have given the Sierra some thoughts too but didn’t know much about them. Do you find the extreme to be more of a faster taper than the xp or are they similar in action