fishnkamp

The Rangers are nice boats but also check out the Phoenix 618 as well.

Is there a reason you want to stay in that size boat. Often times you will get a better laid out and performing boat in aluminum within that size range. What is your budget.

What do the directions on the can say?

Yes these are available. The factory mislabeled some Champion 735 and 736 glass CB rods. Go to the Dobyns website. Click on "store" in the upper corner. Now choose factory mislabeled rods. There are at least 3 or 4 friends of mine fishing with them. Gary himself made the decision not to send them back, but rather sell them at a discount. They come with full factory warranties.

Take the tip of the rods and bend them. DO they have different power/ actions?

Bump up you budget and look at a Abu Garcia Veritas 2.0 frog rod for $79.99

Okay lets go over a few things. Baits like the Keitech and Reaction Innovation Skinny dippers will fish best on your spinning rod either unweighted using a swimbait hook or belly weighted with one of these hooks. The third is a swimbait jig head and can weigh up to 1 oz or more. I like the 3/8 and 1/2. Those will fish well on your MH baitcaster. When I mentioned the swimjig with a Kalin grub or Reitech I meant using them together in your mh rod, like this. As for other rods to add it depends on your body of water. I think you might want a medium spinning rod, or you could go for a heavier baitcaster. Does the water you fish in have heavy vegetation, matted grass, lily pads? If so maybe a 735C for frogs or the 765 Flip for more serious flipping and pitching. The 735 will do both but if you have enough flipping conditions the longer flipping rod is better. I fish many rods that are similar in order toi fish different baits and not need to retie.

The Dobyns Fury 734 is a great rod for that purpose. I have one 7 foot rod I could throw jigs on but, prefer to use it more for texas rigged stuff. My primary rod for throwing jigs and especially swim jigs is a Powell Max 683CEF. That rod is a bit shorter, which makes it great around docks, laydowns and other structure. It is now available in a Powell Max3D and inferno series. I agree with the others stay in the MH fast category except for a Dobyns, they fish a half step lighter than advertised, go more by their lure rating.

The Dobyns Fury rods are very nice and fish more like a $200 rod instead of a $110. A good choice for throwing treble baits like crankbaits, rattle traps, topwaters and jerkbaits would be a Dobyns Fury 705CB. You could follow the earlier suggestion and purchase another Tatula CT. I fish a total of 7 Daiwas, mostly original Tatulas and Tatula CTs and love them. My personal choice would be a 7.3-1 and like others have said put it on your Tatula rod. This would make your arsenal very versatile. I know you said you have not used the Tatula combo much yet. I highly recommend you give it a try with some of the following baits that work most everywhere. Try throwing a swim jig like a Dirty Jigs California style, or a Dirty Jigs Finesse style, it does not matter that much I like all of their products. Pick a color like one of the bluegills, shads or perch colors. I like to use a Kalin 5 inch grub but many like to use a swimbait like a Keitech as a trailer. These jigs in say 3/8 + a trailer will cast easy and catch a lot of fish. That rig is terrific for throwing texas rigs. You should be able to fish a lot of the finesse style worms and creature baits on a jig head like this one. It is a shakeyhead jig head made by Megastrike I would throw the 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 ounce heads and plenty of worms,creature baits and craws can be used on this setup. These are just a few ideas. This bug here is a Megastrike Mega Bug which is made by the same company as the jig head. It is just one bait I use on these jig heads.

I suspect Shimano discontinued the Symetre due to no solution for this.

Do you think you could build a swimbait rod like that? It might be cool to fish with

gall let me give you a few workable ideas. First if you ever want to get a MHX or any other custom rod built in our area, PA and MD, the man to go with is located in Bel Air MD. He is Tom of Tom's Custom rods. His website is http://www.tomscustomrods.com/ He is located probably 1 hour or a little more from you, but will help you build exactly what you want. Tom is a friend of mine and he has been doing rod repairs and building custom rods since the 80s. Now here is a combo you might want to put together, it is one my wife and I still fish with when we chase panfish. I have landed some decent sized bass and big white perch out of Lake Marburg and Pretty Boy Reservoir on these rigs. I even landed a 2 1/2 pound walleye on it, so it is no junk rod. We started with a pair of 5 1/2 foot light action Berkley Cherrywood graphite spinning rods. They also offer this rod in a 4 1/2 and 5 ft version ultralite version, all with a fast action tip. The difference is in the line weights, the shorter rods rate for 1-4 pound line. The 5 1/2 footer rates for 2-6 pound line. All of shorter rods are rated for 1/32 to 1/8, the 5 1/2 foot rods spec for 1/16 to 1/4. Mine are pre HD versions and speced 1/16 to 3/8, however I think the rods are the same and they rethought the spec. I think a 3/8 would over power my rods. Anyway, these rods often see bobber and worm duty, and we also throw lots of small spinnerbaits and mini crankbaits as well as just crappie tubes, grubs etc as well. We matched them up with a small Abu Cardinal spinning reel and Suffix 832 braided fishing line (20 pound is the same as 6 pound mono in diameter). I run a 4 foot 6 pound leader. You could get this rod and an underspin reel and when your son gets older than just swap out the reel. As I said we fish very expensive gear for bass and stripers but these rods are still lots of fun to fish with. another good bait to use under a bobber ( when maybe you do not want to mess with the nightcrawlers) is the Berkley Powerbait and Gulp line of baits in the jars. My friend catches her own bait for her guiding business using some of these baits including the Gulp Alive Waxies, Pinched crawler and Angleworms. Real wax worms and Gulp white wax worms look a lot alike. I have always liked using real wax worms for panfish since they are packaged in saw dust and are a cleaner bait to use. They also stay good in a refrigerator for a while.

I know several people with these reels that are amazed by them. Let's look at your whole setup. First zero the brake dial ( a step many ignore) Set the cast control till there is no side play, then loosen it till it has a little side play (this should make the lure look like it is falling too fast compared to most reels). Set your brakes about half way. Make sure you set the drag as well. Now tell us about the rod it is on. What is it and what is the action? What is the lure rating? How heavy is the lure you are trying to cast? Does it fall in the range of the rod's lure rating. Several people have seen the ads saying how great these reels cast light baits, then mount the reel on a rod not designed to throw light baits. I have read posts like that on several websites. If this is mounted on say the typical 7 foot MH fast action rod it should rate around 1/4 to 3/4. That will skip a 3/8 ounce jig and trailer well, but it is not going to cast a 1/8 ounce bitsy bug jig. It will backlash any reel almost. You would want a rod more like a medium action perhaps more like my 6 foot BPS Extreme Medium mod rod. That rod is great with that type of bait. While you are learning to work with this reel, try using a lure in the middle of the rod's lure rating. Lastly you may have gotten a reel that was over greased or grease got in the wrong place. I have heard of this happening occasionally, if so either take it locally or send it to DVT to be cleaned and serviced. If you leave your line on the spool I am sure DVT can mount it on a rod and test it's operation for you after it is serviced. I have to admit to you I do not own an sv reel yet, but I do fish with 1 Daiwa Exceler, 4 Tatula Type Rs and 2 Tatula CTs. All of these play very similarly. I get great casts and they rarely backlash if I set them according to the directions. Good luck, that should be a great reel.

The weight difference is a wash. I own different models from all 3 and never think this is lighter or heavier. I chose each one because the rod was made very well, felt terrific in my hand and balanced well once I put a reel of my choosing on it. That is why I purchased that particular rod. I keep fishing with each rod, as opposed to selling it and replacing it with something else, simply because it fishes really well. I have used many different brands of rods and reels over 40+ years of fishing. I consider my rod arsenal to be the best I have ever had si if they are still in it I would go by all over again. When you get a chance fill in your profile. Many of us try to help you by using the info you have listed there. In this case I would have done some investigating tackle retailers near you that might carry some of these brands. That would allow you to put them in your hand and feel them. The best way to decide between rods would be to fish them. The next best is to put a reel on them and handle them in the store. Another member might live close enough to meet and let you cast a few rods. Good luck with your search. Let us know what you get and of course post some fish pictures, we love fish porn! LOL

There is no "maximum weight of bait" rating on any low profile baitcaster. I think most anglers either go to a larger capacity low profile reel like a Daiwa Tatula Type HD or a reel like the Lexa 300 or 400 reels, or they go over to one of the round reels like an Abu Garcia Ambassadeur or even a Shimano Calcutta reel. Most often when an angler, in the US, is throwing a bass lure that weighs 2 ounces or more they most often are throwing a big hard bodied swimbait and they use much the same gear that a muskie angler would use. Either that or they are throwing a big Alabama rig, but again many use the bigger round bodied reels for line capacity mostly.

Be aware there are two categories of spinnerbaits too. There are the regular 1/4 to 5/8 ounce ( not a hard line on size here) spinnerbaits that will have average sized single or double blade combinations. These tend to fish best with the more moderate tipped rods, just like many here have said. Then the other type of spinnerbait is the BIG headed heavy weighted spinnerbaits that usually have one large blade and are best used for slow rolling bottom contact fishing in cold water. These are deadly in those late winter/ early pre spring fishing conditions. These will fish better on a longer stiffer more traditional jig rod. Here I am talking a 3/8 to 1 ounce bait sometimes even heavier. Before the pros started all the kneeling and reeling or today"s super big deep running crankbaits became popular these big spinnerbaits also got used on deep ledges and flats during the summer too. I remember a videotape that Woo Daves did back in the 90's and he was slow rolling a spinnerbait during the summer. He caught some nice bass doing that.

Now that is funny! I have a friend and fellow member on here, Kris, he sold off a bunch of equipment this winter and added 4 Fury rods. One of them is a 705cb and loves it. We are very lucky to have a fantastic local tackle dealer that stocks and sell Dobyns, Powell, Irod, Duckett and many more brands. He stocks maybe 25 of each brand, so I get to go put my paws on them before I buy one.

Before you decide take a look at an Irod IRG7113CC “Fred’s Crank Launcher. It runs about the same price $149.99 I would also look at a Max 3D 7115 CB G/C MOD Fast Medium Heavy that would run you $159.99

Wow, I wonder why that did not come up the first time.. The google search came up with what had to be an older page. Anyway you are correct, it is a very good deal! The reel is the larger standard Tatula, that is fine with me since I fish with 4 of the type Rs. If the op would rather, he can get Tatula CT for $29 more most places. That would make a nice combo.

The answer believe it or not is simply "balance'! If you match a Dobyns rod with a proper sized reel it will balance right in your hand. You are just getting to feel the difference that is hard to make clear to other anglers that have never fished with one of their rods. They just feel right in your hand. Gary makes it all work

that puppy feels great in you hand all day doesn't it?

I really like the rods in that 6'8" or 6'9" sometimes. I really think my next setup will be a Sierra SA 693SF.

While I believe many of your choices are nice rods let's talk about what you want to do. If you are fishing 1/4 3/8 and 3/4 jigs then I believe a 6'8 to 7'3 mh fast is what you are looking for. In some brands they will say heavy. My personal favorite combo to fish regular jigs and swimjigs ( not super big 3/4 to 1 1/2 football jigs on deep structure like 30 foot ledges) would be my Powell Max 683CEF. My suggestion is one of the newer version rods, a Powell Max 3D 683CEF. You could also add a Powell Max 3D 723CEF as a good choice. These are rated as medium heavy,1/4 to 3/4, but have very quick tip and lots of backbone. Go read the Tackletour review of these rods. They said my 683 handled baits very well all the way up to a 2 1/2 ounce swimbait during their tests. I prefer the shorter rod, it is fine when I am throwing on a big flat but also terrific when I am working close in structure like docks and rip rap. In addition to these rods, look at a Dobyns Fury, but instead of the 765 flip consider the 734C or 735C. I think these are better suited than the 765. I have a friend with a 765 flip and I am afraid you may feel like it is too much rod, just like you current one. The 765 flip will do the job well, but I think you would enjoy a 734C a lot. Gary himself has said the 734C is the most versatile rod ( in all of his series) that he sells. I own a Champion DC 705C and it is my frog rod ( keep in mind I can not fit a longer rod in my rod locker.) It has a great tip and tons of backbone for frogs. I forgot to add, in a Genesis II I would pick between a IRG704C, and the IRG744C. I fish several Irods as well and have been vry happy with their product as well.

I am sure he is correct.

I am not sure what Fishin Fool was looking at but I do not see that offered on their website. My preference is definitely the Tatula reel. I fish 4 original sized Tatula Type r reels and 2 Tatula CTs. I love them all, but I would recommend the Tatula CT in 6.3 or 7.3-1 ratio. That reel runs $129 regularly, but can often be found online for less. My favorite jig combo is a Tatula CT 6.3-1 and a Powell Max 683CEF. Take a moment to read the Tackletour review on that rod. The new version would be a Powell Max3D. A couple of other great options would be a Dobyns 734C in either the Fury series ($110) or the Sierra series ($170) Lastly look at the Irod Genesis II IRG 704C and the IRG 744C both of which are great rods for $149. I fish rods from all of these brands and they fish great.