Columbia Craw

I find myself leaning toward Dirty Jigs for my swim jigs. I have been running black/blue, blueguill and an Ayu color pattern. I match up with paddle tails, single tail grubs and the Rage Menace but fell in love with the Zoom Super Speed Craw. That trailer moves like a guy running from and swarm of yellow jackets. I throw straight #30 braid on a Champion 734 but i'm switching to my new Kaden 744C. I love them in any vegetation.

The late Stan Fagerstrom advocated the removal of the bail on his Cardinals. Cardinals in that era were high end and steelheaders loved them. It's not a modification I would do on today's reels.

Kalin grubs in smoke or smoke/blue flake in clearer waters have been effective for me. I have a pseudo smoke color Robo worm that also has been effective. I don't have any other baits in smoke.

Randy, you are like a lot of guys. I had never heard of Dobyns rods until I stopped at a large tackle dealer in California about eight years ago. I saw some Dobyns rods on the rack and liked what I saw. I wanted a new quality flippin rod and went with a Dobyns Champion and so it goes. I've owned more rods than I can recall including St Croix models. Over time, I like what Dobyns offers in powers, actions, configurations and so forth. They fit my style of fishing. I've yet to break one. St. Croix makes a good product. I don't care for their handles at all but that's just me. After time, you know what you like and want from a rod. I just happened to find it, for the most part, in one brand.

Congratulations on your new combo. Your reel will fit like a glove and balance perfectly. You only need a few items to get you started. Jigs: 3/8 and 1/2 in black/blue and green pumpkin to start. Get a flippin style with a 5/0 stout hook. Trailers: This is easy. Strike King Rage Bug, Rage Craw and a Rodent to match your jigs. Flippin Hook: 4/0 EWG Hook: 4/0 Plastics: See trailers Weights: Tungsten in 1/4 to 1 ounce Line: #65 Braid for grass and vegetation and #20 Flouro for wood (if you choose.) Bobber stops. Put those baits in heavy cover areas. Stay healthy and enjoy the ride!

The club I belong to sponsors an open in early May and I texted the President that we need to cancel. Our club event on the Oregon Coast is scheduled for later April and the ramps there are, to my knowledge, closed. I anticipate the closure will continue into May. Ramp closures will be the significant control.

There is no "do it all" but the 734C is definitely the do the most.

Fishing different water. I was in a rut for years and followed some bad advice. When all you fish is hollows lakes with stained water you miss so much variety. When I got my own boat and began to fish other venues things clicked. I used to think 8 feet was deep. Now I consider 58 feet as deep. I view bass fishing as situation or conditional. I look at the conditions and situation to determine where I would be if I was a bass and employ the lure and technique that I feel would be the most effective for that condition and situation. I follow Coach Bill Belichik's situation football philosophy and apply it to bass fishing.

A Daiwa Exist 3000. That one would show up on Show Off Your Stuff.

Good to go.

I has a couple in the early eighties. Couldn't buy a trike with one.

Don't confuse the Dobyns crankbait powers with the non-CB models. The CB's are moderate actions. Look at the bait weight range, line tests and type of baits you plan to throw. I would research the Champion 704CB for your application. This model does all my jerkbait work. I also have the 705CB. Good luck !

My seven year old grand son, Ian, was over and wanted to get on the Tackle Warehouse sight to look at crankbaits. He loves the color patterns. We hit the 6th Sense section and began to scroll through the Curve 55's when he asked me, " Is this connected to your bank account, because you have all these colors in your boat." What could I say? "Sometimes I think so Ian." His favorite color was Black Magic, and I have one.

I started fishing "Borrow pits" when I was nine years old with a Zebco 202 combo and grasshoppers or night crawlers. We caught hundreds of bluegill and crappie. I threw a Red Devil spoon and caught my first bass shortly there after. Mountain Dew wasn't on the market yet. Simple times.

I wait to remove the bait until I know i'm out of camera view and the clerks are in another aisle.

I came really close to purchasing an in shore but went with the standard Tatula 200 instead. Blue velvet.

What do they do if you fail to license your dog.....seize your home?

It's not the size of the company that dictates the quality level of a rod. It's the structure of the design to production process and the resource capability. I am convinced the fewer involved in the design, build and sales structure of a rod company the better. That of course is dependent on the ability and expertise of those involved. When the owner of a company has the ability to stay hands on and determine the end product, the better the potential of that product reaching the set standards. When you incorporate the expenses generated by aspects that have nothing to do with manufacture you factor those costs into the bottom line. I don't care to pay for some company's promotional campaign, ads or big name pro staff. I but generic products when I go shopping because I get the same quality without paying for advertisement overhead. Some aspects of being smaller are advantageous.

Here's a thought. I found myself placing plastics into two categories, short/wide ( i.e. beavers ) and long/slender ( i.e. brush hog -worm. ) I will experiment with both and sometimes in variations of actions based on water temperatures. I try to let the the bass tell me if they have a preference. I don't pigeon hole myself into any one bait style. My experience has been the cooler the water the shorter/wider baits seem to be more effective and just the reverse as the water warms. I still switch up until the fish show a preference.

The single most valuable box in my boat is terminal tackle. It adds up really fast.

For the weight range specified, the 734C would be a better match. If you feel a 1/2 ounce will become a frequent player, the 744C would be a better choice. The 744C is very fast and is a jig special. The 735C is really nice but the sweet spot is 1/2 ounce. It's for big line, big jigs and big fish. It's an exceptional frog rod too. It's worth the additional investment. Get a refurbished model if one is available.

Yes but slightly. 713c and 744C compared.

I fish a Ned deeper than many so casting distance is paramount. To help get that distance I use a 7'3" with some tip. This feels comfortable and it's efficient.

Dobyns 705CB or 736CB Glass

Dobyns Extreme HP 702SF is really sweet.