tim_kovar

I'd recommend nrx 873 as my first choice for the cover you mention, conquest 844 as a second, and then megabass Orochi xx perfect pitch as a good third option. I think the 873 would throw 6" senkos just fine, they are a pretty heavy peice of plastic. I don't think the 893 you mentioned would have enough power in heavy cover to get them out of the over.

I am looking to add a couple more budget friendly rods to the arsenal over this winter and was leaning towards one of these two lineups. I have some familiarity with dobyns, but mostly their champion and extreme line, and zero experience with anything ALX. I hear great things about each of these two companies but if any of you can compare and contrast these two specific rods mentioned below that would be great. I was wanting to compare the IKOS heavy hammer versus the 7' mag heavy Sierra and also the ALX medium heavy promise 73 versus the Dobyns Sierra heavy 734. Any thoughts or experiences with the differences on these are appreciated.

I would recommend the G Loomis 844 MBR if you want to go the e6x lineup for spinnerbaits. It's also a great all purpose rod.

Definitely go with the medium heavy if your mostly throwing jigs on it. You will be glad you have the extra power.

I am wondering which fluorocarbon lines have the least amount of stretch that you have tried for bottom contact baits? I did run across the TT line test article from a few years back and found that pretty interesting. With the market changing all the time I thought I would see what you guys would recommend.

Berkley Pit Boss is probably my favorite, but I also use the Missile Baits D-Bomb too.

g loomis 844

I used the bps version for one season a couple years ago and I was pretty happy with it. I think the kvd conditioner seemed slightly better overall but the bps conditioner did a good job for the price difference too.

893C is awesome for weightless plastics. If you don't mind a little shorter rod the 854 is fairly close to the 893 and would be a really good option too. Go NRX if you can afford it.

I use that same one. Really like it because its the same size as my other boxes. Some brand spinnerbaits do fit better than others. I keep my chatterbaits and buzzbaits in it too. The buzzbaits i had to sit a little bit to the side in order for them to fit well.

I would go with the 853 if it were me and given the models you had listed.

I would highly recommend the 854 over the 853 for you.

7'9" Megabass Orochi XX Aaron Martins Flipping Special (older version of current Aklys model) 65 lb. Seaguar Smackdown Braid I use this set up for 3/4 and 1 oz.

6:40 am here.

Hey everyone. I am pretty familiar with Dobyns rods and what I am looking for is other comparable options out in the market to a 6 powered Dobyns, like say the 736. I would use this set up for hollow body frogs in the thick slop. The Dobyns 5 power seems very comparable with a lot of other heavy action rods out there, but it seems harder to find something slightly more stout than that. I prefer cork and want it in the 7'-7'3" range. No budget constraints because I am sure I would get that question and don't want to limit any suggestions. Considering the technique, however, I don't think something ultra high end would be worth it though either.

Hey, I can maybe help you out some. As you will likely find out the offering on ice fishing rods and reels are way more limited than open water. The vast majority use smaller spinning reels and all about the same gear ratio, so don't get hung up on that aspect at all. You will probably want one rod that is a medium power for jigging and catching larger fish like pike and walleye, one medium light power rod for perch/crappies, and perhaps one that is a light power for sunfish. No clue what your fishing for, but that covers most situations. You will also probably notice quickly that the quality on a lot of the ice combos is not that great. I would try to get some of the more expensive stuff if you can afford it because a lot of the "ice reels" don't hold up. One rod I really like is made by *** and it is called the white out I think. St Croix makes some nicer rods too and if you want to spend a little more you can check out Thorne Bros.

That is my favorite braid! Super quiet and smooth through the guides, color holds up really well, and never had any breakage issues.

Hey, I am 2.5 hours northwest of you. If you want to gain confidence in those techniques a sensitive rod will help some, but will only take you so far. Time on the water will be needed to get you the rest of the way. I would start with a small texas rigged worm or baby brush hog next spring. The bass will be pretty shallow and most won't be far away from the shallower bays in your lakes from spawning. The bites are usually pretty easy to detect with these and a lot of times involve multiple tell tale taps when they are sucking it in. As you gain confidence in that then branch out into smaller jigs or bigger/different types of plastics. A jig bite to me is usually a bit more subtle than texas rigs so that may take even more time. As far as gear goes you really can't go wrong with the following companies from my experience: G. Loomis, Kistler, St. Croix, or Dobyns. I have used several of each and the middle offering of any of these brands will be great for you and be in your price range. Some good examples would be a G Loomis IMX Pro, Kistler Helium 3, St. Croix Avid, or Dobyns Champion XP. For reels my preference is Shimano, but Daiwa is also a really good brand out there. I would go with the curado k lineup or above, and with Daiwa the tatula reel lineup or above, budget permitting. If your lake is stained at all you can get away with straight braid as that will help you out with sensitivity too until you get that confidence you are seeking.

The jump to the Chronarch is so worth it. I love my Metanium's, but for a true workhorse the Chronarch is very tough to beat as far as performance, especially if you can find a nice used one. I would probably side more so with the Champion 734 for rods and then my next choice would probably be the Expride.

I have also heard this and so I tried calling in for the 20% discount on a Megabass rod during the sale last year and they shot me down.

I have never really gotten into chatterbaits but want to try more of it next season. I was going to order one or two Zman jackhammers this winter and wanted some input on colors. I am more of a minimalist regarding tackle and if you could give a recommendation on a color or two that would be great. Are they similar enough to a spinnerbait where white is kind of the dominant color that will cover most situations, or totally different?

For bottom contact stuff yes, but it doesn't matter as much for moving baits. Black Friday 20% off is coming soon at Tackle Warehouse and I know it works on Dobyns rods, FYI.

What Dobyns calls a heavy is not a heavy (in my opinion) and is much closer to most other manufacturer's medium heavy. If you look at the weight recommendations they also line up a lot closer to what most others designate as a medium heavy, which is that 1/4 to 1 oz rating. I am just speaking with experience to Dobyns and what I would recommend to you as the most "all purpose" rod.

You will very likely want to go with the 4 power in the Dobyns lineup. Highly recommend the Champion 734 based on what you are saying.

Anyone know when eBay will likely do another 15% or 20% off with no limitations?