David P

The 764 will be much too light for any frogging and flipping even moderate cover. The 766 Savvy is an awesome rod, and for the longest time I was using my 766 Champion as a second frog rod when needed. Definitely can pull double duty no doubt about it. Excellent! David, Thank you for your expertise on the Dobyns. I'm going to go with the 766 savvy for my pitchin and froggin in heavy cover. I have another question for you. I currently have a Shimano Compre CPC-X66MB(6'6"medium, extra fast)that I use for 1/4-3/8oz T-rigs and swim Jigs. I want to replace it with something better , and a little more power. My plans right now are to upgrade to a St.Croix Avid 7' medium, fast. What rod would you recommend in a Savvy? If you're really not going to go over 3/8oz, the 733 is a great rod, but if you're using swim jigs with a thicker hook or going to go up to 1/2oz baits sometimes, the 734 is probably a little safer bet. Both rods are awesome utility rods and can be used for a WHOLE lot more than just swim jigs too. Spinnerbaits,buzzbaits, jigs, t-rig baits, spooks, traps, the list goes on! Enjoy that 766, it's a great rod. Maybe wait until you get your 766, then decide whether you want to get the Avid, or stick with another Savvy. I'm sure you won't be disappointed

What type of baits, weights, and cover are you planning to fish with this rod? I fish Dobyns rods exclusively, and really like them. I can't really suggest a specific rod though without hearing exactly what you're going to be using the rod for. I pitch baits from 1/4oz in no cover, up to 1 1/2oz in extremely heavy cover, and everything in between.

I highly recommend sticking with the STX and Premiers, both absolutely great reels. I just started using the Premiers this week, but have used STXs for a long time. I like Premiers on all my rods under 7'3 and STXs on all my rods over 7'3. It helps with the balance of the rod, and over all feeling. Typically this means all my heavy flipping, and power fishing is done with the STX, and my more finesse stuff on the Premier. I use high speeds for everything.

The 764 will be much too light for any frogging and flipping even moderate cover. The 766 Savvy is an awesome rod, and for the longest time I was using my 766 Champion as a second frog rod when needed. Definitely can pull double duty no doubt about it.

The Cranking rods even with the fast tip still are still relatively "moderate". They are still soft enough to keep from ripping trebles out, but compared to the limp noodle cranking rod, they are a bit faster. They're by no means a flipping stick or anything like that. They still bend further down than a traditional fast or ex fast rod. Since switching to traditional cranking rods in the Dobyns line ups, I've had no issues with spit hooks, BUT I have experienced losing fish with faster rods like jig and worm rods. For me it's been the perfect combination because I really do not like limp rods that feel flimsy, but I was having issues with fish throwing cranks on traditional worm or spinnerbait rods. Just for reference.... The Dobyns 705CB MH Fast is MUCH different than the 705 Mag Heavy Jig and C-Rig rod. They are designed crankbait rods, just without the noodle like feeling.

ok so now i'm a little more confused ... I guess i'll just have to buy a boat and then buy th 765cb glass and use the mf for wake baits or something ............ :'( What kind of car do you happen to have? Back seat doesn't go down? I used to fit multiple 8fters in a small coupe just by sliding them in the passenger seat. I'm sure you've probably already tried but just figured I'd see. Rod protectors can also help keep the rod from hitting things when you slide them in. The best thing to do is use both for both techniques and see what YOU prefer. As I said, a lot of it is personal preference, and having the confidence in what you're doing. As some other guys stated they like a more moderate action for deep cranking, I've tried it a feel like I lost a ton of fish because of it. After switching, I have the utmost confidence in landing every hooked fish.

Mostly personal preference. Some guys like a very moderate rod for cranking, and others like a slightly faster tip but that still loads up far down the rod when hooked up with a fish. I prefer the fast tip vs the mf personally, but know some guys that swear by the mf. As for the no 704mf, I can't directly answer that as I don't know for sure. But I'd assume because the 705 is a bit more versatile for a larger range of lures, thus there's a slightly larger market for it. The 704 was designed to be Gary's ripbait rod more than anything I think, although it's still a great shallow cranking rod. Your pro friend sounds dead on when it comes to the deep diving crankbaits, I prefer a faster tip for deep cranking, and I know the 805RM was designed with that in mind. When a crankbait is 20ft deep, and a ways out there, too soft of a tip can negatively affect your hook up ratio. I personally prefer a faster tip for all my crankbaiting, obviously I still like it to be relatively moderate once a fish hooks up, but I can't stand the noodle like cranking rods some guys use. As long as it has enough give to not rip out the hooks, I'm happy.

Braid with leader is an option, but straight fluoro work very well too. It's all about preference and the cover you're fishing. In heavy weeds I use braid cause it cuts through the weeds well, but if fishing deeper water, I prefer straight fluorocarbon. I feel more bites on slack line with fluorocarbon than braid, but braid is extremely sensitive on a tight line. Lot of it is personal preference though. I use Samurai braid when using braid, and P-Line Fluorocarbon when just straight fluorocarbon is what I want. It's a great fluorocarbon for a fraction of the cost of some of the other higher end fluoros.

I'm not a huge fan of the huge line capacities on so many of these reels, so I started using tape to solve the problem too. I put a good amount of mono on first, then some blue painters tape, and then spool my fluorocarbon or braided line on top of the tape. Takes a few minutes to get right, but once you do, you've got it set for a long time. Makes it very convenient as you really never use your bottom half of fluorocarbon on the spool, just a huge waste.

I got into the swimbait stuff for a few months, this was my biggest at 9-11. Stopped for a few weeks, and caught 2 over 10lbs on regular baits, and haven't tossed swimbaits much at all since.

I'm sure you already know what my recommendation would be.....Dobyns 733!

Definitely great to see them at Cabelas, should really help the guys from across the states to see what great rods they truly are.

I've heard good things about the Crucial flipping stick. My complaints with the Powells is that they feel heavier because they're tip heavy, more so with the 7'6 and longer rods. Another rod not on your list to consider would be a Dobyns 766 Savvy Series, in the same price range. Probably will be happy with anything you pick, but just a though. Also, I've never fished the A.R rods so I can't comment on those.

There are so many posts in this section similar to this, and although I agree the majority of the time, companies do benefit greatly from pro staff and sponsorships. If these 16 year old kids want to try, there's no need to discourage them. I personally wouldn't be anywhere close to where I am today if it weren't for deals and connections, and I'm extremely grateful for those. Many people underestimate how much companies benefit just from word of mouth. There's a much greater market than just FLW and BASS and those of whom watch and follow those circuits. I know several people on this site alone that have been featured on television and in bass fishing articles. Again, this isn't to necessarily disagree, it's just nice to sometimes encourage the youth instead of discourage. They just need to be realistic about what they can offer a company, and what benefits they deserve in return.

My goals for 2011 : Catch a 5lb Smallmouth and a 7lb Spotted Bass Just want to up my PBs by 1lb, except for my LM PB.

I personally can't stand 5:1 reels for cranking like so many guys recommend. I actually use a 7.0:1 instead. 6.4 Isn't bad for all around, but I personally love the high speeds for everything, including all of my cranking. It takes a bit more work when deep cranking, but I feel much more comfortable using a high speed reel for all cranking. Lot of it is preference, but I hate how fast I have to reel slower reels when I want to fish them fast. Much easier for me to slow down, than it is to speed up. If you're unsure, and like most people, the 6.4 is probably a better bet. If you're going to use it specifically on that one rod, it's also not a bad idea to go with a 6.4. I switch all my reels around on different rods, which also is another reason I have all high speed reels.

Dobyns 736C hands down. I'd opt for a Revo STX , 09 Models can be had for quite cheap and have the best drag out of all the reels that have been mentioned.

Invizx has too much stretch for me in the lower tests, 6-12 is like a rubber band... The higher pound tests seem to be a bit better. After trying Shooter, to vicious, and everything in between, I've happily went back to the original P-Line fluorocarbon. For the price, I don't think it can be beat.

I've been hearing great things about it from others. I watched a bit of it, definitely better than a lot of the other shows in my opinion. Some shows don't show enough fish catching, and some are just too unrealistic.

Just got word on a new show on Versus that just aired today. Big Bass Battle. It will show again, Thurs @ 1:00 PM EST and Fri @ 10:30 EST. Just a friendly heads up to those who have the itch to watch some fishing shows, but are tired of watching reruns of City Limits! If this violates any forum rules, please feel free to delete. I am in no way affiliated with Versus. I just remembered seeing questions about City Limits and new episodes, figured this might help scratch that itch!

I personally try to get the longest rod possible for many of my techniques. Many tournaments have an 8ft rod max so usually that's the longest. I really like 7'3-8ft rods for all of my techniques. Casting distance, amount of line being moved on a hook set, and casting accuracy for me are 3 big reasons I like the longer rods.

One of my top 3 favorite rods for sure. I use it for heavy flipping and punching. It's definitely more powerful than originally intended, and is a 5.5 Power in my books. Definitely has more power than a 765, but it's got a little softer tip than the 805 PUNCH rod. They're both AWESOME rods.

I never trim the weed guards on the jigs I fish. Most football jigs don't have a stiff enough guard that IMO is worth trimming, plus the weed guards can help keep the fish hooked when fighting it. Depending on the lake and the trailer I'm using, I will occasionally trim the skirt, or sometimes the trailer if I don't want the trailer sticking out too far. I like to keep the bait relatively bulky and compact. My trailers stick roughly 1" past the skirt material most of the time.

Dobyns 743DX and 12lb P-Line Fluorocarbon! Pretty fun fight on the rod, I normally use the 744DX for jigs while lake fishing. The 743 is becoming a quick favorite for lighter footballs.

Hey David, I actually have No idea how to rig those hooks with a swimbait without tearing it up getting that huge weight in. I think i'm doing it wrong :-X Basically you line the hook up on the outside of the bait to see where the hook will pop out. You want the eye of the hook to be coming out of the top of the head between the two eyes on the bait. Once you line it up on the outside, cut just a very little hole on the back where the hook comes through. Slide the bait hook eye first into the bait and towards the head. Then push the eye of the hook through the head of the bait. If that doesn't make sense, check you tube Blade Runner Swimbait Hook, there should still be a video up.