Okay, looks like I might only be able to get one $100 rod and right now I'm leaning towards the Dobyn's Fury 734C as my all-around rod. If that is the case which of these two rods would be better in terms of heavier topwaters (think whopper plopper 130, Spro Rat etc.) and possibly frogs or heavy jigs? Th LRS is a Heavy/Fast with a lure weight of 3/4oz. to 3oz. while the Diesel is a Medium-Heavy/Extra Fast with a lure weight of 1/4oz. to 1-1/2oz. Both are around the $50 price point ($55 for Powell and $50 for Berkley).

I would tell you to go with the Shock rod, higher lure rating. I am going with the shock rod for small swimbaits like the LiveTarget trout, Castiac rainbow and Savage rainbows. 

Does anybody know how LRS fish...do they fish close to their power ratings? Heavier? Lighter?

The LRS rods are a different deal because they are designed for braid line thus a more parabolic / moderate bend than you may be used to (or at least "fast" versus "extra fast " ) . Still , I believe they are close to rated type for each rod - as long as you are using braid .

1 hour ago, ChrisD46 said:

as long as you are using braid .

Wait...you HAVE to use braid with these rods? Come on, I've never heard of a rod where you couldn't also use mono, flouro or copoly!

I had the 7'6H Shock rod. And I think that it would be perfect for the Whopper Plopper 130 and the larger SPRO Rat as well as heavy jig fishing. It handles 2 oz lure well and does not feel like a broom stick despite the H rating. For $50, it is a good deal.

I am a fan of the Lightning Rod Shocks, and use them right along side custom built, and more expensive rods. You do not have to use braid on them, they are designed to be a little softer than other rods to compensate for braids lack of stretch. To me, they all feel like  moderate fast action rods from other mfgs. , and power wise they all feel true to the rating on them, if not slightly more powerful. For example, the 7' MH....while being labled a MH, is an excellent frog rod and has plenty of power for fishing frogs in thick mats on 50-65 lb braid. 

 

The 7'6" H is a great A-rig, swimbait, and big crankbait (like 8+10xd's) rod. It's...IMHO...a poor choice for frogging, or flipping, as it's kind of heavy. Sensitivity is excellent for a $50 rod, and I have flipped and punched with it, just to try it, but I like something a little lighter in hand for those tasks.

50 minutes ago, ww2farmer said:

It's...IMHO...a poor choice for frogging, or flipping, as it's kind of heavy.

I would be using this mostly for frog, heavier topwaters like Whopper Plopper 130, Spro BBZ 1 Rat, MS Mini Slammer etc. Would you use this over the Powell Diesel?

10 minutes ago, Brett's_daddy said:

I would be using this mostly for frog, heavier topwaters like Whopper Plopper 130, Spro BBZ 1 Rat, MS Mini Slammer etc. Would you use this over the Powell Diesel?

Sorry, I don't know anything about the Powell Diesel.

 

My only other exp. with a 7'6" H rod in the same price range, and one that I like better than the Shock for frogging and flipping, is the Abu Garcia Vengeance. I have one of the newest generations of that rod and it's much lighter and more comfortable to fish with all day.

8 hours ago, Brett's_daddy said:

Wait...you HAVE to use braid with these rods? Come on, I've never heard of a rod where you couldn't also use mono, flouro or copoly!

I didn't say you couldn't use mono , FC , or co-poly lines with a  LSR . I implied the rods are designed to be BEST used with braid (look it up on Berkley's site) ... If i'm using straight mono , FC or co-poly line there are better choices out there than a Berkley LSR .

47 minutes ago, ChrisD46 said:

there are better choices out there than a Berkley LSR .

Okay, what are they for the same amount of money?