Has anyone in here tried out the Mustad Brandon Lester Instinct casting rods yet? I need some reviews on this series of rods. How is the build quality? Are the guides big enough for braid to leader knots? Are they pretty balanced and light compared to other rods in the same price range?

 

Specifically, I am interested in the 7'9" extra heavy model. Does anyone know if the 7'9" extra heavy can handle 3-4oz baits? I need a rod that can pull double duty for punching/flipping and lighter glidebaits and swimbaits. Tackle Warehouse has the 7'9" extra heavy model on discount/sale right now and I was thinking about pulling the trigger. 

DM him on his FB page and ask the source.

On 4/30/2023 at 12:28 PM, PhishLI said:

DM him on his FB page and ask the source.

I actually messaged him on Youtube. He has his own Youtube channel but it looks like he does not have that much content yet. Only a handful of fishing videos and some product videos. He never replied or responded back. I am thinking I might have to go thru FB and see how that goes. 

I know nothing about this rod but just reading the specs, I would say no. You are asking, on the heavy end of it, to throw almost double it's lure rating. In general,  I look at lure ratings on rods as a giude line but not a rule. I would go a little over or under on most rods but 1-2oz over is a lot, even for a heavy rod. Also, the taper may not be the best for swimbaits. 

 

I am not sure about your budget but the Megabass TS Destroyers and the Valkyrie XXH are designed to throw your namesake.  I use the H+ Valkyrie to throw the 175, A-rigs and I have thrown some 3/4oz jigs. It's still new to me but it handles all of them well. 

On 5/2/2023 at 7:06 AM, FishTank said:

I know nothing about this rod but just reading the specs, I would say no. You are asking, on the heavy end of it, to throw almost double it's lure rating. In general,  I look at lure ratings on rods as a giude line but not a rule. I would go a little over or under on most rods but 1-2oz over is a lot, even for a heavy rod. Also, the taper may not be the best for swimbaits. 

 

I am not sure about your budget but the Megabass TS Destroyers and the Valkyrie XXH are designed to throw your namesake.  I use the H+ Valkyrie to throw the 175, A-rigs and I have thrown some 3/4oz jigs. It's still new to me but it handles all of them well. 

Megabass is too expensive for me right now. Maybe later in the future when I can save up more money.

 

I was also looking at the Dobyns Fury 795 Swimbait rod also. Does anyone know if the Dobyns Fury 795 can handle 3-4 oz comfortably?

 

I kind of skimmed over the Tackle Tour review and a bunch of other reviews/posts on fishing forums, but it looks like 1-3oz is the 'sweet spot' for this rod. I am planning on not going over 4oz, so I think I should be good. River2Sea S-Waver 200 is 3.5oz and that is the heaviest lure I am planning on throwing with the rod. I have seen/heard that the Dobyns Fury 795 can handle the River2Sea S-Waver 200 no problem, so I think I should be good. 

 

I think the Dobyns Fury 795 would be my best option/choice given what I am mainly looking to do. I am hoping I could find one used on a fishing forum, Ebay or craigslist for around $100.

1 hour ago, DEPS_250 said:

I think the Dobyns Fury 795 would be my best option/choice given what I am mainly looking to do.

 

On 4/30/2023 at 10:55 AM, DEPS_250 said:

I need a rod that can pull double duty for punching/flipping

You should make sure you'll be comfortable pitching with a typical long-handled swimbait rod like the 795. I don't like them myself for that duty.

795 is too light for 3-4oz

Jump to an 806 or Daiwa DX 8ft heavy