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I apologize for starting a new topic on this, but I didnt word my original post the way I intended. What I am curious to hear from people who have owned and still fish both, is the Champ extreme worth the extra 80-100$ over the champion. I am gonna get a couple of casting rods for tex rigs, jigs and other soft plastic presentations as well as a cranking/spinnerbait rod, and a couple spinning rods for drop shot,tubes, and shakey head applications.

In general, I'd invest in the highest end rod I could fit in my budget to fish contact baits like jigs and plastics. For crankbaits I skew the budget toward a reel. Low IPT, quality gears and good casting. FWIW, I prefer to fish spinnerbaits on something more like a plastics rod than a cranking rod due to the way I fish them which is short casts to targets and sometimes hopped off the bottom.

These will be my first "high end" rods, I have had compres,crucials, and some BPS sticks in the past.

Get the Extreme if you can for soft plastics and jigs. Otherwise the Champions are great rods and very sensitive.

After speaking with Gary Dobyns for a while yesterday, I've come to understand a lot about the rods he sells. Surprisingly he told me that he very rarely uses the Extremes outside of videos and television. They're ultra sensitive, but they're also a bit more on the fragile side. Apparently if you've got a seriously hard hookset the Extreme series may not be for you. It's not like they're going to instantly break when you set the hook, but he said it is a possibility on occasion. Most of his fishing is done with the Champion line and he's also bringing the Savvy line in as well.

Is it worth the extra hundred bucks? That all depends on what your wallet can handle and if you really "need" the rod. Dobyns told me that there is a very noticeable difference in feel between the Champion and the Extreme. I'll probably buy one of them for my texas rig rod one of these days. Other than that, Savvys and Champions for me.....especially with the expanded lineup of Savvy rods coming in the near future.

After speaking with Gary Dobyns for a while yesterday, I've come to understand a lot about the rods he sells. Surprisingly he told me that he very rarely uses the Extremes outside of videos and television. They're ultra sensitive, but they're also a bit more on the fragile side. Apparently if you've got a seriously hard hookset the Extreme series may not be for you. It's not like they're going to instantly break when you set the hook, but he said it is a possibility on occasion. Most of his fishing is done with the Champion line and he's also bringing the Savvy line in as well.

Is it worth the extra hundred bucks? That all depends on what your wallet can handle and if you really "need" the rod. Dobyns told me that there is a very noticeable difference in feel between the Champion and the Extreme. I'll probably buy one of them for my texas rig rod one of these days. Other than that, Savvys and Champions for me.....especially with the expanded lineup of Savvy rods coming in the near future.

How soon on the savvys? I may call their customer service to see if I can talk to any of them as well thats a good idea.

How soon on the savvys? I may call their customer service to see if I can talk to any of them as well thats a good idea.

Only info I could get was "soon" and "the near future." I'd love to see them expand the Champion cranking rods into the Savvy series.

Did you ask or did he mention the blanks on the savvys vs the champions? I see people say they are the same and some others say they are very different. Also on the extremes how much more sensitive did he mention? I dont have a crazy rip their face off hookset, but sometimes if I am fishing heavy cover I will set harder to get them out.

There is no reason to do anything with a rod that will flex the tip beyond 90* to the straight axis. Beyond 90* you actually lose some mechanical advantage. High sticking and swinging fish into the boat are risky maneuvers with a high modulus blank. They are also sensitive to dents, dings and scratches all of which compromise the blank sometimes resulting in a failure. You need to consider the unavoidable trade-off of brittleness for sensitivity.

Only info I could get was "soon" and "the near future." I'd love to see them expand the Champion cranking rods into the Savvy series.

Me to,I would love a dedicated crankin rod w/o breakin the bank.

Did you ask or did he mention the blanks on the savvys vs the champions? I see people say they are the same and some others say they are very different. Also on the extremes how much more sensitive did he mention? I dont have a crazy rip their face off hookset, but sometimes if I am fishing heavy cover I will set harder to get them out.

Not to hijack the topic, but I'd like to know a bit more on this if anyone has got any info.

After speaking with Gary Dobyns for a while yesterday, I've come to understand a lot about the rods he sells. Surprisingly he told me that he very rarely uses the Extremes outside of videos and television. They're ultra sensitive, but they're also a bit more on the fragile side. Apparently if you've got a seriously hard hookset the Extreme series may not be for you. It's not like they're going to instantly break when you set the hook, but he said it is a possibility on occasion. Most of his fishing is done with the Champion line and he's also bringing the Savvy line in as well.

Is it worth the extra hundred bucks? That all depends on what your wallet can handle and if you really "need" the rod. Dobyns told me that there is a very noticeable difference in feel between the Champion and the Extreme. I'll probably buy one of them for my texas rig rod one of these days. Other than that, Savvys and Champions for me.....especially with the expanded lineup of Savvy rods coming in the near future.

For you personally is there a real noticeable gap from the savvy to the champions? I use a lot of braid and flouro which I know really make up the difference in feel from cheap rods to expensive rods, But if I am just paying for componets and nice cork ect its not worth the extra money I could be putting into a reel.

With braid, unless your career is depending on fishing or you're just loaded, the Extreme isn't necessary.

The Champion is a very good and sensitive rod.

Not to hijack the topic, but I'd like to know a bit more on this if anyone has got any info.

They are different blanks.

The Savvy is a little less sensitive, but not much.

They are indeed different blanks. I own rods in all 3 lines and like them all. In fact I have a 703 in all 3 lines. That said, I have more Savvy rods than anything. Cost really wasnt a factor in that either. For moving baits, its Savvy all across the board for me. For TX rigs, plastics and the like the Champion is fine, though I really like the DX703 for the baits I throw up here. I fish mostly smallies and so, I use spinning rods more than a lot of folks on here. The difference between the Savvy 692 and Champion 682 isn't glaring but it is definitely there. The DX701 and 702 are just sick rods though. So, to answer the original question, are the Extremes worth the extra money? Yup, depending on technique.

As far as the expanding Savvy line, I want to see a 691 spinning rod! The 681 is sweet in the Champion line!

With braid, unless your career is depending on fishing or you're just loaded, the Extreme isn't necessary.

The Champion is a very good and sensitive rod.

I am not loaded, but I have never owned a "high end" rod and I have been working 5 months straight with tons of ot and no days off, so I want to treat myself to something really nice. I was also thinking the custom route with those st croix scv blanks and micro guides.

If you're treating yourself, do it right and go with the best you can afford.

If you're treating yourself, do it right and go with the best you can afford.

Amen. Go custom.

For you personally is there a real noticeable gap from the savvy to the champions? I use a lot of braid and flouro which I know really make up the difference in feel from cheap rods to expensive rods, But if I am just paying for componets and nice cork ect its not worth the extra money I could be putting into a reel.

Is there a difference? Yes. It's nothing major though. Certainly not enough to make you sit back and say "Wow." The Champion is a little more refined than the Savvy. Is it worth the X amount of dollars extra? Eh, not really IMO. Certainly if you're going to dedicate a rod to bottom contact only, then you might as well splurge a little more on that rod.

I have a Champion 703 and and two Champion Extremes (743 and 744). That said. My next Dobyns will be a Champion. I like them just as much and the sensitivity isnt that much different. Cosmetically the Champion Extremes are better looking but Im out there to catch fish not to be pretty.