fishnkamp

Call Powell tomorrow. Ask the rod weight on that 683CEF. Mine is perfect for that use, but it is amazing how much more that rod can do. As I said before Tackletour helped me to decide to try my first Powell. They were spot on in their review of it. They threw everything from a 1/4 ounce to a 2 1/2 ounce swimbait on it. It was only supposed to fish 1/4 to 36/4ounce baits, but it is just a perfect transition from tip to backbone.

Hands down for me it would be a Dobyns Sierra 734C, and would run you around $180. Match that up with a nice Daiwa Tatula CT for around $120 or less and you have a weapon to go get em. That rod will let you throw some small swimbaits, spooks, and even jigs. It rates for lures weighing 1/4 to 1 ounce lures. Gary Dobyns has said that the 734 rod in each of his lines are some of his most popular rod he sells.

Forgive me, I know that reel is super crazy good but is it a reel that exceeds with super light baits? I am much more familiar with the standard Daiwa line like the SV series reels from Daiwa.

This will be much more of a mental thing than a fishing issue. The reels today have vastly improved drag systems, theey are a fraction of the weight they were before and if you stick to some of the big name companies will last you a very long time. My wife and I are huge fans of Pflueger reels, the Presidents and Supremes, and also some of the Daiwas and Okumas like the RTX30 and Helios. There are also diehard Shimano fans on here as well. What is your budget? By the way, my wife has landed many 6 pound bass, stripers up to 30 inches and big catfish up to 12 pounds on her President 6935 reels. That reel only cost $60, Her Supreme is an amazing reel for $100. I mention her success because that is all she fishes with, me I fish with three spinning and 12 baitcasting setups so many of my bigger fish happen to have been caught on a baitcaster. Last spring I did catch several dozen big female smallies on Ned Rigs and they were all caught on my 6 foot spinning rod. So I say do not underestimate the fish handling capabilities of today's reels.

I am curious why under 3 oz specifically? What deid you want to do with this rod and what reel did you think of mating it with. There are plenty of choices for a custom rod. Give DVT a call and discuss what you are actually looking for. I use a Powell Max 683CEF and love the rod. It is the most versatile rod in my arsenal. If you have time go read the review of the rod by Tackletour. Now they have upgraded the blank material and you would need to verify its weight compared to the older model, but Powell is terrific, I have spoken with the owner several times. The original rod weighed 3.7 ounces but they use a lighter rel seat setup so it may fit your needs. I know it fits mine. Check out the review here: http://www.tackletour.com/reviewpowell683cxfast.html

Try it. I hold my spinning reels differently on certain rods. If the rod balances a bit more forward, I will move my hand forward so two fingers are in front of the stem. This means two fingers are behind the reel stem and two in front. My thumb will rest on top of either the fore grip (small piece of cork or eva foam in front of the reel seat) or on top of the rod blank. If I am on top of the rod blank I get a good feel of anything transmitted down the blank, I feel it is more sensitive. This also allows my finger to drop down and touch the line. I can control it if say I am casting to a pier piling, I can gently slow my bait down to get a soft entry without stopping the line so I can let it fall straight down but be quiet when entering the water. I know what I am saying sounds complicated, but if you go out and try it it becomes perfectly natural. Once the bait hits bottom I can stop it from peeling off. This if not controlled allows the line to peel off the reel, but since the lure is not pulling line you get the buildup between the reel and the first or second guide. Sounds like one of your stated frustrations. I do it almost exactly this way. When you see it done you will see the difference between your issues and casting using his method. The best news is that learning his technique will not cost a dime and will only require some practice. With a little practice you will be able to really enjoy the benefits to using spinning gear for fishing with light lures. If you look in my rod locker you will find my 12 baitcasting outfits and 3 spinning outfits. Each tool has a purpose, but none should frustrate you. I hope this helps. Recognise in this second video he is fishing primarily shallow salt water so he is not allowing a lure to drop like I would if I was fishing a pier with 10 or 15 feet of water on it. But you get the idea.

No, but you will often hear anglers here say to take a rod or eel in with you when selecting the other. If I am in a BPS or Cabelas I always install the one on the other to see how it would feel and how my hand fits. On some of my spinning rods I hold them with just one finger in front of the reel stem, on others things feel better with two fingers in front of the reel stem and my thumb resting on the fore grip. If you install any reel on a rod, it should balance somewhere around the front of the reel seat threads I have some rods that benefit from a reel that weighs around 8 ounces and some are better with a reel like mu Okuma RTX30 which carries as much line as any of my heavier reels but only weighs around 6.6 ounces. That reel is on a G Loomis 6 foot IMX rod I had stripped and custom built with a set of split grips from Winn Grips.. The rod came back so much lighter after the handle change and a major upgrade by selecting an American Tackle Comfort reel seat. It needed a lighter reel and it got it. G Loomis never built that model rod so it was that sensitive or felt that nice.

Personally I would go for the Honda, they are very quiet and have a good reputation. The other thing that would be important to me would be that dealer nearby.

DVT is one of the fantastic board sponsors. He offers a discount to Bass Resources members I believe. Give his shop a call at ph: (973)459-2835. You can click on the DVT logo on the right hand side of this page to get to his page. Contact him to find out your info on repairs, cleanings and ask about the proper lubing practices. Hehas been very helpful to lots of members here.

Start by walking out all of your line. Check that the arbor knot is tight and can not slip. Now reel the line in under constant pressure so it winds on tight and smooth. After that do all of what the others have said in order to set the reel up correctly. Lastly pick a lure that weighs somewhere in the middle of the rod's suggested lure rating. Go fish. Find out if the problem goes away. You may have to fine tune your reel's settings. If all of that does not help send it to DVT for a tear down, inspection, full cleaning and lubing. He will figure out if there is a mechanical issue or if it is something gummed up. Either way it will come back better than new. It will be working.

D-camarena hit on part of your issue most likely. First tell us what rod you bought, this means brand, which series and what model is it? Take a notice to the rod specs. There will be both a suggested line rating and a suggested lure weight listed. If the lure you are trying to throw is too light it will not work well. Next what brand and model of the reel including size? What brand, type and pound test line did you spool it with. Some lines are inherently difficult to cast. For example I like a lot of different lines that P Line makes. There are some rules to using certain ones due to their habits. One line I like is P Line Halo, a fluorocarbon line that is very very strong, very abrasion resistant almost invisible. but exhibits lots of memory. The trouble with the line is it has too much memory and can get wiry. The answer is to never ever spool any Halo heavier than 8 pound on a spinning reel ( 35 size or smaller) for typical bass fishing. Most times we use 6 pound Halo and always use line conditioner. Taking these steps allows me to fish a tough line with very good abrasion resistance that breaks closer to 15 pounds or more. It lays on a real well and fishes okay, if I am not trying to fish weightless lures like a unweighted Senco or a Mepps spinner. This line is a specialty setup, most of my regular setups have Berkley FireLine in 14 pound test ( 6 pound diameter) with 1/2 of a spool of Stren 12 or 14 pound Original Clear Blue as a backing. This line sails through smaller guides and I can add a 4 foot leader of 8 pound test mono or P Line CXX. I believe your line and lure have more to do with your casting issues.

Here is what that "it" thing is that makes it a dream to fish with. BALANCE! That rod, as well as many Dobyns rods, benefits most when the proper weight reel is attached to the rod. I had purchased my wife's Sierra SA705SF and matched that up with the 35 sized Pflueger Supreme reel that weighs 8.8 ounces. I was willing to go with the 1 ounce heavier reel to get the higher inches of line per handle turn. It matches my Tatula Type R 8-1 reel's line retrieval rate. That combo balances just behind the bail arm on the rod. I prefer it to balance right in front of the threads for the locking nut on the reel seat, that is a difference of only 1/4 of an inch, no biggie. A rod and reel combo that balances correctly will feel terrific, lessen fatigue and cast like a bullet. That just about sums up how it feels to you doesn't! That balance and perfect feel is something that is hard to explain to someone who has never experienced it, it is easier to "balance" the costs and other peoples suggested favorites. This is why I have sold off many reels and rods others love. In the last 5 years I have replaced 12 combos for me and my wife. They would be mostly Dobyns, Powells and Irods.

I sent you a pm. There is definitely a difference in the tapers between the 704 and 734 just as in a 705 and a 735. What were you looking to do with the rod? What lures and weight of lures are you looking to throw. As a general rule the 734 is the most versatile rod in each of Gary's lines. I personally had Gary's help making my selection when I purchased my frog rod. Everyone said a 735 was the way to go, but my boat only fits 7 footers. I was unsure if the 705 would work or how well. Gary told me that if I cast both I would like the 735 better overall, but then explained the differences between them. He assured me the 705 Champion would fish great and it does. As he put it, unless I had fished some of his 7'3 or 7'4" rods I would not know what I was missing! The 705 throws a hollow bodied frog a mile! It has enough backbone to tow a truck out of the lily pads and is perfectly balanced with my Daiwa Tatula Type R on it. I also use it to throw big heavy jigs in deep water. It is here that the extra length would help control long casts in deep open water. That covers the difference between the two models, the difference in the two lines is another story. The Champion XP (DC704 or DC734) will be built using more a expensive blank, better quality components such as an all cork handle, a nicer reel seat, and better guides. It will be more sensitive and lighter in your hand compared to a Fury rod. That is no insult to the Fury rod lineup. Gary Dobyns has often said it took him many tries and over a year to develop a rod that he could sell for around $100 and yet meet his high standards. He insisted that it be the best it could be before he would put his name on it. I have a friend on this site, Kris, and he fishes 3 or 4 of his Fury series and loves them. I know one of them is a FR 734. I am sure if you wanted to pm him he would be happy to tell you about it. M<y Dobyns are Champions and Sierras.

First make sure you are using a 25,30 or 35 size reel and I would suggest stripping off your line. Try using my method. Spool the reel half way with decent mono, I prefer Stren Clear Blue in 12 or 14 pound test. i then spol the reel the rest of the way with Berkley FireLine in 14 pound test. That is the same size as 6 pound test mono. I add a four foot leader of p Line CXX in 8 pound test, it breaks around 15 pounds. You could easily just use some of your 8 pound mono. I think you will find that this setup will help. If you make your cast and stop the line with your finger, close the bail and gently lift up on the rod a bit you will tighten up the line on the spool and all will work fine.

Here is a much better suggestion. Contact Tom's Custom rods. He lives near Bel Air Md. You will be amazed at his work and it will give you ideas for future rod projects. Trust me he is an artist and very affordable. He also stocks more goodies than one could imagine. Here is his website. http://www.tomscustomrods.com/custom-rods-galley Just take a ride up 95!

I am partial to Daiwa, so I will admit that up front. I have sold off all of my Shimanos and most of my BPS reels in favor of 4 Tatula Type Rs, 1 Exceler and 2 Tatula CTs. I prefer all of them even over my old Curado and Chronarch reels. For me they cast better and have great brake systems. I intend to change 6 more reels over to CTs and Tatula SVs in the near future. So my suggestion is pretty easy to figure out. I use my stuff to chase bass but also stripers ands big blue cats.

Bill Dance says "you might just want to trade that one in"

They make a good rod, just be aware they fish a bit heavier than stated. If you want one for topwater and cranks take a serious look at the Veritas Winch series, these are designed with a moderate taper which is better for cranks, traps etc. The 7 foot medium is the one my friends use for that purpose. They fish for bass, stripers and even catch snakeheads on them from time to time. The Potomac is loaded with those darn fish.

Actually you will get very used to it. just get in the habit of picking the rod up around the reel area. No problem. If you are fishing with it, the lure is not attached to the hook keeper.

Try something first. Walk out your line ( tie it to a tree or something). Next reel your line in under constant steady pressure. Next time you use the reel adjust the reel properly, back off your brakes, adjust the tension according to the bait you have tied on then reset the brakes. Now fih the combo and see if you may have just had loose line. Also before you run the line back on the reel after walking it out. Double check your arbor knot is not slipping.

That reel does not only work on a pistol grip rod. I had my wife's on a BPS standard Tourney Special. It actually worked quite well until I finally found an Irod spinning rod that was able to handle heavy texas rigs and jigs just right. Then I found an even heavier rod with the perfect tip to throw frogs well. That came from Dobyns.

I actually have sold of my older St Croix rods in favor of Dobyns, Powells and Irods. I just seem to find rods I like fishing from those companies better. You originally said your budget is $400. A Dobyns Champion XP ( not the Extreme HP) means a rod labeled DC704C or a DC 734C will run you $240 to $260. You will spend around $120 for a Tatula CT. They run around $130 regularly, but check on Amazon. I just saw them available as low as $113. You can choose from a 6.3-1, 7,3-1 or 8.1=1 in RH and either 6.3 or 7.3=1 in left hand. If you put that combo together you will have a total price around $390 or less. As for my preference between the Savvy and Sierra, I have never fished a Savvy, but I know the Sierra has the newer more sensitive blank, so I would go in that direction. I am very impressed by the SA 705SF spinning rod I purchased for my wife. It is her frog/ heavy jig rod. I doubt you would be disappointed going either way.

By far the Dobyns Champion would be my first choice followed by the Sierra as my second choice. I would match it up with either a Tatula CT or up my budget a bit and go with a Tatula SV TWS. I fish with a bunch of original Tatulas Type Rs and 2 CTs. They just work, work, work. I am going to make my next reel one of the new Tatula SV TWS reels. I want to try out the SV spool. As for the Dobyns I own both Champion XP series rods and Sierra. The Sierra's are almost as sensitive as my Champion rods, but the graphite is a touch slower, which is fine for my wife's frog rod, it gives that tiny bit of delay. You may like the faster graphite for jigs and texas rigs if you are fishing a bait out on a long cast.

I fish one of the Falcon Bucoo micro series, it is a Trap caster. I love it for throwing traps, cranks and spinnerbaits. Unfortunately, I have not seen one of the new SR rods to compare them, but the micro is a great rod series.

I used to see Woo at the annual fishing Expo in MD and he in deed preferred a spincast reel. I had a coworker that chased really large catfish on the Susquehanna in PA. He regularly chased them with Zebco 808 reels. They held up perfectly well. I did just sell an Omega reel and it was very nice. I purchased it for my wife but she prefers some heavier spinning reels so I sold it.