David P

As stated above, the XP is the new Champion and was not offered years ago. Having said that, there is no comparison between 7ft and 7'4 spinning rods. They are built entirely differently, and for very different things. The 702 for example is an absolute finnesse rod, for drop shotting, split shot, darter head, etc. the 742 is much more stout, the blank is thicker and it's an entirely different beast. It's much more suited for senkos and shakey head where you need more back bone and a slightly more stout rod. I have always owned both 702dx and 742dx (both extremes). As they are both suited for entirely different techniques. If you were looking for a slightly longer version of the 702 yet identical in every other way, I'm sorry you are disappointed. The 741 is more comparable to the 702 although still not quite a fair comparison. Disclosure: I still own my Extreme spinning rods and have not played with the new HP versions of the spinning rods. Everything above is from experience with the extreme rods before they made the minor tweaks to the HP.

Hey guys, I just moved to Alexandria from California in July, and have only managed to beat the bank a few times since moving. I would love to get out and meet folks and fish if possible. Not opposed to driving an hour or two when timing works!

Hey guys, First of all to the moderators, if this must be moved to the proper section I entirely understand.. the traffic in the local sections is extremely few and far between so I was hoping to get this out to more folks. I just moved to Northern Virginia (Alexandria) in July. I haven't done much fishing as we had a baby in September. I'm just starting to get that itch again and was hoping to see if there were any BR guys in the area. Anyone live in Alexandria and fish Lake Barcroft or the Potomac? Shoot me a PM, would love to get out and fish!

Gen 2 in general were better reels, built more solid, less issues, and far more comfortable in hand for most. The Gen 2 STX and Premiers are AWESOME and it's a shame they don't still make em. In fact, I decided to sell my few Gen 2 Premiers and reels because I couldn't get more (I like having ALL the same reels on deck).

Northern Cali being one of those exceptions 6 of the 8 events I fished this year took over 30lbs to win. I weighed 20 and change this weekend for 4th though, go figured 30lbs won it yet again.

No better time than summer to break that PB. Get acquainted with top water baits, depending on the area - buzzbaits, frogs, and spooks (my favorite). Almost impossible to not break your PB with one of those this summer! Jigs are also a great way to target numbers but also quality fish. I used to throw big swimbaits for new PBs, and ironically, once I stopped throwing big baits and went back to more average baits, I caught my two biggest fish ever. Good luck

734 hands down. Chatterbaits in general have a pretty stout hook, little extra power to get a good hook in em. Plus you mentioned jigs, definitely 4 power for jigs.

Don't forget about the possibility of buying some used gear from guys on this site. Excellent sellers, lots of great quality, and you could potentially pick up a far better combo in excellent shape for the same price or less than you would for lesser quality stuff new. Just yet another option for you to think about.

I've caught a few in the 8lb range in entirely open water on a Snag Proof Perfect Frog. Many below that size, but yes, open water frogging works exceptionally well, and big fish love it too.

Even with Irving, the Cavs weren't going to win the series. LeBron won't put up 40+ a game, nor would Irving have put up those numbers every game either. It had to go to overtime even with those guys playing unbelievably, plus the Warriors not shooting anywhere close to what they're capable of. Unfortunately, what went from a fun 5-6 game series, now will be far less entertaining. Would have rather the warriors beat up on a fully stacked Cleveland team, but I'll be happy to see my home town finally get a championship.

My favorite drop shot rod too, hands down!

The Savvy rods are far from "Dead" or a "$99" rod. I have played around with many $99 rods and the Savvy blows them all out of the water in terms of sensitivity, BUT ALSO... incredible balance over any other $99 rod that I have held, as well as superior components. The simple fact that you posted saying the Savvy should be a $99 rod either shows you are just here to bash on a rod company for your own personal reasons, or you definitely don't take everything into consideration when judging a rod. It's one thing to say you feel as though there are better $180 options, and that you prefer X,Y, or Z, but no need to go overboard. And in my opinion, dragging a 1/2oz jig with a 733 Savvy is anything but "DEAD". Is it my go to jig rod? No, I have many higher end rods that I use as jig rods, but would I hesitate to tie one on a Savvy rod, not at all.

Been getting pretty addicted to throwing the 6th Sense Snatch70 lipless crank. Here's another big one from this weekend! Smaller of the two was caught on a ripbait.

Numerical weight doesn't mean much with rods, obviously lighter is nice, but a lighter rod can feel heavier if it's improperly balanced. The Dobyns Champion rods may not be the lightest on a scale, but the balance is absolutely on point and makes the rods feel far lighter than most others that weigh slightly less on the scales. The split grip Dobyns are not exception, still balance very well. Just something to take into consideration when looking at rods.

705 glass is a pretty different rod, just cause it is glass. Have you tried the 705 Graphite before? 805CB? Easier to compare to those rods. The 706 is great for squarebills though and traps. Has the power to get the hooks in em from far away. I also use a lot of stouter replaced hooks on most squarebills and lipless baits and the added power is nice to have. Still has the softness in the upper part that you want from a crankbait, but has a little more backbone making it a more versatile rod IMO.

I just picked up a Dobyns 706CB for these two very specific techniques, it's absolutely PERFECT for both.

Out here and California it happens a lot... But they're GIANT carp. 20lb+ Carp in schools up shallow splashing around and making a mess.

The bait flat out sucks... Okay I take that back, it's OKAY, but absolutely nothing special and doesn't come close to Lucky Crafts or Megabass. Yes, I know, they are considerably cheaper, so for the cost they're average I suppose. I consistently had the front treble hang up on my line (never an issue for me with other ripbaits), the colors are flashy and not very appealing, and the action is only average, and the casting distance is atrocious. Saying all this after catching a 3lber on the first cast. I took it off an hour later after frustration from it.. Tied on a megabass and proceeded to catch 7 more in about 30 minutes. In regards to the hooks, yes they suck, as do just about all hardbait stock hooks. KVD Triple Grips short shank are AMAZING, sharp, and far sturdier than every other 1x hook. The aaron martens trebles I have been playing with lately and those too are a major upgrade and are more of a "standard" treble hook shape. I prefer the triple grips for my cranks and larger trebles, where as I really like the finesse look of the aaron martens ones for smaller and more finesse stuff.

Haha, if it were 8lbs I'd take that trade in a heart beat! I have a 12-6 LM that I would be alright calling my PB for an 8lb smallie swap!

Spot fell a hair shy of 7lbs, and Largemouth went 13-3. Still searching for a 6+ Smallie

Always incredibly refreshing to see the OPPOSITE of what most fisherman do... Guess unrealistically high! That's a great fish and every bit of 5lbs pushing 6! Rare to see a modest estimate airing on the low side. Congrats on that fish!

They're doing a 705CB cranking rod in the Fury series!

Thanks guys, getting back out this weekend to do it all over again.

From my understanding, and what the Gen 1 706 reminded me of, is and was the 805CB RM Rod... It's got the back bone for a variety of fishing, but the give for throwing trebles as well. I have an 805CB and HIGHLY , highly recommend it for the DD22 and 6xd, the reason being that extra foot is a major difference in how far you can cast that bait... Throwing deep diving crankbaits, casting distance is one of the most important factors, as you need to give the bait time to get to its deep depth you're fishing... I wouldn't throw the DD22 or 6xd on the 706 for that reason, but can it handle it? From what I hear , yes. I just prefer the longer rods for any type of crankbait fishing that involves casting and diving. The Squarebills are fished entirely differently thus making the 706 ideal. I throw my spooks and vixens on a 734, but have heard a few people saying how great the 706CB is for that, so definitely can do that no problem. Hope that helps a bit. Sorry to confuse yah if at all. The 805RM is one of my top 3 favorite rods in the entire Dobyns arsenal, and for Glide baits (S-Waver) and for deep cranks, I cannot stress how absolutely incredible the rod truly is. It was built specifically for the DD22 bait, as Randy McAbee a deep cranking legend out here in California helped design it with that very bait in mind.

Additionally : I have heard from a buddy who has used it extensively that 1/2oz is absolutely butter for it, the tip handles it very well. 3/8oz though it doesn't quite load the tip up as well and is where it doesn't feel "as good". Said 3/8oz is doable, but 1/2oz and 3/4oz is its bread and butter. This coming from an extremely technical person and extremely picky with his rods.