Dobyns champion

[JTPAZ]

Is the champion really as dead as people say? Can't be any worse than a carbonlite or ***? How Different are the Orochii and champion? I can get the champion for  much less than retail so I'm seeing if it's justified.

[iabass8]

no

[fishnkamp]

The Champion xps are really nice. Most people you se say they are dead do not fish them.

[Smelter96]

I have a DX703 that's no where near dead

[speed craw]

By far the answer is no , I own 10 of them . But when researching something everyone has opinions . But I like to read as much information as I can before I buy . Check out www.tackletour.com they review and rate tackle and equipment . Some of the dobyn's line ups stay well rated . Granted other options are testing better and worse but it all has different factors . I tend to use that site and tackle wear house and here a bit for information on performance guides on stuff .

[druben]

They are great rods. I don't know why anyone would call them dead. Good sensitivity and a great lineup of models. 

[rippin-lips]

Regular champion

Dead .... No

worth retail price .... No

worth 1/2 price .... Yes

Same goes for the extremes too.

I've owned 2 champs and 1 extreme. Both very nice rods and plenty sensitive, but not worth their retail price tag.

Soley my opinion and others might agree or disagree.

 

 

 

 

[dsqui]

6 hours ago, rippin-lips said:

Regular champion

Dead .... No

worth retail price .... No

worth 1/2 price .... Yes

Same goes for the extremes too.

I've owned 2 champs and 1 extreme. Both very nice rods and plenty sensitive, but not worth their retail price tag.

Soley my opinion and others might agree or disagree.

 

 

 

 

what rods are really worth there MSRP though

[Molay1292]

3 or 4 years ago, all you heard about was Dobyn's Rods, almost any post that asked about rods was dominated by people recommending Dobyn's.   Things change, something new comes along and people favor it  over what is considered old.   What's sensitive today will be tomorrows dead stick.

If you are worried about what others think, just get the Gloomis or St. Croix and be done with it.

 

[fishnkamp]

Actually I own 6 G Loomis rods and am very disappointed with the rod changes since Shimano took them over. The rest of the industry has caught up with them and some have surpassed them. Recently I have been having mine made over with newer Winn Grips and American Tackle reel seats that are more comfortable and lighter.  The results were amazing, the rods seem more sensitive and more comfortable. I started to do this because I broke 1 rod ( my fault but I paid the replacement cost) and the new replacement IMX rod came with a cheap plastic reel seat that kept loosening up during use. Terrible junk to be used on a $250 to $300 rod.  I was sure it would break if I kept having to retighten it.  The rod works terrific now. I was considering replacing the guides with microwave guides and really step it up. Actually I think I will just get my rod builder to start with a HMX rod blank and build em from scratch,, it will turn out cheaper.

[rippin-lips]

3 hours ago, dsqui said:

what rods are really worth there MSRP though

That all depends on the person spending their money on a rod. The Powell Endurance was worth its retail price tag. Too bad they discontinued that rod series. There's plenty of others too. Just imo the champion @ $250 isn't. 

[kickerfish1]

I have never paid full retail for any rod. I would wait for sales or for one to come up from a good seller at a fair price. I only use the Champion for moving baits as it is the 705 cb glass model. It has great feel for reaction baits, balances well, and the finish looks pleasing to the eye.

MB Orochi XX rods are similar to Dobyns in the fact that they are balanced. The rods have a bit more feel to to me mainly because the blanks are better. Most the rods in the MB line up are more versatile due to their tapers while Dobyns offers more technique specific rods.

[Robert Riley]

15 hours ago, Molay1292 said:

3 or 4 years ago, all you heard about was Dobyn's Rods, almost any post that asked about rods was dominated by people recommending Dobyn's.   Things change, something new comes along and people favor it  over what is considered old.   What's sensitive today will be tomorrows dead stick.

If you are worried about what others think, just get the Gloomis or St. Croix and be done with it.

 

Somethings change, but people recommending Dobyn's rods? That never changes.

[new2BC4bass]

17 hours ago, Molay1292 said:

3 or 4 years ago, all you heard about was Dobyn's Rods, almost any post that asked about rods was dominated by people recommending Dobyn's.   Things change, something new comes along and people favor it  over what is considered old.   What's sensitive today will be tomorrows dead stick.

If you are worried about what others think, just get the Gloomis or St. Croix and be done with it.

 

Back then any poster having anything other than a great opinion of Dobyns rods got flamed.  It was two years before some started admitting that a Savvy wasn't your best choice at that price point if you were looking for sensitivity.  I recently got my first Dobyns...a Champion 704CB Glass.  Haven't had the opportunity to use it much yet, but so far I am liking it.

OP, I don't know where you are hearing that the Champion is dead, but my guess is they have their own agenda.  I'd say go for it if you can get a Champion for much less than retail.  I don't like paying full price no matter what the name is on the rod....or reel.  Dobyns has always been a well thought of rod company.  Not likely that a rod that was considered excellent 2-4 years ago is now suddenly a "dead" rod.

[Columbia Craw]

You have to fish one for yourself to make that determination.  " Dead " , some people say?  I've not heard that. Over priced?  I've heard that.  I think Champions are fine rod and have fished them for about five years now. That series should at least be a consideration. 

[Airman4754]

For their price tag, yes. 

[Dye99]

Ive got two, and love them. I think I paid retail for one, the other one I got a deal, but for me, they are well worth the money.

[DTack]

It's different for everyone.  Quite frankly, when Dobyns hit the market I think they had a staff that was too aggressive and left a bad taste in a lot of folks' mouth.  A lot of people have held onto that really strong (not that I blame them) and have written the company off altogether.  There are a ton of things I hear about the rods that I just don't think are true and that's ok.  We all have our opinions.  My crazy opinion is the NRX is the most overpriced rod out there and everyone thinks I'm crazy for it.  That's just an example of how opinions can differ.  

I trust the Dobyns Champion and DX or Champion Extremes.  Even the Fury is now an awesome rod.  I see a lot of rods recommended as better constantly where I just can't help but disagree...  but it's all opinion.  We all look for different things because we all tend to do things a little differently.  I trust what I have and I trust what it will and will not do.  That is what it comes down to for me.  I don't care how a rod "casts" a bait..  could hardly care less in most instances.  I also at times am fishing for a class of fish that some people will never even hook or put their bait in front of.  Let alone some areas I'm throwing a bait into.  It is all preference. 

[fishballer06]

I've never heard anyone call a Champion "dead". I own three Champions, including one of the new XP's, and all three are graphite cranking rods. All 3 of them are the best cranking rods I've ever used for their respective applications (684, 705, 765). 

[kickerfish1]

One of the most underrated things about Dobyns rods are their ability to keep fish buttoned up from the hookset to the boat or net. Rarely do I lose many fish on their rods.

[Airman4754]

17 minutes ago, kickerfish1 said:

One of the most underrated things about Dobyns rods are their ability to keep fish buttoned up from the hookset to the boat or net. Rarely do I lose many fish on their rods.

That has nothing to do with the company. That's matching your hook size and diameter to the fish you are catching. Rod length makes a big difference as well. 

[kickerfish1]

1 hour ago, Mosster47 said:

That has nothing to do with the company. That's matching your hook size and diameter to the fish you are catching. Rod length makes a big difference as well. 

We will just agree to disagree on this. It has everything to do with the taper. Same can be said for ALX rods.

[Airman4754]

1 hour ago, kickerfish1 said:

We will just agree to disagree on this. It has everything to do with the taper. Same can be said for ALX rods.

Right. Do you think Dobyns and ALX are the only two rods companies that match action to technique?

If you're throwing a 6XD on a Med/Mod it's going to keep fish pinned if you have any clue of how to land a fish. If you're fishing a 7'8" Med/Mod you're going to pin fish better than any 7' Med/Mod rod. That's not an opinion, that's physics.

You're saying you like high end blanks. That's pretty much all of us that do this a lot. They are nice.

Check out Lamiglas sometime if you like Dobyn's the blanks are very similar, like the same, the exact same. 

[Jon G]

They are not dead. They are nice rods and have a lot of different models for different applications. However, I personally think that there are some better options out there for the price. 

This is coming from someone who use to use Dobyns Champions and Champion Extremes exclusively.

[racedad]

I have drank the Dobyns cool aid and own Fury's, Champions and Extremes. All are great rods, buy with confidence and get specific rods for your fishing needs.