Dobyn's Sierra SA 692 SF Rod Overview

[CybrSlydr]

I'll be honest, this is my first "rod overview" (not a review since I've not used it yet) so I'm not really sure what to write or show pics of so bear with me.  Also, the sharp-eyed of you might noticed the rod in the title is not the one I was going to get.  The story follows...

 

So, I'd decided it was time for me to get a rod that could better sling light lures such as 1/8 Rapala cranks, weightless Senkos, Ned Rig jigs, etc.  After some discussion on here, the rod in my budget I decided to get was a Dobyn's Sierra SA 702SF - a 7ft Medium/Light rod with a Fast tip with a lure weight range of 1/8-1/2oz.

 

Today is my payday, so I was ready to go out and buy one!  Only problem is I know that nobody around here would carry it - so I knew a trip to Columbus was in order.  That's fine - I needed a new Wifi adapter anyway (this one BSOD's all the d**n time and drives me up a wall). 

 

Looking at Columbus, we saw that near MicroCenter was a place called Mad River Outfitters.  And on the way in Hebron is Vance Outdoors.  Perfect!  Stop off at Vance and see if they have it, if not, we'll hit up Mad River after MicroCenter.

 

So we hit up Vance Outdoors in Hebron and I must say, I came away impressed.  I didn't think there'd be much there, but it looked like a Cabela's in there!  They had a TON of fishing stuff too - entire corner of the store devoted to the stuff.  St. Croix, G.Loomis E6X, Daiwa, reels, lures, baits, plastics...  It was awesome.  However, they didn't have any Dobyn's rods.  My brother decided to get a couple packs of weighted swimbait hooks and some snaps and we were on our way to MicroCenter.

 

We stopped off at Chipotle for lunch because we love Chipotle - it also happens to be in the same shopping center as MicroCenter and Mad River Outfitters!  After we ate, we headed over to MicroCenter.

 

I absolutely adore MicroCenter.  As an avid computer nerd, it's like crack going in that place.  So many things I want to buy...  lol  I got my WiFi adapter and my brother picked up a mouse.  Now it's time to check out Mad River!

 

I'll be honest, if I'd thought about it before we went there, we'd have not gone.  The Mad River in Ohio is known for it's trout fishing.  So when we go in, we see there's a lot of apparel and in the back are fly rods and centerpins.  Nothing for bass or otherwise.  Darn.

 

So sitting in the parking lot of MicroCenter, I'm looking on my phone to see where else in Columbus we might be able to find what I'm looking for.  I find there's a Gander Mountain over in Hilliard.  So I tell my brother we'll check that out and see.

 

Thankfully, this Gander Mountain isn't one of the Firearm-focused ones so they have a quite healthy selection of fishing rods and gear - but no Dobyn's.  At this point, I'm ready to give up.  We've literally been all over Columbus to find this darn rod and nobody has it.

 

To give you an idea why, we live 2 hours from Columbus.  By now it's after 3:00pm after we left around noon and with another 2hr trip ahead of us, we're thinking it's time to go.

 

Finally, I get a brainwave - something I should have done from the start.  I go to Dobyn's website and look for authorized dealers in the Columbus area.  Bingo - apparently there's now a Cabela's up in Polaris!  Great!  Only problem is it's after 4:00pm on a Friday in downtown/suburbia Columbus.  Those that have lived there or tried to drive I70/71, I670, I270, 315 know how much of an absolute snarl-crawl it an be.  So, I convince my brother to give it a go - and as thanks I'll buy him some Dairy Queen on the way home in Duncan Falls.  lol

 

So we finally get to Cabela's and bee-line for the fishing section.  We both see TONS of rods - GREAT!  So we start looking.  Unfortunately, there seems to be absolutely no rhyme or reason as to where anything is.  The brands are intermixed in the stands and they aren't labeled well. 

 

****.

 

After about 10min of looking, I've got a bad feeling that they don't have any.  Suddenly, out of the bunch of other rods, I spot a Dobyn's sticker!!!

 

BINGO!!! 

 

I FINALLY found the Dobyn's mixed in with some Abu and Quantum rods.  I start to look through them and my heart sinks again - they don't have any of the 7' 1/8-1/2oz rods I wanted.  So I asked the fishing guy and he says what they have is right there - and to top it off, these are new and he's never really heard of Dobyn's.  So he looks with me and we both come up empty. 

 

****.

 

The closest they have is a 6'9" 1/8-1/2oz rod.  It's only 3" shorter than the one I wanted and its $159.99.  The Cabela's guy tells me that since they didn't have the one I wanted in stock, he'll give me $10 off the 6'9" rod. 

 

Figuring that I've come this far to go home empty-handed, I accept the offer and he writes up a tag on the rod to change the price to $149.99.  I also ask him if they have any of those SPRO 2.5" jointed shad swimbaits (been looking for one for ages) and he hits a home-run - they have multiples in different colors!!!  Best part is they're cheaper than I find them online too!r4

 

So my brother grabbed one of those Southern Ohio lake/river guide books and a couple other crankbaits and we check out and beign the journey home. 

 

So after leaving around 12:00 we arrived home around 8:00pm victors!

 

So now, on to my very limited overview of the rod!

 

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Dobyn's website for this rod, the Sierra SA692 SF, claims this rod is great for Dartheads / Dropshot Rigs / Shaky Heads / Tubes & Gitzits.  So much so, they put it on the rod its-self.

 

 

The rod has a very nice feel to it - it's extremely light!  Though take my description with a grain of salt - the only rods I've ever held were my Blackout 6'6" MH and my brother's Pfleuger combo rod (says it's an IM-8 blank rod).  I have no way of measuring how much it weighs and Dobyn's website doesn't give a weight.

 

I purchased an Okuma Inspira ISX-30B reel to go with it off of Amazon - a $90 reel that they had for $44!  It being in black/blue (my favorite color combo) I couldn't pass it up.  The reel will be here on Tuesday.  According to Okuma's website, the reel weighs around 7.4oz.  Even with the rod, I have a feeling this new combo will be ridiculously light to what I'm used to - my current reel (Penn Battle II 4000) weighs over 12oz! let alone adding the rod.

 

 

The split handle is nicely done and a good distance apart for me.  The only oddity is they seem to have put the hook keeper inbetween the reel seat and the butt.  I'm not sure if I really like that - seems like a good place to get unwary fingers snagged in some sharp treble hooks!

 

 

The tip looks quite nice, with all the guides wrapped very nicely.  The entire length of the rod feels smooth - it's also very thin!  The only real tag advertising it came with was a tag on one of the guides displaying they are Alconite ringed and are "Tangle Free" K-guides. 

 

Using my index finger on my right hand, the rod balances perfectly with my finger under the "a" in "Sierra".  It also posesses a Fuji reel seat.  The screw-down portion is plastic as is the screw its-self.  The rest of the reel seat is in the top portion of the handle. 

 

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So, to my uneducated/neophyte eyes, this rod looks like an extremely nice piece of kit for the money - this is only the second rod I've owned and nearly double the price of my previous rod.  As mentioned above, the reel should arrive on Tuesday where I will either spool up some 12lb Berkley Nanofil or remove the 14lb Fireline with 6lb Stren Flourocast leader.  I'm not sure yet. 

 

But stay tuned to find out! 

 

If there is anything else pertinent to this rod that you folks want to know, just post here and ask and I'll do my best to get you photographic evidence or at least try to explain it. 

[fishnkamp]

Congrats that rod was the second model I suggested I believe. Anyway here is what you will find once you install the reel. It will balance perfectly just behind he lip of the spool on the reel.  You will find that it will cause much less fatigue when a combo balances somewhere near the front of the reel seat threads and that front lip of the spool. At least I do.

It should cast like a dream.  I purposely fish 1 casting rod that is 6'8 and one spinning that is 6'9".  I really like them for working tight around docks and other vertical structures like bridges and rip rap.

A note about the hook keeper located where it is, that is my favorite location. If you have a jig & trailer, a shakeyhead rigged, a tube rigged, or perhaps a drop shot you will find you can tuck the hook point in and still leave the bait rigged. It is a major plus  Even trebles will be no problem,

I just got used to picking my rods up just ahead of the reel seat.  Below are a few pics of Linda's SA 705SF and her Irod 7 foot MH finesse rod. Both have that keeper located in the split area.

 

 Congrats that is going to be a beloved combo.

[CybrSlydr]

I'm currently at Burr Oak trying it out.  1/2oz blade bait just BOMBS.  Water is opaque though.

[CybrSlydr]

So I've used the rod a few times now and I'm liking it more and more the more I use it.  Thus far I've used both my Penn Battle II with Nanofil and my new Okuma Inspira ISX-30B with 10lb Sufix 832.

 

This rod absolutely bombs 1/10oz Ned Rigs with 2.75" stick baits on it.  It honestly surprised me - something so light I didn't think you could cast so far!

 

With 10lb Sufix 832 and a 6lb Stren Flourocast leader I'm very happy with the sensitivity of the rod.  Chatterbaits you can feel easily as you reel them in.  

 

I've also checked out weighted EWG hooks with Senkos rigged Texas-style and with a high rod-tip you get some great action out of this rod.  Haven't tried weightless yet.

 

Another bit that has me happy is the design allows me to split-grip the reel but still keep a thumb on the blank.  This helps with feel as well as control.

 

So far I'm very, very happy with my purchase!

[new2BC4bass]

Very nice!  Congratulations.  Enjoyed your post.  I for one like a little meat with my potatoes.    Meaning I don't mind the background information.  Much better than a three sentence post about the rod.  Nice pictures, too.

[XpressJeff]

Congratulations! 

 

I have a 7' 703SF and LOVE it!

[CybrSlydr]

Thanks folks.  My only real complaint is the location of the hook keeper.  I really don't like it inbetween the reel-seat and the butt.  Just awkward and I feel like I'm constantly going to stab myself.

[fishnkamp]

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. 

[CybrSlydr]

7 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

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. 

 

I typically pick it up there, but I can't get over the feeling that my poor little pinky is gonna get poked.  lol

 

EDIT:  After using the Dobyn's and Okuma set-up yesterday, I think I have to state that the combination is simply a pleasure to use.  I'm not sure what it is, but it just feels good. 

 

I don't want to imply that my Penn Battle II or the *** I also have aren't nice kit - they are and I enjoyed using them (and will continue to enjoy using them as my heavier set-up) and would recommend them to anyone looking for that budget-range.

 

But I think it's a combination of me knowing more about fishing (ha!) than when I started looking for gear and can appreciate the improvement both of these items offer.

 

For instance, the rod casts extremely naturally.  It loads up great and can chuck a light lure pretty d**n far, not to mention the feel you get from running a crank at speed or bouncing a Ned rig off the bottom.  The reel is smooth, the handle is comfortable and both are very light-weight.  It makes the act of fishing almost effortless.

 

I think choosing a 4000-size reel and not realizing how heavy it would get was a mistake.  The Battle II is nearly 13 ounces.  The Okuma is just over half that at 7.4.  The difference that kind of weight savings makes honestly surprised me.  I figured, ounces - psh, but wow.  I even wanted to go lighter on the reel - the ISX-20B was $61 while the ISX-30B was $45 - but I wasn't going to pay $15 more for it. 

 

Consider me an extremely happy customer. 

[fishnkamp]

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. 

[CybrSlydr]

13 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

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've never noticed while looking at rods or anything, but do rod manufacturers every post a "suggested reel weight" or anything like that to help with properly balancing them?

[fishnkamp]

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.

[BassThumb]

On 4/17/2017 at 8:41 AM, CybrSlydr said:

Thanks folks.  My only real complaint is the location of the hook keeper.  I really don't like it inbetween the reel-seat and the butt.  Just awkward and I feel like I'm constantly going to stab myself.

 

The purpose and style of that hook-keeper allows you to loop a dropshot sinker in there. That's where they really come in handy. 

[CybrSlydr]

So, I went fishing on Sunday and decided to take both of my rods/reels.  I haven't used my *** and Penn Battle II reel since I bought my Dobyn's rod and Okuma Inspira reel.  So, I felt a little bad they'd been under-utilized (mostly since they're practically the same weight ratings - Blackout is 1/4-1/2 and the Dobyn's is 1/8-1/2).

 

I think I may be making some changes.

 

I found that I prefer the feel of the Penn Battle II reel over the Okuma.  The Okuma is vastly lighter, but the Penn feels so much better.  It feels more solid.  The Okuma is put together well and feels good, but the Penn just feels better in my hand, it doesn't feel like a toy.  Granted, that's because the Okuma is carbon fiber and such.  I think it's also because the Okuma is a 2500 size and the Penn is a 4000.  The Penn is also higher geared, so I don't feel like I'm working as hard reeling in lures - especially things like buzzbaits, they're easier to keep on top of the water with the Penn.  The Penn also has a much larger reel knob than the Okuma which is nice for my large paws.  Finally, I think the Penn feels better on the reel than the Okuma.  Not sure if that's because of the bearings/construction or because of the gearing ratio requiring less effort.

 

I was quite surprised to see my preference when I used my original gear - I think my only regret is that I think the 4000 size was a mistake.  Something along the 2000 would have been a better-buy.

 

I also noticed a huge difference in the rods.  The Blackout is significantly stiffer than the Dobyn's.  When you cast the Dobyn's you can really feel it load up and fling those lures.  Not so much with the Blackout.  The Dobyn's is also much more comfortable in the hand than the Blackout.  The grip is also better by far.  Comparing the two casting abilities, it feels like the Blackout is a baseball bat to the Dobyn's switch. 

 

Granted, these two rods are in completely different price brackets (I've seen TW put the Blackout on sale for around $50 and I bought it for $80) but I didn't think there would be that stark a difference between the two.

 

I think I'm going to pair the Okuma reel with the Blackout and throw the Penn on the Dobyn's and see how that works out.  If I like it, I might even buy another Battle II in a smaller size to really hit up on that weight savings.

 

Anyway, I thought some might find this info useful and I didn't think it warranted it's own thread so I figured here would be as good a place as any to post it.

[The Fisher]

Small suggestion to help I the future. If you take advice from all the opinions on here for equipment and then make a decision, go to Tackle Warehouse site. They carry about everything and will save you the car trip. Their customer service is top notch. Just got a rod that had a broken tip (thanks UPS) sent it back (prepaid label)  and got a replacement They have great sales around many big holidays like Xmas, The Fourth, Memorial Day, etc. That Sierra you got is awesome

[CybrSlydr]

That's good advice - the *** I have I actually ordered from TW.  They packaged the thing for transit superbly and have 0 qualms about ordering from them again.  

 

Little story about that *** - I paid for overnight shipping but placed my order after... 11am EST I think?  It was after the cutoff for overnights to get there overnight.  Not realizing this, I questioned their support why my overnight item wasn't coming overnight because I was watching the tracking number and UPS said they got an update that it would be coming a day later.

 

They explained about the cutoff time and offered to refund me the shipping fee.  Feeling bad for not doing my due diligence when it comes to reading the terms and stuff, I apologized and told them I didn't want the fee refunded and sorry for bothering them.

 

Despite that, my rod still arrived overnight.  lol  They're great people over there.

 

My impatience is what sent me to Cabelas - I get paid on Fridays and it's too late for overnight shipping - so if I order it online and have it shipped, it won't get here until Monday whereas I could spend what I'd pay for overnight shipping and just drive up to Cabela's (now that I know there is one in Northern Columbus) and get it that-day and hit up some other places since I'm in the area.