Dobyns Sierra Spinning SA 702SF

[bartolot]

I posted this on the Fishing Tackle by mistake.  I just ordered the subject rod from Cabela's yesterday and wanted some feedback on rod performance (i.e. tip action - fast or soft, rod backbone, etc.).  I watched one of the videos on the Dobyns website where a gentleman was drop shot fishing for smallies using a Champion Extreem DX 702SF rod.  How do these 2 rods compare? The Champion Extreem looked kind of limber, maybe a little softer than I expected to see.  I want something maybe a tad bit faster with not as much bend through the mid section.  I probable should have posted this before I bought but it is always a gamble buying without having to touch and feel. Thanks!            

[fishnkamp]

Dobyns are a bit softer than other manufacturers ratings.  They are about 1/2 step lighter.  Go by the lure rating and you will be fine.  With Dobyns rods any rod model will act very similar to the same rod in another series, except for the characteristics of the blank used.  

So let me explain, the SA 702SF will handle the exact same lures and will fish the same as a Fury FR 702SF, or an Champion XP DC 702SF.  The Fury rods are built on a high quality, but less expensive blank and less expensive components.  They are excellent rods and worth more than an entry level price.

 

The blank used on a Sierra is a much more expensive blank. The rod is assembled using much better components.  Of course the two Champion series are the top of the line with the most expensive components and best blanks.

 

The difference between a Fury and a Sierra rod is a big jump. The Sierras are lighter, more sensitive, use more cork and have better components.  That is not so true when comparing the Sierras and the Champions. The Champions in general are a little nicer and a bit more sensitive. The Champion graphite blanks are a bit quicker but not enough to matter.

Your SA 702SF is going to fish ned rigs, drop shotting, light weight tubes and grubs and many other lighter baits very well.

 

Depending on your budget, and on your desire to build a rod arsenal, the next addition could be a SA 693SF or even a SA 703SF   Either would be great for fishing heavier baits like Sencos, shakey heads, texas rigged plastics(like 3/8 to 5/8 ) and smaller crankbaits like Rapala floating minnow baits. I use a rod like this for fishing 3/8 finesse baits like Bitsy Bug jigs, big 5 inch Kalin Grubs on a slider heads, and even baits like the smaller Keitech or Reaction Innovation paddletail swimbaits rigged weightless.  

 

These two rods really compliment each other and together can allow you to fish most of the popular finesse baits today.  If you only intend to fish one spinning rod, then I would have gone with the 703 as it is the most versatile.  I prefer to own and fish both for several reasons. They both handle their part of the finesse baits spectrum best.  Also when I am fishing I usually like to switch it up my baits. Maybe I am fishing around docks, I may dropshot all around the outside of the pilings and out on the front and along the sides. Then I then will attack underneath using my 5 inch Kalin grub and slider head. 

Let us know how you like the rod once you can use it.

By the way my wife and I both own Sierras and Champion XPs.  Gary makes a great rod.

[bartolot]

Thanks so much for your reply.  I may just have to take you advice and pick up the SA 703SF as a complement to my SA 702SF.  I love to fish 1/8 to 1/4 tubes, drop shot, small plastic swimbaits and weightless senko's.  This is a smallie rod and mostly fished in open water.  Usually, nothing deeper than 20 feet.  Most likely 7-12 ft reefs.  I will also like to fish a Ned Rig with really light jigs.  I'll get back once I have a chance to use it.  Thanks, Again!         

[fishnkamp]

There are some baits we catch fish on everywhere we fish.

My home waters is the tidal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay. So rivers like the Susquehanna River, the Susqy flats, the Potomac River and places like Middle River (that is where Aaron Martens won his elite series event a few years back).

These are off color tidal waters.

We travel to places like Dale Hollow in Kentucky and other Tennessee lakes, lake Gaston in North Carolina, Lake Raystown and even up on Lake Erie.  These are gin clear water compared to the tidal water we fish. We also fish some clear lakes here at home as well.

 

The list of baits that work everywhere I go are not that long.  The first bait on that list is a 5 inch Kalin Grub, in one of several colors.  my favorites  would be bluegill, then watermelon with red flake and  then smoke with salt and pepper flakes.  My wife's favorite is a discontinued color- smoke salt&pepper with red flake. We own about the last 350 in the country! Seriously!!  

There is only one way I rig it.   Look at Bass Pro Shops Perfect Finesse Worm jigheads. Take a grub body and match it up with the correct hook size. They come in several hook sizes and with different weights attached. I like 1/8 and 1/4.  Using these you should be able to fish for river smallies without snagging to badly since they are like a one piece texas rig.  The larger Perfect worm jigheads are great for fishing finesse worms or plastic creature baits. Here is a picture of what I am talking about. These are great for fishing small worms and creature baits as well.

 

The next bait that is a must for us is the Reaction Innovations Skinny Dippers.  Check out the white trash, Houdini, Sungil and the shad colors like pearl blue shad, money shot green or sexy shad. I rig these three ways. Unweighted using a swimbait hook, belly weighted, and for your baitcaster I use a 3/8 or 1/ ounce swimbait jighead. the first can fish fine on your medium spinning rod.  I like the Skinny Dippers and the Little Dippers.  They are deadly just cast them out, let them sink and slowly swim them back with the occasional stoop, kill them they have a deadly wavy sink to them. I twitch them and then begin swimming them again. Be prepared to get bit.

 

Lastly Sencos are deadly fish many ways.

 

[bartolot]

Thanks again, The Skinny Dippers look pretty similar to the Keitech Swing Impact FAT baits which I've used.  My only complaint about the Keitech is durability.  Pretty much a 1 or 2 fish bait.  I also fish the 5 inch Kalin Grubs, same color as you, but never on that hook you pointed out.  The more I watch the Paul Mueller's videos with him using the SA 702SF, the more I think it will work.  Great action, and most of all, a great fight.  Can't wait to try on Lake Champlain come this June.  I'm from NJ so I fish the Delaware River and some small lakes around here but I make my pilgrimage once a year to LC with my son.  Can't wait. Love it!!   Me and my son.     

[fishnkamp]

Gorgeous fish~  I like the fact that when I fish them the weight cant leave the hook and get stuck in rocks or wood.  We have fished them in grass, rock, wood almost any cover.  You are right the Keitechs are very similar. I have fished both and really like the Skinny Dippers best. On  Lake Champlain those Picasso heads should be deadly.  Dale Hollow is gin clear and the big smallies spend most of their time swimming around under big shad schools.  We have fond them out in 100 foot of water, the shag were down 15 feet below the surface and the bss were down another 15 feet below them.  They were not relating to any structure, just out on these big flats. We caught them using the Skinny Dippers and Big Dippers on those jigheads.  80% of the time if I am fishing one of these baits it is on a Gamakatsu belly weighted swimbait hook.

 

The last bait combo I forgot to mention, is a Dirty Jigs swimjig with a Kalin 5 inch Lunker grub as the trailer.  I land a lot of fish on those swim jigs. I am sure other swimjigs are just as good.   I just like the Dirty Jigs ones.

[CybrSlydr]

I just picked up a Dobyns Sierra 692SF and absolutely love it.

 

 

[fishnkamp]

I really like the rods in that 6'8" or 6'9" sometimes.  I really think my next setup will be a Sierra SA 693SF.

[CybrSlydr]

BTW - fish here was a huge help in deciding which rod to pick up.  He offered some outstanding advice and is the main reason I ended up with the Dobyn's over a G.Loomis E6X.

[fishnkamp]

that puppy feels great in you hand all day doesn't it?

[CybrSlydr]

Just now, fishnkamp said:

that puppy feels great in you hand all day doesn't it?

Yes it does!  I'm not sure if it's getting used to the act of fishing or what, but I don't get those cramps in my back when I use the Dobyn's vs the Blackout.  It's just so natural and light and...  awesome.

[fishnkamp]

The answer believe it or not is simply "balance'!  If you match a Dobyns rod with a proper sized reel it will balance right in your hand. You are just getting to feel the difference that is hard to make clear to other anglers that have never fished with one of their rods.  They just feel right in your hand.  Gary makes it all work

[XpressJeff]

Recently a 703SF fell into my boat with a Shimano Stradic. 

 

Absolutely love it!

[BassThumb]

I picked up the Sierra 704SF as a dock skipping rod. Feels great. It's a perfect medium-heavy/fast action rod, as advertised. I bought it to replace an Avid 7' MH/F that feels like a tip-heavy broomstick by comparison. 

 

I own about 15 Dobyns rods from the high-end to the low-end, and these Sierras offer good bang for the buck! 

[bartolot]

Thanks. I was just worried that the 702sf might be too limber? Enough backbone for good hook sets? 

[PatrickKnight]

For me I use a ML for lighter wire hooks and my 703 for heavier wire hooks. What type of hooks are you planning on using? Also what line type?

[bartolot]

For tubes, I like 1/0, 1/8oz jigs that I insert.  Ned rig hooks from ZMan, very light.  Small swim baits I use 1/8 oz round head jigs, very light hook.  I mostly use 6 lb flouro line but this year I was going to try some 10 lb Power Pro with a 6 lb. leader.  

[PatrickKnight]

The 702 would be perfect for that.

[CybrSlydr]

I use 10lb Sufix 832 with either a 6lb Stren flourocast or Pline CXX 8lb leader, depending on how much vegetation/rocks/etc I expect to run into.  Held together with a uni/uni knot.

 

This works great for Neds, cranks, Texas rigs, etc. on my 692SF.

[new2BC4bass]

On 5/11/2017 at 6:59 PM, XpressJeff said:

Recently a 703SF fell into my boat with a Shimano Stradic. 

 

Absolutely love it!

 

I gotta get a boat!!