Why Dobyns?

[ToyotaKev]

For those who think this is important, Dobyns are made in Asia. Loomis, St. Croix, Kistler, ALX are made in the US by and large.

Just received my Dobyn's frog rod on Saturday...very excited...the China reference on the rod's tag sorta dampened my spirits honestly...was a helluva deal they ran though

[MattVT18]

I have used several Dobyns rods, still have a Sierra spinning and a Champ XP casting. Both rods get used for a variety of things but don't excel at anything. The spinning rod feels nice and has a great action (Sierra 703) but is lacking in sensitivity compared to my Powell Endurances. The casting (Champ XP 734) was originally bought for jig fishing, honestly it sucked for that. I now use it for moving bait fishing around grass with heavier fluoro line. It casts great, has a true fast action and good backbone it just isn't very sensitive. I like them enough to keep them but they aren't rods that get used much.

[Shadow4]

90% of my rods are Dobyns. I have a few Xtasy's, some Extremes, a bunch of Champions and one Sierra. No complaints here, I like the way they keep fish buttoned up, the way they feel in my hand, the build quality, and they are plenty sensitive (the Xtasy's are incredibly sensitive). Their customer service and warranty is top-notch and they even have a great "exchange" program. I don't know of many rod companies that will let you use the heck out of your rods and then send them back to the factory and let you upgrade to a newer or better quality rod at a steep discount in exchange for your old/used rods. The resale on them holds pretty good too in comparison to other rods, probably because of the way Dobyns stands behind them. I haven't bought a different brand of rod in 3 years. Everybody has their own preferences though.

[barrys]

that’s how I feel too. Every Dobyns I’ve held had a dead or dampening feel to me and felt it was as sensitive as a $20 Walmart rod. They look nice And are well balanced but that about it. St Croix might be a little tip heavy but they are more sensitive, lighter, and have better build quality

So you “held” it , but you didn’t fish it ? And you came to all those conclusions

[Meleagris1]

Also if you are comparing rod brands, in general it's really helpful to others to compare equivalent models - as simple as this sounds. A $300 Champion Extreme wasn't as sensitive as an $600-700 NRX . . . really . The Champion Extreme is low to mid $300's which is priced between a Loomis IMX and GLX models for example. I would say it fits exactly in that slot as far as sensitivity, closer to the GLX IMO. I have found that true across the board, you basically get what you pay for. I have never felt the Extremes were in any way lacking in sensitivity but if you want $600 sensitivity step up to that price range and buy an Xtasy, NRX, Legend Extreme etc. Any of those three will blow your mind. The Xtasy's are one of my favorites and I prefer them over NRX, which is saying a lot.

[PolarKraft195]

I’m not sure why Dobyns get the praises they do. I’m sure it’s a quality built rod, but everyone I’ve picked felt terrible to me. Maybe it’s the few different models I picked up. Not sure.

so what rods do you fish, and how do they "feel"?

[PolarKraft195]

that’s how I feel too. Every Dobyns I’ve held had a dead or dampening feel to me and felt it was as sensitive as a $20 Walmart rod. They look nice And are well balanced but that about it. St Croix might be a little tip heavy but they are more sensitive, lighter, and have better build quality

I have been fishing St Croix for over 40 years (before bass fisherman heard of them) and have been fishing Dobyns for around 12 years. My opinion is..........you're wrong. Go "fish" a Dobyns before actually making an opinion just by "feel"

[Phippy]

I received extreme hp 741sf as my new finesse/drop shot rod. Feels nice with 3000 Exsence aboard. Only downer is I thought extreme hp came with stainless fuji sic disappointed came with alconites. Probably should of gotten the Xtasy 721sf instead.

[Meleagris1]

Phippy - that Extreme 741is really versatile rod, I have two of them and use them for 1/8-3/8 finesse plastics. If you go to the Xtasy they aren’t as fast an action so I would order one power heavier than the Extremes.

[Phippy]

[QUOTE=Meleagris1;11041025]Phippy - that Extreme 741is really versatile rod, I have two of them and use them for 1/8-3/8 finesse plastics. If you go to the Xtasy they aren’t as fast an action so I would order one power heavier than the Extremes.[/QUOTE

I have a Xtasy 752sf already, to be honest primary use is bottom contact baits up to 3/8oz mostly tubes. I like my finesse rods to load deeper than my 752 which is why I love my Conquest 902s so much. At some point during the summer season I will get the 721 for sure.

[ManxFishing]

I Agree with allot of the posts
The crank rods are spot on, they have made me
a better crAnk fishermen
they do balance fantastic, build quality is great
nobody has mention they have no off the best warranty’s out there

But for a bottom contact rod, I feel there’s better rods
bit I haven’t fished there new high end rod.

[MainelySmallmouth]

I used to run a ton of dobyns in my rotation back in the day with many different model lines. I think at one point all my cranking rods were dobyns rods, and i loved the 734 champion for a do everything rod. At the time i also loved the hp rods as the 744, and 745 became my main bottom contact rods. Then i made the mistake and bought an NRX... Zbone, daiwa ags, and so on. In dobyns defense i have not tried an xtasy rod and have heard great things about them. I will say where dobyns rods got their good reputation was the balance of the rods. They were never really a light rod but you had these longer rods that balanced like other companies 6'6 rods and that just made the rod feel better in hand. Dobyns also had an early all around line up when other manufactures did not offer the model variances that dobyns had such as longer length rods, great crankbait rod selection, and swimbait rods that could do baits over the 6 oz range. Presently today things have changed and the rod market is super competitive now with many companies putting out great offerings. If i had get a rod for bottom contact i would rather get the new poision adrena than a dobyns hp. If i was in the mid price rod market i would look at ALX rods over the champion, so they for sure have lost their luster in my hands somewhat compared to similar priced rods. Dobyns will still get high remarks in the cranking department as they have a great line up of crankbait rods for sure. Im not sure what dobyns builds their blanks on. They are built in Korea if im not mistaken when i bought all of mine 7 years ago. They used o use Kigan guides and now have went to Fuji guides on the champion and hp series.

As far as build quality goes they are not bad you will get the normal production rod quality in my opinion nothing jdm super exoctic stuff just regular wraps which are good for the most part. I hate to say it even though i have a bunch of NRX rods most of my dobyns guide wraps were more clean and well put together. St croix has a remarkable build quality but there are some flaws or should i say things people don't like to much. St croix will not tuck the threads on many of their wraps and being translucent you can see this under the epoxy especially on the legend glass rods and even my legend elites are like that. So at the end of the day even though they are built overseas the quality is pretty good in my mind.

I don't know what rod you are looking for but if you are unable to handle one i would shoot and order the 734 champion that will give you a gauge of the line ups taper and power, and if you don't like it you can sell it quick being a popular model. I would also call Dobyns as He or his son usually picks the phone up and they will be able to tell you anything you want to know.

Well said!

[MainelySmallmouth]

So I think it is hard to ask a rod manufacturer to do it all in one blank. To be sensitive, well balanced, powerful, soft tip, stiff tip, right reel seat, perfect guide train etc etc etc. Fishing has become very application specific, and in its wake have come a rods that are very application specific. So I think to judge a rod company on its ability to do it all, is unfair and unrealistic. With that as a backdrop, as many have said in this thread, Dobyns rods do some things VERY well, ie moving baits. I have two Dobyns Champion Extreme HP 743, and it could be hands down my favorite paddle tail swimbait rod. For paddle tail baits under 4", this rod is so good at loading up and keeping fish pinned. I can't remember the last time I lost a fish on this rod. Likewise, the CE 742 could be one of the best Ned Rig rods I have ever held. Casts light baits a MILE and I don't have trouble detecting bites on this rod and blank is perfect for loading up and keeping fish pinned. I fish braid to a floro leader for added sensitivity. Lastly, I have an Xtasy rod, the 722, as my light line rod for weightless senkos, drop shot and spybaiting and this stick is RIDICULOUS. In all I have 7 Dobyns rods, all CE HPs with on Xtasty, and I love them all for the applications I used them for. Dobyns rods are incredibly well balanced making them feel lighter than they are. Doesn't matter what reel I throw on them, they magically balance so well. And their customer service is indeed very good. Just sent in a question and they said send it in and we will fix it and if we can't, we will replace it. Doesn't get better than that.

That said I do fish Loomis (NRX), St Croix (legend elites and Xs) and Shimano (exprides) to fill in the gaps/voids, for applications that Dobyn's doesn't perform well in. I love my Dobyns, and I think they are well made (no real production flaws), but I also have other really nice rods to fill in the gaps. Dobyns is every bit as good as loomis, st croix and shimano.

[lpugh]

I will simply say that after my first Dobyns Rod, I sold all my Loomis rods and replaced them with Dobyns, I do have 3 Powell's that I will not part with as well, Only broken one, no fault of the rod, closed a lift gate on it. was replaced under his warranty no questions asked

[78Staff]

I've posted on this before in previous threads, so won't bother retyping a long post, but essentially, HellaBass's post is spot on. For me I moved on from Doybyn's (Used to be all Dobyns, mix of XP's and DX/HP's, about 15 or so rods iirc) at least in the higher end to NRX's. I just couldn't get my head around a $600 Xtasy Made in China Rod. I haven't tried one, but they get really nice reviews.

Another key element of Dobyns is they do offer a very attractive Mil/Ret/1RS discount buying directly from Dobyns. In the end though I've moved on to NRX for feel/bottom presentations, but still have several Dobyns (Champ XP's) for moving baits.

[AMSDJS]

I like many others chiming in, still own and fish Dobyns (one HP), St Croix (one Legend Extreme), Loomis (one GLX), Falcon (multiple Cara), Shimano (two Crucial) and even Cabela's house-branded rods. I completely agree with the general consensus that Dobyns has always had excellent, hands-on customer service; produces very well-balanced rods with unique powers and actions; and can always be found on sale. I feel their rods are among the best, especially for moving baits. In my opinion, the only rod one needs the ultimate sensistivty for is a bottom contact rod. Meaning dragging bottom where one needs to determine when the jig moves from pea-sized gravel to marble-sized gravel. For that, splurge for NRX. There is no way any bass angler - just ask any Elite or FLW pro - needs a $500+ rod to catch more and bigger bass. Now if you're a fly guy then yes, a stable of NRX would definitely help (anyone who's hauled big flies all day knows). Is my DX742SF as senstive as my Legend Extreme 70MLF? No, but it also didn't cost nearly as much. Are Dobyns rods made overseas? Yes, but so are Megabass rods. I've sold off all my rods with the exception of the ones above and fish 9 US made Falcon Caras. If those move overseas I'll probably look to ALX or Cashion when I need a new rod. But, I would not hesitate to buy a rod locker full of Dobyns rods.

[Stickworm420]

Fishing is an art and each artist chooses which paintbrush fits his style and hand best

[Stickworm420]

sorry for my stoner input but if you buy rods based upon someone telling you its better you may never find the rod which fits best man good luck

[Stickworm420]

Ive never heard anyone say the 735 was the holy grail by the way maybe the 734

[Meleagris1]

I just picked up the new Xtasy 725C and that is an awesome rod - the ultimate 1/2 jig rod.