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Event Article:
Clear Lake with Gary Dobyns |
Evaluating new rods at Clear Lake with Gary Dobyns
(continued)
While we knew we wouldn’t
be able to beat Gary in terms of quantity, Cal decided his strategy would be to
beat Gary on quality, and to do that he would turn to the arsenal of swimbaits
that he had packed for the ride. Before sunrise we arrived at lake where Gary
was already in the water. He had been calling us every few minutes over the last
half an hour saying “get you butt over here! I’m slamming them on topwater!”
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An
attractive metal butt cap decorates the base, but it does need to be further
recessed |
The boat wasn’t even
stopped when Cal and I ran down the dock and jumped into Gary’s Ranger and we
were off. As the sun started to peak over the hill we really did start getting
into them. Then without warning the topwater bite shut off, and as the fishing
started slowing down we started talking.
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The hook
hanger on this rod is awesome, it stealth's away very nicely and doesn't get
in the way at all |
On the deck rested a
slew of rods from both the Dobyn’s Champion (blue) and Champion Xtreme (red)
lineups. The difference between the two lineups is the sensitivity of the blanks
and the actions of the rods. These rods are being distributed by Lamiglas, and
the bulk of the models are available online via select e-tailers. More and more
dealers are starting to pick up the rods as well, especially those that already
carry Lamiglas house offerings.
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A look at
the split grip. Dobyn's rods are available with both solid and split grips
depending on application |
The rods we fished with
looked much more refined than the prototypes we had seen during the shows in the
past, and the work on the guides and the threading on the blank are much cleaner
now that the rods are all in mass production. We immediately liked the fact that
the blanks were matte and not slathered with a thick layer of gloss. The carbon
fiber look on the base of the blank reminds us of import rods, and the stealth
hook hanger on the rods is very easy to use, and will never get in the way of
your line, or any other lines when rods are resting on the deck.
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A macro of
the beautiful carbon fiber in the split grip |
The rods also have
excellent ergonomics, designed for anglers that have a rod in their hand all day
long. Many are split grip models, but some have a full grip with a sculpted cork
grip to make it easier to grasp. The rods have a slightly larger cork diameter
than normal rods, and I was surprised how much I actually liked the sculpted
grip when casting.
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Varying cork
in the grips are a nice touch |
If there is one thing that
Gary is known for it is versatility and the lineup shows that. There is a rod
for every big tournament bait that you can think of, regardless of what your
favorite way to target bass is, odds are that Gary’s already got a rod designed
just for it.
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A look at
the rear of the split grip model |
Throughout the day Gary
wasn’t shy about sharing fishing secrets with us, and told us stories of how he
had won multiple tournaments on Clear Lake. At the same time he wasn’t shy about
asking us about the up and coming tackle either. He impressed me with not only
his fishing knowledge, but his ability to keep a conversation while slamming
fish.
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The bulb at
the end is comfortable while fishing, and provides a quality grip during
double handed casts |
At some hotspots it was
every third cast for me, and every cast for Gary, it just seemed like he was
tuned in to the fish more, either that or he had one of his buddies in scuba
gear hooking fish on his line just to impress us. He also encouraged us to beat
up on his rods, and we did just that. Heck, I even stepped on one of his rods,
sure it was an accident, but the guide bent back nicely.
Gary gets into a fish near the
shore
At one such honey
hole all three of us were getting into 2-3lb fish on just about every cast. One
by one we were catching them until Cal finally lost one. “Wake up Cal, were on a
roll here stop losing those fish, must be that fancy reel your using” Gary
jabbed with a smirk. “Hmmm, I’m pretty sure it’s not my Exist, must be something
wrong with this weird rod I’m fishing,” Cal retorted as he looked down at the
Dobyn’s Champion spinning rod resting in his hand.
Gary turned to me and said, "Sorry Zander, think
you're going to have to find yourself another Enthusiast Tackle Editor, because
by the end of today you're definitely going to be one short."
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Time for
lunch... |
While I still need more time
to actually fish with the rods I can confidently say that the Dobyn’s rods feel
more powerful than your average fishing rod, and Gary admitted that he
definitely prefers his rods with more muscle.
Anyone that fishes with Gary will learn that he
drives the hook home with a massive hookset and doesn't waste any time bringing
the fish back to the boat.
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Zander boats
a nice one with a jig and Yamamoto twin tail trailer |
Next
Section: More rods, and Cal tries to beat Gary
