Dobyns Rods News & Updates |
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Stay up to date on all the latest and greatest from Dobyns Rods! |
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Today I want to pass along some fun info I’ve learned in the last few months. Many anglers have at one time or another wanted to build their own pond or small lake and have thought on how they’d do it. Many die hard anglers with a little gray in their hair may remember the old Bassmaster articles of Ray Scott building his ponds. They’ve thought what they’d do as far as structure and how they’d build their own pond and what they’d do to stock it and grow giant bass. It's a dream of many anglers and finally after all these years, I got to build my own pond. It is a blast, too and a great learning experience as well. As a lifelong fisherman, I figured I had a pretty good grasp on fish. Well, I did know a lot and I still learned a ton more as well. I spoke at length with three fisheries biologists here in Texas. I didn’t reach out to other biologists I’ve known for a long time and stayed with local ones here in northeast Texas. I figured they knew Texas fish better.
Of course, there’s a long list of “do’s and don’ts” when creating a pond and stocking it. I thought I’d share some of the things I learned and one giant screw up as well. The three biologists had pretty much the same advice as far as fish were concerned, so I had a plan.
I broke the dam on an existing one-acre pond and drained it down to an area about 30-feet wide and 50-feet long. I just couldn’t get the rest of the water of the old pond out without a ton of work and expense. It looked to be only a foot deep at most in the middle of it. An old pond will collect a ton of sediment over the years. It’s just a bunch of gross, stinking, rotting crap that collects over the years. The pond dam I broke had been there for some 60 years, I’m told. I knew it was an old pond simply by the old trees growing in and around. Old ponds will fill with sediment over many years and have to be “mucked” out. It’s a nasty and expensive job that requires big equipment to get it done. Since I was enlarging this pond from an acre to almost nine acres and raising the depth by an additional ten feet above the old pool level, I chose to leave this small amount of water and goo in place. I will have 20-feet of water and that’s pretty deep for East Texas ponds. This 30’ x 50’ pond remnant set for two years before I started to rebuild the pond. The water was a black colored and a weed infested mess. I walked down last summer and put my hand in the water and it felt hot. Well with a black goo colored bottom, what was I to expect. Nothing could survive in that “hot” water. So, I was confident I was starting with a fresh pond and new fish.
One of the biologists said a pond should have about 30% of the area in habitat. This is the fun part now. So, we screwed and bolted old pallets together to make “fish condos” similar to ones that I’d seen on Lake Havasu. We’d make some triangles and some like rectangles. We weighted them down with bags of concrete and then tied brush and trees to them. These turned out to be very cheap and they made awesome structure. I also wanted a bunch of PVC trees. We did this with five-gallon buckets of concrete with a 4” PVC center tree trunk, with ½” thin-walled PVC. You can get pretty creative with PVC structure. But still, I didn’t feel like I had the needed 30% so I had some trees that I had removed anyway and we laced them along the “new shoreline” in what would be cover with 5- to 10-feet of water. Now I had my 30% that I desired. Then with all the rain east Texas has received this year my pond started to fill. It doesn’t have a giant “catch” area but we had a lot of rain for months.
The do’s are easy. Ten pounds or so of flathead minnows per acre, the same of golden shiners, and many thousands of bluegills in various species. Then add some channel catfish at 200 to 500 per acre. My pond wasn’t but half full so I put 50-pounds of flathead minnows and 50-pounds of shiners, but opted for only 500 channel cats as this will be a bass pond. I stocked thousands of native bluegills, hybrid bluegill, copper nose bluegill, and red ear sunfish.
The don’ts were easy as well. The biologists all said no bass until at least June of next year and only fingerlings then. No goggle eye, also called a green sunfish, and no crappie as they reproduce too much for ponds. You must have a pond full of bluegill before introducing bass. It seemed a little crazy to me, but I had to follow the advice of three experts all saying the same thing.
The bad!! I noticed right away my minnows getting thrashed in the shallows and I knew it wasn’t the baby bluegill or catfish. These were no doubt bass!!! We put a boat in the pond and started fishing. We removed 65 to 100 bass and green sunfish three days in a row. My pond was infested with them. I wanted them out because the pond was very old and everything in it was stunted and wouldn’t grow. Most bass were 6- to 9-inches and green sunfish were about 4-inches. I still can’t believe that all those fish survived in that small, black, hot, pool of water. But it was in fact about 5-feet deep in the middle, which still shocks me. So, the new depth in the center is closer to about 25-feet deep. This depth is really good in east Texas. I’d never seen any fish moving in the small pond except a few little minnows that seem to be in every water source here. I made a bad screwup and now must deal with it. A good learning experience for sure. Nature always finds a way, I guess.
Thankfully minnows are cheap at $9 for about 700 of them. Some of my bluegills are getting eaten no doubt, but I’ve still got a lot of them and I installed fish feeders to help them grow faster. I can’t walk past a feeder without doing a few seconds of extra feed and watching my fish go nuts. When I walk up to a feeder, I’ll have hundreds of fish charge out of the cover and stare at me. They already know I’m a sucker and food is on the way. Even with my screwup, the pond is awesome and it was an absolute blast getting to do something I’d always dreamed about, never figuring I’d really get to do it. A lifelong dream of mine actually did happen. Good fishing to all!!!
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We have absorbed annual price increases from our factories for many years, however, with the large increase in costs of components and shipping, we unfortunately need to raise prices on several series.
Rod Price Increase effective 9/1/21
Effective September 1, 2021, there will be a $10 retail price increase on the Dobyns Rods Series listed here.
Prices for the Colt Series, Champion Extreme HP Series and Xtasy Series will remain the same at this time.
Warranty Shipping Costs effective 9/1/21
Warranty fees will remain the same; however, shipping charges will increase to $30 per shipment. If you send in more than 1 rod at a time, the cost is still $30 for shipping.
Thank you,
Dobyns Rods
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Troy Diede Catches Record-Setting Smallmouth |
Dobyns Rods Pro Staffer Troy Diede caught the fish of a lifetime on July 16th. While pre-fishing for an upcoming tournament, Troy landed a South Dakota state record smallmouth coming in at seven pounds and 4.7 ounces using his Dobyns Rods Sierra Series SA 701SF.
After being verified by a GFP fisheries biologist, the record-setting fish was released back to it's home fishery of Lake Oahe.
Congratulations Troy!
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Drew Cook's Favorite Flipping Sticks |
By Pete Robbins
For 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year Drew Cook, heavy cover flipping is more than a tool in his arsenal – it’s a way of life, the way he pays his bills and separates himself from the majority of the field. While the third year pro is far more versatile than his Florida roots might otherwise indicate, he knows that leaning on the big stick will consistently put him near the front of the money line.
During this year’s Bassmaster Classic at a flooded Ray Roberts, Cook relied primarily on two Dobyns flipping rods to get the job done:
The first was the Dobyns Xtasy DRX 755C, a 7’5” rod at the top of the company’s lineup. His primary bait was a Texas rigged Big Bite Baits 4-inch Fighting Frog with a 3/8 ounce sinker. “All I was doing was flipping all day long and the light weight of the Xtasy series was the key to not getting fatigued,” he said.
When he wanted to mix it up with a ½ ounce Nichols Impact Flipping Jig, he switched to a Dobyns Champion XP DC 764C. “That’s my normal, go-to, no-grass flipping rod,” he explained. It’s at the mid-range of the Dobyns offerings, yet fishes like a much more expensive rod.
Both of his rods utilize full cork handles, which Cook characterizes as the key to a good flipping stick. “It helps you have more weight at the bottom,” he said, “You don’t want a top-heavy flipping stick.”
He also recommends that anglers should adjust the length they use to their own height, although everyone will have a different comfort zone. Most 5’6” anglers will struggle with an 8’ rod, and will do better with a 7’3” or 7’4” rod, while others will do fine with the heavy punching stick. Those over 6’ tall, however, will appreciate the extra leverage of an 8-footer and not notice the extra length in a negative way.
“I tend to stay around 7’6” unless I’m in really thick grass,” Cook said. “Then I’ll go to something longer.”
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Dobyns Pros' Top Rods For The Potomac River -
MLF Pro Circuit
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Three Dobyns Rods Pros give us their go to rod choices for success at the recent MLF Pro Circuit event at the Potomac River in Maryland. Clark Reehm, Ryan Salzman and Bradford Beavers all ran different patterns that ranged from docks to laydowns to offshore grass.
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Summertime Bassin' on the Mississippi River |
By Dobyns Pro Staffer Brooke Finner
The Mississippi River has been around 4-5 feet all summer, the lowest I've ever seen it, but that doesn't stop the bass from biting. The water temps have been in the low-mid 80's, and I've been fishing in depths from 2-8 feet. There's a variety of pools on the Mississippi that I fish which ranges from pool 5a-pool 8. The current is generally slower in the summer, so looking for moving water is key.
The river is prime time for picking up a frog and never putting it down, so my Dobyns Champion XP DC 736C is in my hands often. Duckweed is a key component of the frog bite, especially where it sets up around and against lily pads and vegetation. Largemouth could be found in backwaters, in side channels or even near the main river channel, as long as there’s a current break where the duckweed can get established and provide a place for bass to feed on crayfish, shad, and bluegills.
Another pattern I focus on is eel grass edges; cut banks where the current sweeps under the bank. In situations like this, I like to throw a swim jig on my Dobyns Champion DC 735C or flip a 3/8 oz jig using my Dobyns Champion XP DC 744C. My go to colors are white, black and blue, or green pumpkin.
Smallmouth can be caught on sand drops, wing dams, and riprap near the main river channel. Crankbaits, jigs, carolina rig, ned rig, and topwater baits will work to catch them. My favorite way to catch smallmouth is on a crankbait or top water bait rigged up on my Dobyns Champion XP DC 684CB.
If I had to select one Dobyns rod that I can't live without, it would be the Dobyns Champion XP DC 736C. I use it to frog, which is one of my favorite things to do in the summertime on the river. If you have never been to the upper Mississippi River near La Crosse, WI, I highly encourage you to plan a trip. We have a fantastic fishery!
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This rod I really made for myself. It fits my style of fishing and I’ve always liked a more powerful rod than most anglers, or at least I thought so. In fact, I’m getting so many requests for a DRX 756C that I guess I’m not the only angler that likes a lot of power in rods. The Xtasy is labeled DRX 755C. It carries a hefty price tag of $549.99. The rod material is Toray T-1100, Fuji reel seat, Fuji Titanium framed Torzite guides, AAAA-grade Portugal cork handles, and its classy appearance make this rod on the expensive side. When I wanted to build one of the best rods on the market, I had to use the best materials and components, and I did. The DRX 755C is a powerful rod. It’s more than a full power jump from the popular DRX 754C (#1 selling Xtasy), but the rod is very light, balanced, and very sensitive. Could I have knocked more weight out of this model? Yes, but cosmetics add weight and if I’m buying a $550 rod, I’d like it to look a little pretty, too. The rod is 7’5” long and comes in both split (DRX 755C SH) and full handle (DRX 755C) versions giving the angler their choice. The best techniques for this model are jigs and Texas rigged worms. When you need all the sensitivity you can get with “feel” baits like jigs and worms, this is where the Xtasy 755C really shines. -Gary Dobyns
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Crappie Chatter with Jeff Lowdermilk |
Summer is a great time to put work on Crappie habitats for your upcoming season. Crappies live in group environments, making it harder to catch them using the usual methods, Crappie habitats are basically beds that are Crappie concentrated structures which provide cover for the Crappie to live in. There are many types of structures that can be manmade to resemble brush piles, which attract Crappie groups. These habitats aid a fisherman to get the Crappies to bait because fishermen can mark the spot with their electronics, so the fish don’t disappear. The secret of these Crappie habitats are to provide a shelter cover for Crappie and it also provides a foundation of plankton that baitfish feed.
There are different materials that can be used to make the Crappie habitat, PVC pipe, recycled Christmas trees, angle iron, wood and or bamboo. The base is usually a bucket with concrete or cinder blocks to get the structure to sink and hold it’s position. Here are a few photos of the habitats that I make and sink this time of year. I like to sink theses on drop offs near creek channels or places that I have caught fish before. They will attract baitfish and Crappie will follow. I like to put them fairly close together that ways I can pull up on a waypoint and fish it if they are not on that particular one, I can move over to the next one without wasting too much time. Crappie habitats have gotten pretty common in the fishing strategy to catch Crappie in a location that you have chosen, making you a secret agent man of the Crappie fishing. You can clearly see on my Lowrance electronics the structure in the water and how it looks much like a tree.
Feel free to reach out to me on social media or email me at [email protected] for further instruction of Crappie habitats or if you have a topic you would like for me to cover.
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Dobyns Rods Pro Staffer Of The Month |
By Betsy Steele
Dobyns staffer and Bass angler turned National Champion Crappie Angler, Josh Jones is an interesting guy. Josh makes Oklahoma his home along with his wife Casey and son Bowie and considers Keystone Lake his home waters. Although Josh has won 4 Bass boats in his career, he still doesn’t consider that to be his greatest fishing accomplishment, he says that the 15.5lb Bass he caught in west Texas has been the best accomplishment. So why does a guy who is winning Bass boats leave Bass fishing for Crappie fishing? He likes to keep himself challenged and on his toes. His largest Crappie was 3.21lb and his “go to” technique is suspended roaming fish. Josh took Gary fishing and Gary said he was amazed at how well-versed Josh is with electronics.
Josh said the Dobyns Rod he absolutely can’t live without is the Dobyns Champion DC 794SB, he said “because the 794 can be used year-round for swimbaits, Alabama rigs, crankbaits, and spoons targeting trophy fish. Josh admits his biggest challenge is catching Black Crappie. I asked Josh what his routine consists of to get himself into the fishing mindset, he said had zero because “his main objective was to have fun, be relaxed, and he knows he is living his dream!” Josh left Corporate America to pursue his dream of fishing for a living and is currently working with Gary on a series of signature Crappie rods, the first one will be 14 feet. It is possible you will see a 10 and 12 foot one as well. The new rod is set to hit stores near you in January of 2022. Josh said “this rod has quality components and more sensitivity than any other rod out there because of the quality materials that Dobyns use."
What is on Josh’s playlist? Bruce Hornsby, Rap music, Taylor Swift, The Eagles, Angels and Airwaves, John Mayer and many other genres. Josh is also a very passionate white tail bow hunter.
There is so much more to Josh Jones than meets the eye, when I first set eyes on Josh, I saw long hair, beard and I am thinking pure hippie. I have never been so wrong all my life, he has long hair because he donates his hair to Wigs for Kids. He chose that organization because of WFK does not charge the children for the wigs and helps build a child’s esteem while dealing with cancer. Wigs for Kids’ mission is “Helping Children Look Themselves and Live Their Lives! When Children lose their hair, they don’t just suffer physically. The change in their appearance can drastically undermine their self-image and sabotage their self-esteem. To help heal the pain of these struggles, Certified Cosmetic Therapist Jeffrey Paul founded Wigs for Kids, a nonprofit organization that has been serving children suffering from hair loss since 1981.” (Wigs for Kids website) Check out their website at www.wigsforkids.org.
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Rod Actions Explained By Strategic Angling |
In this episode, Dobyns Pro Staffers Brady Hanna & JJ Patton cover the terminology and demonstrate what the different kind of rod actions mean and look like. For todays video we used all 4-power Dobyns Rods..
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Dobyns Rods Fan Of The Month |
Jordan Lambin, 13 from Williamsburg, Virginia; avid fisherman and Dobyns Rod’s fan of the month says his home water is the Chickahominy River. Jordan and his dad, Scott are avid fisherman, but Jordan says when it comes to bucket list water, he doesn’t have one, his concentration is focused solely on showing his dad who is boss on the water. Jordan’s Dobyns Rod of choice is the DC 703SF spinning rod because his favorite lures to fish are Senko and shaky heads. "I can skip Senko’s without a problem with this rod.”
Gerald Swindle is Jordan’s favorite professional angler, he loves that G-Man is funny, humble, and knows his stuff on the water. If Jordan could fish with a pro, he would definitely choose Gerald Swindle, he said “it would be a fun day on the water”. The best thing about fishing for Jordan is time spent with his dad, his friends (Mr. Paul, Mr. Chris, and Mr. Randy) and his other friends when they can find time to go.
When not on the water, Jordan can be found playing football or baseball for his high school. Fishing has changed a bit in the last year for Jordan, balancing academics, athletics, hobbies, and friends take up a lot of his fishing time, but any free time he can squeeze in there is still nothing like getting a hook wet!
Thank you, Jordan, for being a loyal fan of Dobyns Rod Company, we appreciate you!
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This rod is rated Mag Heavy with a fast action, and is 7’3” in length. It’s a super popular model for us, always ranking in the top 10 in company sales year in and year out. It’s a very versatile rod but on the heavier side of versatile. It was made as a heavy jig rod, frog rod, and pitching stick but it gets used for far more techniques. Many times, it’s used around cover with buzzbaits. It’s great with Whopper Ploppers. Many guys throw chatterbaits on it as well. There are many more baits that fish very well with the FR 735C. It does have the power needed for frog fishing but it’s not so stiff that it doesn’t cast well. This rod is made in a split handle. If you’re needing a rod with a great tip for casting, but has lots of power, and is perfectly balanced, this one is a keeper.
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Dobyns Pro Staffer Howard Swarts recently took a trip to Fontana Lake in North Carolina which is a clear water, deep mountain alpine lake. He used finesse rods like the Champion Extreme DX 702SF and DX 703SF. These rods are very effective in these situations with drop shot, shakey heads, tubes and light darter jigs.
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Josh Collum, has been putting the DX 744C to work on Lake Guntersville using a 10" worm. |
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These are just 2 out of 121 walleye that Dobyns Pro Staffer Robert Ferguson has caught in Oklahoma since January 2021, all on Dobyns Rods! Bass fishermen have known for years how great Dobyns Rods fish, however as a multi-species angler, he takes full advantage of all the features that puts him ahead of every boat launched at the twelve lakes that he fishes. |
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Jason Kincy Wins At Beaver Lake |
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Dobyns Rods Pro Staffer Jason Kincy is on a streak of good luck in 2021! Jason took the win recently at Beaver Lake with the Natural State Kayak Anglers (NSKA) tournament trail. "After catching several keepers early on a spinnerbait, the bite started to slow as the rain cleared off. Wanted to keep throwing a moving bait so I chose a white chatterbait. On a long cast that landed right next to a bush, it immediately got heavy and could tell that she was wrapped up in a bush so I just tried to keep some pressure on and she eventually came out. Second 20″ fish that morning, only the second time that’s happened to me in a tournament. Was very lucky."
Jason also placed second with the tournament trail at Table Rock and has gotten his PB this year coming in at 8lb 9oz. Congratulations on a successful year so far, Jason!
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