Dobyns DX795FLIP Rod Review

Mike Cork

The Dobyns Champion Extreme DX795FLIP bass fishing rod, designed by Garry Dobyns, is by far the best flipping rod I have used. I spoke with Richard Dobyns about this rod, and how it came to be, “At the time we didn’t have a flipping rod in the Champion Extreme line, the Champion and Savvy Series both had a flipping rod in their lineup that are great rods. However, customers wanted one in the Champion Extreme, and where possible we will build the rods that our customers want.” With Garry Dobyns behind the design, you know it’s going to be a fantastic rod. The DX 795 Flip is 7 feet 9 inches long, rated for 12 to 25 pound test line, and lure weights from 1/4 to 2 ounces. Making this rod perfect for any flipping conditions you might come across, and strong enough to handle punching heavy weights through the thickest of vegetation.

This is not a pitching rod, while some like it for pitching, the 795 FLIP was designed specifically for flipping. Getting in tight with bass and having a “one on one” battle with the greenbacks. I know from experience, with this rod in your hands you’re going to come out on top.

While it is called a flipping rod, I also use the 795 FLIP for all my punching needs. Everyone has a theory to each technique in bass fishing. Why this rod is better than that rod. A lot of that is because we are all different anglers; we see bass fishing from a different point of view and set of experiences. That said, here are my thoughts on the Dobyns Champion Extreme DX 795 FLIP.

I have been punching for many years now, I’ve experimented with different rods, different reels, different weights and hooks, even different knots all the way to the daily choice of which bait. Through this, I have found the perfect punching rod for me, the Champion Extreme HP DX 795 FLIP.

Many anglers believe that you need a broom stick or pool cue to fish matted vegetation. However, the heavier the action the less the sensitivity. This rod is a perfect blend of blank and tip action that has greatly improved my hook up to boat ratio.

With a Heavy Action rod, it may seem like you have more control over a bass in thick vegetation. I have found that I lose more bass on the way to the boat with a rod that doesn’t have some give or flex to it. When you get a bass on top of matted vegetation, normally it has not had much fight time, unless it buried it’s self in the vegetation. When you pull a bass up through the vegetation, normally it still has a tremendous amount of energy left and will go crazy. As a bass flops around, a heavy action rod does not have the ability to react to that bass if it comes towards you. Remember you probably already have the rod at least at the 10-11 o’clock position because of hook set and initial fight to pull the bass through the vegetation. Not having any more room to pull, unless you have a 12:1 gear ratio reel, you’ll need the rod to absorb some of the slack in your line to prevent that bass from using that slack against you, if it comes toward you. This is where the Medium Heavy action of the 795 FLIP is perfect. This rod has the back bone to pull an 18 pound flat head catfish through matted hyacinths (I’ve done it), yet the flex to help you keep a tight line on a 3 pound bass that is flopping around on the surface of that same vegetation.

On the Flip side (pun intended), if a bass gets you wrapped up in the heavy vegetation this rod has the back bone necessary to either pull that fish out or pull the boat to it. Back to the big catfish. I hooked this fish under some very thick hyacinths. It didn’t take long to realize I had hooked a catfish because of the tell tale fight. I had made a long flip over a log that was floating in the middle of the hyacinths. Perfect strike on the fall, set the hook, and it was on! Here’s the problem with catching a catfish in this kind of stuff. When they are in fight mode, their fins stick straight out and don’t bend. So now, I’m trying to pull a large fish though a small hole and it has mini poles (horns) on its sides making it impossible. Finally as I leveraged all I had against this fish, thinking I’ll break the line, rod, or drag the boat over this mat and get it, the catfish surged and came through the hole with hyacinths stuck to its sides and back. At that point, I knew this rod could handle anything, no matter what.

The Champion Extreme DX 795 FLIP tip action is rated as “Fast”, this coupled with the Medium Heavy blank action creates a very sensitive rod. I asked Richard what the thought process was behind this combination, “In one word, sensitivity. We wanted the most sensitive flipping rod we could build.”

Kudos to Dobyns Rods, I’ve used many flipping sticks from a 1985 Lew’s Speed Stix to the modern day Shimano’s, along with many brand name and custom built rods since that 1985 Lew’s, and nothing compares to how I can feel a bass suck the water away from a bait at the end of this rod. The sensitivity is unmatched. Prefishing for tournaments, you really don’t want to hook your fish, save your bites to weigh in at the tournament. The sensitivity of the Dobyns DX795FLIP allows me to feel when a bass sucks the water from around the bait. I can honestly tell the approximate size of a bass from this. The larger the mouth a bass has, the more water that is displaced. I’ve fished with many folks that will say, “That was a strong hit”, well usually that means a smaller bass. A large bass will suck the bait in by moving the water towards it. Simply opening its mouth and flaring it’s gills will pull the bait into its mouth. This creates a very subtle strike that is felt more by the absence of the bait than the thump.

Mike Cork

Most “Flipping Rods” are 8 foot long, maintaining the maximum length limit on fishing rods set by most major tournament organizations. So why not this rod? According to Richard, “Storage, we took three inches off for ease of storage. Most boats come with rod locker tubes now and by shortening the rod just a little bit, storage is much easier. This size has been a big hit with the anglers.” The length does fit in my rod locker with ease. However, it also is the perfect balance in weight. At 7 feet 9 inches, the Dobyns DX 795 FLIP is by far the lightest rod capable of flipping and punching that I’ve ever used. I can punch a one ounce weight all day long, where in the past, I could only punch for two or three hours before my shoulder and forearm were telling me about it.

I have been using Dobyns Rods for several years now, the 795 Flip during most of that. To say I’m hard on equipment would be an understatement. Between rushing them in and out of the rod locker to banging rods against the trolling motor or even stepping on them; I’m amazed that they still hold up. Anyone that has fished with me knows I can break things. To the date of this article, I have only broke one Dobyns Rod, and it was totally my fault. A Champion Series rod. I called Richard at Dobyns Rods and told him what happened. I paid the replacement fee and got a brand new rod shipped out to me that same day. Customer service is very important to all anglers. We spend big dollars on our equipment, while we don’t except product failure it does happen, and when a company will stand behind their product it makes it worth the money we spend. The durability of the Dobyns Rods has the Cork Tested seal of excellent!

Get the Net it’s a Hawg
Mike Cork
Ultimate Bass

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