More Versatile than Advertised

 

 
A Dobyns DC795SB swimbait rod paid off with hollow bellies and Keitechs at Lake El Salto Mexico

The original plan was to bring six new rods to Anglers Inn El Salto to replenish my aging arsenal, but at the last minute I added another stick to make it a total of seven. Regardless of the final number, the one that excited me most was the first one in the tube, a dedicated swimbait rod. Specifically, it was a Dobyns Rods Champion XP DC 795 SB, 7’9” and rated for 1 to 5 ounce lures. While I certainly hadn’t dialed in the big bait game in Mexico (or elsewhere, for that matter), I reasoned that part of the problem was not having the right gear—with the proper equipment I’d be more apt to confidently and efficiently chuck the big stuff around.

Of course, swimbaiting is often a high-risk, high-reward game. The true addicts have the same DNA as big buck hunters and musky freaks. They’re not looking for bites, they’re looking for the right bites.

I must not be wired the same way. It’s why even though I’ve enjoyed the musky fishing that I’ve done, it hasn’t fully captivated me like it has some of my friends. I need more action than that. The promise of possibility is not enough. It also doesn’t help that I haven’t spent a lot of time in the boat with true swimbait connoisseurs under the right conditions. As a result, my tendency is to put them away quickly when they don’t produce. Nevertheless, I keep toting an assortment of big baits down to Mexico in the hope that I’ll figure something out.

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