About this review: This review is my honest opinion of the rod which I purchased with my own money in August of 2020.

My take

The Dobyns Fury series of casting rods is an excellent beginner to intermediate level option for anglers looking to target bass.

About this rod

• Model: 2020 Dobyns Rods Fury
• Rod Length: 7ft 3in
• Rod Power: Mag Heavy
• Rod Action: Ex-Fast
• Rod Pieces: 1 piece
• Rod Material: Graphite

About me

• Preferred fishing style: Topwater bass fishing
• Experience: 20+ Years

Test conditions

• When I bought this: June 2020
• Reel Paired with Rod: Lew’s Tournament MP
• Line Paired Rod: Sunline Shooter 20lb
• Days tested: 400
• Waters I’ve used it on: Medium and large lakes with heavy vegetation.
• Species targeted with rod: Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass

How it performs

What I was looking for

I fish around a lot of heavy cover and was looking to put together a dedicated combo to use when fishing with topwater frogs.

Why I chose this gear

What ultimately led me to purchase this rod was its value. I was primarily looking for a rod to use while fishing topwater frogs but as a bank angler, I liked that it could work for flipping while being shorter in length than an average flipping stick.

What I love about it

• Quality: The Graphite rod blank was surprisingly sensitive, especially for a frog rod, even though it was a bit heavy. The cork in the grip was smooth with very little pitting unlike what I usually find on rods at this price point.
• Durability: I use this rod a lot and it takes a beating banged up against other rods coming in and out of my truck. On many of my other rods I’ve had to glue loose guides or replace them after losing an insert, I haven’t had that happen with this rod.
• Versatility: The versatility on this rod has really surprised me. It has done well while fishing frogs, flipping, swim jigs, light punching and Texas rigs.
• Performance:
  • Ease of casting: The taper of the rod made it super easy for me to make accurate casts while flipping and pitching. This is something I struggled to do with longer rods.
  • Power: The rod is rated as mag heavy and has plenty of backbone for solid hooksets with heavy wire hooks, even through grass and weeds.
  • Action: The action is rated extra fast, but it feels more like a fast to me. It still allows for quick hooksets and pulling fish quickly out of cover.
  • Accuracy: I have been able to easily make accurate casts to open pockets of water and directly up against laydowns and hard structure.
  • Length: At 7ft 3in, the rod allows me to get enough casting distance with heavy lures, but it’s still short enough to maneuver around trees and in tight quarters when fishing from the bank.
• Sensitivity: The rod is sensitive enough to easily feel bites and feel the bottom and navigate underwater structure.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Literal Weight: The rod is on the heavier side which made it uncomfortable to use for long periods of time without either switching rods or taking breaks.
• Grip: I love the split grip and I love the cork, I just wish the butt of the rod was also made of cork instead of EVA foam. It looks and feels inconsistent and is somewhat distracting.
• Aesthetics: I don’t love the green Dobyn’s logo on the Fury line. It feels a bit juvenile to me. With the red accents on my Lew’s Tournament MP my combo looks Christmas themed which feels out of place while fishing in the dead heat of the summer.

Favorite moment with this gear

There is a spillway across the street from my home lake that I’ve always wanted to fish. There isn’t easy access to the water due to lots of tall grass and brush along the bank, and the water itself is overgrown with lily pads. I wasn’t able to work the water properly with my 7’11” flipping stick, but the Dobyn’s 735c allowed me to stand on the bank and cast easily. It had enough power to handle flipping jigs around the lily pads and it opened up a body of water to me that gets very little fishing pressure.

Value for the money vs. other options

Especially given its versatility, I found the rod to be an incredible value for the money. In similarly priced casting rods, I often find that the tapers are poorly designed and make it hard to get a good hookset. I had also looked into a Shimano SLX or an Abu Garcia Vendetta which are also solid rods, but my prior experience with Dobyn’s made it a pretty easy decision.

Final verdict

I own multiple variations of rods from Dobyn’s Fury series and I’ve always found them to be versatile and well made with tapers that are well designed for their designated applications. For bass anglers looking to find an affordable casting rod, Dobyn’s Fury are some of the best out there.