OHUB Assessment: Dobyns Fury 703SF Spinning Rod

When it comes to fishing a Ned Rig the old saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” definitely rings true. While I grew up bass fishing, it seems somewhere along the line I missed out on the Ned Rig craze that started over two decades ago.  Sure, I’ve been plugging away at it and gaining confidence in fishing the Ned Rig technique, but I admit that it’s a slow and painful process. My quest to become a Ned Rig fisherman took a considerable step forward this past week as I purchased a Dobyns Fury 703SF Spinning Rod. The rod came with high accolades from others who were considered professionals (in my opinion) when it came to using a Ned Rig.

I paired the rod with a Shimano Stradic FL Spinning Reel and right away I could tell this would be a set-up that I would excel with when bass fishing.

Let’s start with the blank. The rod is a single-piece rod made of high-modulus graphite which boils down to the rod being made with a high fiber density. Manufacturers often pack a lot of graphite into the rod to reach what’s called “high modulus”.I tried this rod out at a local pond and I noticed the Dobyns Fury’s sensitivity right from the get-go. On my first cast, I could tell that there was something special about this rod. During my trip, I was able to set the hook on seven bass with six fish being landed so the hook-up rate was outstanding.

So many things stood out for me with the Dobyns Fury 703SF Rod I hardly know where to start. The rod is incredibly balanced and wasn’t bottom-heavy at all. One of my biggest problems with using a Ned Rig is that the bass picks up my lure without me knowing about it. With the Fury,  I felt the rod tilt forward with ease which told me that a fish picked it up. The comfort from the 5A Portuguese Cork handle was a bonus as I was able to fish all day with this rod without any discomfort.

On a down note, I wish this rod came in a 7-foot length since it’s what I prefer when using a Ned Rig but the 7.6 worked well enough.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend the Dobyns Fury 703SF Spinning Rod to anyone who uses a Ned Rig as it’s been the base rod I’ve tried out so far and will remain my go-to rod for using a Ned Rig.

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award winning outdoor journalist that resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly outdoor column for the Slidell Independent Newspaper. He also writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Commission’s LouisianaNorthshore.com and Louisiana Northshore Explore Magazine. He is the former host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Show and is on the board of the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association. Keith contributes to numerous publications both online and in print and prides himself on promoting South Louisiana’s unique fishery.