Introduction: In our last installment of the Swimbait Rod Wars, we got caught by mistakenly trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. In the case of this article's representative, we're doing the same thing only this time, we know full well that we're asking this rod to do something for which it may not have been designed. Introducing the Deps Sidewinder HGC-77XR Dom Driver Flipping Edition.
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Deps HGC-77XR Dom Driver Flipping Edition Specifications
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| Material |
Proprietary blank developed around 40t Graphite |
| Length |
7'-7" |
| Length from Back of Reel Seat to Base |
11" |
| Line Wt. |
20 - 40lb Test |
| Lure Wt. |
1/2 oz - 4 oz |
| Pieces |
2 |
| Guides |
9 guides + tip (Fuji Ti/SiC) |
| Power Rating |
Extra Heavy |
| Taper |
Mod-Fast |
| Rod Weight |
8.6 ounces |
| Manufacturing Country |
Japan |
| MSRP |
~47,000 JPY |
Impressions: With a name like "Dom Driver Flipping Edition" stamped right on the rod, it's quite obvious what this rod was designed for, yet with its specifications of a moderate fast taper, line weight recommendation of twenty to forty pound test, and lure weight recommendation up to four full ounces, we could not help but think BIG BAITS while researching this stick. Add to this allure, the stick's "Limited Edition" status, and well, the result is quite obvious. Afterall, here we are writing about it!
The HGC-77XR is a special edition of Dep's original Dom Driver...
The HGC-77XR is actually a more stylized, shorter version of the standard Dom Driver. The original sports a full rear grip and foregrip as opposed to the split rear and no foregrip design of the rod we're reviewing here. Since it has a longer handle, We suspect the regular version is less tip heavy than this limited edition rod, and probably the real version intended for big baits, but we just could not resist this rod's look.
... featuring a very contemporary handle assembly.
Lab Tests: But first things first, we strapped our Limited Edition Deps Dom Driver Flipping Edition stick up to our RoD WRACK to see what it had and how it compared to the other sticks in our Rod Wars.
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Lab Results for SB Rod Wars Heavy-Hitters
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Model
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Avg RoD (2-48 oz)
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Taper
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Spine
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Measured Weight
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Balance Point
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| Deps HGC-77XR |
0.98
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Mod-Fast
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Top
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8.6 oz
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10.5"
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| St. Croix LTBC79HF |
0.96
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Fast
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Top
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5.6 oz
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13"
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| St. Croix LTBC80XHF |
0.88
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Fast
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Top
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6.5 oz
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13.5"
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| Okuma GS-C 7111XH |
0.87
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Mod-Fast
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Top
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8.9 oz
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10.5"
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| Quantum QTC711F |
0.85
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Fast
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Top
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6.2 oz
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14"
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| Dobyns Rods 807MAGH |
0.83
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Fast
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Top
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9.9 oz
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5.5"
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Rate of Deflection (RoD): What we found is that the Dom Driver indeed has plenty of power just making the cut into the graph of what we are now referring to as our Heavy Hitter sticks with a 0.98 RoD.
Fig. 1 : This RoD Deflection Chart shows the deflection characteristics of the Deps HGC-77XR Dom Driver (yellow curve) against the other Heavy Hitters from our Rod Wars.
Spine, Weight, and Balance Point: Looking at actual weight, the Dom Driver is also one of our heavier representatives coming in at 8.6 ounces, and along with the other Heavy Hitters, has a rather unfavorable balance point of ten and half inches above the centerline of the reel seat.
Rigged and ready to go with a Huddelston Deluxe Trout
Next
Section: Onto the Real World tests
