ISE Show 2011 – Striking rod and lure gold in Sacramento (continued)

Dobyns Rods: Gary Dobyns walked us through his latest rod offerings which included a number of new spinning and casting models. Most interesting of which was the new DX792 which is a one piece 7’9” spinning rod designed for anglers in the Midwest and Great Lakes region but has also become a favorite among West Coast Anglers as well. This long spinning rod has plenty of backbone and though rated Medium/Light is able to quickly turn fish once they strike. This rod is capable of tossing lures 1/8-1/2oz. and is ideal for dartheads, shaky heads, tubes and split shot rigs. The rod is available now and retails for $329 dollars.

Gary Dobyns shows us the new spinning rods for 2011

The DSX792 is a spinning rod that means business, when a fish takes the tube or darthead at the end of the line this rod has plenty of backbone to move fish

Gary demonstrates the tip action on the new rod

Also new is the DX745 casting rod which is offered in both full and split grip variations. Interestingly the rods are selling just about even when it comes to both varieties, perhaps the novelty of split grip is starting to wear off as just a few seasons back split grip rods would outsell traditional solid grips 2 to 1. It is nice that Dobyns offers anglers the choice. This 7’4” stick is great for heavier applications and can handle 12-25lb. lines and lure weights from 3/8-1 1/2oz. and is ideal for fishing heavy jigs deep, Carolina rigs and even pitching. Like the DX792 this rod retails for just over 300 dollars and is available now.

The DX745 will be offered in both split and full grip

Catchem Caro: Rich Caro, Owner and Designer of Catchem Caro baits was on hand at the show to show us his latest wooden bass plug designs. Each and every C&C bait is handcrafted by Rich himself. Currently he makes two main baits the “Uncle Manny Minnow” which is a jointed plug and the “Henrieta,” a custom made wooden crankbait. The Uncle Manny Minnow or UMM comes in a 6” size while the Henrieta comes with four different lip options. There are a total of 18 colors to choose from and all baits are constructed out of Poplar wood, versus traditional Balsa, and comes with all stainless steel hardware, 40lb. split rings and VMC treble hooks.

Rich Caro shows us his handmade baits

The UMM is similar to a smaller AC Plug or MS Slammer bait but is available in many hand painted patterns

A look at the various pattern options

The UMM makes use of #2 VMC hooks and can be fished from 3 to 5 feet down with a fast retrieve or fish them slow for a surface wake. These baits retail for 30 dollars each.

The Henrieta retails for 25 dollars each and is available in four different sizes of hand made clear polycarbonate lips. series #100, #200, #300, #400.  #100 is the company’s shallow runner and #400 is their deepest. Each bait is hand painted and protected with two coats of epoxy clear coat and for constancy each bait is tank tested and trued so they run as designed. They weigh in at 2.3 oz and can be fished on a 6.6 or 7' Med/Heavy rod with no less then 10 or 12 pound test line.

Rich shows us one of his highly detailed Bluegill patterns

In March Catchem Caro Baits will introduce a few new baits including the Henrieta J-Series which is a 2 piece version of the original. Don’t be surprised to see other bigger lures as well including a possible prop bait. One final thing that separates these custom lures from the field is that each lure comes with a lifetime warranty. Rich wants anglers to fish these baits and if they break he will repair them, he even will go so far as to repaint lures that take on damage from normal wear and tear.

Coming soon is a jointed version of the Henrieta called the Henrieta J-Series