Sierra 703C Ready for Battle

[Bud Kennedy]

Today, I mounted a Daiwa SVTW103H onto my new Sierra 703C that was won on the Adopt a family project.  I have other Dobyns rods but they are all Fury models and have served me quite well.  This Sierra is my first one in this model and perhaps I may have been expecting too much. 

The rod did not provide an Oh Wow moment for me.  It is a very nice rod and seems to be finished quite nicely but something seems off for me.  I of course did not think much about it until I mounted the reel but now the rod does not feel as balanced as I would have expected.  For sure the balance is good but it is my opinion it feels handle heavy.  Now consider I have not been on the water with this rod and my comments are just initial impressions.  My other Fury rods are models 735C, 705CB and the wife has a 663 spinning rod.  None of them feels heavy or awkward. 

When out on the river I carry just three rods.  My next trip will have a Fury 705CB, A sierra 703C and my trusty 6'8" Lee Smith custom rod.  The new 703 Sierra is replacing a Wright McGill/skeet Reese rod that has been my worm rod to this point.  I do believe the Sierra will provide a wider range of use than the Skeet rod and may find some service as a presenter of plastic swim baits and perhaps spinner baits.  This will allow me to throw square bills, chatter baits and lipless cranks on the 705CB.  It is still my preference to only have three rods on deck just mostly due to my limited deck space.  The wife brings two and sometimes three rods and they too will be on the starboard side of the deck with my rods being on the port side.

Not sure when I will be going to the water again but I will certainly post a follow up on the Sierra once I have an opportunity to put it through the paces.

[Mike Cork]

Bud, did you have the full package on the rod, line and bait choice? Just curious. I've found the Sierra and Savvy need to be completely rigged before that perfect balance sets in. On a Champion or Extreme, they seem to balance all around, baits or not, but in the lower lines I do like the feel much better after I have everything set up. Maybe it's just and anticipation thing, once I have a bait on it, I can feel it in the water before I even get there...

For sure keep us posted once you've hit the water.

[Bud Kennedy]

I did not have a bait tied on.  Just a fully loaded reel.