I've been getting into throwing a C rig lately. Been getting me bigger fish for sure! Also throwing a Mission Fish 3:16 swimbait in 2oz varieties (about 7" long) its a soft plastic bait with a lead head built in. Anyway, here's what rods I've been using (they also double as a T Rig/Jig Rod and a Heavy Flipping stick:

Dobyns 735C Champion 7'3 MH/H XF Tip
Dobyns 765 Flip 7'6 MH/H Fast Tip

I put 'MH/H' because even though they say MH on rod most people would consider them more heavy action. Anyway, with the above mentioned specs, are those rods good for the C Rig and Swimbait? Basically trying to see if I'm all set and can double up techniques or if it would make sense to get another rod setup for those preheat techniques? Please let me know and if not ideal, what action and type rods would better fit?

Thanks Ya'll

I use a 7'6" falcon Cara T7 for my carolina rig set up;
Its called the Carolina Cara. Heavy rod with plenty of backbone!

I love it!

We have a new rod available for C rigs it is an 804 c it is also real good for swimbaits and the a rig also.....

I was thinking a 2-inch dowel rod or a surf rod for that swim bait...that's like chunking a volkswagen.

Im not a swimbait guy, so cant help you out there.

But as far as c-rigs go, the DX 784c or the new DX 804 are good. I personally like the 784.

I can't think of a rod that would be ideal for the both the mission fish and the c-rig... But, I'm picky!


The 7" mission fish has a massive hook and.. ideally.. you need a broomstick and a half.. if you're around BIG fish to get the thick diameter of the hook to drive into the bone of a mature fish. Once your hooked up, you can play a fish as long as you need to... or however long it takes your partner to dig the net out.. since the bait breaks away from the hook, taking their leverage away. Great, great bait.

I'd use a Dobyns Champion Swimbait 806 for those.
If you want a custom, talk to Ben at LDC rods out of California.


For a multi purpose carolina/a-rig/spoon rod - I was going to say the 784.. but I like the sound of the 804 Stan mentioned.

I'm throwing the 764C and I really like it. For a cheaper alternative, I also have a TFO 7'6" Heavy action rod that is an awesome rod for 99 bucks.

With the C Rig, is an XF Tip ok? Or is the Fast a better idea? And is there any sort of preferred length of rod and stout factor? And with the swimbait rod I think ya'll are on point. I have heard from all the Cali swimbaiters to get nothing short of a 7'10 Heavy but an 8' or longer even better. Geez, that would be a trip to travel with haha. Lastly, how about reel for swimbait? Would an Abu Garcia Revo STX be good enough? I hear a lot of people saying those bigger reels with lower gears are better, but not sure I want to go all out having 25 rods lol. 10 is enough for me already and hoping to specialize without going overboard and be able to use one rod for two techniques. thanks all.

The weights of those bigger baits will wear out the bearings on your regular gear... Also, when you get the right rod, You'll spool an STX and snap off your swimbait in a heartbeat! You can go with an Abu Revo Toro.. Or try to find a Curado 300, or Calcutta 250, 300, 400 series.

I agree with EoB for this. I do a LOT of swimbaiting but c-rigging is my second tactic and I don't have a c-rig rod that I would trust to get a hookset on a 5" mission fish, much less the 7" version. Case in point - I use a dobyns 765 for my c-rig rod and last fall was using it to throw a 6" mf along a weedline. Got a crushing strike on the mf, massive load up, head shakes, then nothing - hook never found bone. Personally I think even the dobyns 795 SB rods are too soft for effective swimbaiting. I'd start with the 806.

And use a bigger reel than the STX. You'll need the capacity and gearing.

I can't really give you any advice on a rod for carolina rigs but the mission fish is a bait I've thrown for a long time.

I throw the 7-8" most of the time, never fished anything smaller than the 6". What rod and reel you can use would also depend on how you like to fish them. If you're pitching them into grass, or around wood, I've used a 735 with a Zillion for the 6". The rod will handle it, but hooksets can be hit or miss.

If you're going to get a rod for just this bait, and throw it in thick grass without having to think about hooksets, I had a 766 Flip that is probably your best bet in the Dobyns line. I haven't fished the 805 or DX795 though, but I felt like that 766 would drive a hook through a concrete block. It's nothing like the 765.

If you want to bomb the 8" mission fish out there and fish it like a football jig, then I'd probably look at an 807 if you're sticking with Dobyns.

For just mission fish, I wouldn't bother with anything bigger than a Curado 300. Again if you're pitching the bait around, you don't need the line capacity, and I'd treat it like y'all do with your 1-2oz tungsten weights and sweet beavers. Your drag is locked down anyway and you ought to have your thumb on the spool when you swing.

Follow this advice and his advice on reels.
If you are a Diawa fan, check out the Luna 253 or the 300.

I have a conquest 200 and 300, a Curado 300 and three of the Luna 253's.

Evan learned all of these things the hard way! Listen to his advice!

Someone beat it into my head.. Haha

Let's go fishing, Bill.

+1 on the 764C... I love mine for c-rigs and larger t-rigs / jigs. I thrown 1 to 2 oz swimbaits on it too...