Joe Testa, September 2025
I fell in love with a rod company that makes an incredible rod at an incredible price point. I met Douglas Outdoors rods late last summer and was instantly struck by their quality. They have an extensive line of spinning and casting rods. Here are my favorite rod options:
- DXS 724XF: I like this model for both snap jigging for walleyes and smallies and jigging for lakers.
- DXS 763XF: I like this model for throwing hair jigs and casting swimbaits/plastics for walleyes.
- DXS 9632M: I love this model for slip bobbers – for both big panfish and walleyes.
- DXS 6103XF: I love this model for throwing jerkbaits.
- DXS 6103F: I love this model for drop shotting.
Fast forward one month later: The DXS 724XF has crushed the lakers this summer, the DXS 6103F has been a killer for drop shotting smallies, and the DXS 763XF has been super impressive with my hair jigging. I’m sold.
I start fishing northern Michigan after a phenomenal summer on Lake George in Upstate NY. I go from fishing smallmouth bass that are very cooperative to fishing walleyes that are still hanging onto their summer blues. When the going gets tough (and you can see tons of fish that don’t want anything to do with your more aggressive offerings) you put on a slip float and a leech and watch the bobber go down.
One of keys to the system is the rod. I like long bobber rods. The Douglas xMatrix DXS 9632M is the perfect rod for bobbering ‘eyes. Here are the key features about this rod that make it a fish catching machine:
Douglas xMatrix DXS 9632M Key Features:
- Long rod perfect for picking up lots of line quickly and for sweeping hooksets.
- Long rod is also great for helping bomb casts to fish keeping distance from your Livescope.
- Moderate action helps keep fish pinned. The rod is one huge shock absorber against the hard head shakes of a walleye.
- Super lightweight – weighing in at only 4.3oz – makes fishing it easy on the body.
I have played around with both mono and braid and here’s where I’ve landed. Mono is better to throw on windy days (way less tangles). I prefer braid on days that are a bit calmer.
The other key to slip bobbers is throwing to fish. Garmin’s Livescope helps with this challenge. Many call this technique bobber scoping – hitting fish on the head with a bobber and watching as they readily take the offering. Just remember, when you crack the code for catching tough summer fish be thoughtful to keep only what you need for a meal. We have to grow as anglers who take conservation seriously – keeping limits just means there’s less fish to reproduce to keep your favorite fishery healthy.
Another Rod Joe Testsa loves:
The Xmatrix 7’6″ ML (DXS 763XF)
I love this rod for everything I do with a jig. I love throwing plastics for walleyes with it, I love throwing plastics for lake trout with it, I love throwing hair jigs for smallmouth bass with it. It is an incredibly balanced rod. It is super lightweight, minimizing fatigue at 4oz.
I like to fish them with a 6oz spinning reel (Daiwa Tatula or Shimano Vanford). Here are the top techniques I use with this rod:
- Fishes 1/8oz and 1/4oz hair jigs extremely well for smallmouth bass.
- Awesome Rip jigging rod for walleyes. I love a 1/8oz to 1/4oz tungsten paired with a Charlie Brewer Slider Grub for walleyes.
- Casting plastics for lakers. I have a number of “secret” plastics I like to throw for lakers. This rod does well casting 1/2oz jigheads.
Douglas makes a phenomenal rod for every application. If I had to pick one to use for lots of applications, it would be this one.
