Posted by fishEguy on 2002 PM:
Shimano & G Loomis Are Junk!
I think NAY!!
Ok guys, I am sitting here dazed and confused basking in my misery staring at
the tundra on the other side of the window pane. Oh look,...a Yeti just
meandered by, oh wait, false alarm, it's just a polar bear, perhaps migrating
somewhere warmer,
like Alaska!.........he to, realizing that there is like 8,833,202 days left til
spring. Before I get fired for standing on my desk at the office and practicing
my flipping and flyrodding, help relieve my insanity and boredom by letting me
know who's using
Shimano/Loomis combo's? What's your current setup(s)
and/or what equipment would you like to get. I'm particularly
interested in who's got the better reel versions from Japan. I did do a search, but there's a
ton of posts and I wanted specifics on this equipment.
Now, before this somehow turns into a "what's better" or "why do
you need" or "learn to locate fish instead"..etc....debate, let
me say this: I know how to locate fish and I will put my casting skills against
most anyone (that's not ego, just making a point to avoid argument).
I am not "well off" at all, I saved up and sold all my other tackle
for my current setups.
I got my first baitcasting rig (Original Lightning Rod
6'Med/Hvy/Daiwa PR10 reel) almost 20yrs ago as a teen in South
Florida. Had to look
up the reel model in my 1985 BassPro catalog! I used that single rig for about
5 years for ALL my bassin' needs, throwing everything from 1/8oz-1oz lures, top
to bottom. I have since used various other low/mid end equipment
as well as Team Daiwa/American Shimano reels in the last few years. No comment on
Daiwa, but I only use Shimano now.....(we learn as we grow.......see, now I'm
antagonizing aren't I....
).
I bought these rigs for 2 reasons. One, because I have a passion for the art of
casting and working lures with silky smooth and precision gear. Even though
it's never happened to me, I'd still have an awesome day on the water even if I
didn't
catch any fish...........lol..........seriously though, to
me, casting is a sport within the sport of fishing. The other reason is
"reliability". Plain and simple my equipment better work everytime
out. Especially since I don't maintain my reels like I should. I had a Calcutta
250 & 400 for six years in Florida.
Never had them professionally cleaned or lubed, not even once! I just oiled the
levelwind because that's all I know how to do, and rinsed them thoroughly everytime
after using in saltwater. Never had a single problem in function or performance
and sold them both on ebay for top dollar with very pleased buyers. I promise
you that's not a lie or exaggeration. Oh yeah, and these rigs look awwwwwesome!.........ok,
so maybe 3 reasons........
Personally I don't care if someone uses a QuickEmart special for their fishing
if that's what they like and are comfortable with or it's all they can afford.
Use what suits you best and ENJOY yourself above all. Using high end stuff
doesn't make anyone a better anlger or better person...............it just
makes ME a happier fisherman on the water..........
So, here's my current lineup...
Setup 1: GLX CR722 6' Med, Shimano Scorpion 1000 (Curado
100B)........Super sweet..........
Setup 2: GLX MBR783C 6'6" Med/Hvy, Shimano Antares
(Calais)........Super duper sweet........
Setup 3: GLX MBR844C 7' Heavy, Shimano Conquest 300 (Calcutta
TE)......Infinity sweet.......
Setup 4: GLX FR1089 flyrod, Gloomis Adventure (Shimano Ultegra)
reel.....ahhhh, got this rig for $325 for rod (mint), and $57 for reel
(mint)..... 
eBay Rules!
To complete all my setups, I'm looking to get: GLX SJR721 6'
Light/Shimano Biomaster 2500 (super Stradic)...GLX MBR782C 6'6"
Med/Shimano Calcutta 50???...and a GL2 6010 ultralight
w/Shimano
Ultegra 1000 (Symetre)....now I just gotta figure out how to get the money........hmmmm....what
time does the Brinks truck make it's stop around here?........lol........
So all you anti-Loomis/Shimano/High end guys, go easy on me, I'm very sensitive
ya know...............
__________________
JOHN 3:3
KJV
Posted by ipoppa33 on 2002 PM:
biomaster
i got the 2500 biomaster for christmas and i'm going to pair it with a st. croix 70mlfLE i'm building. the reel is super sweet, i've used the twin power 2000 and that's really nice also. i don't think you can go wrong with either. good luck.
__________________
"Bragging may not bring happiness but, no one having caught a huge fish
goes home through the alley"
Posted by Seth V on 2002 PM:
As for rods....the GLX
MBR783c is my favorite. It is just awesome with small jigs (3/16 bitsy bugs), spinnerbaits,
texas rigs. The GLX MBR782c is good for drop shots. I like the casting rods for
drop shots, just my thing. I forget the number, but the 7' H GLX is great for
bigger jigs and scum frogs.
I use mostly Chronarchs and Chronarch SF's. I really don't like the feel of Calcutta's...round reels just don't feel
right in my hand, again personal preference.
I do have 1 Scorpion 1000 from Japan. Not
a bad reel, but not as smooth as I would like. It does do well however with
light lures, and when paired with a GLX MBR783c it is awesome for Flukes or senkos.
I don't know if they make a better "scorpion like" reel or not, but it
could be improved.
Anyhow, if I had to narrow it down to 1 best set-up, the Chronarch SF on a GLX
MBR783c would get my pick as the most versital.
Have you tried the Loomis crankin rods? I use either St Croix crankin series or 2 custom made
rods, but I am really not happy with the sensitivity I am getting. I once heard
negative comments about the Loomis crankers, but have not had any personal
experience with them.
Congrats on getting some new toys!!
Seth V
Posted by JOHN G on 2002 AM:
great post FishE!!! had me in stitches, let's see if ANYONE can be so dense as to misinterpret what you said and ruin this exellent thread! JOHN G
__________________
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another"
---------------------------------
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---------------------------------
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---------------------------------
Posted by Charlie on 2002 AM:
With the exception of 4
rods, all my equipment is G.Loomis. Each time I hit the water in my boat, I
carry a minimium of 13 rods set for various styles of bass fishing. OF those 13
rods, 10 of them hold either a Shimano spining reel or a Curado. The other
three reels are for speciality fishing i.e. Drop Shot, Float n' Fly and Senko
fishing. I like to use a large Mitchell 300 when I need distance with a small crankbait
like a Minus-1. This reel holds over 200 yards of light line and allows me to
"freespool" in river and moving water conditions. The light line
gives me the depth and the reel controls it far better than a baitcasting set
up. Hooks ups are made easier with a 7 foot one piece spinning rod from Shimano
which I won two years ago on the Foxwoods trail. If you saw it, you would think
I was going stripper fishing, but it is really an excellent set up to have
"just incase".
Tight Lines and A Happy New Year!
Charlie
__________________
Naturalized American (yeah baby)Tournament Angler, Journalist and New York
State Guide # 2803
"Come with me and I will make you Fishers of Men"
Posted by fishEguy on 2002 PM:
Great replies so far
guys, thanks!
ipoppa33
Biomaster for christmas huh? I think I may have to "borrow" your
family member, friend, or girl next christmas that bought that for ya.....now
that's a stocking stuffer........not such a big deal concerning price, but the
fact that you can't exactly go to Walmart to get one of those (although I hear
they'll be selling the Stellas starting this summer.....
).....
I assume you haven't had a chance to use it on the water, but how does the Bio
compare with the Twin as far as smoothness in your hand?
Seth
I 100% agree, the 783 is my alltime favorite too. Phenomenal for Texas rigs, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits,
etc. Most guys talk about the sensitivity of their rods by saying things like
"I can feel a fish breath on it" or the best yet "you can feel a
minnow fart" (classic), but with a GLX, "I" can feel the minnow
fart on YOUR rod, and tell you if it was SBD!.....lol......
I am shocked to hear you don't think the Scorpion is that smooth. Although the
one reel I haven't used is a Chronarch, but I've tried them in stores, nuff
said. (maybe they sent you one with a Shimano shell, but with ABU, Daiwa, or
Quantum guts!...lol..). Or maybe you just mean compared to the Chronarch, it's
not as smooth. Definitely not as smooth as an Antares either, but nothing is.
However for $150+shipping, they're smooth enough for me. And I am not as big a
fan of the round style reels either, but in Florida I could fish the Glades' for bass, and in a half hour be chunking
hardware in the salty pond for Snook with the Cutta's. I bought the Conquest
mostly for big toothies. If anyone is looking for a reel that can retrieve a
1-2oz. Musky Killer or Super Shad Rap, yet feel like they are pulling in a 3/8 spinnerbait,
this is THE reel. No words to describe it, like reeling against air. If this
rod wasn't so sensitive, I'd almost think the blade wasn't turning on a Musky
Killer. Makes a full day of fishing giant baits almost enjoyable when paired
with the 844C.
I was "maybe" interested in a size 50 Cutta because they're so small,
but I prefer low profile casters. I'll have to get one in my hands first to
decide. Otherwise I may go with the Metanium Mg, (Chronarch Magnesium). As
light as Daiwa TD-Z. Or another Scorpion..........
Travis
Thanks for elaborating on your stuff. I got bits and pieces of info from your
other posts, but now I got the whole picture. I had no idea you had contaminated
your arsenal with those Loomis blanks......
Btw, when I lived in Norwich, I was only in Jr. High and no boat so not much
experience on that "creek" near the high school with the
"small" toothies......
.....although I did catch my first eye'
there from shore on a Mann's Hackleback.......but I will be going back to try
it this year........
John
This is a great bunch of guys and I have complete faith in them.......of
course, maybe after I have posted over 2300 times, I won't feel that way
either!.....lol........
Charlie
.....Jeeez,
I thought the GLoomis factory was in Washington, not on the Island!......
......show
me some love man...
...don't you know this is the time of
year for giving....
......let me rehash my needs again, ok
that's a GLX SJR721 with a Stella 2500, GLX MBR782C/Antares, and a IMX
6010/1000 Stella.....please send tackle, check or money order payable to fishEguy
at 10 Main St...........I also accept Paypal........
__________________
JOHN 3:3
KJV
Posted by basserachi on 2002 PM:
Interesting thread...
For what it is worth this late in the thread, all my good rods are made by
Shimano (about 12), with the exception of one...Mostly Compres, a Scabard (my
all-time greatest rod) and several V-rods which I think are Loomis blanks...I
match the Compres with Stradics and the V-rods with Sustains, Chronarch-SFs and
soon to be added, a few new 2002 Stella leftovers...
My other good rod is a 6' Fenwick HCG spinning rod that is a truly great
rod...Its like a poolstick...I use it for heavier jigs in tough cover and slop
fishing with braid...I have it matched with a Quantum Catalyst PTi 20...The
rest of my rods are scrappy Ugly Stiks matched with Symetres or Stradics that I
use for trolling and/or as loaners...
On the topic of sensitivity, I use as stiff a rod as I can get away with...My
V-rods are all "A" agressively tapered and I prefer them for jigging,
texas rigging worms and tubes, etc...As for cranking, the softer Compres, Carbomax
and my Scabard suit me just fine...I also use a Compre 7' MH for my senko-ing
with a 4000 Stradic for casting distance...
Mark
__________________
Rowers Wanted
Posted by fishEguy on 2003 AM:
Mark
Actually my first choice for rods if I didn't use Loomis would be the Shimano
V-rods. I've heard nothing but good things about em. My next choice would
probably be Fenwick Techna AV's or perhaps St. Croix Elite, all of which are A+
tackle.......of course I'd have to give them the "minnow farting
sensitivity test" to make my final decision........
__________________
JOHN 3:3
KJV
Posted by earthworm77 on 2003 AM:
Billy Joel said it best. "I'll get more mileage from a cheap pair of sneakers" That phrase runs through my mind whenever I hear guys inquiring about Loomis rods. They may be good but they just are too overpriced and certainly don't fish leagues better than other decent rods. I don't mean to burst this thread as I did read it. I just can't see the logic. If you want a fantastic rod, try the BPS Johnny Morris rods. I have one and it is sweeter than any Loomis I've ever picked up.
__________________
www.micromunchtackle.com
Posted by Bass Rat on 2003 AM:
Bassrachi, Man I wish Shimano still made that Scabbard.
__________________
Is it Spring Yet?
Posted by fishEguy on 2003 PM:
John G=1 fishEguy=0..........lol.....
Earth
Because I'm new here and unknown, let me first say that I in no way will EVER
be criticizing or fighting with others in a thread. So you and others do me a
favor please don't EVER feel threatened, attacked or degraded by anything I say
in a reply to ya............I respect the views and experience
of all you guys and look forward to future chats on various subjects. I'd love
the chance to get to meet and fish with some of you as well and I am always
willing to learn from others whether I am ahead or behind them in experience or
knowledge in something.
So, allow me to essplain in a little more detail not only for this thread, but
others that are similar concerning preferences in equipment.
First off, I started this thread to see who else shared MY/THE SAME PREFERENCE
for Shimano/Loomis. I wanted to "talk shop" with guys who I can
identify with. No different from someone who owns a Jeep and wants to talk
about "Jeeps" to fellow owners.........
I can easily say why do guys NEED 10, 12, 20 rod setups? From what I've seen
and read I dare say you'd probably fall into that category. If you don't, I
hope you'll still understand these points. A person can hook and LAND just as
many or pretty close to as many fish (we'll stick to bass here) with one med/hvy
rod as the guy who's got a dozen "specialty" rods. Does having
specific rods for a job/presentation make it easier to perform a task,
definitely!....but except for throwing all but the lightest or heaviest of
baits, nobody
"needs" that many rods to catch a bass. I myself would like a couple
more setups simply to have other baits "prerigged" and ready to go.
Not because a rod with a slightly softer tip will make me hook and land twelveteen
more bass on a crankbait than the guy who doesn't have a "crankbait"
rod. But I do understand having many different rigs at ones disposal. Even
if I don't....Yet!...lol....
THE BOTTOM LINE: My Shimano/G.loomis combo will NOT catch a fish if I don't
fish where fish are located and properly present a bait to them, nor will the
ONE rod in a guys hand who has 25 other
rigs in the rod locker if he doesn't locate fish and present a bait properly.
If you can locate fish and you know what presentations will catch them and know
HOW to present them, the final issue becomes, WHAT GIVES YOU THE ABILITY,
CONFIDENCE AND ENJOYMENT IN ACHIEVING THE CATCHING ACCORDING
TO YOUR LIKES,PREFERENCES AND STYLE.........
If someone meets that criteria, they'll usually fall into the category of the
20% of anglers who catch 80% of the fish.
I'd be curious to know what kind of vehicle most guys drive or would LIKE to
drive that have a problem with "overpriced" Loomis rods. Are they
saying that they NEED a $20-50,000 pickup/SUV to pull their boat???? Or better
yet, walk the banks.........or could those same guys still get themselves or
their boat to the water with a used
$5000 truck???? Last time I checked, if the boat is at the lake and in the
water, job done!
Does a truck with 3000hp and 3000lbs torque make pulling your rig easier and
more enjoyable, of course, but is it worth spending thousands more than other
trucks that can still accomplish the same job?.....to them it might be, so more
power (no pun intended) to em' if they can own one and enjoy driving it.
Doesn't necessarily mean they are better drivers because they have one
though......
A couple more points for me personally: I bought all my GLX rods new, except
the flyrod, for less than you'd pay for a new IMX rod. Which is not much more
than a $150+shipping Johnny rod from
BPS......and these rod are so sensitive I've seen them cry when I lost a good
fish!..........how
much does a Johnny rod weigh, my Med/Hvy 783C is 3.95oz, my 9WT GLX flyrod- a
mere 3.5oz!!.....I don't see most manufactures that "claim" the
lightest rods in the world posting their rods weights in their catalogs...(and
I've got most of their catalogs)...and the few that do, might want to consider
taking out that stat if they'd weigh their rod against a GLX. For ME and MY
style of
fishing, rod weight is an issue because if I'm using the type of presentation
that requires
numerous/rapid casts (spinnerbaits, etc), I fire more cast per hour than many
will in half a day. When you fish from dawn til midnight as I do alot, that weight makes a difference by 6:00pm! I won't even get on the subject of throwing baits
for Musky/Pike/Snook/Tarpon all day..........
Personally I think the Johnny rod is just plain ugly and don't like "hump
handles". But if they give you confidence and fullfull your needs, then
use and enjoy them.....of course you coulda bought
"TWO" bionic blades for what you paid for "ONE" Johnny
rod!....sound familiar??....
Finally, even if some other rod is just as light, sensitive, and strong as a
Loomis, it wouldn't give me that "heart pumping excitement" of
looking at it and picking it up to cast as my rods do for ME. We all know what
I'm talking about here, whether it's the "excitement" your girl gives
you when you see them as opposed to another person, or looking at that
"Dodge" in the driveway every morning if your a "Dogdeguy".................
If guys buy their tackle (or anything for that matter) to impress or show off,
well whatever..... I still love just taking my old shortened Fenwick flyrod
that has a repaired tip and strapping on an old Shimano spinning reel to it and
hitting the local Bluegill pond in my motorless 12ft. aluminum boat. I
certainly don't NEED my current rigs to catch or enjoy catching
fish.........but I ain't trading my Shoomis rigs anytime soon!.....so...
......lol......
__________________
JOHN 3:3
KJV
Posted by fishEguy on 2003 PM:
Free huh?.......So Craig,
got any other "skeletons in the rod locker?".....lol.......
Travis, if that Ford get's YOU from point A to B, point A being your house,
point B being all those fishless Central NY waters , and you like it, isn't that all that
matters............
Mike
__________________
JOHN 3:3
KJV
Posted by Bass Rat on 2003 AM:
quote:
Originally
posted by Travis
The fish need me.
Trav
LOL
__________________
Is it Spring Yet?
Posted by AKO on 2003 AM:
Sorry Fellas, just gave my scabbard away 3 weeks ago. Tried to leave it on Rob Fishers boat but, Craig returned it to me. I gave it to Mark Capozola. If interested I can inquire if he really needs or wants it! I was just getting rid of some dead wood that I really didn't use. Mark will sell just about anything for the right price!
Posted by ScottB on 2003 PM:
I have done the Loomis
and Croix Legend Elite thing but, for my money, the best factory rod I have
gotten is the Techna AV. I would also agree with Seth on the Scorpion issue.
Nice, but I have smoother reels. I would say the same with my Curado so when my
tackle was stolen outa my boat last summer I replaced all of my baitcasters
with TD-X's and TD-S's. I saw the TD-X Super Tuned series at Angler's Paradise in PA and, trust me, I am saving
up. That was, by far, the SMOOTHEST reel I have seen yet.
My .02, ScottB
Posted by Seth V on 2003 PM:
fishE-
The Scorpion is a decent reel, and when new, it felt very smooth. It is really
hard to judge the quality of a reel when in the showroom. I mean, Abu's almost
feel good before they winch a fish. I have had my scorpion about 1 1/2 seasons,
and even with regular cleanings, it is no longer like silk. In the reels
defense, I did use it quite a bit fishing scum frogs, it throws those light
weight rats great, even in wind, but was not up to the abuse that 25 lb P-line
and heavy cover give. I suppose now, it feels similar to a moderatly worn curado.
For the money, go ahead and get the Chronarch. If not, keep the Scorpion a
light-line reel and it will do fine.
Best of luck fellow Loomis guy!
Seth V
Posted by ipoppa33 on 2003 AM:
biomaster
fish, you can't have her,
well maybe what u got to trade(lol). the twin power is maybe a touch smoother(maybe),
and it does have a one features i wish my biomaster had, namely a fold down
handle. both are headturners. i haven't seen the new stradics but i think they
still don't have all the features of the biomaster. i'm also thinking of
grabbing an utegra, when my other spinning reel dies. both are real sweet.
how come the japanese get first crack at all the neat new technology? if they
need an american field tester, sign me up!
__________________
"Bragging may not bring happiness but, no one having caught a huge fish
goes home through the alley"
Posted by fishEguy on 2003 AM:
Hi Scott,
The Techna's are great rods. As I stated earlier in the thread, they'd be one
of my next choices if Loomis recalled and burned every GLX on the planet,
including the ones on eBay....(ok, maybe I didn't include the recalled/burned
part...)
To me, even if I found another rod that performed like a GLX, nothing appeals
to my eye like that classic shape handle, gorgeous GLX rod blank, gold logo and
blue thread accents......ahhhhhh, it just does "it" for
me.......can't put a price on that........
I would be very curious to know what area(s) guys feel their other rods outperform
the GLX in? Weight, sensitivity, strength, selection of models, durability,
etc??
Seth
You should be ashamed of yourself for treating that poor defenseless light line
reel like that!.......
I go with 10lb. on mine, I treat her right!.....
Right now I'm leaning on the Metanium Mg for my next reel.....that is, if I can
control myself and not get another Antares.....man is that reel saweet!!
Scott
By the way, you can't compare a $200 Daiwa TD-X to a Curado/Scorpion, they are
different class reels. You'd have to compare it to the Chronarch/Metanium, just
like can only compare a TD-Z to a Calais/Antares. At that point we're
nitpicking about performance differences. You can only squeeze so much
performance/technology into a low profile lightweight reel. How much smoother
can we get than what's currently available to us already. It really comes down
to your preference of shape/style, weight, cosmetics, and reliability. They all
cast great and are silky smooth.
I owned a few Daiwa-Team Daiwa reels, super perfomance, smooth, and the best
backlash system on the market as far as I'm concerned. But I had a problem with
each one. Although minor problems, like a pinion going on one of them (after
only 2 months of big bass fishing in Florida), a repair is a repair and down time is down time.
Yes folks, I know some of you have had Shimano's that broke down. Last I
checked, there is no brand out there that has manufactured every single reel
without a problem to any of them. But day in day out, Shimano's are the best
built, most reliable reels on the water. A reels true colors will really show
when used in the saltwater environment, which is where reels REALLY get hard
use. In the saltwater community, there is no debate, Shimano wins, hands down.
There is one reel that is set apart from all the rest though, the Japanese
Shimano Conquest. Bigger and heavier than lowprofiles however.
My 300 Japan model has 8 bb's, the American
300TE has 4. But this is not about bb's, it's about "gears". Shimano
is a gear company, and this IS the strongest, smoothest reel this side of
Pluto! If my 4x4 ever gets stuck, I can use this reel to pull it out..........
Larry Dahlberg said it best......
"In my opinion, the Shimano reels today are the best reels that have
ever been built, IN HISTORY!".......
Brings a tear to my eye.........
Thanks for the input guys!
__________________
JOHN 3:3
KJV
Posted by fishEguy on 2003 AM:
ipoppa33
Darn, can't blame a guy for trying....lol.....
Glad you said that about the fold down handle. I never even noticed the new biomasters
don't have one. I'm 99.9% sure that last years model did. The Bio Mg as well as
the new Stradic and Stradic Mg all have the fold down handle. Why not the new
Bio's....
......oh
well....I guess I could live with that......
And sign me up to!!!!.........
Btw, where do you get your reels?.....Check out this site for the cheapest
around that I've found:
www.profishing.net
__________________
JOHN 3:3
KJV
Posted by earthworm77 on 2003 AM:
FishEguy, I have a ton of skeletons in my fishing closet. I am actually a big fan of those Bionic Blades and Extremes too. I also do not mind the power hump. Another skeleton....I got a Chronarch with that Johnny Morris rod , no money spent! Love it!
__________________
www.micromunchtackle.com
Posted by fishEguy on 2003 AM:
Equation: Earthy =
Skeletons aplenty!.................lol..........
Free Chronarch!?........could life get any better?........me thinks
not............
Nice pics (on your site) by the way, Johnny and company certainly seem to be
getting the job done...............but do more me a favor would you, keep the
shirt on ya stud!.............
Mike
__________________
JOHN 3:3
KJV
Posted by earthworm77 on 2003 AM:
LOL!!
__________________
www.micromunchtackle.com
Posted by markG on 2003 PM:
fishEguy, there is no
doubt in my mind that the Loomis GLX is the one of, if not the best bass
casting or spinning blanks out there. I've got about half Loomis, half St. Croix in my rod arsenal, and to answer
your question about pro/cons, I'd say that the only area that my GLXs (and some
of my friends) have suffered in is durability. Not that you should be bangin a
$300 rod around! lol But I have found the St. Croix LE to be very near the GLX
in performance and the one other advantage is that the LE can be built custom.
markG/MN
Posted by fishEguy on 2003 PM:
Hi Mark,
You bring up an interesting point concerning "durability". I still
have a couple of $35 Lightning rods that are around 12yrs old. They have spent
a serious amount of days on the water throughout the years, particularly
fishing bass in Florida. Aside from one of the eyelets
that I accidentally popped out, they are in perfect working condition. The
first Loomis rod I got is an MBR783C GLX I bought 6yrs ago, and used heavily
for big bass, big snook, small tarpon, etc. in Florida. Except for the usual darkening of the cork, I could put
this rod back on the shelf to sell. So I'm not sure what guys fishing for
mostly northern sized bass are doing to their rods that are causing them to
fail. I suspect the improper "banging around" which can cause
hairline fractures that you can't see with your eye until it's to late is one
reason. Improper fish landing skills are another possibility. I see guys "manuevering"
large fish near the boat by holding the blank just above the handle which
causes excessive stress on the blank and under the right conditions, will break
ANY rod with the exception of maybe an Ugly Stick. They also "high
stick" when a fish is close to the boat. You see this more often as the
rod gets longer in length, especially flyrods. This will also snap any rod like
a twig under the right conditions...........
I know this for sure, if I catch you mistreating one of those GLX's as you have
indicated, first you will get a good talking to...
, then I will break out the
ruler and it'll be 3 lashes across you hand, and you will sit in the corner of
the boat with no lunch for the remainder of the fishing trip......lol.....
I'm not really into custom rods and don't know squat about rod building, so
this may seem like a dumb question. But I know you can buy Loomis GLX blanks to
build custom casting/spinning/flyrods with. So what would be different about a
custom St. Croix rod?
Thanks for the reply and send me your address, I will send you some rod socks!........lol.......
Mike
__________________
JOHN 3:3
KJV
Posted by ipoppa33 on 2003 PM:
glx blanks
fishy,
where did you see the glx blanks for sale? i was told they weren't available, i
could be wrong though. thanks and if your giving away free rod socks... lol
__________________
"Bragging may not bring happiness but, no one having caught a huge fish
goes home through the alley"
Posted by markG on 2003 PM:
UHM Rod materials
fishE, I don't mean to
step on Loomis toes here. With half my arsenal comprised of Loomis, I consider
myself a loomis junkie. I too have a couple of older GLXs and I didn't mean to
imply that these things would fall apart under normal use. Your point about the
rod socks is a good one though and like any other high modulus rod, I tend to
lean on the side of extra care. Having said that, I'll add that in about 20
yrs. of serious bass fishing I can count on one hand the number rods that I've
busted...two were my fault...enter Loomis Expediter program! lol I'll also say
that I think that Loomis customer service is second to none. A lot of the
stories and experiences are purely anecdotal too, but if I break a rod in
normal use, I tend to be unhappy. On the flip side, if I wack the trolling
motor on a hook-set, fully expecting the rod to blow-up and it doesn't, I'm
impressed!
As in many things though there are trade-offs, and the ultra-high modulus (UHM)
rod blank is one of them. In order to achieve the performance that the GLX
does, it's lighter, thinner (outer-diameter and wall), and there's simply less
material and much less margin for error. One of the huge challenges of
composite fabrication is air entrainment in both the resin and the lay-up. So
that micro-bubble "looks" a whole lot bigger to a GLX than a GL2 for
example. Another contributing factor is that the strain, or deformation to
break (strain rating) of the fiber. With a strain rating of 2% to break, an
intermediate modulus (IM) fiber is typically 2X greater as compared to a UHM
fiber. Bottom line is that the UHM fiber is more brittle. None of this is to
say that a GLX is likely to break, but again, there's less room for error.
The good news is that there have been many advancements in the past couple of
years that offer some improvements. St. Croix had come out with their IPC
tooling, Kistler has some new methods that offer stronger resins, Redington has
some new filled resin composites, Megabass (Japan) offers some multi-modulus
designs that employ titanium or kevlar strands. Graphite USA employs a woven fiber, (as
opposed to rolled) scrim-less design. Some manufactures won't use the UHM fiber
in the tip section...etc Most all these efforts will offer some degree of
improvement in durability and toughness, and straightness, of a high modulus
rod.
On the GLX being available as a raw blank for custom rods. I double-checked
with a few builders today and even called Loomis to be sure. The GLX as blank
only, was no longer offered as of Fall 2001. I spoke with Linda in Customer
service and she volunteered that the main reason for this was that their high
modulus rods such as the GLX are difficult to build perfectly straight, and
they (Loomis) was getting too many returns from the builders.
gotta run, take care,
mark/MN
Posted by fishEguy on 2003 PM:
"One of the huge
challenges of composite fabrication is air entrainment in both the resin and
the lay-up. So that micro-bubble "looks" a whole lot bigger to a GLX
than a GL2 for example. Another contributing factor is that the strain, or
deformation to break (strain rating) of the fiber. With a strain rating of 2%
to break, an intermediate modulus (IM) fiber is typically 2X greater as
compared to a UHM fiber. Bottom line is that the UHM fiber is more
brittle."
Ummmm........yeah, that's what I was thought.......lol......
Let me add that my GLX has a dual quadangled polycarbonate pumpertweeter
wrapped with spumoni formed by compounding Elmer's glue. That combined with macronanotechnology
and the pathagorean theory, cause this rod to have a high degree of bipolar
optics. Hence, a rod with much umpff.......not to mention it has a hammy.... ............
I wasn't aware that they don't sell just the GLX blanks anymore. Maybe this is
an old page I have linked down below. I didn't have a chance to call them
today. I also see custom rods built on these blanks all the time on eBay, so I
thought they were readily available. But thanks for shedding some light on
this.
ipoppa33
"fish, you can't have her, well maybe what u got to trade(lol)."......ummmm,
a rod sock!?......lol.............
http://www.customtackle.com/cgi-bin...tner=whiteotter
__________________
JOHN 3:3
KJV
Posted by markG on 2003 AM:
GLX
LOL fishE! Sorry to get
so techincal on you, but I felt it was important to justify what I was saying.
Bottom line, in my opinion is that the GLX has been the best there is in a high
performance blank for a long long time, and it still is. Loomis was light years
ahead of everyone else a few years back and now some are catching up. I would
still consider the GLX the lightest, fastest (recovery speed), most
sensitive...you name it, but a couple of the others high end rod are a little
bit tougher in my opinon...the LE and the G-USADHX. Not really a big problem
either way though becasue the Loomis warranty is so good!
I want to be clear on the availability of the GLX blank. You can still get
them, although they are becoming harder to find. Thanks for the link!! What I
am saying though is that as of fall 2001, Loomis is no longer selling them.
That link may not be out of date at all, but those blanks aren't gonna last
forever either. Get-em while you can!
thight lines,
markg/MN
