Sup guys, forgot to mention that I ordered the 842 AND 843 as well. Also likely going to order an Edge spinning rod as they are having 50% sales till Cyber Monday. I want a rod that’s made by a company managed by Gary Loomis the man himself because he’s the original creator of G. Loomis and he’s the father of graphite, but I am also now assured that G. Loomis post acquisition to Shimano, still produces top of the line rods.
Anyways, with the huge volume of orders due to the sales, I received a message from the vendor saying they were out of stock, so I’m still waiting on most of my other sticks to get here, but one of my rods got delivered today. It was the GLX 844c MBR!
I was so pumped when I saw it got here today. Unpackaging it felt like unpackaging a Christmas present. This is my first G. Loomis, a rod that I dreamed about owning for the longest time. I savored every moment beholding such a magnificent and majestic rod. From the first moment I held this rod, I was blown away by how well balanced and smooth it felt. I put a reel on it and tested the sensitivity by lightly tapping the tip on a hard surface to feel the vibration. The sensitivity on this stick is superb!
I tested the sensitivity and balance to other mid-level rods that I own. This G. Loomis is certainly the most refined rod I’ve had to date, but I have to admit, that while it was unquestionably superior, it wasn’t 10x better. You certainly don’t need a G. Loomis or other high-end rods to catch a bass, and a lot of mid-tier rods will definitely hold its own and give you a great bang for your buck as they are
almost as good.
Here are some rods I tested it against:
St. Croix Avid X 6’ 6” Medium Fast Casting:
The sensitivity on this particular model of the Avid is virtually on par with the 844c. This particular model of the Avid is such an incredible value. The balance is comparable as well. However, the Avid X lacks the “it” factor.
St. Croix Avid 7’ Medium Heavy Fast Casting:
While it’s not a bad rod, I never really liked the classic St. Croix Avid 7’ MHF even before I had the GLX because it is tip heavy and not that sensitive. The balance on this Avid is terrible. In fact, my 7’ MHF Lightning Rods balance better than this Avid! If you are thinking about getting an Avid, I recommend that you get medium or less power and less than 7’ for length.
I love my St. Croix Avid X 6’ 6” Medium Fast Casting and 6’ 9” MLXF Spinning; they are fantastic rods, but this particular model isn’t as good. Anyways, the GLX 844c which has the same specs as this Avid, blew it away in both sensitivity and balance. The GLX blanks were a lot thinner as well versus the thicker and heavier Avid blanks. The ergonomics on the GLX was also superior than the Avid which feels thick and bulky.
Okuma Helios 7’ 6” Heavy Fast Casting:
It isn’t really common for people to use an Okuma brand rod for bass fishing as far as I know. If you remember Okuma from back in the day, it was thought of as a budget gear with mediocre quality although there were some exceptions. I don’t like all of Okuma’s products like their Helios baitcaster reel which I thought was junk (Shimano and Daiwa still takes the cake when it comes reels)… but they make some good products like the Okuma Avenger Baitfeeder spinning reels, Scott Martin TCS rods, and the Helios rod.
The Helios rod really held its own against the GLX in terms of sensitivity. The GLX still beat it, as it felt just a bit more crisper, but not by much. The balance and light weight is also comparable. I wasn’t too surprised, however, as I knew the Helios was a good rod already. What convinced me to buy the Helios rod is because I was to handle it in the store and test it against other brands of similar specs and it was the lightest and most sensitive rod even compared to the much more expensive rods such as the Dobyns Champion Extreme.
The only one thing that I didn’t like about the GLX:
Yes, I know I’m being nit-picky, but one thing I didn’t like was that there was a noticeable filler spot on my foregrip. I wish it was plain like the rest of the foregrip’s cork. I get that there’s going to be filler spots on cork, and on the main handle of the rod that’s a given, but the dots I spotted on the foregrip is darker and more noticeable than any of the other fillers on my main handle. Not worth exchanging I guess, and I know that it’s simply a cosmetic blemish and it won’t affect the performance. It’s being very nit-picky, I know, but if I’m dropping a lot of money for a high-end rod, I demand perfection. One downfall from ordering online is that you can’t pick and choose the best one out of the lot. See pictures below to show what I mean:
The very dark filler spot on my foregrip:
Wish it was clear like the other side:
The question a lot of people wonder is.. Is it worth it??
The answer is..
it depends because it’s very subjective to your own individual wealth and the amount of dispensable cash that you have. I am certainly not wealthy, and it took a big hit out of my wallet, not to mention that it was a very stupid decision financially, but I wanted these high end rods so bad that I couldn’t help but buy them. Trust me, it took me a really long time. I’ve been fishing for 16+ years, but never owned a Loomis till now.
Overall, I will have to say that it is better, but it’s not monumentally better than mid-grade gear, but there is unquestionably a higher level of refinement that is noticeable to an advanced angler. It certainly has the “it” factor where all of the little details add up, and this may sound weird, but the GLX feels “smoother.”
I don’t own a Conquest rod, but with the MBR actions available in the GLX series, I don’t see a reason to. The GLXs look more aesthetically pleasing than the Shimano-G. Loomis Conquest in terms of design. The carbon strip at the end of the handle is nice touch which the Conquest doesn’t have. I can’t imagine needing a more sensitive rod or stronger rod than a GLX for bass. GLX is more than enough. I am whole-heartedly satisfied.
I’ll update you guys when I receive my NRX 803c, GLX 842 and 843 soon, and may also be ordering an Edge rod, so stay tuned!
