idiot1

FishTank says AS66MF, I say AS66MF as well. ;D I have the two-piece variant (AS66MF2), and it is my favorite all-purpose spinning rod at the moment. Just an all-around great rod. 8-)

You can always look at it this way- Shimano owns Loomis.

If you're not 100% on going Loomis, I actually prefer the St. Croix Avid at the GL3's price point. You could always check to see if you can pick one up on sale. There might be a few shops that still have a few of last year's models sitting around that want to clear the way for the new stuff. Or you could go for the new and improved Avids. If you're dead set on Loomis, I'd probably go for the GL3 over the 2, but both are great rods. I'm like many people here who believe that Loomis really starts to impress with the IMX and beyond.

While they're supposed to be the same as the Premier, but made overseas instead of here in the USA, the feel of the Triumph is a bit different. They feel more noodle-rodish if you will. We sell quite a few of them where I work, and I haven't seen any fall apart or come back for defects, but the feel of them just tells me to stay away. People still buy them because they're cheap, but I recommend the Premier and up for anyone even halfway serious about fishing.

I know WHAT ART is, I'm just saying that ART isn't in the new Avids. I'm looking at my 2008 catalog right now at work, and ART is only mentioned with the Legend Series of rods. The new Avids only mention IPC. Also, the new Avids don't have the ART logo on the side of the rod, whereas the Legends do.

My catalog has nothing about ART for the new Avids. IPC, yes, but no ART if I remember correctly.

I just use the stuff that came with my Shimano reels. Works fine for me.

I'm pretty sure that they all went up in price between $10-20 each.

or wholesale. ...lol Or below dealer cost on some of them. ;D

I have two Stradics from last generation, and they're great reels. One's for bass while the other's for trout. Super smooth and nice and quiet. My only complaint so far is with the spool clicker. The things just love to stick. A little reel oil usually takes care of it, but that is one thing (among many others) that Shimano looks like they improved on with the new Stradics.

I've got the new catalog at work, but they still haven't updated their website yet. If I remember correctly, the Avid Series got IPC technology and maybe a few small things done to the look of it. Great rods getting even better.

The Legend Tournaments are very nice rods. ;D I'm not sure how they compare against each other though, so you might want to go to Cabelas and see what the other one feels like before buying.

I tried it out this summer. For me, the jury is still out and I'll have to give it a try again next year. I thought it was great up until the end of the season, when I switched over to another spool of the stuff since my main spool was almost out. I just couldn't get the hook set with it. It may have been that I was not used to the rod I was using though, since it was only the second or third time I was using it. Overall, I was very happy with it until that last time out with it. Biggest downside I see is how expensive it is. $16 or so for 200 yards.

While I've never used their rods, their reels are smooth and very nice, but heavier than other reels in the same price range.

Personally, I use 6-10# spinning reels for bass, but I do know a few people who use 4-8# and wouldn't use anything else. They typically throw weightless Senkos, while I try to vary my baits more. I'd say that at 4-8# it isn't a bad deal. Heck, for free I'd throw it on one of my rods and I'd use it.

The Avids and Legend Tournament Bass are changing. The Avid series will now be have IPC and run $10-20 more than before. The Legend Tourney Bass will have an exposed blank handle, much like the one on the Carrot Stix from E21. I forget if the price on them is changing at all, though. I actually just got an AS66MF2 in late August that I've yet to catch a fish on. I actually wish I knew that it was going to take St. Croix almost all summer long to get me my rod (placed my order in mid June, got it in late August). I would have waited until now to place my order if I knew that they were going to be giving them IPC. : I wouldn't have minded paying a few bucks more for IPC.

That made my morning a bit better. ;D

I've had 3 Premiers since 2001 (well, 2 rods but broke one, sent it out, and got a new one) and I haven't had any such problems. They've all been rock solid rods for me, althoug the Avid IS a much nicer rod. Both of mine are a few years old now. It could be that they were better in the past and lately they've just been pushing them out the door, which in that case I wouldn't recommend them then, and I'd say GL2 or Avid.

The St. Croix Premier is a good choice. If you can go an extra $20 or so, the GL2 would be a great rod, too.

Wow!

Here's my NEW 2 cents on this article: I was fishing a relatively new and unused spool of InvisX this Sunday, and I noticed a real lack of hook setting power. I lost quite a few bass because the hook wasn't set, and I was doing everything the same. On my other and older spool of InvisX, I haven't been having this problem lately. IF this article is true, and new flourocarbon is very stretchy at first but gets less stretchy as it is used, that would account for the lack of hook setting power in the new spool. If I get the chance to go this coming Sunday, I will be using some 8# Stren mono instead of my 8# InvisX. If all goes well, I might be saying "buh bye" to InvisX and flouro in general, as I was not happy on Sunday. Another possibility is that I'm not used to my new Loomis yet, but I didn't have any problems setting the hook last week with the older spool of InvisX on the same setup.

That's the only reason I don't own any Energy reels (casting or spinning). While I think they're great reels, the only downside I can see is the weight.

My SJR722 in IMX retails for $215, while the GLX is $100 more. I'm not sure where you're getting just $50 from. I don't have any regrets about my IMX. Sure, a GLX would be nice, but my IMX is the nicest rod I've ever owned.

I typically throw lighter weight lures and soft plastics, so I'd go with another SJR722, but in GLX instead of my IMX. ;D

Your closest Shimano dealer maybe?