The_Natural

You could just wait until ICAST for the new Chronarch Mg50...but ICAST is in late Summer, and judgeing by the Curado/Citaca....it will be late fall before we see it .

Roadwarrior....you better hurry up with that custom rod! You are a good example of why this will affect the custom rod builders.

Just don't eat at Dave and Busters .

+1 Perfect Weight. Perfect line capacity. If the Core had handle bearings like they put on the aluminum version (Chronarch D) I'd own 4 or more of them. My large hands fit perfectly around the Core.

Life is good for people with 'only' $200 to spend. A Citica and Mojo is definitely at the top end of that price point.

How will it hurt him? If he's well known for his building skill, they will still come for that alone. He won't be the only one without Loomis blanks. When they are gone they are gone for everyone. If the guy is really good, he'll be good with whatever blank his client chooses and they will come to him because of his skill....right? It'd be a different deal if selective ethics were employed and "some" could no longer get the blanks, but when everybody gets shut out then nobody loses more than any other. I see your point. I guess he will only lose the factory Loomis users that end up wanting a custom rod made with their favorite blank.

Well, I could guess but I'm not sure about how one goes about claiming a warranty on a blank made into a custom rod. Do you send your broken custom rod in? Do you strip it down to the blank and send it? Maybe Loomis will just give you a factory rod for replacement. Regardless; Loomis invented the 'no-hassle' lifetime warranty, and I can't imagine they would do you wrong. Most of griping about Loomis on Rodbuilding.org isn't questioning Loomis's place in the blank market or the quality of their product, but rather the fact the custom rod builders feel 'betrayed' by a company that started out selling only blanks. No sweat though....I'm sure a company will soon build a blank that will surprass the GLX and finally eclipse Loomis's 20yr old graphite technology .

Thank GOD, I am one of them. I can tell the difference between a $50 rod, but I can't really tell the difference between a $300 rod, and one at half the cost. I won't lie, I didn't catch anything on it, I was just able to throw a GLX for about 30 minutes. Only thing that was different was: 1) slightly lighter than my previous rods, but with the upcoming purchase of a Kistler, the GLX is around the same weight as the Kistler. 2) Had "G Loomis GLX" written on it. I've fished GL3's and IMX's, and felt they're great rods, only if they were $50 cheaper. Slightly overpriced, unless you buy used. I'd pay $100-$120 for a GL3, and $180-$200 for an IMX. But, with Loomis, you also pay for the name. I can't decide if I'm glad I can tell the difference or not! On one end I save money....on the other end I'm not feeling quite as much. I know which one is lighter on my wallet! Oh well...

...lol this only stands to help your rod business. Believe me flechero, it is no big deal.. and will not hurt or help my "rod" business one bit, or, IMPO the custom rod industry at all..The same way when All Star quit building blanks for the custom rod industry.... The only blank manufacturer that was really missed was Shikäri (out of Kelly OK), when Loomis' brother and friends bought the company and then couldn't build the blanks the same way the original company did, lost their share of the rod building market and the whole thing went under.. There are more and better blank manufacturers out there, this will not hurt anyone's business... Tight Lines All!!! Contrary, it will hurt George Roth's, one of the more recongnized and respected builders. He almost exclusively uses Loomis blanks. There aren't a lot of blanks out their with a pure carbon scrim. Croix LE, Batson RX8+, Loomis IMX, Loomis GLX, and ?. Those are the only ones I know of.

Sensitivity isn't subjective at all; only the opinions of it are. A rod blank conducts vibrations like a wire conducts electricity. Some blanks are more conductive than others....period. However, some anglers hands are indeed more sensitive than others; some people have more nerve endings in their hands than others. If you have sensitive hands (like mine), you can readily distinguish the difference in the sensitivity of rods. Others can't distinguish between $150 rods and $300 rods, or the difference to them is minimal.

Dam...I thought I was the only one who knew that ;D. I have the BASS tournament on VHS where Woo Daves wins on the Mississippi River using a Zebco 404 spooled with 20lb mono. He was fishing super dense bushes in shallow water, and dropping his bait in places you couldn't pitch or flip to. There would be this massive tangle of tiny branches...impenetrable...and he would just shove his rod tip in the middle of it and press the button . His bait would freely drop into the mess, and he would somehow get the fish out. He credited the spincast for his win, saying the others guys couldn't flip where he placed his bait.

You have to go either very slow or very fast in my experience. A Slider or patience with a drop shot/shakey worm on the slow end, and then the opposite, which is burning water with a crankbait or trap. I prefer the latter usually....speeding down creeks burning a bait will find a few aggressive fish....even if the majority aren't active. To make the latter 'pattern' work...you really have to fish as fast as possible; you may only find one bite per creek/cut.

BPS rods have come up hundreds of times in forums discussions since I started visiting fishing message boards in '03. Some consider them 'stepping stone' rods, some have just moved up from a lower end BPS rod to a higher end BPS rod like the Johnny Morris. Regardless, one thing rings true, and that is most people are satisfied with them for what they gave for them. I do agree you shouldn't pay the retail price for them, but then again....they are always on sale.

The Crucials are very nice...I bought one when they first came out. However, the IMX blank is significantly higher in quality (as is should be...it's $100 more). The IMX is one of the few blanks out there built on a pure carbon scrim. The others (to my knowledge) being the GLX, Croix LE, and the Batson RX8+. The IMX is noticeably more 'crisp'; a trait of a higher strain blank. When the Crucial first came out, rumors started online about the crucial 'using the IMX blank', even though the rods don't behave the same and are made in different countries. Good times....

SiC's offer less friction, but REC's are more sensitive. Anytime you can take out a dampening component(s) between the line and the blank you increase sensitivity (I'm referring to guide rings). Normal guides: strike vibration(via your line)->guide ring->glue->guide frame->blank Rec's: strike vibration (via your line)->REC frame->blank

For the outside of your reel/rods...use automotive 'quick detail' spray; it cleans and shines while also providing a little protection. I keep a coat of sealer (synthetic wax) on my rods and reels, but I realize I'm a little OCD. All my reels get two coats of Klasse Sealant Glaze.

Most professional anglers use braid or Fluorocarbon; more specifically...heavy fluoro for wood and braid for grass.

+1

As much as I hate to agree with your grumpy 'ol butt....TriMax was awesome. The copolyer construction and photochromic properties of the line put it light years ahead of the current offerings of the time. As a kid (10-13yrs old); I thought it was expensive....but so were $69 Berkley Lightening rods.

I like the feel, look, and durability of foam versus cork.

Hmmm....I'm not sure how to take advice with a laughing smile at the end

Make sure you list the date you fished; it will help in the future.

4/19/09 New Pond Water...Muddy and 61. Weather...very windy and 65. Rig...Daiwa Steez 6'3" MH/ Quantum Tour PT/ 10lb Trilene 100% I just went out on foot patrol for a couple of hours at a pond I saw while running errands yesterday. I just grabbed a couple of baits and put them in my pocket. I wasn't very optimistic when I got there and the water looked like chocolate milk, but figured I could at least practice casting . Most of the trip I worked a 'loud' spinnerbait (loud in color ), and tried a bomber square-A for the last half hour. I didn't even sniff a fish. I'm not 100% sure there are any fish in there, but I will give it a second chance when the water doesn't look like diarrhea. What a great report, huh? I'm not even sure why I typed it.

I've handled them, and I thought they were ho-hum at best. The blank is a little heavy, and isn't 'crisp'. They do look nice though....

This can be an ongoing post/log. Just list the date, water temp, water clarity, and weather. What baits did you start with? What did you end up throwing or what worked? I feel line size is important as well. I'm heading out tomorrow, and will report. This will be very good information for folks....