The_Natural

Yep...hence the point of our discussion; nothing nothing new and exciting from the Loomis camp. Now lets see if someone finds pics of these JDM inspired GLX's...

Man...some serious quoting goin' on! I just remembered a few people on Tackle Tour stated there was someone that was building split grip glx's with black foam, aluminum winding checks, and the works. They supposedly had the JDM appeal. I'd love to see a pic of one of these rods. We internet conassuires love a search challenge...who can produce a pic and win the prize? (maybe I'll send you a couple of jigs or something just for the hell of it)

My hypothesis is that the reel seat makes a huge difference; not only the exposed blank factor, but the material as well. I have owned steez rods, and now have a few zillions. The steez has a higher-end blank, but also has the proprietary air-beam reel seat versus the new Zaion reel seat (also proprietary). The air-beam seat is a closed design; referring to the seat not exposing the blank. The new Zaion seat on the Zillions is the antonym of the air-beam in every sense of the word. It is wide open...more wide open than any seat I have seen. It allows three fingers on the blank, and when coupled with the new material equates to more sensitivity. The Zaion material looks and feels like graphite, yet is more rigid. I had been trying to figure out for the past week and a half why the zillions feel as sensitive if not more so than the steez rods, and with both rods having the same guides and handle material, that isolates the reel seat. The Steez's air beam seat not only doesn't allow finger contact, but has very little contact with the blank itself (the seat has ridges the blank sits on). Instead of creating less dampening...I think it creates less feel.

Try rigging them on a football jighead. In the summer...I use football heads quite a bit for the flappin' hogs, beavers, and other plastics. You don't need anything special, just a plain old football jighead. Drag it...hop it, and anything in between. The flappin' hog is also a supreme jig trailer; I use them as well as beavers as much as paca chunks these days.

I think the Curado A series were graphite framed reels, and the reason I didn't bid on it.

x2 It looks like the Vin Diesel edition...

I guess this has been in someone's closet for 15 years. It is one good lookin' reel...I wish the Curado E used those colors... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=190243544153

Without question. The black anodized spool coupled with the black drag star and handle taken from the Core just look sweet together. I live two miles from a large anodizing company, and I will probably drop off the cast control knobs on my way to work one day. Got to get those cast control knobs anodized black to complete the look!

These samples are finally going to go out tomorrow.

Count me in for 6-8 Citicas. I'm throwing abec 5 ceramics in them, and I think they will be a mean little machine for $120. Should look sweet on my Zillion rods as well. I can't believe I am actually excited about the Citica...

20lb CXX is quite extreme; I regularly use 15lb on my heavier rods and have a very hard time breaking it. I use the 15lb for large shallow crankbaits as well, and I always straighten out a barb on one of the trebles when I hang up versus losing my bait. I'm not sure if there is a fish in the lake that would break that 20lb CXX; it breaks at over 30lbs. And yes...anything over 15lb test in CXX is like guitar string . It's the nature of the beast. Try the 15lb...much more manageable.

They both balance very well, and the weight is too close to call. I give the edge in sensitivity to the Zillion, but it is an extra-fast blank, which helps. The Powell is still a great rod...especially for $139. The Zillion is rightfully priced $60 more; for that $60 you get SiC's, a proprietary reel seat, air foam, and more extensive wrapping.

Fisherman's Warehouse has them in stock. www.fishermanswarehouse.com

I need another spinning rod to join my sjr723c IMX, and I've been eyeing the new Fuego spinning rods since receiving my Zillion rods. I wasn't looking at them before I got my Zillions, but the blank and just general rod performance of my Zillions has me feeling the Fuego will be verbatim (basically just the spinning version of the Zillion). Pairing the Fuego rod with the new Fuego reel would be sweet, but $280 for the new Fuego?! It's just high enough to keep me from buying it I think. I have a TD Advantage spinning reel I love, albeit it is a little heavy. The lighter weight would be nice, but d**n that is expensive. I was just wondering if anyone else is considering the new Fuego.

Fluorocarbon is far different than braid in terms of handling...as a matter of fact they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Braid is obviously extremely limp...basically like sewing thread, while fluoro is generally stiffer than mono (you know this now ). Recent advances in resins have yielded fluorocarbon main lines that handle more like mono, and I think everyone whom tried fluoro when it first came out are the ones preaching not to try it due to the old manageability issues. I think if you are having problems with soft fluorocarbons like Seaguar Inviz-X, Trilene Pro-Grade, etc., you would have trouble with any mono billed as a 'tough' line such as Trilene XT, Pline CXX, Yozuri Hybrid, etc. I'm interested to know what you used...it just may be one of the stiffer fluoros and hence the root of the problem.

12lb Pline CX Premium would be a great 'heavy' spinning line. The CX Premium is a very limp, small diameter line. Perfect for spinning reels, and you can get away with a heavier pound test. I have a 6' MH spinning rod (Loomis SJR723c), and I keep it spooled with 8lb CXX. 8lb CXX has a breaking strength of what a normal 12lb test would be...way underrated. I fish all kinds of plastics and finesse jigs on this rig, and have never broken off a fish. I didn't mention CXX first, because CX Premium is more limp and probably would appeal more to the masses. However, the memory of CXX in 8lb is mild, and I don't think you mind it. Either would work well...

I'll add that Daiwa's proprietary air-foam grips are superior to the Cumara's black foam, IMHO of course. Also...I realize I'm splitting hairs, but both rods are very light weight and balance well...not to mention are very sensitive to boot. The Zillion just sports all the features of a JDM stick, without the price. I've already had 3 people ask me about them at the ramp.

Even though I have only had the Zillion for a short time; I'll take it just on the build quality and 'extras'. I don't think there is any argument about the Cumara's sensitivity and fishability, so you have to look at other tangibles. The Zillion has added features that go above and beyond; multi-color wraps, aluminum winding checks, etc. The Zillion really does have a ton of wrapping. Five different wrap sections just in-between the foregrip and first guide (and all are very well done). When you see and hold a Zillion in a retailer...you will see what I mean. The is no differentiation in looks, build quality, and overall feel versus the Steez (obviously the blank is different). I honestly think that is what got me excited about this rod. It's one hot rod for a buck ninety-nine.

The Camo isn't my cup of tea, but the work is quality.

Sorry to hear it. There are some good people left in the world though. Last year on a family vacation to Broken Bow Lake in Oklahoma, I left both my 701 Steez compile-X rods and a Loomis BCR at a public fishing dock. I realized my mistake on the way home, and turned around to see if they were there. They weren't. I called the local lake patrol, and it turned out someone actually turned in those rods...all $2500 worth (rods and reels). I couldn't believe it. Later on I went to the local bait shop/convience store, and they had a huge bulletin board with lures new and old pinned up, as well as a bunch of random dollar bills, $5 bills, and a couple of $20's. Just as I wondered what in the heck it was, I saw the sign above the bulletin board. It read 'Lost and Found'. One of the coolest things I've seen, and it renewed my faith in people. Gotta love small town America...

I think he is siting football jigs in particular, which a lot of anglers are dragging in the same areas and under the same conditions as you would fish a carolina rig. The football jig has had a huge surge in popularity, and is overtaking the c-rig as of late. Hank Parkers last article in Bassin' was about this very subject, and he talked about all the tournament anglers opting for the football jig now versus the c-rig. I definitely tend to use a c-rig versus the football in prespawn, but in the summer...I'm more likely to drag the football jig instead of a Carolina rig. The Carolina rig is still the more sublte approach, with your bait weightlessly skipping along the bottom and then slowing settling, which is why I prefer it in the cooler water of prespawn. In the Summer...it seems like just getting your bait down to hug the bottom on those ledges and such works...you can even work that football fairly fast a lot of the time. I like a 1oz football in deeper water, but use a 3/4oz a lot as well to cover that 5-10ft range. I just want to be able to keep it movin' or use good pulls and not have it leave the bottom. The 1oz jig kicks up a lot of debris as well, which is a bonus Good question...

No. I think they feel 'if it ain't broke...don't fix it'. I also want to see a contemporary GLX, but I think their customer base is mainly old school folks whom like a full cork grip.

As said, I think any line gets stiffer after it has been on your reel for a month. Elements like hard lake water, the sun, and heat dry it out. Using a line conditioner will help protect it from the elements.

What is the fish doing in your kitchen :-/. This old pond I fished often when I lived in norman produced a 5lber two summers ago, and I caught the same fish late last summer and he had hit 6.8lbs. You could have broken your pb again next year.

I never pull them apart. When a crawfish darts, its pinchers come together, which is the basis of the Sweet Beaver design (brilliant I might add). I guess even when you separate the tail, the water pushes them together when you move it.