JohnFromLisbon

"Don't buy 20 rods" a little late for that, @Glenn 😅 Great video to counter most sponsored content (disclosed and otherwise) out there.

Junebug Zoom Ol' Monster, no contest.

Don't know about best, but over the years I've had a few favorites: the first lipless I ever caught a bass on was the Rattlin' Rapala, hopping it across the bottom in the fall, later I started fishing the Clackin' Rap, then the Jackall (sold as Illex here) TN60, and lately it's been the LV 500, specifically in NC Ghost Minnow and Aurora Black. I also have a couple of Red Eye shads but I only fished them a few times. I have to give them another try.

Here's a few from the first trip of the year. Got two on Saturday, one on a 1/2oz bladed jig with a 5.5 Spunk Shad and the other one on the LV 500. Water visibility was only 2 to 3 feet on the count of all the storms we had rolling through these last few weeks so I started out with red and chartreuse baits since the water is normally clear, but both bites came after switching to more natural colors, Green Pumpkin Shad with a Frosted Purple trailer and a Ghost Minnow LV, even with the limited visibility. It was a really rough day out on the water: my new bladed jig rod broke, the trolling motor pedal stopped working except in reverse or with the remote control... I have a feeling someone snuck a banana on board. "Bonus" catfish that Dave caught on the lipless. Yesterday we got really bad wind so we went bank fishing for a couple of hours, didn't expect much but I caught two more on the bladed jig - this time a 3/8oz Green Pumpkin Shad with an Electric Shad Chatterspike 4.5 trailer.

So... Little update: Action-wise it's exactly what I was looking for. I don't really think the 5/8oz top end rating is correct as it fishes the bladed jig better than the 843C MBR and that one tops out at 3/4oz. Loads a little deeper than an MBR and while the tip allows you to impart action, after you hook them it loads up like a more moderate rod and handles the fish brilliantly. Kind of like how the 6'10" medium has a fast enough tip to impart action on jerkbaits but also loads up nicely to help keep fish pinned on treble hooks. Also, at 7'3" it's the perfect length for me. Compared to the "heavy" 844C MBR it loads deeper especially when ripping the bait from grass. Unfortunately I had to switch back to the 844 after 30 minutes or so because, well... When just grabbing the bait to place it in the hook keeper, barely pulling on the line, it snapped between the second and third guides. Let's see how Shimano Europe handles my warranty claim, first time I've ever had to go through them. But during those first 30 minutes it was great. I didn't get the chance to fish spinnerbaits on it, for now the 844 is my favorite spinnerbait rod. For the smaller 3/8oz chatterbaits with smaller trailers I went with the 843C MBR and it was great, fished them better than the 844 does with the heavier ones if that makes sense.

@GardenStateFishin just got the 873C BJR today, paired it to a Bantam spooled with 30lb braid, planning on tying a 15-17lb mono leader for 3/8 and 1/2oz bladed jigs with 4.5 and 5.5" trailers. I'll let you know on Friday.

You watch a couple of YouTube videos, you get a handful of bladed jigs, a few trailers... Next thing you know you have a dedicated rod and reel combo on the way, too.

@KP Duty the 873C CRR piqued my interest. Weird that it skips the GLX - even though there's a GLX 874C CRR with the same rating - and it trickles down to the IMX-PRO. Also, I called it 2 months ago during the build up to their last announcement but it turned out to be for the Asquith fly rod 😅

@MRQturbo that's why I went with the GLX instead. According to one of their pros the NRX+ is on the lighter end of the spectrum while the GLX is more towards the heavy side, even though they're rated the same.

I know it's been a while, don't know if you've picked one up by now. Just like you I've been fishing them on the NRX+ 844C MBR and after getting a bunch of new chatterbaits in the last 3 weeks... I ordered the 873C BJR, it's on the way. Actually it should have been delivered today. I have my first trip of the year next weekend so I'll let you know how it fares compared to the 844. If the BJR doesn't get here in time someone in that delivery company and I are going to have words.

I almost ordered another MGL with the little DC last month but held off exactly for that reason, but after seeing Shimano Japan's catalog I'm not holding my breath. Edit: they just posted on IG - new Vanquish, new Tranx 400, new Nexave, and a bunch of saltwater stuff. The Compre is back though, as "Lite", "Walleye" and "Muskie". And there's a new Zodias, which had already been announced in Japan. PS never mind, just realised the Compre never went away, the line just continued for species other than bass.

So sorry to hear this. I had just traded messages with Tom a couple of weeks ago about his jig fishing article. My deepest condolences to his friends and family. Thank you Tom for putting up with silly questions from some rando on the other side of the globe.

Were those the ones that came out in 2014? Yeah, the same thing happened with the 2012 green GLX rods, they weren't around for long. Even the green NRX rods from 2011. From my experience things like that happen when you have someone new at the helm, like new product managers. Considering the longevity of their other series and products, yeah that was strange.

I have a 201E5 with a slightly bent handle, went on eBay looking for a parts one and... Oooh boy @wolfe_ohara I remember that. The Curado E was the last one made in Japan, right? Same as the Chronarch E. Now it's one of the reasons people like it so much.

From my experience with Luxottica, the only brand they allowed to retain some measure of independence was Persol. Every other brand they swallowed up turned into that clip from the Simpsons when Homer tours the Duff Brewery. I have two pairs of Costas I got as a bogo a couple of years ago. When one of those needs replacing I'm thinking I'm going with Bajio.