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.

@Jweller the 843 is the most versatile of the two for sure. If I'm fishing the creek or just bank fishing and only take one or two rods with me, the 843 is definitely the one, especially for everything you described. I have a couple of 844s and there's something about how it bends when just retrieving a spinnerbait that is the deal for me. The 843 seemed to bend a little too much, especially considering I tend to add a couple of quick turns of the handle to give it a little action. To be fair, I was fishing a 1/2oz SV-3 with a little Largo Shad trailer. I've been thinking about that and next time I'm out I'll try it without the trailer to see if that's the limit for me. I think I also have a 3/8 Screamin' Eagle somewhere, if I can find it I'll take that one with me, too. I don't have any spinnerbaits with smaller blades than those, but I'm looking around for some proper finesse spinnerbaits. I haven't thrown any chatterbaits on it yet, I'll give it a go, but I tend to throw them more on moderate actions like the 845 crankbait rod. I've thrown them on the 844 but the vibration is just overwhelming, especially on the NRX+ and fishing braid to leader.

If I'm fishing a rock pile where every cast is a 50/50 shot between getting bit or getting snagged... I'll throw straight fluoro and tie a uni knot instead of a palomar. I have a large spool of 17lb AbrazX and combo just for that because I'm lazy and I don't want to tie a handful of leaders throughout the day. If I'm not fishing a jig cemetery, I'll go braid to leader for everything. There's at least a couple of those spots where I've lost enough lead to cover the no. 4 reactor in Chernobyl about three times over.

@Rodney Smith I already have a couple of SB 105s waiting for that topwater bite next year 👀 In the meantime I'm checking what else I like throwing on it. The little Keitech jigs are a definite yes

@Hulkster I know exactly what you mean I got the 852S in the short time between the IMX line refresh and the logo revamp

Thank you, Tom! Will do

@TNBankFishing oh, absolutely! I've tried baits or rods they've recommended and I wasn't happy with them. One example was with the 845C CBR, the crankbait rod. I was able to get an E6X for about 120 EUR (~140 USD) because in all of their reviews they'd always go "Loomis keeps the action across all the rod ranges, they just get lighter and more sensitive" - which is absolutely true - but one thing they didn't mention which ended up being a major disappointment for me was the handle length. I still have that E6X and earlier this year got the IMX-PRO and the extra handle length in the latter makes all the difference in the world. The E6X has a shorter handle which made it a lot harder to fish with. For me, picking the Loomis over other brands is based on a few factors, like enjoying the consistent feel across models and actions and powers (and looks, I'm not going to pretend that's not a thing 😅), the fact that Loomis rods are slightly cheaper here in Europe (because they don't offer the same lifetime warranty they do in the US) while St. Croix rods are more expensive (just looked up the 7'3 Heavy Victory, a local store has it in stock for 294.40 EUR or just over 342 USD, while on TW I see it for 230 USD), and not every store carries them. Megabass for example doesn't even sell the same series of rods and the ones we get from the Japanese domestic market are prohibitively expensive. There's a lot of stuff they mention that doesn't make sense for my fishing, be it because of different species of baitfish or environment or even geography. After watching an unhealthy amount of youtube videos, reading forum posts, etc., I can tell you that the most useful info to apply to my fishing is usually from California, as we also have mostly highland clear water reservoirs. In northern and central CA even the climate is the same as mine here, either Köppen climate type Csa or Csb (Hot-summer and Warm-summer Mediterranean), and the spots I usually fish even have the same latitude as the bay area, meaning same length of day. But I totally get what you're saying, and it's healthy to listen to their stuff with some skepticism and, as with everything, account for at best personal preferences and at worst financial bias. The starting point was their recommendation for sure, but I want to use the rod how I like.

@Tackleholic I like them for everything except dragging on the bottom because of that lip. A buddy put me on to these things, he absolutely destroys just fishing 3 to 4" swimbaits on 3/16 to 1/4oz heads. I wish the 1/4oz size would come with a 4/0 instead of a 3/0, but aside from that they're okay especially for the price. Also, there's a lot of the US market stuff that we don't get here and after ordering from TW and adding local taxes and fees and stuff stop being viable alternatives. Doesn't mean I don't get some it from time to time, though... 😅

Hey everyone! After spending Saturday and Sunday fishing with the new combo, here's the review I wish I had been able to read before getting it. 1. Why I wanted the 843 MBR: In October of last year a buddy and I went on a trip where we both got our personal best throwing walking baits on a main lake point. I got mine on an Evergreen SB 125 in chart shad, throwing it on an IMX-PRO 844C MBR and a Curado MGL 151 HG running 30lb braid to an 18lb mono leader. Even though I caught my PB on that combo, I lost a handful of good ones when came up and shook off the trebles. I felt that despite the more moderate bend on the 844, not having the drag completely locked down, and the relatively long mono leader I was still ripping the hook right out of their mouths. I took two things away from that: 1. I would not be throwing the 125 all the time - that thing is massive and Alqueva isn't exactly Clear Lake - and 2. it left me wishing the rod was just a bit lighter while still having the same bend. And because I have too much free time, a stable internet connection, and zero self-control mechanisms I also watched a ton of YouTube videos, especially Tactical Bassin' ones. Fishing football jigs on the 844 is quite possibly my favourite way to fish, mainly thanks to Matt's thoughts on that rod and how to use it to drag jigs, so it would stand to reason I'd also enjoy the 843. I also found that I really, really enjoy fishing those little Keitech football jigs, and while I can get away with throwing them on the 844 I find I really have to have the drag set relatively loose to keep them pinned with that little hook. I also fish them on the Expride 6'10 Medium - guess why I got that one, too - but sometimes it feels too light. Shimano doesn't sell the 6'10 Medium Heavy in Europe - we only get the JDM and SEA models, the 1+1 and 2 piece models with no hook keeper - and I really like that MBR bend for jigs, so the 843 would fill those two gaps. As for the reel, it was a toss between the "regular" Metanium MGL and the new DC, and since I got it for 355 EUR or about 413 USD on black Friday when they retail locally for between 520 and 580 USD, which was just about 60 EUR or 70 USD more than the 151 MGL. So yeah, DC it is. Also, not gonna lie... That piano black finish on top of the GLX is just it. 2. How I fish: After looking at every single review out there I found that a lot of folks mention what they think of the rod but don't say how they fish. In my opinion a rod can fish very different if you fish it on straight fluoro as opposed to braid to leader. I fish braid to leader almost every single time, lately even crankbaits, because it allows me to adapt to the conditions or type of bait I'm fishing. Clear open water? Lighter fluoro leader. Fishing around rocks so sharp you could shave with one? Heavier fluoro. Need to turn my 6'10 Medium from a jerkbait rod to a popper rod? Swap the leader from 10 lb fluoro to 15 lb mono. I spooled the reel with 30 lb Power Pro Super Slick V2 and tied a long-ish 12 ft 12lb Sunline Sniper fluorocarbon leader. I fish highland reservoirs almost exclusively with a lot of creek arms, high bluff walls, some vegetation near the bank from sprint to fall but deep rocky bottom for the most part, so football jigs are a must. 3. About these new GLXs: I know it's meaningless to a lot of folks how these things look, but ever since the IMX got turned into the IMX-PRO I had said those were the best looking rods Loomis made. I like the NRX+ look better than the old NRX, and although I like the previous gen GLX I don't love the way it looks. The weird blue accents, the checkered black carbon piece on the butt of the rod, the overall tone of the paint... It just didn't appeal to me as much as the generation before that one did. Those green GLXs might not have been around for long, or felt that great, but they were lookers. In my opinion, the new GLX is the best looking rod Loomis makes by far. Much more important than the way these rods look is how they feel. I will caveat this with the fact that I have the 854 JWR in the previous version of the GLX and this is the MBR, but it feels closer to the old NRXs than it does to the previous GLXs. It might be due to the finish, or the slight weight reduction, but it really feels that way. It's still a step below the NRX+ with the regular steel Fuji guides instead of the top half sporting the titanium guides, but the blank feels more like that old NRX. The Ci4+ reel seat is the same as the one used on the NRX+ but the overall handle isn't exactly the same. While it also has that carbon-fibre looking thing in the locking nut, it has less cork composite in the top and bottom of the handle, capping the premium cork. 4. Fishing with the 843 MBR: Yesterday I went to the creek and a highland reservoir nearby, and because it's December had zero expectations when it came to actually catching fish. Got a small 3500 box together with some baits and only took the new combo. Here's how it went: Finesse jigs? Awesome, as long it has a finesse-y hook. I fished a 1/2oz Keitech football jig and absolutely loved how it feels and handles on this rod. Feel was great, and just below the NRX+. I also threw a 5/16oz Dirty Jigs Finesse jig and a War Eagle Heavy Finesse jig, both with a Smallie Beaver trailer. Got bit on all three, but one thing stood out. The heavier hook on the Heavy Finesse jig is better suited for the 844. The other two are a perfect match for the 843. Small swimbaits? It will absolutely work. I fished a 4" Keitech Easy Shiner on a 1st Gen 3/16oz 2/0 Jaw Dropper head and got two wee ones and a pound-and-a-halfer. Now, if that sounds like something you'd throw on a Medium - like the 842C or even the 852S like I did today - you'd be correct in thinking that. But was the 843 able to handle it like a champ? Absolutely! Spinnerbaits? Here's the first no from me. I threw a Megabass SV-3 with a 3" Largo Shad trailer and while it can handle it, I didn't like the way it felt. The 844 is still my favourite spinnerbait rod and by a lot. You can obviously feel the blades spinning and the spinnerbait working, but after throwing them on the 844 for a few years now, that's still the ticket for me. Deeper diving jerkbaits? Yeah, kinda. I threw a Megabass Vision OneTen +1 because why not and it wasn't bad. It wasn't terribly good either, but if you're only taking one rod or leave your jerkbait rod at home, it'll do in a pinch. Crankbaits? I was expecting it to be decent with crankbaits, but it was actually good. I threw a Spro RkCrawler 55 for about 30 minutes and even when banging on rocky bottom it would bend and allow the bait to deflect quite well. It's not a crankbait rod, but it handles crankbaits a lot better than it does jerkbaits. Blade baits? Another yes. I threw the Damiki Vault in over 20 feet of water today and it handled it great, even just barely lifting and hopping it on bottom. And here it is, my first weekend with the new combo. In short, it's almost exactly what I expected for everything I threw on it so far, and I have no reason to think it won't be the deal with those smaller Shower Blows 105 come topwater season. I'll keep updating this topic as I keep trying new things with this rod.

Got one last visit from the tackle fairy this year. The SB 105s (called the shorty over here) were on sale so I got a couple already thinking of warmer days. That chartreuse shad color got me my PB in the 125 size.

This year's Black Friday sales got me my first DC reel: And because I'm a sucker it already had this waiting for it at home: Can't wait to try this combo out on Saturday.