FishTank

I bought a few when there was a big Black Friday sale about two years ago. The bill broke off of each one.  Berkley tried to make it right though. I called them, sent a picture of what I had left of the bait and they sent me some new ones to replace the broken ones but those too did the same thing. 

I have the current 101, 31 and BFS Conquest and they are all the same frame size with different spools and braking. They are smaller than you would think but are awesome little reels. 
 
I use the 31HG I have for jerkbaits.  It took me a minute to warm up to this idea but it does a great job of casting a 110 jr and small cranks. It can also handle a regular 110 just fine. I have 10lb Seaguar Invizx on it and it will almost run out of line on a long cast with a 1/2oz 110. 
 

I would say seldom. I might put one on if I want to fish a shallow area slowly but there are better alternatives for this. 

Out of the rods I have, here is what I would recommend based on OP's needs.....
 
904C NRX+ - Works for anything that hits the bottom. Sensitive, has a softish tip, and is my favorite football jig rod.
 
894C NRX+ - This is my dock and bank jig rod. I can flip and cast with it. I like it for when I need a quick hook set. It has plenty of power.  I tend to have this rod in my hand more and more. It's a pleasure to fish. 
 
853C NRX+ - I use this rod for 3/8oz jigs, occasionally 1/2oz jigs and Texas rigged plastic.  Not the best for vegetation and heavy cover but it gets the job done.
 
Megabass P5 Super Destroyer -  Great all around Heavy rod. Not my favorite for jigs but it is very versatile. I can throw a big crankbait on it or a 1/2oz jig and it will be great with both. 
 
Megabass P5 Daemos - Still new to me and it might not be the best for the OP's needs but it will work for a 3/8oz and 1/2oz jigs, swim jigs, and probably a spinnerbait.  It's soft and not that powerful at the tip. It's similar to the X-Bites but the tip is faster and has a little less power in the butt of the rod.  Sensitivity is good but not as good as any NRX rod. It will make for a good junk fishing rod. 
 
 * 883C NRX+ -  For Chatterbaits and Spinnerbaits, I have yet to find a better rod. It will cast a mile. It loads on a hook set perfectly. I have tried tons of rods for these techniques and this has been the only rod that has blown me away.  The tip is soft for an NRX rod but the rest is power.  Only downside to this rod and it's a big one for me, the hook keeper is just above the rod butt on the blank. It gets a zero. It's annoying and in the wrong place. I have gotten use to it though but man what were they thinking.  This rod is pure overkill as well. 
 
Honorable mention> 803C GLX for 3/8oz jigs around docks and 844C GLX for 1/2oz jigs and soft plastic
 

I would guess about a third or more of the members on this site have ordered from a JDM website.  The downside is, no warranty but the value and quality are great. 
 
What you see when you check out is pretty much what you pay unless PayPal charges you a currency conversion fee.
 
Good sites to order from..... Digitaka and Japan Lure Shop. 

Here is their website.  
 
https://xbraidygk.jp/
 
Here are the ones I have tried.....
 
Ohdragon - Sinking braid. My favorite for Ned Rigs on spinning gear but not as abrasion resistant as others 
 
OLLTOLOS PE WX8P-1 - Great jig line. Slick and easy to cast. Only available in heavy sizes.
 
Upgrade - Great all around line. I have used it on both spinning and casting
 
Zone Finesse - Lighter, softer line. Great for BFS gear but it can be finicky
 
Super Jigman - Good all around line. Slightly slicker than Upgrade
 
Unless you're fishing heavy cover (weeds and grass), I would use leader on all of these lines.

After digging deeper, I see what you are saying.  
 
If you are looking for an alternative,  check out Picasso.  I can't remember why kind of keepers they have but I don't recall having any issues. You can go down a deep rabbit hole with all of what they offer. 

I have the NRX+ 821S and have no issues with casting a long way but I was kind of "not feeling" this rod when I got it. In order to see what would work best, I tried a couple of different reels with it, a previous generation 3000 Vanquish,  an older Stradic 2500, a buddy's 2500S Stella,  a 2500 Daiwa Emeraldas Air and finally the new Vanquish C2500S.
 
The new Vanquish was the ticket. It was then I realized, for whatever reason,  that this rod needs a smaller, lighter reel to load correctly.  I now love this rod. It will cast a light weight Ned into oblivion with just flick but I also attribute this to the high specific gravity braided line I have on there, YGK OHDRAGON.
 
 

Here is what I have been using since I got bit by the BFS bug.....
 
Megabass P5 Criffhanger - soft plastic (stiffer tip than I would like but fun to fish)
 
Megabass P5 Siglett - soft plastic, hair jigs, light trout baits and some topwater
 
Megabass Kasumi Six Eleven - crank baits (great all around rod)
 
Dobyns Sierra Ultra Finesse 700C - also great rod (soft but fast tip with a moderate middle, I have caught more fish on this rod than anything else)
 
Kislter Hunt 6'8'' 3X - my favorite so far (loads and casts everything well, can be used with one hand and is more of a true BFS rod, in my opinion, than any of the other rods I have). 
 
I would also lump the G. Loomis NRX+ 802C JWR in there but it is more finesse than BFS.  I use this for small jigs and 1/16oz shaker heads with a 6in Roboworm. 
 
For a 1/16oz bait the Hunt BFS has been great and would be my over all choice. With any of these rods (except the 802C NRX+), I would recommend you buy a good net. You won't be boat flipping a fish or pulling them up on a bank with any of them on a regular basis. 
 
 
 
 

I had a 8' St. Croix Mojo Musky rod with around the same specs. I wanted to use it for A-rigs and swimbaits. It looked good on paper but in practice it was not the best idea. If I had a good size fish hit it, say 3lb+, it wasn't bad but when a smaller fish would bite, which would be most of the ones I catch, I had a hard time getting a good hook set because of how stout the rod was.  A fish really had to hit hard. The way it loaded was just different from a bass rod. Also, it was fatiguing to fish this thing. I ended up selling it. 
 
The short answer for me is yes, you could use it but I would try it out with the idea you may need something else.

On 5 or 6lb FC, I get about 12ft on a long cast. 

What do you intend to use it for?
 
I have been overly satisfied with the older Steez SV TW. I don't see much difference between the two, except the spool and the color.  The Steez CT, on the other hand, is a step up to me from the SV. 
 
I like limited edition stuff but after reading everything I could find on the 21 Steez limited, I decided to pass. 
 
Take this video for what it's worth but it does have some good info.
 
 

I thought of another one. St. Croix Mojo Yak. The handles on these rods are shorter and the tip is pretty soft. I have enjoyed mine.

One other I forgot about, the Daiwa Alpha 800S. I have not heard anything about this reel but it does have a shallow spool, 85mm handle and not bad price wise. 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFwxT7nQTfc

I think the 843C CBR would be ideal for 3/8oz squarebills. 
 
As to why Loomis doesn't have a GLX crankbait rod.... they use to and discontinued them. I owned one and didn't like it.  It was actually too sensitive and it didn't have a good arc to keep the fish pinned. I would loose fish with it and the constant heavy thump would drive me crazy. I ended up selling it. 
 
Other rods to consider,  look at St. Croix Legend Tournament and at the Megabass P5. The P5's to me are very versatile. I have been very pleased with the ones I have.
 

As long as it not used, $400 is a good deal. IMHO, the 70A, put on the right rod, is best long casting reel out there. My only complaint with this reel, its like holding an ice cube when its cold outside but other than that, its amazing.

I have a couple.  Think of it in the same way you do a 110 but smaller than the Jr. It's works great on BFS gear and on a spinning setup.  I fish it on BFS setup with 6lb Sunline Sniper Invisible. 
 
Here is 110, the 110jr., and the X-75 Nanahan for size comparison. 
 
 

The 783GLX has been my favorite rod for the past 12+ years. I also the 7' MH Legend Elite and it is a souter rod than the 783. Great rod though.   But for what you are wanting to use, the 783 GLX would be my choice. 

I use to have this reel (about 5 of them and sold them all).   I have tried a couple different bearings in them and the best for the price are the ABEC 7 metal shield from Boca, despite the cost.  You can usually find a coupon code for 15% or even 25% off.   The ABEC 5's are OK but they are not much of an upgrade from the stock bearings from Shimano.  The most noticeable casting improvement is in the 7's.
 
I have swapped several for guys over the years and I put in what they want.  Usually the ones from ebay that are cheap are just that cheap and they are hit and miss as to whether they are good from the get go.  I would get the cheaper stock bearings from Shimano instead.  
 
https://www.bocabearings.com/products/fr-008c-zz-7-ld-19897?make=SHIMANO&model=CURADO CU-200 BSF (SPOOL)&feature=BAITCASTER
 
https://fishshop.shimano.com/collections/cu200k   
You will need BNT4343 x 2 or you can do BNT3627, one of Shimano's better bearings.
 
 

I have this rod.  I like it but it took me awhile to get use to it.   It has more power than it appears to have.  Hooks set are a little weird too.  I can't really explain it but once you use it, you will see what I mean.  
 
I would say this rod works best with light weight cranks that dive to 4 to 10 feet.  
 
Bottom line, it is an odd rod but a good rod that takes some getting use to. 

If you fishing for fish that will be from bass to muskie, I would pick a MH Fast 6'6'' rod that feels comfortable and balances well with your reel.  With that said, the Premier, as stated above, is a good, basic, no thrills, rod but it will serve for your purpose.  
 
Considering your applications, there is another rod that has yet to come out that may suit your needs.... The Fenwick Elite Tech Largemouth rods.  They offer a 7'' 2 piece MH rod that would fit the bill.  I like the Elite Tech Smallmouth casting rod I have in comparison.  
 
One other thing, if your going to fish for Muskie and Pike, at the minimum 20lb braid is in order, along with a heavy wire leader.