Wprich

Same here just I use conquest 842S instead. 3/8 dragging is doable but it's no problem at all dropping straight down on fish for me.

2500/3000 will be fine I have 3000 size Shimano's on both mine.

Think you'll love it I have a Alphas with 10# Seaguar R18 fluoro that I decided to try out on mine.

I have/had both now own two 852S so that would be my choice. For a bit more versatility the 842S is a option that adds finesse cranks, dropshotting, finesse swimbaits, jerkbaits etc to the other techniques.

Loomis & St. Croix are all I have but way more are Loomis rods.

I have it and have fished it on Lanier the past 2 weekends and had a great time catching spots on a 110+1 JR with it. Got very good casting distance and felt it was very responsive on the cadence working the bait with good backbone on the fight. I had a problem keeping fish pinned the first weekend but I think my drag was a bit too loose and wasn't getting good hooksets(also caught a 5# channel cat on the jerkbait and didn't realize how badly my hooks got mangled🤣). I had 2 to come off yesterday when they jumped landed the other 6. I can't compare it to the Expride A but I did have a Expride B that I didn't like it's stiffness and sold quickly this GLX feels way better than the B felt.

1. 5" Senko 2. 6" Missile Baits Magic Worm to dropshot/shaky gead 3. 3.25 X-Zone Hot Shot Minnow to dropshot 4. 5.25 Fluke 5. 1/2 Oz Bladed Jig Evo or bladed jig 6. 1/2 Oz Finesse Football Jig keitech or beast coast 7. 6" Lizard(LM) or Game Hawg(Spots) 8. Shad Rap 5 9. Frittside 5 Jr. 10. Vision 110+1 Jr. Honorable mentions: 2.8 keitech on a underspin Strike king rodent(favorite bed fishing bait) Megabass Dog-X Jr Coayu Strike king baby Z-too for minnow shaking

Absolutely! I have 2 843C models and I honestly don't feel I miss any bites and their equally as sensitive to me as the 853C. I also feel I cast a bit more accurately with the 843C's due to the softer tip.

If your looking for something for deep either the 872S or The One may be the rod for you I had the 872S but eventually traded it out for a 2nd 852S. Another option for you would be a Loomis NRX+/Conquest 842S that would be a real do all rod that I have 2 of personally. You can throw plastics(wacky, Neko, free rig, dropshot), crankbaits(shad rap/frittside jr.), jerkbaits(hard like 110 jr and jr+1 as well as Fluke style), paddle tails(2.8/3.3), minner shakin, I've even thrown the Megabass Dog X Jr. on them which has very fine hooks.

NRX+ 853C Daiwa Steez CT SV 8.1:1 12# Sunline Shooter Strike king Game Hawg in green pumpkin or blue craw 1/4 oz tungsten weight(pegged) 3/0 Owner EWG

St. Croix Legend Tournament Bass 6'8" MXF with 2500 Shimano Miravel spooled with straight 7# Sunline Sniper

Throw game hawgs more due to spots here biting the tails off lizards. My go to colors are green pumpkin, pumpkin, black/blue, and a magnum zoom in straight black. Also like the moccasin blue zoom lizard on one particular lake I frequent.

Really want to become a better jig angler and need to start using topwaters more so plan to use those more in 25'.

My mains are: -Worms: Neko, Wacky, Shaky Head, & Dropshot(Senko/Missile Baits Magic Worms/Strike King Finesse worms) -Finesse cranks(Shad Rap/Frittside) -Minnow baits: Dropshot, Underspins, Minner shaking, Jig Head(X-Zone/Keitechs/Baby Z Too/Flukes) -Creatures: TX/Carolina Rigging(Game Hawgs/Lizards/Rodents/Craws) Catch a few here and there on jigs, chatterbaits, jerkbaits, spoons etc but no where near my main producers but hope to become at them all.

Glad to help I made same choice and bought a 872S as my second NRX(852S was my first) mostly based on what I saw online about it. Good thing I was able to sell it after about a year of having it and didn't lose much on the sell at all. Don't get me wrong its a nice rod but I found myself using it more on bank fishing trips than out my kayak. The 842S will definitely handle everything light finesse but if I have a rod rigged up for dropshot I kinda hate to rerig it for something else call me lazy🤣. I fished dropshot ALOT this year on the spotted bass lakes here in GA and for 2025 decided I'd rather have a rod dedicated to it for the day so got 822dsr. I actually wanted a 3rd 842S but the 822dsr came in stock sooner so just went with it caught a few fish on it in December like it so far.

I have 842S(conquest) it's perfect for dropshotting missile/roboworms for largemouth. I dropshot minnow baits as well with it all this past summer fishing brushpiles but I do have a 822DSR I bought in November that will be covering that duty going forward. Don't fish NED much but I used the 842S for that a lot when I first got it no issues. Don't like 5" wacky on 842S is only thing you mentioned above I don't use it for but 4" Neko/wacky it fells perfect. I do ALOT of finesse cranking with 842S shad rap #5, frittside Jr, red eye shad. Do you skip docks and under overhangs alot? I had a 872S and didn't like it for skipping due to length so I sold it and got a second 852S my favorite spinning rod. It's different for everyone but the longer rods and kayak didn't work for me I've had and sold 902S, 893C, and 872S. 853C/843C will fill the gap between your 2 power spinning rod and the 873 very nicely. I have both and use the 853C almost exclusively with a TX rigged game hawg or Rage Lizard but will throw finesse jigs(Keitech/Beast Coast/Dirty Jigs). The 843C gets the finesse jigs, 3/8 chatters/spinnerbaits, 1/2 spoons, swimbaits, TX rigs(when I don't carry 853C), and Ive cranked with it few times DT-14/6th sense Cloud.

Big bite baits yomama, rage craws, xzone muscle back craws for me

I think the first Steez CT 700 was 2019 then they released the Steez CT 70 that had the hyperdrive gearing like the Zillion in 2021. 700 has the colored side to match the gear speed like purple is 8.1:1 while the 70 doesn't have that. Same here the spool is already small enough in the current model

Haven't tried the 822C but would like to when they come in stock again. 843C can throw cranks not ideal rod but it can definitely do it can save some bucks here and go GLX if you want if your getting NRX 853C for predominately bottom stuff. 853C perfect for what you have it listed for. 852S may be a bit much of a rod for trout it's a powerful spinning rod.

I bought/sold/traded a few before I settled on the ones I have so don't be like me!

Can't help with the cranking or the 894 but I have 844's which are comparable to the 904. The 2 rods I can suggest above all are the 843C and 842S you can do darn near anything with those two within their weigh ranges the rest of my suggestions are above.

Anything in a 2500 or 3000 will work I have a Twin Power on one Stella on my other.

This are my favorites I have doubles of all except the 853C: 853C - All bottom contact 3/16 - 3/8 plus plastic 843C - 3/8 oz spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, finesse jig(Keitech/beastcoast football), swimbaits(paddletails ie keitechs 3.3-4.3), spoons, TX rigs, crankbaits(in a pinch I've throw deep divers during summer on it) 844C - 1/2 oz+ spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, jigs, swimbaits(magdrafts/bullshads), Carolina rigs(1/2 & 3/4), TX rigs 852S(my favorite)- wacky, neko, shaky head, free rig, dragging dropshots, light TX rigs, flukes 842S - Dropshot(dragging and dropping), neko, ned, free rig, crankbaits(shadrap 5/frittside JR/5), 2.8/3.3 keitechs, jerkbaits, small topwaters, flukes

NRX+ 853C would probably be best I just Texas rig with mine though usually 1/4-3/8 plus a lizard or game hawg. 852C might would work but I had one and felt 3/8 was a bit much for it personally.

I have both and if I can only take one it is always the 843C. Mine usually has a 1/2 finesse jig(keitech/beast coast) on it but can and will throw Texas rigs, chatterbaits, spoons, cranks, underspins etc on it. It may not be "made" for jig/Texas rig fishing but it definitely does it well and that blank sure is sensitive on jig bites it is electric to me the way that bite transmits on it. My 853C is used as strictly a TX rig rod on days I actually carry both models.