jimanchower

I got an X Bites last summer, caught one little fish on it, then snapped it when pushing the kayak through tall grass. The sound still haunts me. I got my warranty replacement from MB and I have come to really love the rod this summer. I am also using a Zillion SV TW with the 8.1:1 gears from my JDM Zillion HD. When I bought the rod (sight unseen) I didn't know it has micro guides, and my usual braid-to-leader setup didn't play nice. I went out last weekend and fished straight braid and had a blast. Just this afternoon I spooled with with 14# Sniper. I'm not much of a fluoro guy but I'm going to give it a shot. The X Bites has essentially become my dedicated t-rig rod, although it does great with 3/8oz jigs as well. I try to keep the total weight of the lure in the 3/8 - 3/4oz range. I need to find one of those 5+ pounders to catch on it. Glad you're enjoying yours.

Yeah, the Zillion doesn't work for me on the GLX. Metanium is great on my 844. I have an Aldebaran on my 843 and it's amazing. Oddly enough I have Zillions on Exprides.

If you typically throw fast action rods and haven't tried an MBR, that's an easy recommendation. I got the GLX 843c, loved it, and more recently picked up the GLX 844c. But if you know you want a fast-action bottom contact rod maybe look at the NRX+. I've dipped my toe into the Megabass rod world but I'm more of a Loomis guy. The Daiwa Zillion reels are great but I prefer the size and shape of Shimano's offerings. The Aldebaran is one of my favorites, both because it's super light and because I can absolutely bomb casts with it. The Metaniums are fantastic, too, if you want more of an all-rounder.

I have two of the SB-105, and one of the SB-77. They look great in my tackle box and when I hold them up and admire them. They look great on the water. But they haven't produced much for me.

It's not much fun to cast lighter stuff on, but if you're talking about t-rigs using weights in the 3/8 - 1/2oz range you'll be good.

I've got a couple of Metaniums but have been thinking about checking out a Bantam. Other than price, what does the Bantam do for you that the Met doesn't? I have two. I would not pair it with the 7'2" MH/F Expride (which I also have), and it wouldn't be my choice for swim jigs. A Metanium is perfect on that rod, imho. I do absolutely adore an Aldebaran on my 843 MBR. That's probably about my ceiling in terms of how heavy of a rod I'll put the Aldebaran on.

I gave it a shot and it seems to be a simple swap, with the disclaimer that I don't really know what I'm doing. I swapped the pinion gear + drive gear between the two, and I'm going to try it out on the water tomorrow or this weekend. Looking to use this TW HD with the low-speed gearing as a chatterbait reel. I have been using a Metanium 7.1 on a MH/F Expride, and have always said that I prefer a 7 speed for a chatterbait, but the MH/MF Expride glass comes in tomorrow and I'm thinking the slower action may be complemented more by the slower ratio reel.

I have a USDM Zillion SV TW G in the 6.3 gear ratio, and I have a JDM Zillion TW HD 1000 in the 8.1 gear ratio. This may be a silly question, but is it possible to swap the gears between the two?

Well, the third time was a charm on the 844. I got the replacement replacement rod in today and it's good to go. Looking forward to getting out on the water with it later this week!

I think you're right about the guide foot. I can't reproduce it just by pressing/tapping on the guide, but if I put pressure on the second guide where it meets the blank, the noise goes away almost completely when shaking the rod. I got my 843 out again and shook it / faux casted it as hard as I could and it was solid and silent. The 844 sounds like what Hulkster describes. I think I'll reach out to G Loomis and seek their guidance. I know TW will take care of things on their end. I've gone this far in my life without fishing an 844C - what's another couple of weeks?

This is without a reel even mounted!

Ha, in this case I actually ordered a new one and shipped them the first one back when the guy delivered the replacement, so I'm sure it's a different rod.

I got my 844C last week but exchanged it because it had a clicking noise when I'd make a casting motion (or when holding the handle and wiggling the rod tip up and down). It sounded like something was loose/broken. I just received the replacement and it does the exact same thing. My 843C makes no such sound. Is it possible that I got two bad rods, or is there something else going on here?

I followed that thread. It seems like you prefer something faster than the MBR action. I remember when I got my 843c I had a little bit of regret. It felt a little delicate (light weight + softer tip) and I questioned why I bought another MH rod. Then I fished it and have been smitten ever since. Hoping the 844c does the same, just "one louder."

It does seem easy to justify, and would theoretically allow me to sell a rod or two that isn't getting used. Probably going to pair the 844 with a reel I already own - either the Zillion HD or a Metanium.

I've got an 843 (~2 years old) and it's my favorite rod. Is the 844 a must-have? I do some kayak fishing and don't want to take more than 2-3 rods. Would the 843 and 844 pair well, or is there too much overlap? Should I just get an Expride heavy instead? I even considered the Conquest. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a bit of a discount on a Loomis over Memorial Day weekend.

It's got a relatively soft tip, which I think helps walk a frog. I picked up a MB Levante Perfect Pitch on a whim a year or two ago, thinking that it would become my frog rod, but I prefer the Dobyns.

That's "wash your sister" in southwest Mississippi

You're right - thanks. In the past they've shown the discounted price (in red) side-by-side with the regular price (crossed out). The first thing I did when the sale was live was to scroll through my wish list and see if anything had been discounted additionally because I was looking for that red text.

I don't see any "extra 10%" on the specified brands, either. Oof. It has gotten to where I'm only getting the stuff from TW that other retailers don't stock.

I had a "$20 off $100 purchase" coupon several months ago so I set out to restock on $100 worth of staples. Unfortunately, that effective 20% discount is negated by their higher prices compared to TW and other online retailers. I know they'll price match, but I don't want to spend 15 minutes at the customer service counter just to get the same deal I could get every day online. I do like Academy for their selection of non-gucci tackle, as you say, and they do have some sales here and there, but I'm not the type to drop by every week just to browse which is what you need to do to take advantage. edit: sorry, didn't mean to detract from the purpose of this thread

I'm a kayak / bank guy most of the time so while I have a rod or two that are pretty dedicated but I tend to mix and match. Most of the time I'm choosing between these: Casting Expride 6'10" M | Zillion SV TW 6 | 10# fluoro Loomis GLX 7' MBR | Aldebaran 7 | 30# braid to 10# mono X-bites 7'2" MH | Met 8 | 15# fluoro Expride 7'2" MH | Met 7 | 40# braid to 12# mono Levante 7'2" H | Zillion HD TW 8 | 50# braid Spinning Expride 6'10" ML | Nasci 1000 | 15# braid to 8# fluoro Expride 7' M | Stradic 3000 | 15# braid to 10# fluoro If I lost everything in a fire, the no-question replacements would be the Loomis MBR, the Aldebaran, and the Zillion SV TW. But I like them all (or else I'd get something different!).

I do something similar, but I have found that when pulled taut, the swivel doesn't want to spin. Have you had someone stand at the swivel end and confirm that it's spinning to get the twist out?

Not quite - you need to account for the ferrules.

My Stym Palides is 29-1/4" for each section. I also have a Grilz, which is a bit shorter. They only come with the cloth wrap bag. You'll need something more protective. I have the purpose-built case from Megabass and I'm pleased with it. I can fit one combo with the reel attached, or both combos with the reels off (but in the bag).