I have a pair of Loomis IMX MagLight/XF spinning rods and I would love to find a blank that is as close to them as possible.  The power and taper of them are perfect for a lot of the fishing I love to do, but I can't stand the reel seat/grip of any of their current spinning rod lines.  Both of my rods are short, a SJR6400 and a SJR720, so 5'4" and 6'.  I would love a longer rod but the only current Loomis that might be OK ergonomically is the E6X line, but I don't want to go backwards in blank quality from my current IMXs.  I also think a blank like that would make a very nice BFS rod.

 

Do any of you guys know of a blank that is anywhere close in power and taper?  

 

 

The original was the SJR700,  it's been around for decades. If you know who Stan Fagerstrom is, it was his favorite stick. I have an original in the old IM6, so I've now dated myself.

The one's you mentioned are nothing like it, the 6400 is stiffer tipped and was one of the original dropshot design rods. They were all short originally, to decrease weight and increase sensitivity.

Well back to a light, long, x fast blank. The IMX material is IM7 graphite, 47 mil modulus, it was originally graphite scrimmed till they discontinued, but no longer, since re-introduction they are glass scrimmed like the Lamiglas IM700 rods always were. Many X-fast long, light powered blanks are made now of better materials and just as durable in a fishing environment, you just got to get past discriptions that are not universal in the industry and never were.

Suggestions, the the St Croix 7ft. 6 in. blank rated 4 to 10 lb line, another the United Composites UC66LXF, or UC70LXF rated 2.to 10 lb. line. There are others, but harder to find and I have someplace else.to be to continue this conversation

 

My 5S76MLXF mentioned above has a tip that reminds you of the tip on an ultralight trout rod that finishes with the backbone you'd expect on any nice finess bass rod. Tackletour reviewed that rod.

The United Composites blanks are built with the same layup the company uses on the all graphite heavy saltwater blanks. It's called an aviation layup and makes a much more durable blank than the layup we see used by he industry in general.The dual helix layup has been used for everything from heavy saltwater rail rods to fly rods and everything in between.

Thanks for the info, I will look into those blanks.  Part of me wants to grab the E6X version if I can find it on sale this coming Black Friday.  I love love love the reel seats and handles of both the casting and spinning E6X rods and really wish the IMX and GLX rods were closer to them, the spinning rods especially.

All the reel seat parts you see are all off the shelf Fuji components. If you go that way I can help set you up.

NFCs DS6107-1 IM is spec'd as a Mag-lite XF.  I have a SCIII and SCV 76MLXF and it is way more powerful than the NFC Mag-lite.

I agree, but the SJR6400 he spec'd is rated 2 to 6 lb. line, when dropshotting returned from Japan after disappearing here, those rods were short and light lined to go with a little light weights and fine wire little hooks, coupled with a vertical only initial presentation.

I feel like the SJR6400 is way underrated and the SJR720 isnt much better.  I use 10lb braid to 7-12lb floro leaders (my normal MWF line choice) with them both.  The lures I use start at 3/16oz (1/2 Zlinker on a 1/16 head) up to almost 1/2oz when I drop shot with a 3/16oz weight and a thin 4" plastic.  The SJR720 has a softer tip and does better with lighter lures, but I can still throw my "standard" DS rig of 3/16oz weight and a 6" Robo on it without it feeling very overloaded.  What I love about these rods is that they are the only that I have found that I like for both MWF/small jighead+plastic and drop shotting.  They are a magic combo of fast enough to get great hooksets but somehow soft enough to protect thin-wire hooks, light enough to make 10" smallies a blast to catch but powerful enough to get a 3lb largemouth out of 10' of water. 

 

It's because I feel that the rating is so far off that I have had a hard time trying to find another series of rods or a blank that is close to it.  I also have a mbr782 GLX and while the MagL/XF rods are for sure less powerful than it, I think they are a lot closer than the respective rod ratings would indicate.  The MagL/XFast rods have just the perfect blend of power and action for a lot of the fishing I do but I would love if were possible to recreate it in a longer rod that was built with a seat and grip that I like.  

I just sold two of the SJR720 IMX first generation rods. I also had a HSR9000S IMX first generation hotshot spinning rod. It's is 7'-6" mag light extra fast rated for 1/4 oz to 1/2oz. Its is still available in the current imx line. It's a very versatile rod/blank. Have you looked at it? If you want a blank to build on look for a hotshot/steelhead blanks also called a popping blank rod in saltwater lines. Good luck with your search. Those are terrific blanks. 

On 10/5/2018 at 6:01 PM, Dwight Hottle said:

I just sold two of the SJR720 IMX first generation rods.

I believe I bought mine off of you a few months ago.

 

I didn't know about hotshot/popping rods before, that gives me a lot to look at, thanks!

Hotshot and popping rod blanks are not the same design, the hotshot blanks are a pacific northwest design for pulling plugs, the rods are in rod holders positioned in a near horizontal fashion with the tips pointing almost toward the plugs, the tips are soft so the plug's side to side action isn't hindered.

The popping rod is a much more moderate actioned blank, very similar to a crankbait rod's action. They were designed to move a poppng cork correctly with a shrimp behind on a leader. Chugging topwaters are similar.

The HSR9000 rods make a better than decent bonefish rod, I have GL3 casting versions for steelhead/smaller salmon plugging, and a GLX 3 piece spinning version for bonefish among other things, it's a marginal steelhead plugging rod, too stiff.

I had varied success with the more powerful and longer hotshot rods I owned and used in Florida when I was stationed there, the Loomis HSR821 was another standout and is in the Loomis Greenwater series with different components to match the situation, as is the HSR 9000 and HSR 941 blanks. The series came out maybe 10 years after I left Florida.

Had much better luck with salmon backbouncing blanks in the blue water, they were also the rods first used when swimbaits were designed. I had pretty good luck using salmon jigging spoons on the wrecks.