Those of you who are big loomis fans....i have about 20 or so Powell Rods and never picked up or used a Loomis but i feel like they have a bit of a following...cult like. Can someone tell me why they justify the price? Is the warrenty better do you honesly think they are better than a $150 priced rod? Just curious! Thanks.
Shimano bought them years ago
The low end Loomis not better. Nrx and Nrx + best blank I have ever used period. Should include the Conquest as well
I definitely agree. I like a lot of their higher-end rods, and have long been a fan of their GLX rods in the Mag Bass series. I can’t say they’re better than X brand or Y brand, but I’ve come to use them quite a bit because of reliability and versatility.Originally Posted by Mr.Bass
I think that's a good description, as well. I don't see any reason to buy anything below a GLX and think that the new NRX are still some of the (but not undisputedly "THE") best blanks out there. A Poison Ultima or Phenix K2 or certain Destroyer P5 blanks are in the same range. You can get way cheaper rods (i.e. Trika) that are as sensitive as a GLX, as well. Still like the way they fish, though.
Shimano bought G Loomis as people pointed out, but I think the history here is important: Gary Loomis was diagnosed with cancer, the doctors gave him 18 months, and he got his affairs in order by selling to Shimano while staying on to drive rod development. Luckily for everybody, Gary is still alive and we now also have North Fork Composites (after disagreements between Gary and Shimano started to emerge a decade or so later). But this wasn't a hostile Shimano takeover that completely and fundamentally changed G Loomis the company. Doesn't mean it's the same as it used to be, either (see Gary leaving).
Selling to Shimano was the best thing that ever happened to GLoomis rods. Looking how NFC and Edge rods companies are run, GLoomis would have gone to shit years ago.
FWIW, I have a big collection of Powell rods myself (Powell used to be around the corner from where I live, so they were super local). Great rods for the price. Making a switch to high-end rods when I was able to definitely felt like an improvement, though. It's up to everybody to decide whether the improvement in weight, sensitivity, balance and fun factor are worth it. The only way to know if it's for you, IMO, is to actually fish one of these rods. That either triggers an addiction that's bad for your bank account (but fun!) or it doesn't (consider yourself lucky). You'll catch fish either way - there are finesse and deep-water bottom contact techniques where a high-end rod can make a difference, but it's not like you suddenly unlock easy mode.
The way I've always looked at it is this: even on a good day, I'll make way more casts where I don't catch a fish than casts that result in a catch. Even during a good hour of fishing, I'll spend 10 minutes catching and 50 minutes just using the equipment. The more fun the equipment is during the majority of the time when I don't catch fish, the more fun the overall fishing day is going to be. That is subjectively worth the money to me.
Im not a follower and dont think my NRX is as fantastic as the hype. I have the 893 which is supposed to be THE rod in the line-up never quite got what the hype is about.
I completely concur! I can tell what type of vegitation I am dragging something through. I have 9 NRX rods and love them all for anything finnesse of bottom contact, that is where they really shine. I have had some Megabass rods that I like just as much but I am scared to use them with their lack of warrenty coverage. I have a couple of Gary Loomis's Edge Black Widow rods that are darn close for bottom contact sensitivity and a great value for the price. I do have a couple Conquests that I like to some techniques. The GLX are not as sensitive if I had to do it again it's NRX's or nothing. I do want to try those Trika rods.
Maybe I'm in the minority, but I'm not and never have been into the G Loomis hype, at any of their price points. Are the NRX and Conquest series great rods? Absolutely! Worth what they cost? Knowing this will ruffle some feathers...in my opinion, not even close. Any rod builder with any skill at all can take a decent blank and build something as good or better, sell it to you at a 100% markup over cost, and you'd still get it for half what an NRX or Conquest costs. That's not mentioning all the production rods out there that come really, really close that cost 1/2 or 1/3 or even less. Heck, the Exprides sold by the same company under the Shimano brand put a scare into the NRX and Conquest series.
They made some strides with the NRX+ compared to the original NRX that was something like 10 years old by the time it was replaced, but other companies have made strides too. To be clear here, I recognize that my opinion is just that--an opinion--and that people look for different things in different rods. It'd be super interesting to see what people would think of them if there was a way to do a truly blind comparison. I suspect the placebo effect is at play...
2011 Skeeter ZX225
225 Yamaha HPDI Series 2
Minn Kota Ultrex 112 52"
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Bow: HDS 12 Carbon, Solix 12 G2, Mega 360, Garmin 106 SV, LVS 34
I am not a brand loyal kind of a guy by any means. Of my 52 rod collection(Yes I know it's an excessive amount and I have way too much money sitting there none of my buddies let me forget LoL) I own a top of the line rod from just about everyone including several custom rods. If we are only talking strictly bottom contact I have yet to find a blank more sensitive than an NRX. A couple that are close, but not better. Most of the time it's a night and day differance. They are awesome for super finnesse techniques as well. For everything else I completely understand not wanting to pay the price. Top of the line guides like the Torzite's and great reel seat play a role as well but I think the quality of the blank is the main component for optimal transfer of vibrations and where all the science is. If there is something out there that can pick up every litte differance on the bottom that doesn't cost $500 I am all ears for sure!
I treated myself to a Poison Adrena last year. Certainly a nice rod but it was not the improvement over my St Croixs that I expected.
A few years back, I was also very sceptical about the advantages of the NRX series over more reasonnably priced rods of the same maker. It was evident to me that there is diminishing returns when you go up in price and I didn't expect a rod of double the price to have double the sensitivity ... and that's what you buy NRX for. I got my first 852 spinning rod and there was a difference... a significant one. I use it for bottom contact mostly with tubes and it's ideal for that type of presentation. I know a lot of people don't like the recoil guides but I think they are a plus at the sensityvity level when using spinning tackle and the line not touching the blank. This is not as evident with casting rods.
To be fair, Poison Adrenas are not Halo Rods and not comparable to an NRX. They’re Shimano’s mid-tier, with Poison Glorious and Poison Ultimas completing the series into the high-end. Shimano doesn’t sell those rods in the US, but they’re available as imports. And I’ll put a Poison Ultima up against any NRX and I think they compare favorably.
i mean I sure would hope the Poison Ultima would be atleast on par with an NRX, especially since they cost $200 more
those JDM rods definitely blows the domestic craftsmanship out of the water.
1995 Ranger 481v
1995 Johnson Fast Strike 175hp
You won't find a bigger fan of the Exprides on this forum than me, but as nice as they are (and still the best "value" purchase in a fishing rod 2 generations going imo), they never put a dent into the NRX when it comes to bottom contact models.
This is an interesting topic and one that will likely spark lots of debate, which is what forums are all about, right? I can say with a fairly high degree of confidence, no one has spent more money on trying to find the "best" rod on the planet than I. My paypal account provides the proof, as would my wife.... All kidding/joking aside, I have put my hands on no less than 100 different rods over the past two to three years. Different brands, different models within a brand, different lengths, actions and powers. My evaluations have been based a myriad of factors and considerations. From a rod handles lures/baits within their weight specs (casting & working a bait), how do they feel in hand (balance, comfort, fit), how do they perform (sensitivity, action, power) and lastly what is the cost/value equation (essentially return on investment). And I have come the conclusion that certainly there are rods like the NRX, Conquest, Steez, Xtasy, Elites & Destroyers that definitely lead the way with respect to refinement, weight, sensitivity and cost, and are amazingly "fun" to hold in hand and fish, BUT I just don't think for the average, every day, get out 3 to 4 Xs per week angler, that the benefits of these higher end rods outweigh the cost of the product. By this I mean the average fishermen can get all performance, feedback, enjoyment and fish catches they need fishing $200 to $400 equipment as they could/would fishing with $500 and $600 equipment.
I ended up proving this to myself last fall fishing the six year old (no longer made) Daiwa Cronos series spinning rods throwing tubes and paddle tail swimbaits. I had a day on the water where I caught 15 or so fish on this $179 (I purchased mine new for $90) rod series and I could feel every single bite, could cast my baits a mile and never lost a single fish. Would I have caught more fish that day if I had an NRX?? Maybe?? Would I have had more fun/enjoyment if I was fishing an $600 NRX versus the $200 Cronos? That is hard to measure, but I doubt it.
There is no doubt that today's $500 to $600 rods are amazing. They are light weight, extremely sensitive and amazingly consistent in their action and powers as you move through the lineup. For people who fish for a living, I am certain that has tremendous value, which means the return on investment equation would make sense. That said, the great thing about the advancements in rod components over the years, is that the rods in the $200 to $400 range have also vastly improved in terms of weight, sensitivity and the consistency of the power and actions (if you wanted to fish an entire lineup). My entire "finding the perfect rod" search has turned into finding the hidden gems in the sub $400 rod category or finding fantastic deals on $500 to $600 rods in the $200 to $400 price range. I would never say that a Steez or NRX suck or aren't amazing rods. That would just be stupid, as there is no arguing they are absolutely amazing sticks. What I would say is that I can't make sense of the price tag, for me, and that I believe there are tons of rods that provide an excellent return on investment for me in the $200 to $400 price range.
I also find this topic interesting ... and I agree with most of what you said particularly in the first and last paragraphs. I have some reserves about the second paragraph. I also have rods that are less expensive and that I wouldn't trade for anything. I've got a 59$ frog rod that has been the best I can find for the last 20 years. I broke a Crucial Drop shot rod two years ago and can't really replace it with something better ... for me. I don't adequate the price of a rod to the number of fish I catch with it, even if that's the final goal. And I have as much fun catching these fish on a 60$ rod than I have on a NRX ... maybe a bit more. And you cannot feel every single bite... even with an NRX. The bites you don't feel you don't know about. I measure the sensitivity of a rod to the feeling of the bottom . With an NRX I know when the tube buts up against a rock, when I drag it on top and when it falls free on the other side. I know when I've picked up a bit of vegetation. Maybe some fishermen don't need an NRX to feel that because they have incredible sensitivity in their hands and are very connected to their tackle. They can get away with a less sensitive rod because they make up for it in skill. For some applications ( tubes and paddletails ), I don't want to take that chance.
I'm going to have a look at the Trikas. I could use a custom for half the price too. I fish a lot of shakeyhead, braid to leader and it's mostly slack line with the lightest weight I can use. I generally see the line acting hinky, not much on the rod. I'm going to experiment with tungsten over 20 ft. and could use a better rod...it's not like I don't have a bunch that say shakeyhead on them. But...if I thought the Loomis would be 150% of what I'm using I could go for 2. Thanks for the post.
pretty sure Trika rods use NFC XRay blanks which some regard as one of the most sensitive blanks available to custom builders. I built an XRay SJ736 (7’3” MH-F) and it’s an incredible rod. The sensitivity is phenomenal, but not other worldly like some claim they are. Definitely more sensitive than any other rod I’ve used recently. For $300 it’s a great price especially since it’ll cost a custom builder about $180 in blank and material costs. Heck Kislter used the XRay blanks for their ZBones with cheaper components and charged over $500.
1995 Ranger 481v
1995 Johnson Fast Strike 175hp
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