School Me!!!

[monsterbucks]

I’m looking at purchasing a new rod and reel set up. I’m looking at the G Loomis GCX Lite spinning rod paired with a Shimano Miravel. I’ve never owned a G Loomis rod. School me on them, the good, the bad. Any info on any Loomis would be great. Just needing some input before I drop the money on an expensive setup. I’ll be using it for Crappie, panfish, etc.

[BuckeyeCrappie]

[skeetbum]

My question is how long a rod you’re looking at? The miravel is a nice reel but there’s a lot of rods to look at. I like to feel what I’m buying before I lay down the dollars. I’ve recently bought a couple of high carbon content rods out of Japan for under $75 that are really sweet. Kinda makes me look at St Croix and some others different.

[monsterbucks]

6 feet

[Ketchn]

In my opinion , there is a terribly high number of 6 foot panfish rods that will get it done in style and durability and fit the hand and the wallet in prime fashion .
The same goes for the reel options .
I have a no name 18 dollar reel that is all that and as good as any I have ever touched and that would be a number that defies imagination . I also have a 6 foot Dobyns panfish special colt series that is in that same situation ....
I love shimano reels and the loomis stuff is nice , but in this day and age we are now at a point in time where the name is what you pay for in many cases and not the quality ....my 2 cents if you will
on a quick side note , my 5 6 abu vigilante will stand beside whatever is out there when it comes time to really hammer and they are cheap rods AND really pretty as well ...just saying

[JUNGLEJIMJIGS]

I own several Loomis rods that I purchased in the 80's and 90's and they still work great. My most recent trip two of the three rods used were Loomis, the other my favorite JDM ultralight. All three rods I caught fish. One is my 6' Premier ultralight that I've been using for almost 40 years and still whipping trout with it, really fun rod. I haven't looked at the new models but I'm sure they have gotten better. Find a reel that balances well with the rod and see how it feels in your hand. You'll know if it's the right rod for you. If it is then buy it. If not there are plenty of other rods out there to test until you find the right one.