JohnFromLisbon

First thing you need to know is there isn't an industry standard for blank action (or even power for that matter). One brand's fast might be another brand's moderate. I've only handled a couple of St. Croix rods but all of them felt "softer" (i.e. slower or more moderate) than the comparable Loomis rod, for example. A St. Croix extra fast might still be okay for moving baits for example. A 6'10 medium extra-fast would be my close quarters Senko rod, for example. Finesse jigs, too. But from the sound of it you can pull off jerkbaits (altough you might want not to rip them as hard as you would on straight fluoro), poppers, smaller walking baits, and even make due for squarebills. As for the leader just consider if you're throwing a bottom bait or something moving. Surface baits will benefit from a thicker mono leader, partly because it floats, but mostly because it'll keep your braid from tangling in the treble hooks.

Thank you! I think it could have been more specific and I could have included a few action shots... But I haven't wet a line since mid June and finally took this week off to go fishing. I might add them later. Portugal's nice but you guys have it a lot better. I'd call this place "discount California" with half the fish and fish half the size, but not out loud if any of my Portuguese buddies were listening ?

@blackrain that's one I've been looking at too. And making the exact same reasoning - especially for something that's not even a bottom contact lure and that when I throw it on the NRX+ MBR it completely overwhelms the rod, all that vibration goes straight into your hand and it kind of gets old after a while. Had the same issue a couple of years back. Wanted the 845 CBR in IMX-PRO in the early days of the pandemic after Loomis had closed the factory for a while and it was completely sold out everywhere in Europe. Managed to get the E6X super cheap and it totally does the trick for a cranking rod. I still want the IMX-PRO now that it's readily available again, but to be completely honest I can't justify getting the same 845C. Those incremental upgrades are much more noticeable with bottom contact stuff in my opinion.

I've seen quite a few posts and replies asking for feedback on this model so I thought I'd let you know how they compare between these two Loomis lines. I've had my IMX-PRO since 2020 and got my NRX+ earlier this year, just before our local opener in May. I got the IMX-PRO after hearing Matt from TacticalBassin raving about it for finesse jigs, and at the time I was still trying to figure jigs out. Here in Portugal most of our fisheries are highland reservoirs, with steep banks and rocky to muddy bottom, some vegetation but never anything overwhelming, and finesse football jigs seemed like the best place to start. The places where I grew up fishing have lots and lots of crawdads, specifically Louisiana crawfish which was introduced here in the 70s, and together with bleak (think shad but slightly more sardine-like, of the alburnus alburnus species) is the two main types of forage for bass. I started fishing with the 844 in 2020 and it took me almost a year to figure jigs out. Since last year they've become my go-to bait and - to be quite honest - my favorite way of catching them. When the NRX+ came out I got the 822S dropshot rod, so I had to see for myself how much better the MBR was. Both rods are paired up with the Curado MGL (151HG, lefties rule) spooled with 50lb Sufix 832 to a Sunline Sniper 12 to 15lb leader, depending on what I'm throwing and where. By now you've probably all heard how good the taper on these things is. I've thrown jigs, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, smaller S-Wavers, walking baits, small frogs, and even a crankbait or two when I was beating the bank and travelling light. If you want one rod to do almost everything, this is it. As a jig rod with braid to leader, it's amazing with football jigs. However, if I'm fishing 1/2oz pitching jigs with a heavier trailer I feel like I'm hitting the upper limits of this thing's comfort zone. I mean, I'll fish them, and they don't overwhelm the rod, but you get the sense that maybe - just maybe - a heavy JWR might handle it slightly better. The IMX-PRO at the time felt like a huge jump up from what I was using - a first gen Curado 7'2 heavy and an old 853C JWR Mossyback (more like an 843 because I'm an idiot and broke about an inch off the tip but managed to fix it with the original tip guide). The IMX-PRO feels so much better than those. It balances great, too. I started out by pairing it with a regular Curado 201HG, which is on the heavier side nowadays but it balances great, but since I got the MGL to replace it I haven't gone back. This one time I even had to put the MGL 71HG on it when I backlashed so bad I couldn't recover, spooled with 30lb regular PowerPro to a 12lb fc leader, dragged a 1/2oz Bass Patrol jig with a Rage Chunk trailer, and caught this one. You can feel the bumps and ticks, but you can also feel the type of bottom you're hitting - especially with braid to leader on a tight line. You can make out logs and grass and hydrilla, it all has a distinct feel on the IMX-PRO. The NRX+ is all that but better. Now, don't expect a night and day difference here, because with these rods you start noticing the law of diminishing returns in practice. Everything is just a bit sharper. It casts better because of the way it bends, but it recovers slightly faster, too. Not enough to act like a JWR, it's still clearly a Mag Bass taper, but it snaps back into place faster than the IMX, as you'd expect from a higher end blank material and all that Shimano tech Loomis borrowed for the NRX+. It also takes slightly, just slightly, less pressure to bend the tip, which really helps when casting the light stuff. In short, if you want to dip your toes in this sort of gear, the IMX-PRO is a great, great rod. Don't feel like you have to have the NRX+ to enjoy the MBR and to have a "proper" Loomis. If you can, go for the NRX+, sure. But don't for one second think you're missing out with the IMX-PRO. I have both and I have no intention of selling it or getting rid of it. I love them both, and if I happen to have the IMX with me instead of the NRX+ I'll fish the exact same stuff the exact same way. Hope this helps the terminally indecisive guys like me out there!

A tackle store in southern Spain. They don’t have a lot of bass tackle but they used to have a decent stock of Rapala stuff. I’ve been ordering stuff from their website for years

I had everything packed for the opener trip this weekend when UPS dropped something off. Gosh, I hope it's a bicycle... Update: turns out it wasn't a bike, it was my absolute favorite rod but in the NRX+ line.

Wow, pulling a Mariah is not a good look for Rodney Blaupunkt I've only learned about Butch fairly recently through his designs for Deps, but I do live an ocean away. He sounds like the real deal.

Aside from frogging I usually use mine as a close range heavy pitching/punching rod. 1oz or heavier weight, heavy wire hook, and straight braid means I can just cut off the frog and use the same rod and reel for getting through the thick stuff.

Not yet. I've tried the JWRs but not the MBR. But the NRX+ is on the way from a little tackle shop in Sardinia, Italy, the only place in the whole EU where it was in stock. Should get here by Friday and I have a trip this weekend, so I'll update you as soon as I can ?

For weightless senkos I'd go with either the 852 or 853. Unless you're talking 6-7" senkos with jungle/beast hooks. For 5" senkos I use the 852S.

Sufix 832, 15 and 20lb. I have a spool of Power Pro Super Slick V2 somewhere to replace the 20lb 832 on my Stradic FK, but haven't gotten around to it. I've used Sufix for 3 years now and don't really see a reason to change. I only got the Super Slick to try out their 8 strand stuff and got a good price on a thinner diameter. The unopened spool is sitting in a plastic box somewhere

For me it's throwing something that is just heavy enough for the rod do bend properly and throw it accurately, but still light enough that you can easily impart action with the rod tip. I'll give you an example, my main football jig rod, the 844 MBR. A 1/2oz football jig with a light trailer (say a 5" DT grub or a Rage Chunk) is the sweet spot. Can I cast 1/4oz jigs with even smaller trailers? Absolutely. Will it cast them as well? Probably not because it won't bend as deep on the cast. Will I be able to use the rod tip's bend as I drag it to see exactly what the jig is doing on the bottom and maybe even visually detect a subtle bite or two? Probably, but it will be too light to get an accurate picture of what's going on. On the other end of the spectrum, I will be able to cast a 3/4oz jig with no issues, but any dragging motion will extend the rod tip beyond what a 1/2oz jig would and it becomes harder to tell what's going on down there. It can do a lot and throw a wide range of weights and baits with a rating from 1/4 to 1oz, but for the way I use it that 1/2oz is the sweet spot.

And the last one before the season starts. I found out I didn't have enough 30lb braid to spool up one of the Curado Ks, ordered some. But when I started to browse the online shop I saw they still had these in stock. I haven't fished or even seen Trigger X stuff for sale in years, and I'm pretty sure the DT Flat was discontinued a decade ago. Had to get some spadetail worms (loved these things back when I started fishing soft plastics) and a couple of DTFSS-9s.

I wanted to upgrade my tackle bag, looked into the Plano Guide Series 3700 (the regular one, not the XL) the Plano Z-Series, and this new Simms bag. Ordered this from the nice little fly shop in Germany where I get most of my Simms stuff, and ordered the Guide Series from Amazon. The Plano never arrived, which turned out just fine because this one is the deal. It's made from this really tough material, like the stuff from a dinghy or an inflatable stand up paddle board, but slightly shinier. The (someone else's) boat bag system is complete! This one for my tackle, the backpack for my water bottle, snacks, spare sun gear, etc., and the Rod Mule. Done. I'll put it to the test Sunday after next.

@MN Fisher exactly. Maybe someone switched spools (I'm not sure they're compatible because of the extra magnetic brakes on the BFS) or reels entirely. @Skeeloco does the spool look like this? With all of those speed holes?

I have an HG spooled with 20lb (0.23mm) regular Power Pro and it's pretty true to spec. This may sound stupid, but is it possible you got the BFS model inside a regular XG box instead? That shallow spool would account for the issue you're having

Last I saw him he was heading towards the casting rods section... Now that can't be good.

One last haul, as the kids call it, before the local bass season starts. This should keep the monkey quiet till May 15th.

Same as @Dwight Hottle and @ATA, the IMX-PRO 844C MBR. I absolutely love that thing. It can do anything. When I want to go light, I'll take that one and the 852S, those pretty much cover everything I throw (even frogs if I downsize them). I'm thinking of upgrading it to the NRX+ this year, though... Let's see.

Jigs, for sure. Until last year, when it all just clicked somehow. Now they're one of my favorite ways to catch them.

Hey, if I'm fishing during a hot summer afternoon I'm not reaching for a cold glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. Trust me, the Shadow Rap will get as much love as its Japanese friends

I've never had any issues with them apart from a slight delay in getting something. This one time I ordered a pair of Columbia SH/FT waterproof sneakers (in fact I'm wearing them right now) from TrekkInn and a HomePod mini from TechInn, and something else I can't remember there was one item that delayed the whole thing because they'll always ship your order together, so it was delayed for a couple of days and didn't match the estimated date they had provided at checkout. That was the only minor issue I've ever had.

Oh they're legit alright. I've bought a lot of stuff from them over the years (Waveinn for tackle and gear, Trekkinn for apparel, etc.) But then again, they're right across the border from me (they're based just SW of Barcelona I think). If it's worth the shipping costs and stuff, they're good for it.

Received a couple of small orders I made last week A couple of S-Waver 120s (Terminator, Party Crasher), 3 regular Onetens (Clear Laker, FA Gill, Spawn Killer), 1 Oneten R+1 (Clear Laker), and a Shadow Rap. And more Bass Patrol jigs because why not ? These are my first Onetens, and my first S-Wavers for that matter. Can't wait to try this stuff out.