The Pond King

There was a misunderstanding. I was referring to mid grade rods in general like Avids, E6Xs, etc. I didn't mean to call the Legend series mid grade. The Legend series are very nice rods. Still, I prefer G. Loomis' though.

Get a rod balancer. It has made a world of difference for me and saved my wrist and forearms. A rod I recommend is a Okuma TCS Scott Martin signature rod. Get the 7’ 11” X Heavy Matt Daddy model. I was surprised by how well balanced a rod of this length and power was. It has good (but not great) sensitivity too. For the price, it’s an awesome rod. I’ve been eyeing the new Powell Endurance flipping sticks. An 8’ Heavy powered rod that only weighs 3.9oz! Another rod that might worth checking out, but I don’t have any first hand experience with it.

I own two Legend Elites. Their build quality is superb. I find that St. Croix rods have exceptional build quality, and they are very durable. However, ever since I got into buying G. Loomis rods, I feel that St. Croix's sensitivity isn't as good as G. Loomis'. Don't get me wrong, St. Croix still has great sensitivity, but G. Loomis reigns supreme. As mentioned, I like St. Croix because of their build quality. They have two coats of epoxy on the rods which makes the rods wear well and make them somewhat scratch resistant, but in turn, it dampens the sensitivity a bit and makes the rod feel heavier. So it's a trade off. G. Loomis rods feature raw unfinished blanks which makes it more sensitive and lighter, but the downside is it makes it more prone to getting scratched and creating weak spots on the blank which can potentially lead to a breakage on a hook set or something like that. Personally, I prefer the raw unfinished blanks. In general, I've also noticed that St. Croix's blanks are heavy when compared to G. Loomis. I also feel that G. Loomis has superior balance. However, St. Croix rods are well engineered. They also use top quality components: premium cork, guides, etc. You can't go wrong either way, but I if I were you, I'd go with G. Loomis. In terms of durability, I'd say St. Croix is stronger, but in terms of sensitivity, balance, and overall pleasure to fish with, I'd say it's G. Loomis without a doubt. Who cares about durability when both companies provide exceptional warranties. And if you're already willing to spend $400-500... you might as well just get a Conquest and get it over with. I've learned this lesson the hard way. Save your money. Don't buy mid grade gear which you will keep eventually upgrading because of the gear monkey. Just save your money and fight your impulse, and buy the best equipment possible and get what you really want! If you buy the best, it'll help prevent you from keep buying more gear because there isn't anything left to upgrade to, and despite the high initial investment, it'll actually save you more money in the long run. Buy a G. Loomis Conquest and your long journey of buying rods will finally be over. Put that $500 toward a Conquest and save for a little longer and get the Conquest. You'll be glad you did. I didn't go this route and now have a bunch of "back up" rods.

My personal favorites for rods and reels are.. Reels: Shimano and Daiwa Rods: G. Loomis and St. Croix But don't get me wrong, I own rods and reels from many other brands as well and enjoy using them too. The one brand I don't own, but want to own, is a Megabass rod. Those rods just look like a piece of art. One day.

You have made the correct choice. Buy without worry and fear of regret. I have bought a NRX 803c JWR, but after handling it, I wasn't impressed. In my mind, I was expecting the NRX to be out of this world good, but to me, it was just another rod. The build quality was terrible especially for a $500+ rod. Cheaper Avid's have a better build quality than the NRX imo. They use cheap cork on a $500+ rod. To me that is unacceptable. I also didn't think the NRX was that sensitive neither. I've had cheaper rods that are arguably more sensitive than an NRX. Take this with a grain of salt, as most people will disagree with me. I ended up returning the NRX even though it cost me $40 for return shipping. I just couldn't do it. It didn't sit with me well that I paid a lot of money for a rod that I thought was subpar. I also handled a NRX 853c JWR and 802c JWR, again nothing to write home about. I own the new GLX MBR series. I have the 842c, 843c, and 844c. These rods are phenomenal! I was truly blown away by these rods. The build quality on these rods are awesome. They use premium cork on these rod unlike the NRX. And in my hands, the new GLX has superior sensitivity and balance over the NRX. Again, many will disagree with me, but that's just my personal opinion.

I used to fish a shallow pond where the bottom is laden with jagged rocks. I've found that a weightless Texas rigged senko to be the least likely lure to get snagged in this situation. Try it out!

Hahahahaha omg omg me too! Lol! This is off tangent, but I’m so glad BassResource allows freedom of speech still, even to this day in the spirit of being American despite the KastKing BS. I respect the hustle. With that said, the Daiwa Fuego is unbeatable. ..it’s the gear monkeys fault.. oops!

Oh geez... thanks guys....this thread and the other thread Made me buy a Fuego too. Gosh, darn it!

I'm just kidding, I actually did catch a couple. So here's what happened today: I've been looking for work as of late because I got laid off at a big tech company, and believe it or not, even though I'm not working, I've been super busy with interviews. I've literally been having interviews all week. I had an in person interview on Monday, had a phone interview on Tuesday, had an in person interview today, I got four phone interviews tomorrow (all separate companies), and I got three more phone interviews on Friday! It's nice to be high in demand! After today's in person interview which I did well, but it was still grueling nonetheless; I decided to blow off some steam by going fishing. At first, I found some algae on some parts of the pond near the shoreline. I was so mad I didn't bring my frogs. The KVD Sexy Dawg worked fine when casting out far into open water, but as soon as it got closer to shore where the algae was, it was getting gunked up. I got tired of this, so I decided to switch areas. When I got to another part of the pond next to a tree with some shade. I saw a school of bass literally right next to me in shallow water. Like, at my feet! I switched out the topwater stickbait to a Fat Ika. I kept throwing the Fat Ika a little bit past the school, and eventually, worked the lure slowly through the school several times, but the fish didn't seem interested. It appeared that even one of the smaller fish in the school got a little spooked, but for the most part it was just ignored. So I decided to switch out to a senko. Again the school of fish did not seem interested at all, but it was super fun seeing the fish through gin clear water. It's like a window to an underwater world. Regardless, I still kept working the senko, and I was able to finally get a bass to commit and caught him. It was a 2.17lb bass, one of the smaller ones out of the school. I kept working the senko again but to no avail, so I switched out to a smoke salt and pepper colored Kalin's grub rigged on an 1/8oz pea head jig. I kept working that lure, and at one point, I got the attention of the two biggest bass in the school as they both chased it but didn't commit. That was sight to see. I can't say for sure how big these bass were, but they were huge! These things had some shoulders. Probably 8lb+. Not kidding. It was a sight to see. Anyways, I kept working this grub and finally got another 2lber. I didn't catch a lot of fish today, but the visual appeal of it all is what made it so fun. I'm quite lucky to fish in a pond with clear water. Around my area, most spots have stained water, so these ponds are special. My questions to you guys are.. 1. Which lures have produced the best for you when you see a school of bass? Like sometimes you can throw the whole tackle box at them, but they don't seem to be interested. Which lures do you throw in those types of situations that you've had the best success on? 2. In the same scenario, which lures are best for getting the bigger fish in the school? I don't want to catch the smaller fish out of the school, I want the big ones! I've encountered these types of situations before but was using live night crawlers. Don't judge me. I'm an avid lure fisherman, but sometimes, I use bait every now and then. But let me tell ya, when I used the night crawlers, it started a feeding frenzy! I was hooking bass left and right including the bigger ones out of the school. It started getting the fish to compete with each other! I literally kept catching bass out of that school until I ran out of bait! There's nothing in terms of lures that has outperformed this, but I'm curious to know if there might be. I wonder if there are some lures that could come close to producing results like this. Anyways, I'd love to hear your guys' opinions on this! Thanks!!

First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone that replied. It's awesome to post on the BassResource forums! It's like a mastermind group of like minded individuals that are made up of fishing fanatics like me, and the coordination of knowledge and effort of many people helps you navigate through challenges using the collective intelligence of others. Even though I did research on my own, I would've never came to these conclusions by myself and wouldn't have found the answers I was looking for in order to make the best decision. Anyways, I have decided to go with the 6' MF Lightning Rod as CroakHunter suggested and bought one today! This is because right now, I am not trying to drop a lot of cash on a new rod. I want to test out this length to see if I like it without having to invest $250 or more. Moreover, I own a few Lightning Rods, and used them from pretty much the beginning of my fishing "career," and I have to say, for the money, Lightning Rods are good rods. They provide a lot of value and bang for the buck, and it's really all you need. I can say this confidently because I own high end rods now. I've also never even thought of the Classic G. Loomis series even though it was right under my nose! Several of you have suggested it, and if I end up liking the 6' length after giving it a go with the Lightning Rod - which I'm sure I will - I'm going to invest in a G. Loomis 722 IMX in due time. I think for around $255 for a 722 IMX, I'd rather pay the extra $60 some odd dollars for a classic 722 IMX over an Avid. I'm sure if there's a sale, I could get the rod for around $190-200 which is about the retail price of an Avid. This 6' length should be good for the reasons aforementioned in my original post. I'm not worried about the distance because you don't need to cast far for bass. I'd rather have comfort. Can't wait to try it out and see if what I imagined and contemplated is true by testing it out first hand! Thanks again guys! Cheers and tight lines!!

I'm not shying away from any rod. Most of my rods are 6' 6" - 7' and I've fished them from the beginning and will continue to keep using them. I do not have any interest in a pistol grip casting rod. I want a regular grip casting rod, with preference for a full cork handle, but a split grip will do as long as the length of the rod is 6' which is the most important factor I'm looking for.

Hi all, I am trying to find a 6' casting rod with medium power and fast action. Trust me, I've done my research and have looked everywhere and it seems that most rods are 6' 6" at a minimum these days. The only rod I've found with these specs is a St. Croix Avid AVC60MF. I own a few St. Croix Avids and I know you can't go wrong with them. However, I'd like to see some other options from other brands as well and would like to keep the cost at $100 or less but open to hearing about any model in any price range. I just simply don't want to spend a lot of money at the moment on yet another rod, but if there are no other options, then I'm willing spend whatever the cost. From what I've heard from the old timers, 5' 6" - 6' rods were common back in the day, but it's not a popular size anymore. My height is 5' 7", and I think a shorter rod would be more comfortable especially when bank fishing. For example, making casts on a slope when you first sling the cast back to create momentum to fling the lure forward and not have to worry about the lure hitting the ground and getting snagged on some brush behind me, in tight quarters like fishing under low hanging trees, having the ability to work a jerkbait hard without having to worry about hitting the rod tip on the ground or some other obstruction, ease of using top waters especially spook style lures where you have to walk the dog, and pitch more effectively without having to hit the rod tip on something. These are some reasons where I thought a short 6' rod would be useful. I have never owned a 6 footer and would like to try one and see!

I started with Stren Spiderwire. It was garbage. Then switched to Power Pro and it’s an okay superline. I’ve never had any problems with it, but it’s not the smoothest and far from the best. PowerPro is good after you’ve used it for a while and the coating wears off when it becomes soft. I also tried Power Pro slick 8 and never liked it. Original was better. Daiwa Samurai, while expensive, was probably the best braid I’ve tried. Super thin, soft and supple, and quiet. These days, all I use is Daiwa J Braid. There’s almost no difference between J Braid and Samurai. It’s the best bang for the buck and way higher quality than almost any other braided lines on the market. I’ve heard of good things about Suffix 832 but have no experience with it. Don’t see a need to change from J Braid or see any reason to try an overpriced high end braid.

Yes, I'm well aware, but I had to see for myself first hand. Otherwise, I would've never got the monkey off my back. I'm glad I did. NHBull, don't feel like you ever have to get an NRX because you might think it's a step below the NRX. I don't think it is. It's mainly personal preference. Lucky Craft Man, I have seen your post... ...on what you did to modify your NRX to make it into a balanced rod with a full handle. Man, you went to great lengths to modify your NRX rod. For me, personally, I wouldn't go through that. I also think that adding a balancer to the end of the rod dampens the sensitivity. I also feel that if you pay top dollar for a rod, it should already be balanced. I don't know if you have the new GLX, but if you don't, you should get one!

Check out that G. Loomis shine: The rest of the line up: Hey guys, as some of you know, I recently went on a splurge and purchased an NRX 803 JWR and three GLX MBR rods: the 842, 843, and 844. You can refer to that thread here: I have been able to handle all of them, and tested them for their sensitivity, and analyzed the balance, weight, and build quality. First of all, I have to say that I am downright unimpressed with the NRX. I couldn’t believe how horrible this rod is for the price. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad rod, of course, but for $500, it’s terrible, and it’s certainly not worth your money. For starters, the build quality is unacceptable especially for one of the most expensive rods on the market. I took a look at the cork and was flabbergasted by how many fillers and holes it already had. See pics below: In addition to that, the wraps were crooked (not pictured). Furthermore, I was also astonished by how heavy the blank was. This was an 803 JWR which is a MediumXF 6’ 8” rod. I couldn’t believe that such a short rod was tip heavy and felt unbalanced! My GLX MBRs 842, 843, and even my 844 which are longer rods felt feather light and had superior balance over the NRX! Aesthetically, the blue wraps on the NRX are either a like it or hate it kind of thing. It’s subjective to the user’s personal preferences. I personally find them ugly, but I also like them because the whole point of the blue wraps is so that it could be seen from afar, so whenever someone sees that you have a rod with blue wraps, they know you have a high end NRX. Because really, everyone knows that to an extent you get the NRX to show off a little. It’s nice that a fellow elite angler can recognize you from a distance away or to stunt and floss on lower class fisherman – just kidding. Lastly, the most important thing of all on a high-end bass rod is sensitivity. The NRX 803 JWR was touchy with which reel made it more sensitive. I tested it with a light reel (Core 50mg at 5.5oz), a medium light reel (Metanium MGL at 6.2oz) and an average weight reel (Curado 200e7 at 7.6oz). I noticed that the heavier Curado 200e7 made the rod come alive the most while it felt a bit dull with lighter reels. One thing I will have to say is that while the NRX doesn’t vibrate as hard as the GLX, it has a very high pitched, high frequency vibrations. It’s a very clean, crisp vibration. It’s very subtle, and you have to be a keen angler to notice this. It’s arguably better, but in all honesty, it’s debatable. The GLX might not emanate super high frequency vibrations, but it’s no slouch and it’s only a touch below. The GLX has the upper hand in that you will noticeably feel the vibrations more, but it’s just not as high-pitched and crisp as the NRX. I still kept trying to rationalize about how the NRX is still a cool rod because of all the raving reviews that it gets from everyone, but in the end, I came to my senses. It’s not worth keeping just out of prestige and just because everyone says it’s cool and will think you’re cool if you have one because at the end of the day, I care about performance more than anything. As for the GLX 842, 843, 844 MBRs, I was blown away. The build quality is excellent, sensitivity is better than almost any rod out there, and it feels feather light in hand because of its superb balance. The cork on the GLX is high quality unlike on the NRX. The reel seat is also superior to the NRX’s uncomfortable skeletal reel seat. I also like the aesthetics on the GLX. It’s plain and simple yet elegant and has that classic look which I like. I also love the full handle cork grip on my MBRs. There’s really nothing bad I can say about the GLX. It’s a perfect rod. I think the G. Loomis team put considerable effort in the new GLX rods because the GLX series is their cornerstone. I don’t think even the new Shimano-G. Loomis Conquest rods will be much better than the GLX series especially for an outrageous $2-300 more. Besides, I’d rather have a fully G. Loomis produced rod. I own a Cumara and have never been impressed with Shimano’s blanks. They feel heavy and dull. Since the Conquest blanks are made in Shimano’s facility, I’m going to pass. In my opinion, the new 2016 GLX is the best rod to get out of all of the rods in G. Loomis’ bass fishing line up including the NRX and Conquest. Some argue that the diminishing law of returns comes into play for high end rods, and while this is true, I disagree when it comes to the GLX. I think the GLX is significantly better than mid-grade rods, and blows them out of the water. The GLX brings a lot of pleasure and value, so the GLX is well worth the investment. I don’t think this rod will be outdated even 20 years from now. It will be a good rod to use for life! Conclusion: NRX = Overhyped, way overrated, and most of all, OVERPRICED! GLX = A+ rod that is worth every penny and you get a great value for a rod that is head and shoulders above pretty much all rods on the market. It’s everything I imagined a high-end rod to be and more! I highly recommend those who want to buy a mid-tier rod to save your money for a GLX instead. You will be much happier and save more money in the long run. This review took time and effort to write, but I hope that it helps someone in making a decision on what rod to choose whether you’re a person that’s looking to purchase their very first Loomis or a tackle addict enthusiast. P.S. Shout out to American Legacy Fishing! This is where I bought my G. Loomis rods. I have no affiliation with them. I just think they are one of the best fishing stores around with unmatched customer service, and when it comes to buying G. Loomis rods, I don’t think there’s a better place to buy them.

Sup guys, forgot to mention that I ordered the 842 AND 843 as well. Also likely going to order an Edge spinning rod as they are having 50% sales till Cyber Monday. I want a rod that’s made by a company managed by Gary Loomis the man himself because he’s the original creator of G. Loomis and he’s the father of graphite, but I am also now assured that G. Loomis post acquisition to Shimano, still produces top of the line rods. Anyways, with the huge volume of orders due to the sales, I received a message from the vendor saying they were out of stock, so I’m still waiting on most of my other sticks to get here, but one of my rods got delivered today. It was the GLX 844c MBR! I was so pumped when I saw it got here today. Unpackaging it felt like unpackaging a Christmas present. This is my first G. Loomis, a rod that I dreamed about owning for the longest time. I savored every moment beholding such a magnificent and majestic rod. From the first moment I held this rod, I was blown away by how well balanced and smooth it felt. I put a reel on it and tested the sensitivity by lightly tapping the tip on a hard surface to feel the vibration. The sensitivity on this stick is superb! I tested the sensitivity and balance to other mid-level rods that I own. This G. Loomis is certainly the most refined rod I’ve had to date, but I have to admit, that while it was unquestionably superior, it wasn’t 10x better. You certainly don’t need a G. Loomis or other high-end rods to catch a bass, and a lot of mid-tier rods will definitely hold its own and give you a great bang for your buck as they are almost as good. Here are some rods I tested it against: St. Croix Avid X 6’ 6” Medium Fast Casting: The sensitivity on this particular model of the Avid is virtually on par with the 844c. This particular model of the Avid is such an incredible value. The balance is comparable as well. However, the Avid X lacks the “it” factor. St. Croix Avid 7’ Medium Heavy Fast Casting: While it’s not a bad rod, I never really liked the classic St. Croix Avid 7’ MHF even before I had the GLX because it is tip heavy and not that sensitive. The balance on this Avid is terrible. In fact, my 7’ MHF Lightning Rods balance better than this Avid! If you are thinking about getting an Avid, I recommend that you get medium or less power and less than 7’ for length. I love my St. Croix Avid X 6’ 6” Medium Fast Casting and 6’ 9” MLXF Spinning; they are fantastic rods, but this particular model isn’t as good. Anyways, the GLX 844c which has the same specs as this Avid, blew it away in both sensitivity and balance. The GLX blanks were a lot thinner as well versus the thicker and heavier Avid blanks. The ergonomics on the GLX was also superior than the Avid which feels thick and bulky. Okuma Helios 7’ 6” Heavy Fast Casting: It isn’t really common for people to use an Okuma brand rod for bass fishing as far as I know. If you remember Okuma from back in the day, it was thought of as a budget gear with mediocre quality although there were some exceptions. I don’t like all of Okuma’s products like their Helios baitcaster reel which I thought was junk (Shimano and Daiwa still takes the cake when it comes reels)… but they make some good products like the Okuma Avenger Baitfeeder spinning reels, Scott Martin TCS rods, and the Helios rod. The Helios rod really held its own against the GLX in terms of sensitivity. The GLX still beat it, as it felt just a bit more crisper, but not by much. The balance and light weight is also comparable. I wasn’t too surprised, however, as I knew the Helios was a good rod already. What convinced me to buy the Helios rod is because I was to handle it in the store and test it against other brands of similar specs and it was the lightest and most sensitive rod even compared to the much more expensive rods such as the Dobyns Champion Extreme. The only one thing that I didn’t like about the GLX: Yes, I know I’m being nit-picky, but one thing I didn’t like was that there was a noticeable filler spot on my foregrip. I wish it was plain like the rest of the foregrip’s cork. I get that there’s going to be filler spots on cork, and on the main handle of the rod that’s a given, but the dots I spotted on the foregrip is darker and more noticeable than any of the other fillers on my main handle. Not worth exchanging I guess, and I know that it’s simply a cosmetic blemish and it won’t affect the performance. It’s being very nit-picky, I know, but if I’m dropping a lot of money for a high-end rod, I demand perfection. One downfall from ordering online is that you can’t pick and choose the best one out of the lot. See pictures below to show what I mean: The very dark filler spot on my foregrip: Wish it was clear like the other side: The question a lot of people wonder is.. Is it worth it?? The answer is.. it depends because it’s very subjective to your own individual wealth and the amount of dispensable cash that you have. I am certainly not wealthy, and it took a big hit out of my wallet, not to mention that it was a very stupid decision financially, but I wanted these high end rods so bad that I couldn’t help but buy them. Trust me, it took me a really long time. I’ve been fishing for 16+ years, but never owned a Loomis till now. Overall, I will have to say that it is better, but it’s not monumentally better than mid-grade gear, but there is unquestionably a higher level of refinement that is noticeable to an advanced angler. It certainly has the “it” factor where all of the little details add up, and this may sound weird, but the GLX feels “smoother.” I don’t own a Conquest rod, but with the MBR actions available in the GLX series, I don’t see a reason to. The GLXs look more aesthetically pleasing than the Shimano-G. Loomis Conquest in terms of design. The carbon strip at the end of the handle is nice touch which the Conquest doesn’t have. I can’t imagine needing a more sensitive rod or stronger rod than a GLX for bass. GLX is more than enough. I am whole-heartedly satisfied. I’ll update you guys when I receive my NRX 803c, GLX 842 and 843 soon, and may also be ordering an Edge rod, so stay tuned!

O-M-G.. this made my jaw drop

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Sup guys! I already pulled the trigger last night even before everyone responded. I really appreciate the replies though because it made me feel better. I kinda knew that I was probably gonna pull the trigger anyway, but it's nice having a support group of other tackle addicts hahaha. You guys helped me rationalize haha. Instead of buying 3 rods, I really had to think about it, and decided to get the NRX 803c JWR and the GLX 844c MBR... but today, I'm actually still itching to get one more either an 842 or 843 in the GLX model. The sales are just crazy right now. G Loomis' never goes on sale, so I had to hop on it. I heard that the 854c JWR in the NRX wasn't the most sensitive model, so I opted not to get it and felt like the 844 MBR is more versatile. I don't have a 6' 8" medium/medium-heavy extra fast rod, so the 803 JWR was actually "needed." In doing my research, I saw posts from kickerfish1 who is a member here, and he made some good points. Why pay an extra $2-300 more for the Conquest that has sensitivity that is the same as the NRX and some fancy torzite guides? I don't really care about the Hi Power and Spiral X... it's cool and all, but it's more marketing than anything in my opinion. As for the guides.., I'll deal with the recoils, no biggie. All in all, I couldn't justify the price difference and feel like I made a good decision. With all this fishing stuff on my mind, I had to get out and go fishing today. Fished with my 6' 6" St. Croix Avid MF paired with my Metanium MGL (currently the nicest reel I own), and caught a couple of bass. Unfortunately, there was an algae bloom today, and all that gunk got up into my line and into my nice reel. The only thing I don't like about high end gear is that it irks me when things like that happen. Could've cared less if it was cheapo $50 combo. I'm probably gonna treasure and baby the Loomis' as much as possible. Believe it or not, this is actually how you waste more money. Eventually, you will likely start upgrading your gear, and get the same actions, power, specs, etc. but just a higher end version. For example, I bought 3 Avids because everyone raved about how good they are for the money, and they are good rods, but now, I'm spending more money by upgrading to the GLoomis'. It's better to get what you want and buy the highest end, because that way, it'll prevent you from keep upgrading. If you know you have the best rod in mind, it'll help you from not buying multiple lower end models.

This is the kind of support I need hahaha

Hey guys, I don’t know what it is, but I have this incessant desire to buy some high-end fishing rods. The rods I have in mind are NRX 803c JWR, NRX 854c JWR, and a GLX 843c MBR. I’m seriously on the brink of ordering all three at once. I’ve never owned a G. Loomis rod because of the high price, but always wanted one for the longest time. It’s still a high price for me today; I know it’s going to be a big hit on my wallet, but I can’t help it. Overall, I know logically that it’s a stupid decision if I bought these rods because I have more than enough gear than I need to catch bass… it’s just dumb.. but I’m sure some of you guys can empathize. I know that the new Conquest rods are out, but at $700 pop, I’d rather not, when I could get 3 high end rods that’ll cover more techniques for just a little more. The only contention I have with the NRX is.. how does hold up to the rods today? They were launched in 2010, that’s 7 years ago. I’m sure technology has improved some since that time, but I also know that graphite technology does not get as quickly outdated like reels. Technologically, for graphite to improve significantly it takes a much longer time imo than reels. So, I’m fairly confident that it will still hold it’s own today, but wanted to hear your guy’s opinion on it.

Here’s what I would do. I would get a 6’ 9” MLXF and a 7’ MF. I own the 6’ 9” MLXF, and I can say from first hand experience that this rod is phenomenal! I think it’s classified as a drop shot rod, but you can do any kind of finesse fishing techniques with it including fishing with 3” grubs on an 1/8oz jig head, ned rigs, weightless senko rigs, shakey head, split shot rigs, mojo rigs, light Texas rigs, etc. Although, it's not meant for it, I’ve even fished a crank bait, 3/16oz buzz bait, top water poppers and tiny spooks with it before, without any issues. I love this rod because it’s super sensitive and light. The sensitivity is really on another level. It is also comfortable to use. I personally prefer the classic avid because I like the fore grip. I have this rod paired with a Shimano Stradic CI4+ 2500 that’s spooled with 30lb Daiwa J-Braid. If you have the money, I highly recommend pairing it with a light reel like the Stradic CI4+. Side by side, I’ve compared the 6’ 9” MLXF and a 7’ MLF, and the 6’ 9” is a much better choice in my opinion. Those few inches really make a difference. The 6’ 9” feels a lot better balanced and not tip heavy at all. The 7’ MLF felt SLIGHTLY tip heavy. For versatility, I would also pick up a 7’ MF. This rod can do practically everything. I’ve handled a 7’ MF Avid spinning rod and own a 6' 6" MF Avid casting rod, and I can say it's a great rod. If you need a MH rod, I would use a bait casting rod for that.

Money..

I think you might have received a lemon. I have the Metanium MGL, and it's by far the smoothest reel I've ever owned. I have a Core 50MG7, and even that does not compare. It is head and shoulders above the Curado 200e7 or Tatula CT. The casting with this reel is also effortless. The way it casts is amazing. I'm not sure if it's a BFS reel, but I can bomb grubs on an 1/8oz jig head out there like it's nothing. The SVS braking system takes a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it'll be hard to backlash.