High end rods

[OkieBoy17]

Any body have experience with these high end rods looking purchase one. kistler z bone, g loomis nrx or conquest, megasbass destroyer, also is there any jdm rods out there that any one could mention and also is there any way to purchase those rods at a discounted price or used 

[Catt]

Shimano G. Loomis Conquest MBR ?

[Rodney Smith]

Shimano Conquest. Check with the on line retailers (call them) and your local tackle shop. I have never paid full price for a high end rod. Also check several forums. There is almost always a Conquest or NRX (and the others you mentioned) on there. Good luck!

[Scrapiron]

Don’t think you could go wrong with any of those! Within each lineup there are a few standouts- depends on what you’re going to use the rod for/what model.

 

I’ve had NRX, Destroyers, and Zbone. I’d gladly use any of them to fish and have a big ole smile on my face. Well, not the 852s- I didn’t like that rod.

 

as Rodney says... look around the different forums, good quality used rods can be found.

[NHBull]

Conquest is the king of the hill, at least in my opinion.  Never paid close to sticker!  Truth be told, I also prefer the GLX MBR over the other rods you mentioned 

[fishwizzard]

2 hours ago, NHBull said:

Conquest is the king of the hill, at least in my opinion.  Never paid close to sticker!  Truth be told, I also prefer the GLX MBR over the other rods you mentioned 

How do you like the reel seat on the Conquest vs the GLX?  I finally got to hold a Conquest with a reel mounted and I cannot make up my mind if I like it more, less, or the same as the GLX seat.  I am leery of super minimal seats in general but the Conquest one was more comfortable then I though it was going to be. 

[FryDog62]

5 hours ago, Scrapiron said:

Don’t think you could go wrong with any of those! Within each lineup there are a few standouts- depends on what you’re going to use the rod for/what model.

 

I’ve had NRX, Destroyers, and Zbone. I’d gladly use any of them to fish and have a big ole smile on my face. Well, not the 852s- I didn’t like that rod.

 

as Rodney says... look around the different forums, good quality used rods can be found.

I picked up an 852 late last year and like it... curious what you didn’t care for there.  Admittedly, with our short season in Minn I haven’t used it that much yet but like it for plastics, skipping, etc.  

[NHBull]

3 hours ago, fishwizzard said:

How do you like the reel seat on the Conquest vs the GLX?  I finally got to hold a Conquest with a reel mounted and I cannot make up my mind if I like it more, less, or the same as the GLX seat.  I am leery of super minimal seats in general but the Conquest one was more comfortable then I though it was going to be. 

They are different and I don't think holding either gives you the true feel.

It's only when you fish them, can you tell.  I have small hands and I like both.  I have my conquests paired with Met MGL and Met DC and the totality is awesome.  I also didn't experience the discomfort that some do with the GLX.  

[Johnbt]

"Conquest vs the GLX"

 

i have a question.

 

I have 3 Conquests and 0 GLX. The Conquests are all MH, the 783 and 843 with a Met MGL and a Steez, and an 843S with either a Shimano or Daiwa 2500 on it depending on the day and whether I want 10# Invisibraid or 10# green braid. Fwiw, the Invisibraid breaks at 23 pounds.

 

Here comes the question. Should I just go ahead and order a Conquest 844 or make a road trip somewhere to look at the GLX 844? (For jigs, 10.5" worms, frogs, and my favorites... spinnerbaits with 6" grubs, etc.)

 

My idea of finesse fishing is not using a trailer.

 

 

 

[Chance_Taker4]

My vote goes to the Kistler Z-bone. I have not fished any of the other high end rods on your list but I do have the 2019 Z-Bone and 2 of the older generation Z-Bones. They are light, feel great in your hand, extra sensitive. Balances great with about any reel now a days. Plus the added benefit of using a blank actually produced by Gary Loomis and not just have his name stamped on it. And Z-Bones are on sale through Kistler's website. They are running around $520.

[Stephen B]

1 hour ago, Chance_Taker4 said:

Plus the added benefit of using a blank actually produced by Gary Loomis and not just have his name stamped on it. And Z-Bones are on sale through Kistler's website. They are running around $520.

Z Bones aren't quite in the same league of the rods produced by Shimano, Phenix, or Megabass IMO. Fished them all and the ZBones are the only ones I no longer have. I'd rather have the GLX, Conquest, Destroyer, K2 or NRX over the Zbone. The Kistler Zbones sensitivity isn't as crisp in my hands but they are well built. 

[Fried Lemons]

In addition to what has already been mentioned, Evergreens are an outstanding but expensive JDM option. While not as flashy as Megabass, build quality and performance are among the best in the industry. There are also higher tier versions of USDM rods like the Shimano Poison Glorious/Ultima series rods and the Daiwa Steez Racing Designs. There are many other high end JDM options that will open your eyes to a different level of quality, but be warned that is a deep rabbit hole.

[OkieBoy17]

13 hours ago, NHBull said:

Conquest is the king of the hill, at least in my opinion.  Never paid close to sticker!  Truth be told, I also prefer the GLX MBR over the other rods you mentioned 

How is that i always see people getting these rods way cheaper then sticker were and how do i go about getting one cheaper

[WRB]

For bottom contact rods Dobyns DRX Xtasy is in the highend category.

Tom 

[fishwizzard]

8 hours ago, NHBull said:

They are different and I don't think holding either gives you the true feel.

It's only when you fish them, can you tell.  I have small hands and I like both.  I have my conquests paired with Met MGL and Met DC and the totality is awesome.  I also didn't experience the discomfort that some do with the GLX.  

Cool, thanks.  

 

I have relatively small hands as well and don’t find the GLX seats terribly comfortable, but I can deal with it because I like the rods so much.  I love my 783 GLX but if the Conquest version is the same power/taper then I might upgrade to in when/if I take a fall down a steep bank and end up on top of the GLX. 

[NHBull]

8 hours ago, fishwizzard said:

Cool, thanks.  

 

I have relatively small hands as well and don’t find the GLX seats terribly comfortable, but I can deal with it because I like the rods so much.  I love my 783 GLX but if the Conquest version is the same power/taper then I might upgrade to in when/if I take a fall down a steep bank and end up on top of the GLX. 

I could be very happy with the GLX at the top of my food chain, but the conquest is special!  Sensitive and strength, while super light....and just feels great in hand.  I am always looking for an excuse to use one.

Have a buddy who has 3 and that's all he uses..leaves 10 others at home

[Maico1]

10 hours ago, OkieBoy17 said:

How is that i always see people getting these rods way cheaper then sticker were and how do i go about getting one cheaper

OB you need fine tune the "Hunt" ....there are deals out there every day , you just need to spend time looking for them. This upcoming weekend the online guys will be offering all kinds of discounts and the key is although they say xxxxxx brand is not included call them. Check out other forums , e-bay , JDM sites and if there is a specific item you are looking for do an online search. The harder you look the easier you will find what you are looking for and at the same time create a network of your own.....with all that said be patient just because you didn't find it today does not mean you will not find it tomorrow .

[Kidflex]

16 hours ago, Johnbt said:

"Conquest vs the GLX"

 

i have a question.

 

I have 3 Conquests and 0 GLX. The Conquests are all MH, the 783 and 843 with a Met MGL and a Steez, and an 843S with either a Shimano or Daiwa 2500 on it depending on the day and whether I want 10# Invisibraid or 10# green braid. Fwiw, the Invisibraid breaks at 23 pounds.

 

Here comes the question. Should I just go ahead and order a Conquest 844 or make a road trip somewhere to look at the GLX 844? (For jigs, 10.5" worms, frogs, and my favorites... spinnerbaits with 6" grubs, etc.)

 

My idea of finesse fishing is not using a trailer.

 

 

 

Not sure if the conquest will be $200 better than the glx 844, but the glx 844 is an amazing stick. I have 7 glx and 3 Nrx rods and the 844 will never leave my boat. 

 

Another rod not mentioned from the OP are the steez rods. They have been the most used sticks I have since I got them. To me the sensitivity is greater than my beloved loomis rods. 

[Maico1]

On 5/20/2019 at 1:40 AM, OkieBoy17 said:

Any body have experience with these high end rods looking purchase one. kistler z bone, g loomis nrx or conquest, megasbass destroyer, also is there any jdm rods out there that any one could mention and also is there any way to purchase those rods at a discounted price or used 

[Heartland]

NRX, still great rods.

[Fishes in trees]

I have a few of the Kistler rods, purchased years ago when Cabelas decided to get out of the Kistler 
business.   I have 2 of the love green ones (Helium?) and a couple of the blue ones (Argon).  One of the Argons is a 7'5"  telescopic heavy pitching rod.   I like it a lot and use it all the time as my go to bubba drop shot rig.   One of the olive ones is a called the "small swimsuit special" and I've found it to be a great square bill rod.   The others see occasional usage.   They are good rods, but I wouldn't have paid full msrp.   I paid 40% off or something on that order.

[Westcoast]

Sometimes I wish didn’t buy a glx Loomis. Now I have a locker full of glx and nrx and even a destroyer, but my wallet is a lot lighter now. But you only live once and may as well enjoy it. 

[fishwizzard]

11 hours ago, Maico1 said:

The harder you look the easier you will find what you are looking for and at the same time create a network of your own

Issue with this is that you then get people emailing/PMing you out of the blue offering rods for sale that they know you’re going to want. It’s  already happened to be twice this year and both were deals way too good to pass up. I’m glad I sprung for both of them but it’s really pushed back a lot of other projects I was saving up for and now I have to buy a fancy reel to go with the fancy swimbait rod that I just had to have.

[Stephen B]

8 hours ago, Fishes in trees said:

I have a few of the Kistler rods, purchased years ago when Cabelas decided to get out of the Kistler 
business.   I have 2 of the love green ones (Helium?) and a couple of the blue ones (Argon).  One of the Argons is a 7'5"  telescopic heavy pitching rod.   I like it a lot and use it all the time as my go to bubba drop shot rig.   One of the olive ones is a called the "small swimsuit special" and I've found it to be a great square bill rod.   The others see occasional usage.   They are good rods, but I wouldn't have paid full msrp.   I paid 40% off or something on that order.

I agree. I have a similar outlook on their rods. Kistler angered just about everyone in the industry years ago which is why Cabelas and other dealers stopped carrying them. They had blank breakage issues and they wouldn't warranty their rods leaving customers unhappy and dealers in a bad spot.  That is why Kistler to this date is mainly an online direct to consumer company with little to no dealers. 

[NHBull]

On 5/20/2019 at 3:18 PM, Johnbt said:

"Conquest vs the GLX"

 

i have a question.

 

I have 3 Conquests and 0 GLX. The Conquests are all MH, the 783 and 843 with a Met MGL and a Steez, and an 843S with either a Shimano or Daiwa 2500 on it depending on the day and whether I want 10# Invisibraid or 10# green braid. Fwiw, the Invisibraid breaks at 23 pounds.

 

Here comes the question. Should I just go ahead and order a Conquest 844 or make a road trip somewhere to look at the GLX 844? (For jigs, 10.5" worms, frogs, and my favorites... spinnerbaits with 6" grubs, etc.)

 

My idea of finesse fishing is not using a trailer.

 

 

 

No mistake either way.  Not sure I would spend the money on moving bait presentations, but for jigs and 10 inch worms, I put them on a conquest