2019 Z BONE vs. Conquest

[The Pond King]

Hi all,

 

I've been researching heavily online for the new Kistler 2019 Z Bone rod. Unfortunately, there really isn’t much recent information out there. It also seems like there are way more G. Loomis owners then there are people who own Kistlers, so the information on these rods are much more scarce than there are for G. Loomis rods. Moreover, the information that's out there is old information on the previous generations of Z Bones. 

 

From what I’ve found in my research, it seems like Kistler has left a bad taste in a lot customers and even retailers mouths because they didn’t honor the warranty and a lot of rods were breaking. I think it makes sense because they are sourcing the blanks from North Fork Composites, and I’ve heard horror stories of their customer service. I’ve also heard the newer rods don’t have much of a breakage issue though I cannot verify if this is true. These days, the warranty issue doesn’t matter that much too me anymore since I have not broken that many rods - especially on a fish. With care, rods can last a lifetime.

 

Anyways, the Z Bone has piqued my interest since it came out, but I've been even more interested since purchasing a Kistler 2019 Helium 3 7' 10" Heavy power Moderate action rod last week. It came in the mail a couple days ago, and I'm quite impressed with the Helium 3. It's a tad tip heavy, but for a rod of its length it's really not that bad. The sensitivity is great. It's not as good as my GLX 844c (the newer 2016 one), but for the $219 I got it on sale for, it beats any rod I've bought in that price range by far. 

 

I’m now interested in purchasing a Kistler 2019 Z Bone. However, I’m curious how this rod would compare to Shimano-G. Loomis Conquest. Does anyone own both? And if so, could you give a comparison of which blank is more sensitive?

 

Ultimately, I care about the sensitivity as the number one factor in purchasing a high-end rod. However, I’m also interested in hearing about other characteristics like balance, ergonomics, whether it’s light weight, build quality are all important to me as well. Durability isn’t the most important feature I’m looking for in a high-end rod, but at the same time, I don’t want my rod to shatter.

 

So could anyone chime in on other characteristics as well such as the balance, ergonomics, weight, build quality (cork, threading, guides, etc.) and how these rods fare against each other?

 

Thanks,
The Pond King

 

[punch]

You're going to have a tough time finding people who have experience with both 2019 Zbones and Conquests. They are the fishing 1%ers haha. 

[Basseditor]

I have several ZBones but no Conquests. Can’t help with comparison. Sorry.

 

So, I hear anecdotally about breakage complaints. I don’t know about it first hand. I have been using Kistlers since 2009 or so.

 

I never had one break!

 

zbones have 5-yr warranty. I have the older and newer 2019 ZBones. I really like the 2019s ... a lot.

 

 

[Deeare]

Pond king.   Kistler is having fall clearance right now (Zbone for $399) and I think if you sign up for mailing list you can get an additional 10% off.   

 

I was was a gloomis guy but I’ve had issues with their mid line rods:  cork breaking,  reel seat issues, guides cracking. so I moved to kistler as I really like the helium. 

 

 

 

[Zibass]

I had bought 5 Z-bone and 7 conquest rods. But I'm no expert, more like a tackle junkie. Both rods are very sensitive, light weight and balance well. Conquest has lighter tip in same power rating. 843c is the unicorn. But the Zbone LMH is more like a medium power with light tip.

 

[Dwight Hottle]

I have gotten into the Kistler brand about 5 years ago. I have two Z bones a LEXF-3MH-70 which i use for jerkbaits, light cranks & topwaters with copoly lines. Absolutely love it with no complaints. I also got a 2019 Z bone ZB4MH73 with the x ray blank and use it for plastics & jigs. Outstanding rod. I don't own any conquests but do have several NRX's & like the Z bones better for quality of workmanship, lightness in hand & great sensitivity. 

The complaints about Kistler quality concerning breakage happened many years back before North Fork Composites. At that time Kistler was sourcing blanks from China and there was a quality control problem. I guarantee you if you buy one Z bone you will buy another. 

[LegendaryBassin]

Conquest everyday based off of warranty alone plus IMO the Conquest feels better and more sensitive.

[Efishin]

Had both and both are good but I will give the advantage to the Conquest. Fits my style better and sensitive advantage to Conquest. Sold the Zbones and just have the Conquests now. Im sure you will be happy either way

[22RangerZ520R]

My vote is for the Conquest.  I'm a G Loomis/Shimano guy and have zero experience with the Z-bone.

 

I did a review of the Conquests back when I got them.  I've got 14 of them and have had no issues with them, love em'.

 

I've upgraded my reels and now have (4) Stella FJ 3000's on my spinning Conquests and (10) Metaniums on my baitcasting Conquests.  Good luck.

 

 

[Scrapiron]

I've fished NRX and GLX (but no Conquests) as well as Zbones. Sold all my Loomis rods and have about 5 Zbones (and HE3 and Mag2 rods). Super sensitive and fit my style of fishing. IMHO, the Med/Mod Fast casting rod is fantastic.

 

But I'm sure piqued by the Conquests. Would love to try an 842s or 843c. OR maybe I shouldn't. Gotta get off the merry-go-round.

 

There is a thread over on TT where someone took a Conquest, made it a split grip and replaced the guides with smaller ones. His opinion was that it took it to another level. Brave man indeed. I kinda thought, hmmm, sounds like a Zbone now.?

[Stephen B]

Conquest over the Zbone without any hesitation for me 

[Deeare]

Zbone is $399 right now.   Conquest is $650 on TW.    That would make the decision easy for me.  

[Yumeya]

Conquest, super light and super powerful and very sensitive and the cork is the best I have seen.

 

I like Kister rods but love Gloomis.

 

I also have had lots of Gloomis rods and have never had one issue of cork, guides or reel seats.... 

[The Pond King]

First of all, I want to say thanks to everyone who replied. It's pretty cool to have some of the forums heavy hitters reply and offer help and advice. I really appreciate it. Trust me, I did my due diligence and looked up everything I could on my own first, but there's always knowledge that can't be found on a Google search or in books. You have to pick people's brains, and it's nice to get insight from some of the best and brightest from this forum. 

 

22 hours ago, punch said:

You're going to have a tough time finding people who have experience with both 2019 Zbones and Conquests. They are the fishing 1%ers haha. 

I figured the same, but I'm actually surprised a decent amount of people responded. 

 

18 hours ago, basseditor said:

I have several ZBones but no Conquests. Can’t help with comparison. Sorry.

 

So, I hear anecdotally about breakage complaints. I don’t know about it first hand. I have been using Kistlers since 2009 or so.

 

I never had one break!

 

zbones have 5-yr warranty. I have the older and newer 2019 ZBones. I really like the 2019s ... a lot.

 

 

That's good to know! I haven't broken too many rods, so now, the warranty isn't a great selling factor to me as it once was.

 

15 hours ago, Deeare said:

Pond king.   Kistler is having fall clearance right now (Zbone for $399) and I think if you sign up for mailing list you can get an additional 10% off.   

 

I was was a gloomis guy but I’ve had issues with their mid line rods:  cork breaking,  reel seat issues, guides cracking. so I moved to kistler as I really like the helium. 

 

 

 

Yeah, I know about that sale that's why I swooped one up albeit a Helium 3.

 

And I agree. I've seen build quality issues on some models of G. Loomis rods. I've handled some NRXs, and even owned an NRX and returned it because I was so disappointed with the build quality. The cork was so low grade, and it was tip heavy. Maybe it was that particular model I had, but it didn't even feel all that sensitive either. I didn't like the recoil guides either. Definitely didn't feel like a $500 rod. On the other hand, I've been very happy with the new G. Loomis GLX MBRs. 

 

14 hours ago, Zibass said:

I had bought 5 Z-bone and 7 conquest rods. But I'm no expert, more like a tackle junkie. Both rods are very sensitive, light weight and balance well. Conquest has lighter tip in same power rating. 843c is the unicorn. But the Zbone LMH is more like a medium power with light tip.

 

Wow. You've got quite a collection there. You're elite. Also, great insight on the ZBone's LMH. I've been wanting to get the 6' 9" 3 power LMH. Guess the way you're describing it, it's more like a G. Loomis 2 power. This is what I wanted. These days, I like to fish as light as powered rods I can get away with instead of broomsticks because it's more fun when the rod bends. 

 

12 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

I have gotten into the Kistler brand about 5 years ago. I have two Z bones a LEXF-3MH-70 which i use for jerkbaits, light cranks & topwaters with copoly lines. Absolutely love it with no complaints. I also got a 2019 Z bone ZB4MH73 with the x ray blank and use it for plastics & jigs. Outstanding rod. I don't own any conquests but do have several NRX's & like the Z bones better for quality of workmanship, lightness in hand & great sensitivity. 

The complaints about Kistler quality concerning breakage happened many years back before North Fork Composites. At that time Kistler was sourcing blanks from China and there was a quality control problem. I guarantee you if you buy one Z bone you will buy another. 

Very good info!

 

12 hours ago, LegendaryBassin said:

Conquest everyday based off of warranty alone plus IMO the Conquest feels better and more sensitive.

Good to know. Thanks for your input!

 

12 hours ago, Efishin said:

Had both and both are good but I will give the advantage to the Conquest. Fits my style better and sensitive advantage to Conquest. Sold the Zbones and just have the Conquests now. Im sure you will be happy either way

I especially appreciate your input as someone who's had both!

 

9 hours ago, 18RangerZ520L said:

My vote is for the Conquest.  I'm a G Loomis/Shimano guy and have zero experience with the Z-bone.

 

I did a review of the Conquests back when I got them.  I've got 14 of them and have had no issues with them, love em'.

 

I've upgraded my reels and now have (4) Stella FJ 3000's on my spinning Conquests and (10) Metaniums on my baitcasting Conquests.  Good luck.

 

 

Yeah, I remember seeing that thread. You're the boss! You're a baller, shot caller! Millionaire status! The true 1% of the 1%. So rich and elite! I love it. I want to get on your level one day. There's so many things I wanna buy lol.

 

3 hours ago, Scrapiron said:

I've fished NRX and GLX (but no Conquests) as well as Zbones. Sold all my Loomis rods and have about 5 Zbones (and HE3 and Mag2 rods). Super sensitive and fit my style of fishing. IMHO, the Med/Mod Fast casting rod is fantastic.

 

But I'm sure piqued by the Conquests. Would love to try an 842s or 843c. OR maybe I shouldn't. Gotta get off the merry-go-round.

 

There is a thread over on TT where someone took a Conquest, made it a split grip and replaced the guides with smaller ones. His opinion was that it took it to another level. Brave man indeed. I kinda thought, hmmm, sounds like a Zbone now.?

 

Correct me if I'm am wrong, but I presume you're talking about the previous model ZBones? Even so, I'm not surprised you thought it was better than the NRX. I really think the NRX was the most overhyped rod ever. 

 

3 hours ago, Stephen B said:

Conquest over the Zbone without any hesitation for me 

Appreciate your input. It's good to hear there's a mix. Some people prefer one over the other. Basically these rods are both on that level. 

2 hours ago, Deeare said:

Zbone is $399 right now.   Conquest is $650 on TW.    That would make the decision easy for me.  

It's unbeatable! At this price, we should buy two Zbones, and it'll be just a little bit more than one Conquest.

1 hour ago, Yumeya said:

Conquest, super light and super powerful and very sensitive and the cork is the best I have seen.

 

I like Kister rods but love Gloomis.

 

I also have had lots of Gloomis rods and have never had one issue of cork, guides or reel seats.... 

The cork on the NRX was terrible, but the GLX rods have impeccable cork. 

 

I've been quite disappointed in the cork on the Helium 3, however. For a rod that retails $300, the cork is garbage and full of fillers. The blank is nice, but the cork is absolute trash. I'm gonna U40 the hell out of it. Probably give it 3 coats. Even much cheaper rods have high quality cork handles. It's really unacceptable for a $300 rod. 

[Scrapiron]

I’m talking about (And have) the 2019 Zbones with the NFC X-ray blank. 

[LegendaryBassin]

Conquest. Thank me later

[waymont]

On 9/25/2019 at 10:38 PM, The Pond King said:

Kistler 2019 Helium 3 7'

I have the H3 7' heavy. It's very well balanced and very sensitive. Just giving some more perspective on the Kistler brand. My 6'8" LMH is also very well balanced and very sensitive. I'm an old school Loomis IMX/GLX MBR user and these two Kistlers fit right in with my other rigs really well.

[NHBull]

Have fished both and own several conquest and if I had to use just one rod, it would be conquest.  I love the mag taper and sensitivity is beyond great

[The Pond King]

So check this out guys:

 

1. Here's a pic of the Kistler Helium 3's cork, a rod that retails for $300, compared to a Daiwa DX combo (I bought the combo for $20.. it's a good channel catfish rod lol). Can you believe the cork on the Helium 3 is of the same quality cork as a $10 rod?! It's unacceptable:

 

 

2. Here's a picture of the Kistler Helium 3 compared to a St. Croix Avid which is a much cheaper rod, but it has a superior cork handle. Although I think the regular, original Avid - not the Avid X - is a heavy blank and not that sensitive, the build quality is top notch:

 

 

3. Here's a picture of the Kistler Helium 3 compared to a G. Loomis GLX 844c. I think the GLX has the nicest cork, but the Avid is right up there. They're both grade A cork. I also have Legend Elite rods, and as far as I can tell, it's about the same cork as the Avid. 

 

 

All of the rods above have been sealed with U40. I U40'd the hella out of the Kistler. I gave it four coats of U40. I know that they recommend to only give one light coat of U40 in the instructions, but at the very least, I always like to do two coats. A tip a got from my uncle who used to paint and also fishes. With a cheapo cork like the ones on Kistlers, I gave it a 4 coats, and it came out well. It made the spongey feeling cheap cork feel go away, and it's much more hardened now and feels rock solid, and doesn't really feel all that plastic-y either. I'm still flabbergasted how a $300 rod has the same cork that a $10 rod has, and if all the accounts here are true, the Z Bones also use the same cheap cork. What's misleading is that I've seen advertising videos on my Facebook feed, where they drill a cork handle and dust poofs out, and they say use they use premium Portuguese cork; I tried looking for this video on YouTube, but it's nowhere to be found. Why market that your rods use premium cork when they don't? That's kind of misleading and false advertising. And again, since they're split grips, there's not much cork is being used. Hell, even the foregrip and butt is foam. I don't want to sound like I'm griping or being nitpicky, but c'mon Trey, why'd you go cheapskate on the cork?? Don't get me wrong, the rest of the rod is nice especially the blank, and the build quality on the rest of the rod is good i.e. the threading, but details like the cork matter to me especially when I'm paying a higher price for it. 
 

[CrankFate]

@The Pond King My KLX from this year has better quality cork than these pictures. And I like Kistler Rods. But this is what I always say about rods. Price is not a good indicator of quality of components. And the up charge from one component to another is not always worth the price. The biggest companies can always sell better stuff for lower prices.That said the KLX Heavy Mod Umbrella Rod is the perfect blank for 2-5oz inshore fishing. It just needs bigger, more rigid guides. I will buy more of their rods. It’s nearly impossible to make these in the US.

[Stephen B]

Best cork I've seen used is from G Loomis. Cork is expensive so most companies use it sparingly and opted for EVA or use very low grades of cork on budget rods with a lot of filler which looks bad after you use U40. 

[Efishin]

On 10/1/2019 at 3:22 AM, The Pond King said:

So check this out guys:

 

1. Here's a pic of the Kistler Helium 3's cork, a rod that retails for $300, compared to a Daiwa DX combo (I bought the combo for $20.. it's a good channel catfish rod lol). Can you believe the cork on the Helium 3 is of the same quality cork as a $10 rod?! It's unacceptable:

 

 

2. Here's a picture of the Kistler Helium 3 compared to a St. Croix Avid which is a much cheaper rod, but it has a superior cork handle. Although I think the regular, original Avid - not the Avid X - is a heavy blank and not that sensitive, the build quality is top notch:

 

 

3. Here's a picture of the Kistler Helium 3 compared to a G. Loomis GLX 844c. I think the GLX has the nicest cork, but the Avid is right up there. They're both grade A cork. I also have Legend Elite rods, and as far as I can tell, it's about the same cork as the Avid. 

 

 

All of the rods above have been sealed with U40. I U40'd the hella out of the Kistler. I gave it four coats of U40. I know that they recommend to only give one light coat of U40 in the instructions, but at the very least, I always like to do two coats. A tip a got from my uncle who used to paint and also fishes. With a cheapo cork like the ones on Kistlers, I gave it a 4 coats, and it came out well. It made the spongey feeling cheap cork feel go away, and it's much more hardened now and feels rock solid, and doesn't really feel all that plastic-y either. I'm still flabbergasted how a $300 rod has the same cork that a $10 rod has, and if all the accounts here are true, the Z Bones also use the same cheap cork. What's misleading is that I've seen advertising videos on my Facebook feed, where they drill a cork handle and dust poofs out, and they say use they use premium Portuguese cork; I tried looking for this video on YouTube, but it's nowhere to be found. Why market that your rods use premium cork when they don't? That's kind of misleading and false advertising. And again, since they're split grips, there's not much cork is being used. Hell, even the foregrip and butt is foam. I don't want to sound like I'm griping or being nitpicky, but c'mon Trey, why'd you go cheapskate on the cork?? Don't get me wrong, the rest of the rod is nice especially the blank, and the build quality on the rest of the rod is good i.e. the threading, but details like the cork matter to me especially when I'm paying a higher price for it. 
 

Im not bashing Kistler but I don't think people realize how much he pays NFC for blanks I think he takes the short end of the stick in the deal because he had bad breakages back in the past. He has to IMO cut corners elsewhere to get his price down to be profitable. A rod at that price (helium) with Grade A cork and Kigan frames with Coalite insets is unacceptable at its price. 

 

 

[Drop shot-1]

On 9/25/2019 at 8:38 PM, The Pond King said:

Hi all,

 

I've been researching heavily online for the new Kistler 2019 Z Bone rod. Unfortunately, there really isn’t much recent information out there. It also seems like there are way more G. Loomis owners then there are people who own Kistlers, so the information on these rods are much more scarce than there are for G. Loomis rods. Moreover, the information that's out there is old information on the previous generations of Z Bones. 

 

From what I’ve found in my research, it seems like Kistler has left a bad taste in a lot customers and even retailers mouths because they didn’t honor the warranty and a lot of rods were breaking. I think it makes sense because they are sourcing the blanks from North Fork Composites, and I’ve heard horror stories of their customer service. I’ve also heard the newer rods don’t have much of a breakage issue though I cannot verify if this is true. These days, the warranty issue doesn’t matter that much too me anymore since I have not broken that many rods - especially on a fish. With care, rods can last a lifetime.

 

Anyways, the Z Bone has piqued my interest since it came out, but I've been even more interested since purchasing a Kistler 2019 Helium 3 7' 10" Heavy power Moderate action rod last week. It came in the mail a couple days ago, and I'm quite impressed with the Helium 3. It's a tad tip heavy, but for a rod of its length it's really not that bad. The sensitivity is great. It's not as good as my GLX 844c (the newer 2016 one), but for the $219 I got it on sale for, it beats any rod I've bought in that price range by far. 

 

I’m now interested in purchasing a Kistler 2019 Z Bone. However, I’m curious how this rod would compare to Shimano-G. Loomis Conquest. Does anyone own both? And if so, could you give a comparison of which blank is more sensitive?

 

Ultimately, I care about the sensitivity as the number one factor in purchasing a high-end rod. However, I’m also interested in hearing about other characteristics like balance, ergonomics, whether it’s light weight, build quality are all important to me as well. Durability isn’t the most important feature I’m looking for in a high-end rod, but at the same time, I don’t want my rod to shatter.

 

So could anyone chime in on other characteristics as well such as the balance, ergonomics, weight, build quality (cork, threading, guides, etc.) and how these rods fare against each other?

 

Thanks,
The Pond King

 

Their warranty sucks, If you buy it as a second owner you’re completely screwed. I don’t  like kistler. If I’m going to  spend that kind of money I’ll just get the nrx . 

[KP Duty]

On 10/1/2019 at 2:22 AM, The Pond King said:

So check this out guys:

 

1. Here's a pic of the Kistler Helium 3's cork, a rod that retails for $300, compared to a Daiwa DX combo (I bought the combo for $20.. it's a good channel catfish rod lol). Can you believe the cork on the Helium 3 is of the same quality cork as a $10 rod?! It's unacceptable:

 

 

2. Here's a picture of the Kistler Helium 3 compared to a St. Croix Avid which is a much cheaper rod, but it has a superior cork handle. Although I think the regular, original Avid - not the Avid X - is a heavy blank and not that sensitive, the build quality is top notch:

 

 

3. Here's a picture of the Kistler Helium 3 compared to a G. Loomis GLX 844c. I think the GLX has the nicest cork, but the Avid is right up there. They're both grade A cork. I also have Legend Elite rods, and as far as I can tell, it's about the same cork as the Avid. 

 

 

All of the rods above have been sealed with U40. I U40'd the hella out of the Kistler. I gave it four coats of U40. I know that they recommend to only give one light coat of U40 in the instructions, but at the very least, I always like to do two coats. A tip a got from my uncle who used to paint and also fishes. With a cheapo cork like the ones on Kistlers, I gave it a 4 coats, and it came out well. It made the spongey feeling cheap cork feel go away, and it's much more hardened now and feels rock solid, and doesn't really feel all that plastic-y either. I'm still flabbergasted how a $300 rod has the same cork that a $10 rod has, and if all the accounts here are true, the Z Bones also use the same cheap cork. What's misleading is that I've seen advertising videos on my Facebook feed, where they drill a cork handle and dust poofs out, and they say use they use premium Portuguese cork; I tried looking for this video on YouTube, but it's nowhere to be found. Why market that your rods use premium cork when they don't? That's kind of misleading and false advertising. And again, since they're split grips, there's not much cork is being used. Hell, even the foregrip and butt is foam. I don't want to sound like I'm griping or being nitpicky, but c'mon Trey, why'd you go cheapskate on the cork?? Don't get me wrong, the rest of the rod is nice especially the blank, and the build quality on the rest of the rod is good i.e. the threading, but details like the cork matter to me especially when I'm paying a higher price for it. 
 

I've always thought the Kistlers had sub-par cork.  Equally amazing....the $900 Steez Racing Design also has below average cork.

[txchaser]

11 hours ago, KP Duty said:

I've always thought the Kistlers had sub-par cork.

I they heard this feedback enough that they changed the cork. Recently bought a HMH/F Helium and the cork is much smoother/has fewer imperfections/etc.