G. Loomis 844C MBR - IMX-PRO and NRX+ review

[JohnFromLisbon]

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!

[roadwarrior]

Nice "hands-on" review.

 

 

[blackrain]

Very nice review, thanks for taking time to post your first-hand experiences with both versions of the Loomis 844 MBR. I love my GLX 843c and have been looking at the IMX Pro BJR (Matt Allen fan here too) as a dedicated bladed jig rod since I do not feel I need the NRX+ version for chatterbaits. 

[JohnFromLisbon]

@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.

[Hulkster]

Awesome review. I have the IMX Pro MBR903 and I love it. its my first 'higher end' rod. Hopefully not my last lol

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Posts like these are what used to make up the backbone of every great tech forum.

 

Loomis rods are fantastic.   Love mine.   I want to fish in Portugal

[JohnFromLisbon]

10 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Posts like these are what used to make up the backbone of every great tech forum.

 

Loomis rods are fantastic.   Love mine.   I want to fish in Portugal

 

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 ?

[waymont]

Nice. I have a grip of older IMX and GLX MBR rods, and new GLX and IMX-Pro JWR rods. I love the 852 in both GLX and IMX-Pro, the GLX is quite a bit lighter weight and more sensitive, but both fished side by side are beautiful rods. The IMX-Pro 853 is a killer 5/16-3/8oz jig and t rig rod. Love them all!

[Rodney Smith]

Fantastic review. I also use IMX and NRX+ rods. I like the NRX+ 844c for jigs, but in my opinion, the 873CRR is the best jig and worm rod Loomis makes. If they called it a Football Jig Rod instead of a CRR, I’m convinced it would be their best seller. This rod as well as the MBR rods are very versatile. Congrats on becoming a jig fanatic and thanks again for the feedback.

[clemsondds]

4 hours ago, Rodney Smith said:

Fantastic review. I also use IMX and NRX+ rods. I like the NRX+ 844c for jigs, but in my opinion, the 873CRR is the best jig and worm rod Loomis makes. If they called it a Football Jig Rod instead of a CRR, I’m convinced it would be their best seller. This rod as well as the MBR rods are very versatile. Congrats on becoming a jig fanatic and thanks again for the feedback.

I just picked up an 844 new recently. Still trying to figure out what to use it for ha. I have the 873crr,megabass Xbites and megabass tachyon shaft (for skipping jigs).  I haven’t put a jig on the 844 rod since I was planning to use it for moving baits primarily, but it’s a little more stiff than I was expecting.  What would you use it for if you had these rods? 

[KP Duty]

Nice work.  I used the 844 imx/glx for years for all my bottom contact needs, as well as horny toads and heavy spinnerbaits.  I made the mistake of selling my two 844 glx's to pick up 2 of the new version and found the new glx reel seat cramped.  I'll definitely add the new nrx version when I find one for a good price.

[Jweller]

I wonder why they don’t roll the 844 down to the GCX line.

[clemsondds]

On 10/23/2022 at 9:49 AM, clemsondds said:

I just picked up an 844 new recently. Still trying to figure out what to use it for ha. I have the 873crr,megabass Xbites and megabass tachyon shaft (for skipping jigs).  I haven’t put a jig on the 844 rod since I was planning to use it for moving baits primarily, but it’s a little more stiff than I was expecting.  What would you use it for if you had these rods? 

Finally got to a pond and put a jig on the 844, as well as the same size jig on the crr and xbites.  And of course...the dang 844 was just as sensitive as the CRR and the xbites.  So it answered nothing ha...except that I got three unbelievably sensitive rods. Not sure what to do now...I guess it's a good problem to have. 

[TNBankFishing]

27 minutes ago, clemsondds said:

Finally got to a pond and put a jig on the 844, as well as the same size jig on the crr and xbites.  And of course...the dang 844 was just as sensitive as the CRR and the xbites.  So it answered nothing ha...except that I got three unbelievably sensitive rods. Not sure what to do now...I guess it's a good problem to have. 

Sell two buy more gear.  

[JohnFromLisbon]

1 hour ago, clemsondds said:

Finally got to a pond and put a jig on the 844, as well as the same size jig on the crr and xbites.  And of course...the dang 844 was just as sensitive as the CRR and the xbites.  So it answered nothing ha...except that I got three unbelievably sensitive rods. Not sure what to do now...I guess it's a good problem to have. 

 

What do you fish with, braid to leader or straight fluoro? I've heard a lot about the 873 but mostly from people who fish straight fluorocarbon. I fish braid to leader on the 844, mainly because it's easier to upsize or downsize my line diameter when I need to.

[Rodney Smith]

I fish braid to leader on the 873CRR. Perfect jig set up.

[clemsondds]

20 hours ago, JohnFromLisbon said:

 

What do you fish with, braid to leader or straight fluoro? I've heard a lot about the 873 but mostly from people who fish straight fluorocarbon. I fish braid to leader on the 844, mainly because it's easier to upsize or downsize my line diameter when I need to.

Good question! I've been fishing fluoro.  That's what I have on the xbites and crr. When I got the 844, I just threw on a hypermag reel I had laying around and it has braid on it.  The straight line sensitivity is definitely better on braid!  But I think the slack line sensitivity is better with fluoro. Still testing.  Thoughts? 

[JohnFromLisbon]

@clemsondds I was thinking if the MBR's more "generic" bend was made perfect for smaller jigs by the braid and - conversely - the CRR's bottom contact design was perfect for the extra give that fluoro has. @Rodney Smith you're actually the first person I know of that uses their 873 with braid to leader.

 

Then again, it might be down to the taper itself at this level of materials and build.

[MidwestBassAttack]

Have a chance to return my Lews BB1 Pro and Falcon Cara Amistad for an NRX+894c. Thoughts from anyone on this? Is the 894 a bit beefier than the 873crr? I would be using this for dedicated jig/Texas rigs…..either 3/8 or 1/2oz plus trailer.

[Rodney Smith]

Yes, the 894 is beefier.

[MidwestBassAttack]

7 hours ago, Rodney Smith said:

Yes, the 894 is beefier.

Thanks…sounds like it’s exactly what I’m after!

[clemsondds]

7 hours ago, Rodney Smith said:

Yes, the 894 is beefier.

Yeh I was wondering what would be a good rod for 1/2-1oz jig trailer combo. So the nrx 894 is the best for that? 

[waymont]

On 10/23/2022 at 8:49 AM, clemsondds said:

I just picked up an 844 new recently. Still trying to figure out what to use it for ha. I have the 873crr,megabass Xbites and megabass tachyon shaft (for skipping jigs).  I haven’t put a jig on the 844 rod since I was planning to use it for moving baits primarily, but it’s a little more stiff than I was expecting.  What would you use it for if you had these rods? 

The 844 is my fave 1/2oz  jig, swim jig, and 3/8-1/2oz T rig rod.

[clemsondds]

9 hours ago, waymont said:

The 844 is my fave 1/2oz  jig, swim jig, and 3/8-1/2oz T rig rod.

Have you used it for anything heavier? eg 3/4 jig with trailer?  I typically use my 873 for up to 1/2oz

[waymont]

3 hours ago, clemsondds said:

Have you used it for anything heavier? eg 3/4 jig with trailer?  I typically use my 873 for up to 1/2oz

1/2oz is the heaviest I use.