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TackleTour Exclusive: On the Water with the New G.Loomis Conquest Rod Series (continued)

 

A Deep Dive into the Conquest: Prior to the introduction of the new G.Loomis Conquest rods at this years ICAST 2017 show we had the opportunity to not just check out but fish the new Shimano Conquest rods with none other than Shimano representative Dan Thorburn, who is perhaps known better as Bantam1 on the TT Forum.

 


At first glance they look very similar to NRX rods

 

Let's start with the name, it is interesting that the company decided to go with "Conquest," a popular JDM series which is the equivalent of the American "Calcutta." The brand name should resonate with enthusiast anglers, the very audience that Shimano and G.Loomis is targeting with these new rods.

 


Dan points out the Torzite guides

 

In terms of styling the Conquest rods definitely follow the G.Loomis design methodology, focusing on simple and clean styling with use of cork versus eva grips and colored threading highlights versus an abundance of graphics to stylize and add character to the rods. The blue threading on the rods are very similar to the ones found on the NRX series, only with contrasting silver lines, the message is clear... this is one of the high-end G.Loomis offerings.

 


The Torzite guides sit on a very recognizable Spiral X blank

 

The blanks on the new rods look very different than the normal matte black blanks found on most G.Loomis bass rods, and the weaved Spiral X wrap is immediately obvious, especially in bright sunlight. Besides the visual elements the first thing that I noticed when picking up the rods were how light they were. The new Spiral X and Hi-Power X construction provides blanks that are up to 10% lighter than the already lightweight NRX blanks, and yet they are more durable due to increased resistance to blank ovalization. (We only were able to borrow two sticks for a day in the lab but they measured out at: MBR783C Conquest rod weighs 3.8 ounces, and the SJR902S Conquest weighs a scant 3.6 ounces)

 


The Conquest spinning reel seats are proprietary Shimano CI4 with a little dose of G.Loomis carbon fiber cosmetics

 

The casting rods are finished with G.Loomis custom skeleton reel seats mated to full cork grips, while the split grip spinning rods get Shimano's proprietary CI4 reel seats. I found both versions to be comfortable to fish with and familiar. This is one of the most interesting things about the new Conquest rods, just how immediately familiar they will feel to existing fans of the original Mag Bass rods. The G.Loomis DNA is intact.

 


Have we met before? The Conquest rods feel immediately familiar

 

All of the Conquest rods have fast action tapers and boy do they load fast! While they are familiar to swing where the rods separate themselves from existing G.Loomis rods is both in the tail end of the cast and when there is a fish on the line.

 

The Spiral X blanks are designed in such a way that wasted non-directional vibration is reduced so that casting energy is put into the bait. The result is a very precise pinpoint cast, something I really noticed on the spinning rods.

 


A full and tapered cork grip is found on all the casting rods

 

Once the bait is in the water I also found the rods to be quite sensitive. They definitely feel different than the NRX line and while I would venture to say that sensitivity is on par with the NRX they definitely are not more sensitive than the NRX line, which is interesting since the rods employ Torzite guides except for the tip guide which uses a SIC Titanium guide for more durability against impacts with baits.

 


Dan "Bantam1" shows us what the Conquest is all about

 

The second that I set into a fish is when I finally understood what Shimano and G.Loomis were trying to achieve with the new Conquest series. These rods not only load quick they do so with a whole lot more muscle than their thin and lightweight blanks would have you believe.

 


While sensitive I didn't find the rods more sensitive than the already impressive NRX

 

Setting on fish with the Conquest rods is a thing of beauty. The amount of leverage you can put into the rod near instantly is encouraging, and one you get that solid hookset the lack of blank twist afforded anglers with the Spiral X and Hi-Power X blank really enables you to put the hurt on fish.

 


The spinning rods all get the split grip treatment

 

During our on the water preview Dan saw me landing fish tentatively with these first run rods and encouraged me to really muscle them. I obliged by not only cranking down aggressively on the next few fish but even going so far as to stress the rods by boat flipping a few three and four pound largemouth bass. The verdict? The Conquest rods are noticeably more powerful than comparable G.Loomis rods with similar ratings.

 


Where the Conquest rods really shine is in the casting and fish fighting department

 

Conquest or Defeat? : It is surprising that it took this long for Shimano and G.Loomis to open up their individual playbooks and combine the strengths of both camps, but perhaps they waited for the right opportunity, the right point in time for this global cooperation. G.Loomis has long been known for tradition and their proven actions and Shimano has always pushed the envelope when it comes to reel and rod technology and use of next generation materials. The company's joint product development team is calling the Conquest line “the most technologically advanced bass rods on the water,” and while the technology in itself is rousing what I find the most exciting about these rods is that seamless blend of technology with tradition. 

 


The blanks may be light and thin but they are powerful, very powerful

 

Shimano could have easily mandated a radical change in rod design with the Conquest but instead they partnered with the G.Loomis team to provide the best blank technology they had in their war-chest and enable G.Loomis to build a new halo rod series that ups the ante in terms of casting accuracy, weight reduction, durability, and fish fighting power.

 


The new flagship line at G.Loomis retails from $650-$675 dollars and successfully blends technologies and design from both Shimano and G.Loomis together

 

Over the last week my time with the Conquest has been eye opening. Each time I fish the rods I discover subtle differences in the way the rods handle and the amount of power these rods dole out continues to impress, and yet what I like most about these rods is they look and feel like G.Loomis rods. They are unmistakably familiar, there is no learning curve, and if you like the G.Loomis Mag Bass (MBR) rods from the GLX and NRX lines then the Conquest will feel like your daily driver, just with an extra dose of torque. Conquest or Defeat? Definitely Conquest....the fish, and rod enthusiasts, never stood a chance.

 

Thanks for joining us on this on the water preview. Our next stop is ICAST... Orlando here we come.

 

 

   

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