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Rod Review

CB Rod Wars Part 18: G.Loomis goes with graphite for more sensitivity while cranking (continued)

Real World Tests: To test both these rods we fished crankbaits up to 1oz. in weight on a variety of Northern California lakes as well as the California Delta. We paired the rods with a number of different reels including the Shimano Curado E and Chronarch as well as the Daiwa Zillion Crazy Cranker.


The G.Loomis 845C is great for one handed casts with medium sized lures...

Casting: A seven foot rod is a great length for a cranking stick as it gives anglers plenty of casting distance and is able to address a wide range of baits, not to mention they will still fit in most rod lockers. Our casting tests started out with 3/8oz. Bomber Fat Free Shads and moved up all the way to 1oz. Spro Little John DD cranks.


...but the 8" handle was somewhat short for two handed casts

As we measured casting distances for both these rods I remarked how good the 855C GLX felt not on casting but on retrieve. GLX fiber tends to be stiffer and this rod definitely felt crisper than just about every other rod we tested all year long. As we moved up the spectrum of lure weights and got cranking deeper and deeper it was easy to discern the type of structure I was coming into contact with. As I switched back and forth between this rod and the 845C I found that I had more confidence throwing larger baits with the non GLX rod as it exhibits a more parabolic action, but when it came to feel once the bait was in the water it was night and day, this is where GLX reigns supreme.


Though made out of graphite the rod exhibits a nice parabolic action

Both rods are designed to handle up to 1oz. crankbaits and as we got to the oz. mark I could definitely feel the rods start to strain when launching lures during overhand casts. Both rods felt better when lobbing the lures or casting them sidearm. During overhead casts I could really feel the rods load up at the moment right before accelerating to cast. It was during these maximum weight casting tests that the CBR855CGLX suddenly snapped right in the middle. There wasn’t a violent snap or the 1oz. Little John DD lure getting caught on a guide, there was just a slight pop as half the rod went sailing forward in chase of the lure.


The G.Loomis CBR855C GLX was one of the casualties in our crankbait rod war

The rod seemed to break right during loading of an overhand cast, whether or not there was a flaw in this particular rod is hard to tell, the graphite where the breakage occurred did splinter like a stress fracture but it very well could have been nicked during transport. The good thing with G.Loomis is that the company stands behind their rods with a strong warranty but without time to go back and rerun all the tests with the replacement rod this concluded the tests for the GLX cranking rod and the remainder of our field tests centered around the more affordable CBR845C.


A look at the break in the rod, we don't know if the rod was damaged, nicked or had an imperfection but this was the end of the GLX cranking rod for our tests

Both rods were rated up to 1oz lure weights but I felt that lures above 3/4oz. really started to max out what I felt was comfortable for both these rods. While you can fish lures at these weights I would recommend being careful not to whip the lures too aggressively to prevent stressing the very tip of the rods.


The GLX rod makes use of Recoil guides for weight reduction


Next Section: Retrieving crankbaits showcases sensitivity

 

   

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