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Getting "Shakey" G.Loomis Style
(continued)
  Power: Thanks to a "MagLight" taper, which is essentially an extra-fast taper, the SHR821S has plenty of backbone to battle, control, and pull in just about anything you're going to be fighting with six to ten pound test line. You're certainly not going to be flipping five pound fish over the side of your boat with this rod and eight pound test, but there should be no problems subduing a fish of that size or significantly larger with a properly set drag and some patience.
... and you can get your reel to seat right...
... The initial fit is not perfect and you need to apply pressure to get the reel foot into the reel seat housing on both sides.
Features: The SHR821S comes equipped with a full line of Fuji components. The blank itself is a blend G.Loomis's GL3 and IMX graphites, and of course, it features a full rear grip and foregrip of a high grade cork. There are also some compressed cork details on the rear grip that change up the look slightly, but certainly not significantly, and unfortunately there were some minor alignment issues between all the different materials in the grip of our review specimen.
Some very minor alignment issues were present in the handle assembly of our test subject.
Along with some slight cracking at the transitions.
The reel seat was also a tad difficult as I had to really torque the feet of my reels to get them to slide into the seat and sit properly so that I could tighten them down onto the rod. If you're one to match up a rod and reel and leave them paired indefinitely, this is a minor issue. If you, like me, break down your combos after every trip, this can grow to be a bit annoying every time you slide a new reel onto the rod.
A rubber gasket is used to cap off the foregrip.
Application: As mentioned previously, the SHR821S is suitable, really, for a wide range of light line, bottom contact techniques. It is perfectly powered for black bass and is a bit stout for bluegill, but would make an excellent slab crappie stick as well as a good backup trout rod. In fact, I've caught several accidental trout on this very stick while fishing for black bass and had a blast reeling them in.
The quality of the cork in the rod's handle is very good.
Very subtle highlight threads cap off the very conservative detailing of this stick.
Warranty: There is, perhaps, no more famous a replacement plan in the industry than G.Loomis's no fault, no hassle replacement program. It should be pointed out, however, that this is different than an actual warranty where a rod is replaced due to manufacturer defect or poor workmanship. G.Loomis's replacement program saves you the hassle of going through the claim and inspection process by providing you with a quick way to get back out on the water all for a nominal fee. Some will argue this is reflected in the price of their rods, others really don't care and feel it is worth having this added bit of insurance. I for one, like having the option.
One last look at our G.Loomis SHR821S
Ratings:
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G.Loomis SHR821S ShakyHead Ratings (?/10)
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| Construction/Quality |
Some alignment issues in the handle, otherwise ok |
6.5 |
| Performance |
Solid as I expect from G.Loomis |
7.5 |
| Price |
Gettin' up there in price but in the range of the intermediately priced rods. |
7 |
| Features |
Nothing fancy but all Fuji Components |
7 |
| Design (Ergonomics) |
Typical G.Loomis Conservative |
7 |
| Application |
A very good finesse stick |
7.5 |
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Total Score
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7.08 |
Ratings Key: Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
(For a detailed explanation of the ratings go here) |
Pluses and Minuses:
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Plus Minus
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| J Very good performer |
L Conservatively styled |
| J Fuji Components |
L Reel seat is a bit finicky |
| J Nice, sensitive stick |
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Though more accustomed to tossing big baits now, every once in a while, changing things up can be a lot of fun.
Conclusion: Given our recent Swimbait Rod Wars activity, spinning rods simply do not make it out onto the boat very often anymore, but when it's time to go finesse, and yes, I consider shaky head fishing a finesse technique, spinning rods can be a blast to fish with. The G.Loomis SHR821S is no exception. No, it's not as glamorous as a GLX, although that option is now available in this series! And no, it's not as stylistic as my Enthusiast rods, but it is a very solid stick with a fantastic taper and one I can highly recommend if your game is shaky heads.
Looking for a G.Loomis Rod, try Monster Tackle.
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