Swimbait Rod Wars Installment #15: G.Loomis, Has the Baseline Been Surpassed?
|
Date: |
8/20/08 |
|
Tackle type: |
Rod |
|
Manufacturer: |
G.Loomis |
|
Reviewer: |
Cal |
Total Score:
6.75
- Fair
Introduction:
Finally we reach the
last representative in
our Swimbait Rod Wars
and the company most
responsible for our
decision to focus on
these rods this year.
When we were introduced
to G.Loomis's line of
big bait rods during
ICAST 2007, we knew this
specialized area of bass
fishing, once thought of
as a Southern California
only technique, had
reached critical mass
and it was time to
jumpstart TackleTour's
review base on arguably
the most critical aspect
of this technique - the
rods. So how does our
representative from
G.Loomis stack up? Let's
find out. Introducing
our review on the
G.Loomis SWBR955C.
|
G.Loomis
SWBR955C
Specifications
|
|
Material |
Proprietary
Graphite |
|
Length |
7'-11" |
|
Length from Back
of Reel Seat to
Base |
13.5" |
|
Line Wt. |
15 - 30lb Test |
|
Lure Wt. |
2 oz - 6 oz |
|
Pieces |
one |
|
Guides |
9 guides + tip
top |
|
Power Rating |
Medium Heavy |
|
Taper |
Mod-Fast |
|
Rod Weight |
8.5 ounces |
|
Manufacturing
Country |
USA |
|
MSRP |
$240 |
Impressions: It's
no secret
why we
choose the
G.Loomis
product as
our baseline
for
comparison
in the
majority of
our rod
reviews.
G.Loomis
rods are
pervasive
and their
reputation
for good
performance
is
consistent,
so when
describing a
rod not
easily found
in local
tackle
shops, it's
easy to
suggest
picking up a
specific
model in the
G.Loomis
line and
comparing
how the rod
in question
will feel
compared to
that
G.Loomis
baseline.
Introducing
the G.Loomis
SWBR955C
Swimbait
Stick
Lab Tests: So, when
reviewing a G.Loomis
product, what do we use for
a baseline of comparison?
The first step is strapping
it up to our RoD WRACK and
seeing where it falls with
similar product in our
database. In this case, the
other sixteen rods in our
Rod Wars!
|
Lab Results for
SB Rod Wars All
Purpose Sticks
|
|
Model
|
Avg RoD
(2-48 oz)
|
Taper
|
Spine
|
Measured
Weight
|
Balance
Point
|
|
Dobyns Rods 795ML SB |
1.27
|
Fast
|
Top
|
8.5 oz
|
5.5"
|
|
Fenwick EDSWB79H-F |
1.24
|
Fast
|
L&R
|
6.4 oz
|
11"
|
|
G.Loomis SWBR955C |
1.20
|
Mod-Fast
|
Bottom
|
8.5 oz
|
8.5"
|
|
Kistler KBSBS80 |
1.17
|
Moderate
|
Top
|
7.2 oz
|
11"
|
|
Megabass F8-78DG |
1.11
|
Mod-Fast
|
Top
|
7.7 oz
|
8.5"
|
|
Lamiglas XC807 |
1.04
|
Moderate
|
Bottom
|
9 oz
|
10"
|
Rate of Deflection (RoD):
The SWBR955C falls right
into the group of rods we've
identified as our "All
Purpose" swimbait sticks.
These sticks all have a RoD
value between 1 and 1.3 and
almost universally have a
lure weight recommendation
in the range of one to four
ounces give or take half an
ounce in either direction.
Specifically, our SWBR955C
compares most favorably to
the Kistler KBSBS80 - a rod
that won Editor's Choice
early on in the Rod Wars.
Fig.
1 :
This
RoD
Deflection
Chart
shows
the
deflection
characteristics
of
the
G.Loomis
SWBR955C
(yellow
curve)
against
several
similar
sticks.
Spine, Weight, and
Balance Point: The
SWBR955C is pretty much
what we expected in
terms of feel from a
G.Loomis product meaning
it is not the lightest
or best balanced stick
in our group of
representatives, but
rather, it strikes a
nice balance between
these two criteria. The
fact that it is properly
spined is just a bonus.
During our deflection
measurements in our RoD
WRACK, the line did come
in contact with the
blank with about 28
ounces of load - that's
1.5 pounds - not bad
really.
The SWBR955C is one inch shy of a full eight feet in length
Rated as a mod-fast taper, you can see that in this photo of the rod under load.
Next Section: Real World Tests
