Jumped in the JDM pool

First off, thank you to everyone who contributed to the JDM stickies (rod, reel,line), they were an enjoyable and enlightening read, offering several evenings of entertainment. As the owner of a Loomis SR-781, plus a Panfish and Avid ultralights from St. Croix, I believed I had my Ultralight bases covered, but wondered if I was missing something. While I have several others that that are fun and work, those 3 are my mainstays with the Loomis being my favorite. The Loomis is matched with a Stradic Cl4 1000 with 5# Power Pro and Road Runners, Beetle Spins, and Bitsy Minnows comprised my tackle choices.

The journey started with 3# Twitch Master from Varivas. I was surprised with the sensitivity and casting distance. I really had little problems tying knots and just had to make sure to lubricate the line before cinching it down. It was also much stronger than I was expecting when I got hung up. Since I was so used to the braid, and 6# mono, the new line was an eye opener and added a little fuel to the JDM fire. I did have some problems with line twist and wind knots, but nothing that couldn’t be managed and I expected a learning curve.

The major jump occurred with the order of a Major Craft Finetail FAX632SUL and an Abu Revo MGX Theta 1000. Both items arrived in about a weeks time and were well packaged. As noted by others, the workmanship was superb and I loved the balance of the pair. I was more than a little apprehensive about the durability of the rod, as it is much smaller than anything I own, approaching fly rod dimensions. I spooled the Revo with Master Twitch and headed out to a local spot to test them out. I brought my old standard as well for a side by side test and loaded both rigs with some Trout Magnets. To be honest, after my first few casts with the Loomis, I wondered if I hadn’t just wasted a bunch of money. This rig was an old friend with many hours of fishing behind us……
The first few casts with the new rig brought a smile to my face. I mean, it cast well, reeled well, and I could feel the jig as it moved, much like the Loomis. I wasn’t quite ready to say it was “better,” but it was no slouch. It took a few casts for the first jolt to happen. The shock of impact really surprised me. The sense of the fish on the other end of the line was exhilarating. I was certainly no longer concerned about what I had spent. The best way I can describe the difference is the JDM rig is extremely crisp in comparison. If the Major Craft is a “low end” JDM rod, then I’m in trouble!

I spent the next few hours going back and forth between the 2 setups and eventually the bite died off. I switched to a 1/32 Road Runner for both rigs and caught a few more crappie before getting hung up. As I was getting ready to pull up the anchor to get unsnagged, the Revo drag started to pay out, then it started to really sing!!! The rod was bent way over and I’m hoping I don’t snap my new setup on my first trip. I assumed it was a bass and just loosened up the drag and sat back to enjoy the ride. Turns out, my snag was a chain pickerel! I tried to net it a couple of times, but my net is only 16” long and this sucker was not going to fit. The lure came out after my 3rd attempt to net it, so no pictures! I must say I was more than impressed at how well the rod did.

I’ve now got about a dozen trips under my belt with the MC and have compared it to a number of my other setups. I must say it has now moved to the top of the list. It is a little under gunned for the Bitsy Minnow and I might get a 6’ light version to throw some smaller cranks. This little rod has handled several bass, crappie, catfish, and bluegill. Without a doubt, the “fun factor” is high with this one. And because I know pics are required…..