Duckett Micro Magic Rod, Lews Tour. SS, Loomis GL2 DS Review

[Ca_Bass]

So last week was an expensive week as far as fishing equipment went for me. I lost a $350 Team Daiwa Zillion reel that was paired with an All Star ASR jerkbait rod that fell off the boat

Additionally, I broke my St. Croix Mojo Bass rod that I used for shakey heads and sometimes for Drop shotting.

To replace the zillion and all star I went with a duckett micro magic and a lews tournament speed spool.

Duckett rod is a MH 6'9" model and was $160, and it's a nice rod still not sold it was worth $160 though. The ASR I lost was $100 and and is is just a tad bit heavier than the duckett. The duckett is balanced nicely and cast very well it is also pretty sensitive. Only bad thing is the handle is too long to be my jerkbait rod. I can't snap the tip down without the butt hitting my elbow, therefore limiting my ability to work a jerkbait or a topwater correctly but that is due to my build no fault of the rod. All is not lost I will just switch the reels out and make it my small swimbait bait rod and use my TD Steez as my jerkbait rod. All in all it's a nice rod but for just a little bit more $ you can get a loomis GL2 wich is definitely a better rod. And there are many rods that are $up to $50 cheaper that are just as nice.

Now to the lews tournament SS....AWESOME reel for the price. This is the second Lews reel I have purchased. Now i'd flat out be lying to say this was better than the zillion I lost. But it is however smoother than the new chronarch and curados. Also, smoother than the old curado. It casts well, I don't think quite as far as a curado but it is much easier to make slight adjustments with the braking system than a curado ( I have 6 curados BTW). The first lews I picked up was the tournament MG speed spool ($129) and the 2nd was the tournament speed the tournament model ($150) and you can get it with a 7.2:1 ratio. The the speed spool mg is 6.4:1 is a bit lighter but doesn't seem quite as smooth, guessing because of the magnesium frame, they both have 10 bearings. All in in all both reels are an incredible value and I'm not sure if there is a better reel for the money.

Now the G Loomis GL2 Drop shot rod. To start with I just picked it up today but I can tell already this rod is going to be great. It has the perfect tip for subtley shaking a dropshot. It's limber enough to use ultra light line but also has a good back bone as well and I'm pretty sure it will have more than enough for shakey heads. Will find that out on the water. this is the 3rd GL2 series rod I have picked up and like the lews reels these are possibly the best bang for your buck rods. They are almost as light as a steez (which can be tripple the price) and also almost as sensitive as a steez. However the steez rods have a power to weight ratio that I don't know can be matched. Maybe a loomis NRX but i've never used one so I couldn't tell you. Loomis also makes an even more finesse version of the GL2 ds rod but it seemed too limber for my likings as sometimes I will use a 1/4 DS weight if the wind is up or I'm fishing over 20ft deep. Definitely an upgrade from the st croix mojo bass rod which I liked but didn't love.

I had been looking at getting a good drop shot spinning rod for awhile now and it had come down between the team daiwa tdx or the loomis gl2. Being that nobody seems to carry the TDX and you have to order it I went with the loomis. I'm sure the TDX spinning rod is a great rod as I have the casting version and love it, but I have hard time purchasing a rod without holding it first.

After I use the DS Loomis on the water a few times I will re review it.

[skunked]

Thanks for the reviews! I love these kinds of posts (tackle whore).
I also have the same exact Duckett rod. I bought it in Aug. of last year at Fisherman's One Stop at Lake Fork. The next day, I caught my PB bass on it, so it holds a special place in my memories. That being said, I will agree that it is very good, but not a great rod. It is sensitive, but the reel seat doesn't work so well with a few of my reels, and the tip of the rod is not straight (sub-par quality control).
I also am a fan of the Lew's reels. I have a Tournament Pro TP1HL and recently got a chance to test it after buying it several months ago! Great performance and very light. They went cheap with the logo on the reel though. It's just a sticker and falls right off with just a little pressure. It is probably made in the same factory in Korea as the Pure Fishing products such as Pflueger and ABU Garcia, as well as the Bass Pro Shops brand reels. Out of all those, this and the Revo Premier are my favorites.
I look forward to more reviews from you. Also, thank you for serving our country Sir.

[Ca_Bass]

I aslo noticed some slight quality control misses on my duckett. Mainly just a tad sloppy with some of the epoxy for the line guides. The also dripped some on the hook kepper. It doesnt affect the performance in anyway but i guess i look at it like this... if im paying $150 for a rod these little oversights shouldnt have happened.

One thing I've decided though is, if im not buying a loomis or a team diawa rod it will be an allstar. Allstar has made quality rods for a long time and they dont break the bank. Also i belive they are made in america.

I miss my zillion

[skunked]

One thing I've decided though is, if im not buying a loomis or a team diawa rod it will be an allstar. Allstar has made quality rods for a long time and they dont break the bank. Also i belive they are made in america.

Actually, they USED to be made in Houston, TX, but since around 2004 have been made in China. That should have no effect on the quality though. Ever play with an older Ardent, Made in USA reel?? It was a $280 reel that looked and felt like a $80 Chinese reel.

[Ca_Bass]

Haven't tried any of the ardent reels. They seemed way over priced as well. These Lews are actually the first non team daiwa or shimano reels I've owned...was just thinking that that is not true. Have one old Abu ambassador and one revo s...dabbled with the Abu products and didn't really like them. Though I have picked up the Revo mgx a few times and that reel seems pretty nice. Would look/feel nice paired on my steel SVF rod.

I've borrowed/used some other reels and just had not ever been impressed with them. For the longest time swore that a curado was the best reel for the money. These lews reels are right up there with the curados if not better.

Did get the Looms GL2 DS rod out on my in laws farm pond. Too much snot grass to fish a dropshot. All I can say at this point is it casts nicely.