PRO BLUE RANGE
G. Loomis are well known for their high quality fly, baitcasting and spinning rods. Whatever style of fishing you favour, there is a stick in the Loomis range that will do the job.
The Pro Blue range are serious bluewater rods, designed to put the hurt onto big, angry fish. Built around fast action full graphite blanks, they are unbelievable light, with sensitive tips that can cast a lure out of sight. Once you're hooked up, the low down grunt means that surprisingly large fish can be brought to the boat quickly. All rods in the range are finished to the extremely high standard that you would expect from Loomis, with Fuji SIC guides as standard equipment.
The Pro Blue range are a pleasure to use, and come in both overhead and spin configurations. Use them for everything from dropping jigs over reefs to casting poppers at hungry queenies, and they'll perform faultlessly in every scenario.
The amazing sensitivity makes finesse presentations a breeze - the smallest bump on your lure is immediately telegraphed to the rod tip. But when the going gets tough, you can really pour on the power with these fast taper rods.
They have been extensively tested all around the country, and have come up trumps on a variety of powerful sportfish. Dave Donald has been using a Pro Blue 844S around Weipa, and has accounted for everything from mackerel to big jewies. He has been impressed by the quality and power of this rod, as he explains below.
PRO BLUE 844S
By Dave Donald
I lifted the plastic off the bottom, slowly sweeping the rod tip from the water to the level of my shoulder, then dropped it sharply watching the sensitive tip as the 40 gram lead head headed back down, the Gambler falling like a wounded bait fish. This time the Loomis registered a couple of light bumps, a sure sign that something had taken an interest. I paused a couple of seconds then struck hard as the weight came on the line.
The fish didn't do much at first, just shook its head, obviously trying to figure out why the enticing morsel it had just eaten was fighting back. Then as the power of the heavy rod and tightly set drag became fully apparent, it suddenly had 50 metres of braid off the reel in what seemed like only a few seconds.
As more braid whizzed through the guides, I marvelled at how easy these latest high modulus rods have made our fishing. Once you get the technique right, they will cast even a small lure out of sight, then their amazing power will help subdue even large fish in a very short time - if the angler gets his pump and wind action nice and smooth. In the right hands, top of the range graphite sticks, like the Pro Blue range, will make your fishing seem easier, and definitely much more enjoyable. A workman (read fisho) is only as good as his tools, and these rods perform as well as anything around, and much better than most.
Meanwhile, I'd managed to get some of the wet braid back on the reel and the line was starting to angle up towards the surface. The dogged, powerful fight, the head-shaking, and now, the move towards the surface, had cobia written all over it. Sure enough, the brown shark-like body, lined with two characteristic prominent cream stripes, appeared just below the surface.
It's easy to think that the fight is just about over when a big cobe hits the surface but that's rarely the case. There's lots of lunging runs, more head shaking and sudden changes of direction that can have a line around the prop or under the keel if you aren't quick enough to follow.
The power of the Pro Blue 844S allowed me to turn the fishes head a couple of times before it could capitalise on its latest manoeuvre. It came to the boat shortly after and the jumbo Environet was at the ready.
Gaffing a big cobia is not for the faint hearted or newcomer. They have a habit of twisting and bucking so violently that many a gaff has been bent, broken or lost. I even saw one unlucky angler get flattened by a flailing fish and he hit the deck with the angry cobia bouncing off his chest!
So putting them in the heaviest landing net you can find is a slightly user-friendly option but they still take some subduing when they hit the deck. Although they are a great eating fish, I prefer to release them and keep a mackerel instead!
In my experience, cobia are suckers for big soft plastics fished close to the bottom. It's important when using softies to keep the jig head weight as light as possible given the prevailing conditions, and to use a rod that has a tip sensitive enough to feel even the lightest bump but gutsy enough to move powerful fish when hooked.
The Loomis Pro Blue range contains a bevy of rods that fits this recipe, fast tapered premium graphites fitted with the finest hardware and an impeccable finish that is the hallmark of Loomis products. From metre plus Awoonga barra to Kimberley cobia, from massive murray cod to South Oz amberjacks, there's a Pro Blue rod that will give them a hurry up.
For more information on the Pro Blue range, view the online catalogue at