Lox Rods

[pmak]

Hi Guys - terrible weekend weather lately has forced me to indulge in my other pastime - tackle browsing. Came across a LOX brand graphite rod at some stores - looked quite exotic and costing over $200. Split grip cork handle with some chinese writing and also using fuji component. The 1-3kg stick was light as a feather. Would be an excellent light line flick stick.

Anyone heard of them before or had any experience using them?

[abecedarian]

I saw a couple in a certain tackle store in drummoyne. Wasn't impressed with the service as is usual for that place, but did like the rod. Very nice feel with a fast and stiff action, and the price didn't seem that outrageous either. I'd seriously consider buying one, but I'd be after something just a little heavier than a 1-3kg stick. That said, I'd like to know how they perform because I hadn't heard of them before that either and can't find any info about them on the web...

[slinkymalinky]

G'day pmak,

I got to have a close look at the first batch of LOX rods... for a while my company was talking to them about business but nothing came of it so I can be objective about it.

If you've had a look at one you'll know what I mean when I say if you hold one, you'll want one. They're very high quality, high performance rods that are aimed straight at the high end factory rod buyer. They are very similar in performance and quality to Nitro's Vapor range and I believe, even a little lighter... something like 65g for the lightest in the range. They're also considerably less expensive.

If I didn't already own way too many rods I'd buy one and match it to a Daiwa Luvias or similar to make a super light weight spin outfit.

Cheers, Slinky

[Aries]

Hi Everyone,

I brought 1 yesterday.....$180.00.....and to be honest its a great little rod.

Caught a few squid on it yesterday, cast a mile and matched it up on 1000 reel. I really enjoyed fishing with it yesterday.

Highly recommended......Acutally it also has a warranty which is $50 to replace broken parts.

I usually use my Sol with 2500 sol reel, but I enjoyed using this one better.

Just my thoughts.

[pmak]

Thanks for the reply guys. Slinky - didn't realise you were involved in the tackle industry. Must be a dream job.

Gave in to temptation and got one over the weekend and managed to find out some more info in the process.

I think the rods are being distributed by Viva tackle locally. Whether they're also the manufacturers, I can't tell for sure. I must admit I do not rate Viva tackle as highly as say Daiwa or Shimano but looking at the product in isolation, it got me excited - light as a feather and cool looking with a split cork grip design. Their warranty thing is also great.

They've been compared to Nitro rods, especially the Vapor which is ultra light. While I do not have the Vapor, I use the Powerbream Finesse so it will be interesting to make a comparison. I will pair the rod with a 2000 sized Sol to see how it goes ...

Edited June 1, 2009 by pmak

[slinkymalinky]

Thanks for the reply guys. Slinky - didn't realise you were involved in the tackle industry. Must be a dream job.

Gave in to temptation and got one over the weekend and managed to find out some more info in the process.

I think the rods are being distributed by Viva tackle locally. Whether they're also the manufacturers, I can't tell for sure. I must admit I do not rate Viva tackle as highly as say Daiwa or Shimano but looking at the product in isolation, it got me excited - light as a feather and cool looking with a split cork grip design. warranty thing is also great.

They've been compared to Nitro rods, especially the Vapor which is ultra light. Their While I do not have the Vapor, I use the Powerbream Finesse so it will be interesting to make a comparison. I will pair the rod with a 2000 sized Sol to see how it goes ...

Sorry to disappoint but I'm not in the tackle industry... just had reason to be talking to the company for something unrelated.

Cheers, Slinky

[toikle]

Hi Guys - terrible weekend weather lately has forced me to indulge in my other pastime - tackle browsing. Came across a LOX brand graphite rod at some stores - looked quite exotic and costing over $200. Split grip cork handle with some chinese writing and also using fuji component. The 1-3kg stick was light as a feather. Would be an excellent light line flick stick.

Anyone heard of them before or had any experience using them?

I recently bought one along with a TD Advantage 2000 after I dropped my old light rod off a wharf , it is a fantastic rod, very light and you can feel every time a fish sneezes on it. Caught some reasonable tailor, trevally and flattys with it so far. Going to see how I go with poppers for some winter whiting on saturday..

[Snapn]

Thanks for the reply guys. Slinky - didn't realise you were involved in the tackle industry. Must be a dream job.

Gave in to temptation and got one over the weekend and managed to find out some more info in the process.

I think the rods are being distributed by Viva tackle locally. Whether they're also the manufacturers, I can't tell for sure. I must admit I do not rate Viva tackle as highly as say Daiwa or Shimano but looking at the product in isolation, it got me excited - light as a feather and cool looking with a split cork grip design. Their warranty thing is also great.

They've been compared to Nitro rods, especially the Vapor which is ultra light. While I do not have the Vapor, I use the Powerbream Finesse so it will be interesting to make a comparison. I will pair the rod with a 2000 sized Sol to see how it goes ...

hey mate,

im about to make the same pairing,

did u end up pairing it?

if so how does it go?

Thanks

[Slaka]

hey mate,

im about to make the same pairing,

did u end up pairing it?

if so how does it go?

Thanks

I have heard that they are made in the same factory as the Nitro Vapour and are very similar.

I have a TD Advantage 2000 reel matched up with the Vapor and it is a really nice set up. I have caught rat kings with it no problem at all.

[abecedarian]

hey mate,

im about to make the same pairing,

did u end up pairing it?

if so how does it go?

Thanks

I've got one paired up with a stradic. I'd have to say it's an awesome rod, casts light weights well and for the money I don't think you can get better. It's a little soft when fighting a fish, and doesn't like the heavier lures (around 8-10g) but a lot of that I'd put down to the fact that it's a 1-3 kg rod...

I wouldn't go as far as saying they're better than the Nitro or even the same, just because they're made in the same factory doesn't mean they're the same rod. To tell you'd have to fish with them back to back and do a proper test.

If you're after a top notch rod then go for something like a loomy or the likes. But if you're looking at spending about $200 then i'd doubt you'll find anything better.

The only thing about them that I find less than perfect is the guides. They're good quality fugi guides but very small, to the point that if you want to fish an 8lb leader the leader knot keeps getting caught up, and that's with a slim beauty knot. If you only plan on fishing a 6lb leader, and can deal with the occasional tangle when fishing heavier then it won't be an issue.

Hope that helps.

[Snapn]

cheers guys,

yeah i'm going to be running 4lb fireline so should be a good step up.

[pmak]

Snapn,

I've ended up with 2 of the darn rods - a 6'6" and a 7'6". The 6'6" is well balanced and I've paired it up with a 2000 Daiwa Revros. Light as a feather. The 7'6" one is a little tip heavy. It's got a 2000 Daiwa Tierra on it at the moment with 4lb TD Sensor braid. I've considered a heavier reel to balance it out a bit but I think it will still end up being tip heavy. Ended up wrapping some lead wire to the rear section of the butt bringing the balance point closer to the reel. Looks crude so I'm still looking for a more elegant solution to add some weight to the end of the rod.

The 7'6" rod did have some issues with the top guide. They're supposed to be Fuji guides but the top one had sharp exposed edges where the top guide gets mated onto the shaft. This ended up fraying my braided line quite badly on the occasions where the braid got wrapped around the top guide. Was not happy, gave the feedback to the store where I got it from and got a replacement on the spot.

While the 6'6" rods feels good to use, I have been using the 7'6" rod more lately for some flats work just to get the extra casting distance. Lost a couple of good bream last week that cut me off on weeds. Both fish took 3" flick baits (one Gulp, one Slam) on 1/24oz jigheads within seconds of hitting the water. The 4 pound leader was my undoing. I had no problems up to that point as I had been getting trevally up to 43cm on that outfit. I had forgotten how bream fight and they can get get dirty and bust you off when they get the chance.

abecedarian - I fish my Lox and Nitro (the power bream finesse) rods side by side all the time. The Nitro has more guts I think and gives me more confidence in dealing with stubborn fish. The Lox weighs next to nothing and my kids love it! However, I think you can only get a true comparison when you put a Lox agains the Nitro Vapor. Perhaps a fellow Raider who has done this can enlighten us ...

[abecedarian]

Snapn,

I've ended up with 2 of the darn rods - a 6'6" and a 7'6". The 6'6" is well balanced and I've paired it up with a 2000 Daiwa Revros. Light as a feather. The 7'6" one is a little tip heavy. It's got a 2000 Daiwa Tierra on it at the moment with 4lb TD Sensor braid. I've considered a heavier reel to balance it out a bit but I think it will still end up being tip heavy. Ended up wrapping some lead wire to the rear section of the butt bringing the balance point closer to the reel. Looks crude so I'm still looking for a more elegant solution to add some weight to the end of the rod.

The 7'6" rod did have some issues with the top guide. They're supposed to be Fuji guides but the top one had sharp exposed edges where the top guide gets mated onto the shaft. This ended up fraying my braided line quite badly on the occasions where the braid got wrapped around the top guide. Was not happy, gave the feedback to the store where I got it from and got a replacement on the spot.

While the 6'6" rods feels good to use, I have been using the 7'6" rod more lately for some flats work just to get the extra casting distance. Lost a couple of good bream last week that cut me off on weeds. Both fish took 3" flick baits (one Gulp, one Slam) on 1/24oz jigheads within seconds of hitting the water. The 4 pound leader was my undoing. I had no problems up to that point as I had been getting trevally up to 43cm on that outfit. I had forgotten how bream fight and they can get get dirty and bust you off when they get the chance.

abecedarian - I fish my Lox and Nitro (the power bream finesse) rods side by side all the time. The Nitro has more guts I think and gives me more confidence in dealing with stubborn fish. The Lox weighs next to nothing and my kids love it! However, I think you can only get a true comparison when you put a Lox agains the Nitro Vapor. Perhaps a fellow Raider who has done this can enlighten us ...

Hi Pmak,

It's interesting you say the 7'6" rod is tip heavy, I never noticed it until just now when I checked it after reading your post, the rod is so bloody light... I also checked my guides too just to make sure they were all good . I think maybe you just got a dodgy rod, which can happen from time to time.

Have you tried using a heavier leader with your lox rods? Just wondering if other people notice the leader knot getting caught when using a heavier leader (such as 8lb fluro) or if it's just me...

Cheers!

[pmak]

Hi Pmak,

It's interesting you say the 7'6" rod is tip heavy, I never noticed it until just now when I checked it after reading your post, the rod is so bloody light... I also checked my guides too just to make sure they were all good . I think maybe you just got a dodgy rod, which can happen from time to time.

Have you tried using a heavier leader with your lox rods? Just wondering if other people notice the leader knot getting caught when using a heavier leader (such as 8lb fluro) or if it's just me...

Cheers!

Sometimes the tag end of the leader catches on the braid as it's flying through the guides and gets stuck. Has happended to me a few times but normally on the second or third guide from the top. What knot do you use? I use a surgeon's knot. Snipping the tag end of the leader really short can help prevent catching on the guides as well.

I've used 8lb leader on rods with guides smaller than the Lox rods without any real dramas.

[abecedarian]

Sometimes the tag end of the leader catches on the braid as it's flying through the guides and gets stuck. Has happended to me a few times but normally on the second or third guide from the top. What knot do you use? I use a surgeon's knot. Snipping the tag end of the leader really short can help prevent catching on the guides as well.

I've used 8lb leader on rods with guides smaller than the Lox rods without any real dramas.

If I'm using good quality 6lb fluro leader I can get away with a double uni without any troubles. If I use 8 lb I have to switch to a slim beauty and that doesn't give me much trouble so long as I'm careful tying the knot. A double uni though with the 8lb leader catches most casts. That said, a double uni knot is quite bulky...

[Snapn]

Snapn,

I've ended up with 2 of the darn rods - a 6'6" and a 7'6". The 6'6" is well balanced and I've paired it up with a 2000 Daiwa Revros. Light as a feather. The 7'6" one is a little tip heavy. It's got a 2000 Daiwa Tierra on it at the moment with 4lb TD Sensor braid. I've considered a heavier reel to balance it out a bit but I think it will still end up being tip heavy. Ended up wrapping some lead wire to the rear section of the butt bringing the balance point closer to the reel. Looks crude so I'm still looking for a more elegant solution to add some weight to the end of the rod.

The 7'6" rod did have some issues with the top guide. They're supposed to be Fuji guides but the top one had sharp exposed edges where the top guide gets mated onto the shaft. This ended up fraying my braided line quite badly on the occasions where the braid got wrapped around the top guide. Was not happy, gave the feedback to the store where I got it from and got a replacement on the spot.

While the 6'6" rods feels good to use, I have been using the 7'6" rod more lately for some flats work just to get the extra casting distance. Lost a couple of good bream last week that cut me off on weeds. Both fish took 3" flick baits (one Gulp, one Slam) on 1/24oz jigheads within seconds of hitting the water. The 4 pound leader was my undoing. I had no problems up to that point as I had been getting trevally up to 43cm on that outfit. I had forgotten how bream fight and they can get get dirty and bust you off when they get the chance.

abecedarian - I fish my Lox and Nitro (the power bream finesse) rods side by side all the time. The Nitro has more guts I think and gives me more confidence in dealing with stubborn fish. The Lox weighs next to nothing and my kids love it! However, I think you can only get a true comparison when you put a Lox agains the Nitro Vapor. Perhaps a fellow Raider who has done this can enlighten us ...

Cheers for the feedback,

Ended up going with the Daiwa infeet 3lb-6lb to match my sol. Great little rod with an awesome taper.

[macca33]

I know, a bit of thread digging here.....

I purchased one of the 6'6" LOX 1-3kg rods in July, to move up into the current age (I had been using my 20+ year old tried and more than proven Ugly Stik) and have to say that I'm impressed with the new rod.

I am a trout spinner mostly and paired the rod with a Daiwa Infeet 2004 reel, 2lb berkley fireline and 4lb fluoro leader. It has handled 1.5kg Browns without a worry and is a pleasure to cast.

I haven't had any of the knots catching in the guides, so cannot comment there.

I am going to buy another one soon and set it up a tad heavier for the estuary - probably on another Daiwa Infeet, with 4lb braid and I'll run 4-6lb leader.

cheers

Edited January 31, 2010 by macca33

[pmak]

macca33,

Since you've dug this thread up - your Infeet reel and ultra light line should be a sweet combo to work with. For your new set-up, you should look at the 7' or 7'6" models as well as the extra length is handy for distance casts.

I think more raiders have got them now so we may be able to get more feedback. I'm still waiting for a Lox vs Nitro Vapor comparison.

I also snapped the tip of one of my rods recently (line wrap while casting). Took it directly to the importer in Chipping Norton and got a replacement top section on the spot which is handy (cost $50 though).

I have a different problem nowadays - my kids like the lightness of the outfits so much that they keep hogging them!!