Elliot Rods vs G. Loomis vs. St. Croix

So, I was at Scheels the other day and they had some Elliot rods, which I played with and liked a lot, but am an admitted St. Croix and G. Loomis user. I was wondering what people’s thoughts were on Elliot rods, I am sure there are reviews out there, but do they stack up to the NRX or the Legend Elites of the bigger brands? For the price, they seem fairly cheap, all things considered. I was looking at selling some sticks and switching, but want to know what other’s thoughts were. The rods I was looking at were the 6’10” ML, the 6’9″ medium, or the 7’1″ medium. These rods will be used for primarily pitching jigs. Please feel free to comment if you got some advise. Thanks!

Well the thorne bros are building them so the quality has to be on par with the higher end rods. I haven’t made the switch yet but am considering buying one.

I have no experience with Elliot but plan to try one out at some point, however for me the Loomis is by far a better feel than the Criox, they also seem lighter, not sure on actual specs though.

I’m agnostic when it comes to brands. Just want to use the best. I’ve got an Elliot though find I tend to reach for the GLoomis when in the boat. They’re good rods, but I’m not a big fan of St. Croix rods outside their musky line of rods. Buddies I fish with love em. Personally, my vote is GLoomis, unless you’re talking musky rods.

John Rasmussen wrote:

I have no experience with Elliot but plan to try one out at some point, however for me the Loomis is by far a better feel than the Criox, they also seem lighter, not sure on actual specs though.

I agree. Something about the Loomis feels better then the Croixs. Back in 2010-ish, i got a Loomis GLX that I didn’t think felt as good as a Croix Legend Extreme I had, so I switched. I then got back into Loomis after fishing an NRX my buddy had. I was originally going to Scheels to play with a couple NRX rods, however, when I seen the Elliot rods, I picked them up and they felt better then the Croixs, but I was not sure how they stacked against the NRX, because the model I was looking at sold since I had been there last.

I have mostly Elliot and 2B rods. Hoping to buy the new top of their line Identity rods soon. What I like about the Elliot line compared to the rest….which I have fished many of them for years….is the Syncork handles and the fact that they have more moderate to moderate heavy actions. Not a fan of extra fast rods. Very lightweight and sensitive. They also have option of hidden hood reel seats and more standard reel seats but still with the Syncork. The 2B rods are also very nice to fish with.

My GLoomis rods made before Shimano bought them out are my favorites.

AK Guy wrote:

My GLoomis rods made before Shimano bought them out are my favorites.

Agreed. I thought maybe it was nostalgia, but I think when Shimano bought them something changed. That was about the time I switched to St. Croix. I had an old SJR 782 GLX and an SJR 721 GLX, that caught more walleyes then I could care to guesstimate.

I wonder if mine are from before the buyout I have 3 GLX rods that I love. Anyone know when that happened?

Elliott makes some great rods. I have built on many of their blanks. I have also built on many St. Croix and Loomis blanks. I will not say that one manufacturer line is better than the other because of all the different characteristics of the blanks. Their 7’ ML might be the best but their 6’-10” ML sucks. The guides makes up most of the cost on the high end rods. A size 16 single foot Torzite guide is $39.35 each vs SiC in the same line is $26.79 each. Times that by 8-10 for most rods and you can see some of the cost difference there. Torzite is a little lighter. Is that little bit of extra weight savings worth it? On some blanks it made a big difference and on other blanks it made no noticeable difference. Your reel choice and line choice will also flip around what the “best” rod is. I have noticed some blanks do a great job working the lure and suck at fighting the fish. Micro guides are small and light. So small that I have a hard time getting my line through them without my glasses. Is that performance advantage worth it for me? In the end you are the only one who can decide what the best rod is for a specific prestation at a certain depth with x line is. Setup balance would also play heavy in my final judgement.

John Rasmussen wrote:

I wonder if mine are from before the buyout I have 3 GLX rods that I love. Anyone know when that happened?

Gary Loomis sold his company to Shimano in 1997.

St. Croix and Loomis flagship blanks and rods are built in their own factories in the USA. Far as I know, Elliott blanks are built in a factory in China. A factory that likely builds blanks for dozens of other brands.

Syncork is cool and Thorne is a legendary name in rod building but the 3 brands you mentioned are in different classes.

AK Guy wrote:

Gary Loomis sold his company to Shimano in 1997.

Thanks, mine are certainly newer than that.

tswoboda wrote:

St. Croix and Loomis flagship blanks and rods are built in their own factories in the USA. Far as I know, Elliott blanks are built in a factory in China. A factory that likely builds blanks for dozens of other brands.

Syncork is cool and Thorne is a legendary name in rod building but the 3 brands you mentioned are in different classes.

I’ve been to Park Falls a few times for the Customer Appreciation weekend, and that kinda got me on St. Croix rods. As far as Loomis goes, it was rumored that after the sale to Shimano, the rods were made overseas, which i didn’t figure was true, however, i was unaware that Elliot rods were made in China. Thanks for the info!

Gary has his own line of rods now called Edge Rods, and also sells blanks under the name of NFC.