G Loomis Shorestalker Review in 2024 – Fly Rods

G Loomis Shorestalker Review

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The Loomis Shorestalker series are some of the best fly rods to have in your hand when fly fishing close to structure. Casting large poppers and streamers to smallmouth, peackcok bass, snook, and redfish that are sat tight upgainst the bank is what the fly rod is designed for, and it does the job.

The G Loomis Shorestalker is a fly rod that was made for one thing, making short accurate casts with heavy flies and minimal effort. It’s a go-to fly rod for chasing anything that lives near structure, whether that’s snook in the mangroves or smallmouth bass lurking next to cover.

But, does it do what it says on the tin? Join me as we take a deep look in our G Loomis Shorestalker fly rod review.

The G Loomis Shorestalker Fly Rods

The G Loomis Shorestalker Fly Rods

Specs

Line Weight: 9 Length: 8ft
Action: Fast Handle: –
Rod Weight: – Rod Tube: –
Color: – Sections: 4
Warranty: Register within 30 days of purchasing Country Of Manufacture: USA

Overall Score

82%
Build Quality
90%
Performance
80%
Weight and Balance
80%
Aesthetics and Design
70%
Price to Value Ratio
80%
Warranty and Brand Reputation
90%
Customer Service
80%
Innovation and Features
80%

Pros

  • Pinpoint accuracy at up to 60 feet
  • Amazing power and strength to handle big fish and stop them from getting into snags
  • Casts big flies easily with minimal effort in one false cast
  • Great for fishing from a boat
  • Superior Gloomis build quality
  • Loads quickly and easily with tight loops for low shots
  • Super affordable for a Loomis
  • Comfortable cork handle and fighting butt

Cons

  • Doesn’t hit long casting distances over 60 ft
  • Made for one type of fly fishing

The shorter length range of these fly rods, 8-8ft 8 inches is designed to give you the line loops you need to get a fly inches from a snag, hitting up to 60 ft of line with just one false cast. When you pick up the Shorestalker, you really can feel the power inside it and to make use of it requires very little energy.

Once hooked up to a bass or other species, the shorter length and great build of the fly rod puts you in charge of the fight. No matter the size of the fish, the Shorestalker series is strong enough to get them away from snags. Plus there is a fighting butt to make the battle way more comfy.

The series comes in a range of weights from a 5 weight to a 9 weight, so you can pick the right model for anything from small bass to big old bull reds in the marsh.

To top it all off, these Shorstalker series come at a very affordable price, especially when considering it’s a G Loomis.

Who Is G Loomis?

Who Is G Loomis

Im sure you all would have heard of GLoomis as they are responsible for many of the best fly rods ever created like the NRX, Corss Current, and the new Asquith series. The company has been around the block and certainly know what they are doing when it comes to rod design and construction.

Owning a G Loomis rod is like driving a formula one car in fly fishing.

When it comes to warranty, they hold up their end, offering a lifetime warranty with every rod they make. So, even if the price is a little high, know that you’re getting one of their rods for life.

Design and Features Of The Shorstalker Series

Materials & Build

The Shorestalker was designed by Dave Whitlock, the legendary warm water fly fisherman along with the rod designers from GL. The materials used to build the rod are top quality. Everything from the stiff and fast graphite blank to full wells comfy handle, fighting buttt, and aluminum reel seat are as good as they come.

The Shorestalker rods are built short for two reasons – accurate casting that turns over big flies, and enough pulling power that would force many an angler looking to wince and expect a snap, but it stays strong and controls fish when used correctly.

Casting Performance & Action

Casting Performance & Action

Casting with the Shorestalker rods is a dream and you may just fall in love with the rod. These rods make light work out of throwing long lines accurately with big old bass flies. Their sweet spot is 20-60 ft, which is pretty much every cast your going to make unless you can see fish at 90 ft (which most of us can’t).

Everyone who uses these rods, my self included, can not get over being able to pick up 60 ft of line and throwing it all out again with just one back-cast.

They are perfect to use when you’re sight fishing and ideal for blind casting when you need to cover a lot of water. These Shortstalker rods ensure fishing is easy, cutting down your false casts by over half so your arm stays good and strong throughout the day.

The fast action of these rods and their stiff build is what makes them so easy to use but they might be a little too fast for learning fishermen and you will need to match them with a good heavy line to make the rod really come to life.

The Shoretstalker can’t quite handle throwing lines over 60ft so there are more suited to the species mentioned, where accuracy is more important than distance and soft landings. The rod certainly isn’t delicate enough for the likes of permit.

If you want more options from G Loomis, you can take a look at our full G Loomis fly rod reviews here.

Verdict – Is the Shorestalker worth it?

Verdict – Is the Shorestalker worth it

If you’re a fly fisherman who spends his time in the search for critters that love to live around mangroves, fallen trees and along shorelines of lilly padds, you are going to love this rod and what it brings to your fly fishing game.

It makes this kind of fishing where accuracy and enough strength to hold species like bass and snook back from cover about as easy as it can be, plus it comes at a very affordable price.

That being said, outside of these aforementioned fishy situations, it’s not the rod you’d want in your hand and is far from an all rounder. Plus, it’s a fast technical rod that needs a heavy line, so it’ll take a while for you to get your head around it if you’re not overly experienced in fly fishing.

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