St. Croix Avid Series Spinning 7’ Medium VS G. Loomis E6X Spinning Rod 7' Med 842S S

[The Pond King]

Hi all,

First and foremost, I hope everyone is staying safe and secure during these crazy times!

Anyways, I’m writing to you because I am having a difficult time deciding which rod to choose between the St. Croix Avid Spinning 7’ Medium Fast and G. Loomis E6X 842S SJR.

The rods are both exactly the same price and have similar components and warranties. They’re also both made in the USA. They are definitely direct competitors with each other in the marketplace.

The backstory is, I ordered a Daiwa Tatula Spinning Rod 7' Medium – not the Elite – the one with the cork handle, but my order never got delivered due to being out of stock because of the coronavirus. It’s been six months since I’ve ordered it, so American Legacy has offered to make things right and said I could choose a rod up to $200.

That’s why now I’m contemplating the G. Loomis E6X and St. Croix Avid. Two very good rods for the money. For reference, I own a St. Croix Avid Casting 7’ MHF, AvidX 6’ 6” MF Casting, and an Avid 6’ 9” MLXF Spinning. I also own G. Loomis GLX 842C, GLX 843C, and a GLX 844C.

Now, I know that you can’t compare a GLX to an Avid because they are completely different price points. The GLX has far superior sensitivity and balance over the Avid, of course. Out of my Avid lines, I’ve been really impressed with the sensitivity and balance of the AvidX 6’ 6” MF casting rod, and also enjoy fishing my Avid 6’ 9” MLXF spinning rod. However, the Avid 7’ MHF casting rod is somewhat of a broomstick, bulky, feels dead for sensitivity, and is slightly tip heavy. It works well as a moving bait rod though for spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and swim jigs though, but I hardly ever use those techniques as a recreational fisherman.

I have not had any experience with E6X rods other than for handling a few at a Bass Pro Shops. I really want your guys’ opinion on making the right decision as these rods are really neck to neck, in my opinion. If you had to choose one between a St. Croix Avid Spinning 7’ Medium Fast versus the G. Loomis E6X 842S SJR which one would you go for and why?

If you think there are better 7' Medium Fast spinning rods around $200 than an E6X or Avid, I'd also like to hear some of your other recommendations as well.

Best regards,
The Pond King

[setsail26]

I would get an Avid X over an Avid every day and twice on Sunday. The smaller and lighter guides make a huge difference in how responsive the rod feels. I also like the handle better, but this is personal opinion. I also think the Avid X is significantly more sensitive the the E6x, though I haven't fished equivalent models back to back. The Avid/Avid X medium is also a more powerful and I think slightly faster blank than the 842s.

[The Pond King]

After doing lots of research and digging through many old forum posts, I decided to do something completely radical, and decided to get the Avid 6' 8" MXF Casting rod. I realized that I have a need for a 6' 8" MXF Casting rod because I don't currently have one in my line up. Thanks for steering me away from the E6X guys. I was sooo close to getting the E6X.

[DrTrevorkian]

Every E6X I’ve picked up has felt dead in sensitivity and heavy in hand. I personally feel they compare performance-wise to the St. Croix Premier line up (SCII graphite).