St Croix

[DrTrevorkian]

$16 rod vs some St Croix thing. 10000% crude by visial comparison.

Dah! I’d walk right past that $16 rod. I call those big pimpin. If I had only those two choices there, $120 “dumpy” St. Croix all-day, every day.

[Dalleinf]

Some prefer blondes, some prefer brunettes, some like both...

[slipperybob]

...and some people have to fish in the dark to catch those night time fish.

So feel and function is way more important. Not a lot of people actually close their eyes and feel a rod based on that. Well for one thing one person might just whack the rod into all the other rods stacked on display.

[LowRange]

If the blanks are great then I'll gladly support a US company and buy their blanks and build a rod. I've never built a rod before but if this is the bar they set then I am certain I can beat it. Incorporating the fore grip into the lock nut to hide those threads and sticking a few winding checks on the rod and you would already be a leg up.

[HobeyBaker]

If the blanks are great then I'll gladly support a US company and buy their blanks and build a rod. I've never built a rod before but if this is the bar they set then I am certain I can beat it. Incorporating the fore grip into the lock nut to hide those threads and sticking a few winding checks on the rod and you would already be a leg up.

To be fair, I think St Croix is moving into a different direction. They went with the VSS style grip on the Victory spinning rods and the Xtreme casting rods are finished well. It seems like they are very conservative in changing the way they do things. Everyone complained for years until Loomis updated the NRX reel seats and grips.

[godshippy]

Bizarrely crude? Tip heavy? Come on. If you like shiny things that's fine, buy whatever you want. But crude means not well made, and that has never been a St. Croix problem. Clean, conservative, simple design, yep. But not crude. I know this is tackle tour and people like pretty things, but everyone's definition of pretty is different. One could say that Megabass is completely overdone. If you're buying a rod to hang on the wall, it is most certainly better than St. Croix. Tip heavy? Again totally preference. The Valdivia I bought was not tip heavy. But it felt like a club. It's two ounces heavier than it needs to be for "balance" and "pretty." Give me a Legend Elite every day over that (well, just the blank and guides, I hate the reel seat). You want to balance your St. Croix? Put an ounce of tungsten in the butt cap. Want to make your destroyer lighter? Sorry, you're SOL. Buy whatever makes you happy. But understand the people have preferences that absolutely nothing to do with whether one rod is better than another. And as noted above, St Croix absolutely has the best line of walleye and musky blanks. No other manufacturer is even close. Yeah, I wish I liked some of their rods more than I do. But they are in a tough spot, and can't really pull a G. Loomis and make all their rods cost $250 or more. They are pretty much the last USA made rod that normal people (as in not super enthusiasts) buy. I think that's worth more than people here would admit.

Tip heavy is not a preference--I had an LEC70MHF with an OG Zillion and the tip wanted to point down. I didn't buy that rod to be fished tip down.

My 7'5" Steez Bottom Contact with a Zillion SV TW G doesn't want to point down...it floats with the tip up--specifically what I want it to do when fishing bottom baits.

I want a rod that feels neutral in hand. Sometimes I'm fishing a crankbait with the tip up to tick the top of weeds, and sometimes I'm fishing tip down slightly in the water to get a little more depth.

I think that that all the rods in the Legend series are pretty--I enjoy the classic styling, but the foregrip on the Legend Elite is way too much...it's gotta be smaller.

[DrTrevorkian]

If the blanks are great then I'll gladly support a US company and buy their blanks and build a rod. I've never built a rod before but if this is the bar they set then I am certain I can beat it. Incorporating the fore grip into the lock nut to hide those threads and sticking a few winding checks on the rod and you would already be a leg up.

Agree with you 100% here. My rod building lessons will begin once my rod builder, who isn’t a builder anymore, finishes his basement and learns me his ways. Last we talked I’ll be taking his equipment on extended loan!

[Gone Phishin]

The seagreen line wrap says it's their plain Premiere rod.

Ah the days of the beautiful brown Legend Elite rods were great.

That iceberg reel seat is beautiful. Those things look amazing with a Sol or Conquest.

[setsail26]

I'm always fascinated by people's beliefs about rod balance. It's like it is some sort of black art that only great rod builders can accomplish. In reality, there are two schools of thought: build the rod as light as possible (loomis, St. Croix), or add weight to balance the rod (megabass, dobyns). Assuming the guides are of reasonable size and weight, there are only two ways to balance a rod: either make the handle longer, or add weight to the butt. Most choose to add weight. I prefer to have the lightest overall rod and don't really care about balance. If you look at the rod building forums, you will see that many people share that belief. Others add weight to the butt for better balance. Do it whatever way you want. Just don't think that a rod is not as good because the builder chose not to put lead in the handle (or use a heavy butt cap ala megabass).

[DrTrevorkian]

I'm always fascinated by people's beliefs about rod balance. It's like it is some sort of black art that only great rod builders can accomplish. In reality, there are two schools of thought: build the rod as light as possible (loomis, St. Croix), or add weight to balance the rod (megabass, dobyns). Assuming the guides are of reasonable size and weight, there are only two ways to balance a rod: either make the handle longer, or add weight to the butt. Most choose to add weight. I prefer to have the lightest overall rod and don't really care about balance. If you look at the rod building forums, you will see that many people share that belief. Others add weight to the butt for better balance. Do it whatever way you want. Just don't think that a rod is not as good because the builder chose not to put lead in the handle (or use a heavy butt cap ala megabass).

I subscribe to the lightest overall weight possible for a full grip build. Adding weight to the ass-end of a rod only transfers fatigue from your upper forearm/elbow to your shoulder/upper back-scapula area. Longer butt section messes with ergonomics too much (unless we’re talking BIG fish and BIG rods). They negate length they paid a premium for, for no benefit on MOST bass techniques. “Balancing” rods is snake oil in my book. I’ve had custom built, long steelhead float rods all built with counterbalance and without. I can confidently say I want the lightest weight feasible with reasonable build hardware. Tip up position almost all the time on those rods and makes heavy powered bass rods feel like fairy wands side by side. Just say no to counter balance. That all said, I don’t find myself fishing my custom 15’ CTS’s with recoils much anymore (also because the recoils are grooved out from fishing sub-freezing all the time ). Even as light as they were built, I’m getting dad-soft I need to get back in shape!

[Hogsticker2]

I'm always fascinated by people's beliefs about rod balance. It's like it is some sort of black art that only great rod builders can accomplish. In reality, there are two schools of thought: build the rod as light as possible (loomis, St. Croix), or add weight to balance the rod (megabass, dobyns). Assuming the guides are of reasonable size and weight, there are only two ways to balance a rod: either make the handle longer, or add weight to the butt. Most choose to add weight. I prefer to have the lightest overall rod and don't really care about balance. If you look at the rod building forums, you will see that many people share that belief. Others add weight to the butt for better balance. Do it whatever way you want. Just don't think that a rod is not as good because the builder chose not to put lead in the handle (or use a heavy butt cap ala megabass).

True, but your forgetting about the blank itself. If I have numerous options for a 7ft medium powered blank, why would I choose the one that weighs over an ounce more, and is covered in paint and top coat. Balance starts with a light blank. I really shouldn't have to add counter balance when working with most bass blanks.

[DrTrevorkian]

I'm always fascinated by people's beliefs about rod balance. It's like it is some sort of black art that only great rod builders can accomplish. In reality, there are two schools of thought: build the rod as light as possible (loomis, St. Croix), or add weight to balance the rod (megabass, dobyns). Assuming the guides are of reasonable size and weight, there are only two ways to balance a rod: either make the handle longer, or add weight to the butt. Most choose to add weight. I prefer to have the lightest overall rod and don't really care about balance. If you look at the rod building forums, you will see that many people share that belief. Others add weight to the butt for better balance. Do it whatever way you want. Just don't think that a rod is not as good because the builder chose not to put lead in the handle (or use a heavy butt cap ala megabass).

True, but your forgetting about the blank itself. If I have numerous options for a 7ft medium powered blank, why would I choose the one that weighs over an ounce more, and is covered in paint and top coat. Balance starts with a light blank. I really shouldn't have to add counter balance when working with most bass blanks.

If I go with SCV from Rod Geeks, I can get unpainted, sanded finish. But, agree, it ain’t going to account for an extra ounce.

[Pilu72]

The high end is also a little strange. Their AGS rods are built with the 1st generation AGS guides. Looks bulky and definitely not worth the money. 200$ more expensive than the same blank with Torzite? If discounted, than you can buy Daiwa Prorex rods with these 1st generation guides and SVF X45 blanks under 200$ (at least in Europe).

[Hulkster]

I think SC made a mistake by discontinuing the whole Avid line up.

these were full cork grip rods with expose blank baitcasting reel seats and alconite guides. with a grade blank to boot.

the new victory rods have thick covered no longer exposed seats on the baitcasting models. how can this be an improvement??

its huge step in the wrong direction if you ask me.

although I'm sure the Victory blank itself is probably pretty awesome.

[LowRange]

I like the action of my Mojo. It's a great finesse and jerkbait M. I had the XF topwater but snapped the tip off so I got the jerkbait stick. It loads up and casts a 1/16 wacky head with skinny worm very well when skipping docks. Has a nice jerkbait action as well. This company knows how to make a blank. Just wish the total package wasn't so appalling. The cheapest of the cheap chiease rods will cover their lock nut threads and include some winding checks. Weight and balance are good enough but not remarkable at this price point. It is the appropriate fishing tool for what I am using it for.