St Croix

[Fishing4Fun]

Not a fan. Bought a Legend Extreme and it was sold in 2 months. Worst rod I ever owned.

Ever?!

Last year while jig fishing I lost 3 of the biggest fish I have ever hooked in this state. All came off during the fight. Changed to a different jig rod and problem solved. Out of the 6 fish that I had on that rod not one was landed. Perhaps a combination of bad luck but the rod that was noted by several trusted fishing buddies as a good 3/8 oz jig rod was nothing but a nightmare. I know 2 other guys that sold the same exact rod after using it as well. It has left a sour taste in my mouth with St Croix and why I have no desire to own another one or their rods. Like anything else your mileage may vary...

[Thunderblack1984]

There is always the possibility those fish would have been lost on any rod but I also was not a fan of some of the SC rods I have fished. Just can't get over some of the seats, long threads, ect....The craftsmanship and blanks are nice but some are just not comfortable to fish or tip-heavy. All in all though with all the options and great customer service I never rule them out. I think the only one that tempts me is the avid trek travel rod.

[Hulkster]

yes the Avids have always been great rods IMO.

and I have an 8 foot Premier MH Muskie rod that is excellent (but im still chasing my first muskie lol) so far just caught lots of pike lol

[setsail26]

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.

[DrTrevorkian]

I sure am a fan of simple, clean, and conservative rods (and reels). Less bling the better for me. St. Croix’s builds and blank tapers are great. The sensitivity is not that of the original NRX, but I’ve never felt like I was trying to discern a fish bite with my SCV rods in the least. That’s why I keep bringing up the SC tapers, I caught more fish because their tapers suited my techniques better. I like the overall build better, too, which I’m sure influenced bias as well…

[LowRange]

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

[slipperybob]

This is way too funny, cuz I always though that G.Loomis rods were the ugliest rods ever.

[LowRange]

Looks only matter to catch your eye. Gotta catch my eye to catch my wallet though unless the reputation precedes itself. Even then... can it not look like hell or at least be cheaper than similar rods if it is going to look like that?

[Dalleinf]

I like St Croix - a lot. Especially their older/classic series of rods.

The Avid and Legend Elite Salmon/Steelhead casting rods are spot on IMO.
I have caught so many fish on those rods…

They do make some duds, and I did not love the Mojo inshore.

Generally, I prefer the St Croix styling and looks over most other brands including Megabass (and also Obei ), and I would much rather have an old school St Croix hanging on my wall.

Sensitivity is great with most modern rods even cheap ones.
Pay 600 USD for a JDM rod and just keep telling your wife and your accountant that it offers you superior sensitivity…

[Dalleinf]

This is way too funny, cuz I always though that G.Loomis rods were the ugliest rods ever.

They look good too

[Dalleinf]

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

Aahhhh, full cork handle
So huggable

[Hogsticker2]

I could give two dumps less about the shine and bling. I'm fine with conservative. But what I do care about is the blank, and from my experience, St Croix blanks simply do not justify the expense. Then on top of that, they're not even pretty to look at. They should figure out how to make blanks that aren't so fugly bare, and leave the heavy paint and top coat alone.

[slipperybob]

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

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

[DrTrevorkian]

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

Aahhhh, full cork handle
So huggable

Definitely! I do not consider rods with EVA. My gaggle of late model St. Croix Legend Elites have a small EVA butt cap only, full cork otherwise, and that’s my only complaint about the rods. EVA cheapens a rod in my opinion. Give me GOOD cork or give me carbon. I’m gravitating to Carbon only, to be honest.

I’m bummed St. Croix has seemingly discontinued their Avid and Legend Elite salmon and steelhead lines, they really were on top of their game with those, short of their centerpin float rods.

[DrTrevorkian]

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

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

100% agreed on both accounts!