St Croix Rods on a Budget!

Excellent discussion on the other post regarding St Croix rods. Most of the recommendations were for the Avid Series rods. Avids are great rods, I own several and will purchase more in the future.

Along with my Avids, I own several Premier Series rods. The Premier rods are excellent all around rods. I find myself grabbing these rods more often than the Avids lately. Mostly due to the fact that I am rough on my gear and don’t want to bust up my Avids…..No rod lockers in the winter beater!

Here are 2 Premier Series rods that I highly recommend:

The first rod is a Premier Series “PS60MF 6′ M Fast” This is a great rod that I use for vertical jigging. It a one piece 6-foot rod rated for 6-12 pound line. The rod is sensitive, has backbone and enough tip to set the hook without taking a golf swing at the fish! This rod retails for $80.

The second rod is a Premier Series “PS76MLF 7’6″ ML Fast” . I use the rod for rigging, pulling light 3-way/floaters, pitching jigs, tossing cranks, and occasionally vertical jigging. I also use this rod when fishing with slip bobbers on the lake. The rod is 7 ½ foot rated for 4-10 pound line. The rod retails for $90.

I recommend a 1000 series Shimano reel for both of these rods. I run Sadona’s on mine. These 2 rods cover 95 percent of my spring river fishing applications. These Premieres are great entry level rods that will get a heck of a lot of use. So, if you have been thinking about getting into St Croix and can’t afford an Avid or Elite, take a look at these 2 rods. I guarantee they will get used a lot.

http://www.stcroixrods.com/

Jon J.

I agree.

I have one Legend Elite and sometimes worry about dropping the rod more than fishing! I have two of the Premier 6’6″ ML’s and found a guy in Stillwater that custom builds rods out of the older Legend blanks. you can pick your own wrapping colors and butt length. He makes a mean rod for around 85 dollars. Don’t own any Avids, but have fished with them with guides. I’m almost 100% St Croix now however I did pick up a 7′ ML XF Shimano Clarus rod to throw the plastics I’ve been accumulating. Looking forward to trying that out very soon. Feels nice.

SteveO, it must be the “rod junky” in us that insists on trying other rods besides our Croixs! I really like the Crankbait Series from Loomis and I’m really tickled with my custom Lamiglas, Fenwick Technas, and upper model Berkleys and Rapalas. I got a 7’6″ Rapala rod for chasin’ muskies I’ll have to let you try when we get out this summer. It’s pretty sweet!

St. Croix does make, IMHO, the best overall rod and line up of rods. I just can’t help buying and using a few of the others too!

Kid,

I hear you. I dropped a green custom made Croix in the ‘Croix this last fall while 3-waying. I thought for 1/2 a second it was the Legend Elite I bought from you. YIKES!!! I almost dove in after it then I realized the water was around 50 degrees and it wasn’t the Elite. Haven’t fished with you since Mallileau (sp) last summer. looking forward to peeking at your arsenal.

LET”S GO CHASE THE MUSKIE!!

My arsenal isn’t even half of what it was before my divorce! Take away an income and suddenly things get really tight! Oh well, not the first time eBay has saved me from broke! I’m on a good journey right now though and look forward to replacing all I had ……….. and THEN SOME!

GOOD NEWS! I now have a vehicle to tow my (new) boat I purchased from Rivereyes. So, things are starting to head in the right direction and I’ll be doing more gear talk and reviews, and expanding the toys to talk about too! Lures and electronics, trailers, and motors………….hmmmmm……………a junkie’s favorite pasttime…………..MORE!!!!

Stilla”gearjunkie”2

If you guys get in the mood “for a little experimentation”, try out Falcon Rods sometime. I have had 2 Avids, and 2 Premeirs, and I prefer the Falcon Rods. Not that St. Croix are bad, in fact I think they are great. I just really like the Falcons.

Hey kid, that Loomis crankbait rod looks sweet, but a little rich for my blood. I bet it is nice though.

Moss Boss,

They are spendy but from time to time those buggers go on sale at the Galyans chain of stores. I got them for $99 each. Last I looked at Falcon rods, they weren’t too far behind that price. I’ve heard some guys really like the Falcon rods but I never did come into a deal that made be try one or two of them out. BUT, who knows what the future holds? Rod junkies are always on the hunt!

I second that emotion concerning the Falcon rods. I picked up a 6’6″ medium baitcasting rod in the “Expert” series last year on closeout for less than $90 and use it for pulling 3-ways and casting jigs. I’m really pleased with balance and sensitivity. I could feel vibrations from my electric trolling motor when I was pulling 3-ways which I thought was kind of amazing. I thought there was something wrong with my motor at first. Being I’m kind of new to all of this, I have limited experience with high quality tackle, so, I don’t know how it compares to St. Croix or G. Loomis but it works for me.

Stillakid:

If you are looking for a 6 foot ML action spinning rod, or a 7’6″ Flipping stick, I have a couple of Falcon’s I am looking to sell!!

MossBoss,

Private message me some details, if’n you’d be so kind!

Thanks!

Just wanted to bring this post back up to the top, I took Jon’s advice earlier this year and purchased these two rods, the Premier Series “PS60MF 6′ M Fast & the Premier Series “PS76MLF 7’6″ ML Fast. Well I am here to tell you that I am very happy with both of these rods. I never thought that a fishing rod could make that much difference in feeling those light bites boy was I wrong My success rate for jig fishing defiantly went up this year, thanks for the tip Jon

Yes they are great rods. St. Croix makes the best rods I’ve ever used. Here is a link to their website page on Premier rods.

St. Croix Premier Spinning Rods

Faclon Smalkon.
I have fished both and am exclusive to Croix today and have been for several years. I will say that I purchased a few of the Avid series this year and…. well…. Honestly I like the Premier rods a little better. I like to fish with a powerful rod and the Avids are a little more sentitive. If I were not always sticking my rod tips in the water and using them to push off sandbard I guess the avids would be perfect.
jc

Boy it’s amazing that this post has been going on for 10 months !!

Go St.Croix

Here is something I have been wondering about for awhile. How can the price of a non mechanical item like a fishing pole average more than the so called high tech reels that are being used now adays?
The items I am comparing are reels like the stradic, capricorn or like to a Avid rod or like rod.
The amount of work and mechanics to build a reel must be more than a rod. Are there other forces driveing these prices?
Just something I have been wondering about.

We had this discussion earlier, and I felt the same way you did until it was explained to me the way things are the way they are. I’ll post the thread here when I come across it. I used to be a Berkley/Fenwick rod user until I tried out a few different models from St Croix. They are in my mind the best rods I have ever fished with. I own Series One rods, Fenwick HMG’s, Techna AV’s, and on and on. I believe hands down, the St Croix rods are lighter and more sensitive than any of the rods I mentioned.

I fish 6-8 large bass tourneys a year so I get my $’s worth out of them. Not to mention all the smaller tourneys and weekend adventures I have. The next rods I intend to buy before the start of next season will be St Croix.

And, they are built right here in the USA!

As for Jeremy’s comments on using his rods as push poles, it’s true I’ve seen it.

When the wingdams call my crankin attention on Pool 2, I opt for the Premier rods by St. Croix as well. Here I am looking for sheer power to muscle through rocks and other debris that accumulates on wingdams(barge rope, rocks, wood, other fishing line, etc…). 6’6″-7′-0″ are my desired lengths for tackling these conditions. 20# braids or mono get the nod in these conditions for pulling hooks straight if need be on a snag. I tip my hat to a rod that I can count on for these nasty conditions…think St. Croix Premier!

Another situation that I rely on my Premier rods is smallie fishing on the Upper Miss in August. This time period calls for getting down and dirty in the thickest of downed timber and weeds. Tubes and jig/pig tackle are my mainstay and this calls for a power rod to get hook ups in this type of terrain.

My avids come out to play when conditions call for pitching jigs for both walleyes and smallies. A little more sensitivity somedays can be the difference in feeling that lite bump or missing it completely.

I own a LOT of rods and have owned many more than I possess today………..and time and time again, I keep finding myself coming back to St. Croix! I have high end rods from Fenwick (Techna AV), Loomis, and Lamiglas. I’m always willing to try something new but hands down, by far, more models and technique applications have me reaching for one of my St. Croix rods FIRST!

I do have one request of the company though……………..

Can we get casting rods with AND without that cork bulge just prior to the reel seat? I don’t mind buying customs but would rather like to have the option of a factory build as well. You know, TideMaster handle with a Premier/Avid blank??? My little paws just can’t get comfortable with that bulge design and while I love the feel of the blank, it’s the comfort of the hand that keeps pushing back to a Loomis for casting rods……….like the Crankbait series or Walleye Series. The other Loomis blanks just don’t suit me as well.

Overall, Croix is still my “E-ticket ride”!!!

Kid,

Some course emory cloth would probably cure your “hump problem.”

Dan

Hey Ecnook, When theres a product so good as St. Croix Rods you bet the conversation about them will be around for a longggggggg time. Great rods and I know you fish with them too. Can never have enough of their rods. You need a bunch of them in your boat all rigged up for different presentations and there are alot of them too. You never know how long the bite is going to last when the fish turn on and you don’t have time to keep retying when you snag so you need to have other rods ready to go. In fact, some days you may fish 6 different presentations and you need rods on board and ready to fish. Time on the water is never enough it seems so you need to make the most of that time and enjoy catching fish. Thanks, Bill

I know that there are alot of ST.Croix fans here. How many of you fans match the premier series rods with the premier spinning reels?

Hey Tony, I have not had the opportunity to try their reels yet. If they are anything like their rods they have to be great reels. Thanks, Bill

Click on the link below and then scroll down and you will see reels and three links to click on to see the reels you want to look at.

St. Croix Reels

I only use 4 St. Croix rods..

2-St. Croix Avid 6’8″ medium action with an extra fast tip…these are sweeeet for pitching light jigs in the shallows…Sometimes all you feel is a slight flick and and a little twitch of the line and FISH ON !!

the other rod i use is a Premire Grafite 6’6″ medium action with a fast tip…I like to pitch cranks on the wing dams,run 3-ways, oh yes and most of all, push off of banks like a push pole ,,,yea right,,, i really DON’T do this…

and lastly i have a 5’5″ St.Croix medium action with a questionable tip…what i mean is I bought this rod at the factory and it had a damaged tip,they put a new tip on the rod and this made it a bit shorter and the action isn’t normal…it works for a great v-jiggin rod…as a matter of fact it will be up for sale/auction soon…

I’ll be headdin up to Park Falls to tour the the facilites sometime in the near future..it’s a neet place , from the store part you can look thru the window and watch the craftsmen and craftswomen create these awsome rods..You owe it to yourself to take a trip up there…Tell them you heard about it from the guys at in-depthangling.com

I was just looking at the St Croix reels at Gander. They look to be the same as the Daiwa capricorn on the outside. Not sure if they made any changes on the inside. I started using a capricorn this summer and have been very happy with it. I have not figured out yet if it the line or the reel but there has been very little problems with line twist. Stren #6 XL is the line I have been useing.