I am not interested in your rod, but something that I have done when I have bought a Croix and then decided it wasn’t for me. You can use the gold start warranty service with upgrade option. For $75 and the difference in (original) costs between your current one and the new one, you can get a brand new rod. It still costs money, but given how much you originally invested in it, it might be a good option for you.
Here is the link to the warranty (scroll down to the gold star upgrade plan):
http://stcroixrods.com/service-warranty/service-warranty-policies/