St. Croix's New $650 Rods

The LegendXtreme – new for 2021. Let me know how you like them….. Other new offerings not quite as much.

https://stcroixrods.com/blogs/news/st-croix-announces-new-rod-series-and-models-for-2021?mc_cid=efb69b42bf&mc_eid=ced9e4cd3d

wow, thought the GLoomis NRX’s were high, look like we hit the next level..

Fools and their money are…..well, you know.

Anything much north of $300 starts to lose my attention pretty quickly. I do have a legend xtreme from a few years ago and it is pretty sweet…

650 bucks. That hurts my wallet just thinking about it.

A buddy of mine has several of the Legend Tournament rods and loves them. When I heard about this new line and their price, I asked him if he may buy one. Even he balked at the price.

Yeah that is to much for a rod. I own 2 Gloomis walleye jigging rods that were $400 each, got for less at the shows, but I would not spend that. Although if you would have asked me 5 years ago it I would drop 300-400 on one I would have said no!

I have a few older SC Extremes. Love them. They were retailing at $400 when I bought them but found them online for $265 apiece.
I think Loomis and SC are in a battle to see how high they can go on retail.
I have many Croixs but I’ll never have a $650 one I can tell you that.

Just getting the Trozite ring in the guides are spendy. I wonder what the Carbon Fiber guides with Trozite cost. That carbon fiber guide is much stiffer than metal so it would be more sensitive of a guide but could also break easer. Daiwa claims these guides to be up to 40% lighter than normal guides. But what is a “normal” guide weight to them? I have yet to see weight specs on the Legend Extreme rods. Daiwa offers these guides on their Tatula Elite AGS Spinning rods for $279.99. I am sure the Xtreme is an impressive rod.

How did those $700 spinning reels from Shimano pan out? Stella.

I get custom rods made for a 1/3 of that cost. They’re super light and sensitive. I couldn’t justify blowing 650 on a rod when I can get 3 from my guy for that price. I think fishing companies are just started to get a bit out of whack with the prices of stuff. It seems like companies are starting to price people right out of the sport.

al-wichman wrote:

It seems like companies are starting to price people right out of the sport.

I’m with you, but just look at the price of boats/electronics. Companies will price their products to whatever the market will bear. SC obviously is testing the market to see what price anglers are willing to pay. Maybe part of it it to make people think their 150$ rod is a bargain?? It’s crazy….

Someone with expertise in marketing should chime in here….

suzuki wrote:

How did those $700 spinning reels from Shimano pan out? Stella.

My same buddy with the Legend Tournament rods above has a Shimano Stella spinning reel (over $900) his wife bot him for his Bday. He really likes it. He claims he sees differences with $300 reels.

Sylvanboat wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>suzuki wrote:</div>
How did those $700 spinning reels from Shimano pan out? Stella.

My same buddy with the Legend Tournament rods above has a Shimano Stella spinning reel (over $900) his wife bot him for his Bday. He really likes it. He claims he sees differences with $300 reels.

Ill bet he does. I could tell by holding one at the store they were like pieces of scientific equipment. I think I would rather have one of those and a cheaper rod.

al-wichman wrote:

. It seems like companies are starting to price people right out of the sport.

IMO this is the farthest from the truth. Good equipment has been becoming cheaper and cheaper as the years pass. Nice graphite rod you can get for $60 and the reel the same that both will last many years.

It’s the hype and histeria people get caught up in on social media sites that you have to have the best, and greatest and latest or you simply cannot be successful fishing.

Rich people fish too, rich people have every right to spend their money on ridiculously expensive rods and reels, see no problem with a company offering a product line for that.

It’s amazing how popular custom rods have become, especially in the ice fishing arena. It used to be find the right length and action in a rod at fleet farm and go on your merry way. Now I order all of my rods from builders. They’re exponentially more expensive, but I doubt I catch exponentially more fish….

The challenge for a lot of people with getting a customer rod is being able to see and feel it before buying. I have had 4 custom rods (from 2 different builders), 3 out of 4 I really like, the 4th one I did not care for and sold it. If I would have been able to see it before buying, never would have bought it. At least at a store, I can check out a high priced rod before purchasing

Deuces wrote:

al-wichman wrote:
. It seems like companies are starting to price people right out of the sport.

IMO this is the farthest from the truth. Good equipment has been becoming cheaper and cheaper as the years pass. Nice graphite rod you can get for $60 and the reel the same that both will last many years.

I have to agree 100% with Mr.Beads. It’s just like anything else. If you want the best of the best you will have to pay. There are lots of great options at a lower price today then there ever was. I am just hoping that these rods wont be behind a glass case so I can check them out.

al-wichman wrote:

I get custom rods made for a 1/3 of that cost. They’re super light and sensitive. I couldn’t justify blowing 650 on a rod when I can get 3 from my guy for that price. I think fishing companies are just started to get a bit out of whack with the prices of stuff. It seems like companies are starting to price people right out of the sport.

If your custom builder was using the same blanks and quality components that are in this new St croix – You would not be getting them for 1/3 the cost. People need to keep it in Perspective. 600.00 to some people is just like 50.00 to others. The great news is there are Great fishing rods across almost all price points these days.

al-wichman wrote:

I get custom rods made for a 1/3 of that cost

For 1/3 the cost you couldn’t even buy the same quality of guides. The rod top guide that is on this rod retails for $28. That is just the one guide. There are 10 guides on these rods. The other are not even available to the public to buy. I am sure the custom rods you had made for you are nice but there is a little cost difference in the quality of components that are being used.

THE SCV blank is $200 add $150 for a good Titanium guide set, custom handle $50, right there your at $400 and it will cost you $150 labor cost. So your right at $550 so you could save $100 but the handle and guides would not be the same.

Must really hurt when that rod gets outfished by an old old garage sale ugly stick.

Rodwork wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>al-wichman wrote:</div>
I get custom rods made for a 1/3 of that cost

For 1/3 the cost you couldn’t even buy the same quality of guides. The rod top guide that is on this rod retails for $28. That is just the one guide. There are 10 guides on these rods. The other are not even available to the public to buy. I am sure the custom rods you had made for you are nice but there is a little cost difference in the quality of components that are being used.

I never meant to imply that they were exactly the same. I guess I should’ve said for a 1/3 of the cost I can get a high quality rod built exactly the way I want. I never said it has every top of the line component on it. I’m aware that there are some things on the SC that are more expensive and probably better than what I have. I meant to make the point that for 600 I could get more bang for my buck from a lot of custom builders.

I would venture to guess most (not all) people that spend high dollar on a rod are a better fisherman than someone who pulls out a lower quality/cost rod from the garage. If you give the same fisherman 1 lower cost rod and also 1 high cost rod, it is a guarantee. they will feel the difference when it comes to a finesse style of fishing (jigging mostly). In WI, we can fish with up to 3 rods per fisherman, so vertical jigging or dragging jigs/rigs slowly is a great way to compare rods.

That said there is always going to be someone that has no clue what they are doing but wants to have the most expensive equipment out there

Agree 100% with Mr. Beads. If I have 650 to blow, which I never do, I’d put it towards iPilot. I sure do wish I had one of those!

bigstorm wrote:

I would venture to guess most (not all) people that spend high dollar on a rod are a better fisherman than someone who pulls out a lower quality/cost rod from the garage. If you give the same fisherman 1 lower cost rod and also 1 high cost rod, it is a guarantee. they will feel the difference when it comes to a finesse style of fishing (jigging mostly). In WI, we can fish with up to 3 rods per fisherman, so vertical jigging or dragging jigs/rigs slowly is a great way to compare rods.

That said there is always going to be someone that has no clue what they are doing but wants to have the most expensive equipment out there

My nephew was a believer that did not need a high dollar rod. Out pitching wingdams with 1/16 ounce jig and plastics he was struggling badly to feel the jig, I let him use one of my Tournament Series instantly he could feel what was happening with the jig. After awhile I handed him my Legend Elite, almost had to bitch slap him to get it back. Nest time we fished together he did have one Tournament series, and of course I never let him forget what he had always said..

I have a $100 limit on a rod……..hard pass!

Rich people fish too, rich people have every right to spend their money on ridiculously expensive rods and reels, see no problem with a company offering a product line for that.
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I agree. I never meant that SC shouldn’t build and offer it. I just meant I won’t pay that for a rod.

I basically use only St Croix rods. I really cannot tell the difference btw my Premiers, Avids and one Legend. Most of my Premiers are 10-20 years old and still perform magnificently.

I’m still using my glass Fenwicks from 1975 or so. I like them just as much now as then, plus they bring up memories of my dad, uncle and elder son who are all gone now. The memories are priceless.