Tuned up custom rod or St Croix custom rod?

Looking at getting a tuned up custom or a St Croix looking for opinions thanks!

Now I’m biased here so take it for it what it’s worth. I own 5 TUCR’s and zero St. Croix’s. In my personal opinion, when it comes to ice rods, I don’t believe that St. Croix offers more than your average off the shelf ice rod. Is it a good rod? I’m sure it does it’s job as an ice rod just fine but in this circumstance, you’re paying for a name.

I vote TUCR. Excellent general-purpose to application-specific rods from a group of great people to boot. And, they are truly a custom shop instead of just using the word “custom” as marketing ploy.

I would say it depends on what you are looking for. I own 3 TUCR and 3 customs from other rod builders. The cheapest one was $90. The St. Croix legend ice rods are solid rods for the price point. They are however limited in options for length and actions. If they have the length and action you are after you can score a good rod with a warranty for $60 or less. I have checked out the ” custom” rods from
St. Croix which are well over that hundred dollar mark. I’d go TUCR all day over those rods they are actually less money and truly custom. I will say once you fish custom rods you are done buying rods off a rack so hang on.

Gilgetter wrote:

I will say once you fish custom rods you are done buying rods off a rack so hang on.

Truer words have never been spoken. Just wait until you start building them. Justifying $100 for a custom rod when you could build 4 for the same price. The struggle IS real lol.

I’d look at Thorne Bros over TUCR. Their rods are superiors IMO

TUCR.

I use TUCR. Great people and service. I hear great things about Thorne Brothers also.

I’d go TUCR over St. Croix and Thorne Bro’s over both. You’ll find a better I’ve been a Thorne Bro’s custom, I know a lot of people on this page lead towards TUCR but there’s no comparison IMHO.

Bluegill89 wrote:

I’d go TUCR over St. Croix and Thorne Bro’s over both. You’ll find a better I’ve been a Thorne Bro’s custom, I know a lot of people on this page lead towards TUCR but there’s no comparison IMHO.

Any reason why you choose Thorne over TUCR? Build quality? Action, blank?

Bluegill89 wrote:

I’d go TUCR over St. Croix and Thorne Bro’s over both. You’ll find a better I’ve been a Thorne Bro’s custom, I know a lot of people on this page lead towards TUCR but there’s no comparison IMHO.

I have a hard time believing that statement.
I use TUCR, St Croix and Custom builts. If I was blindfolded I probably couldn’t tell the difference between the 3. No way could Thorne’s be that much better.

Any ideas how JT Outdoors compares to the TUCR and Thorne?

I use TUCR, St Croix and Custom builts. If I was blindfolded I probably couldn’t tell the difference between the 3. No way could Thorne’s be that much better.
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I’ve used both and just find that the Thorne Brothers is more sensitive. I also like the fact that Not only are they made in USA, the blanks are made in USA. The vast majority of these custom rods are built on blanks from China.

I run Thorne bros. But another guy here has been building my rods and ill go that way. Half price. No big names. No surcharge for big name. Very impressive

They’re all about the same between the ones I’ve used. Tucr, jt, croix custom. I buy mostly JT’s because they’re located 20 minutes away.

Rods are only as functional as the people using them. Many won’t appreciate the difference between any of them bc they’re too busy staring at their phones in between staring at their flashers in between staring at their 10 tackle boxes full of crap they’ll never use. This is true of open water rods as well.

Any custom rod will be very nice between the main custom brands. Period. And with the influx of all these other individuals making their own great rods in just the last couple years and selling them it can come down to other factors. With that said,

If one enjoys the fact they can ask these type questions on a forum that isn’t in the cesspool of FB, then I recommend taking a serious look at the TUCR.

olas88 wrote:

Any ideas how JT Outdoors compares to the TUCR and Thorne?

JT builds great rods. Priced about the same as others. When you start talking custom rods…I think it turns into chevy vs ford. I run two customs from regular joe’s that are every bit as nice as TUCR or any of the other big names. I also have a DH custom that is very nice. TUCR has great service and warranty. I’ve heard fantastic things about Thorne Bros CS as well. I personally didn’t care for the service I got at DH. So I won’t buy another rod from them. I’m not a super brand loyal guy. I think it’s all what you like and the service you get. Custom to custom I don’t think any of them are miles apart.

How to figure out what is a quality rod. Put line through the guides, then pull on line to flex rod at 90 degrees, then rotate the rod to check for a torsional reaction. That will tell you a little about how it will handle a fish.

Gilgetter wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>olas88 wrote:</div>
Any ideas how JT Outdoors compares to the TUCR and Thorne?

JT builds great rods. Priced about the same as others. When you start talking custom rods…I think it turns into chevy vs ford. I run two customs from regular joe’s that are every bit as nice as TUCR or any of the other big names. I also have a DH custom that is very nice. TUCR has great service and warranty. I’ve heard fantastic things about Thorne Bros CS as well. I personally didn’t care for the service I got at DH. So I won’t buy another rod from them. I’m not a super brand loyal guy. I think it’s all what you like and the service you get. Custom to custom I don’t think any of them are miles apart.

Thanks for the info! Cant go wrong with the TUCR warranty.

Bearcat89 wrote:

I run Thorne bros. But another guy here has been building my rods and ill go that way. Half price. No big names. No surcharge for big name. Very impressive

Be willing to disclose info?

My thoughts on custom rods.
You become addicted to all the various brands & designs out there. I’ve had to spend money to gain knowledge of what I enjoy using day to day.

Few Walleye Customs I’ve used:

•(TUCR) “Power Precision” it’s a very nice piece. This blank feels like it’s in between a walleye/perch sweetheart model from Thorne Brothers.

• (JT’s) “Gold Digger”
Soft tip, 1/4 ounce spoons or less only. Not a fan of this model. Open water rods are amazing though.

• (Thorne Brothers) “Walleye Sweetheart” Ideal for 24” + fish IMHO.
Awesome backbone for hook setting & handling.
When you see that big mark coming in , I feel confident in hook sets.

• (Thorne Brothers) “Perch Sweetheart”
Hands down my go-to rod for all types of fishing, well balanced for jigging a variety of sizes in the 1/4 – 3/8 ounce range.

futurepoorperson wrote:

My thoughts on custom rods.
You become addicted to all the various brands & designs out there. I’ve had to spend money to gain knowledge of what I enjoy using day to day.

Few Walleye Customs I’ve used:

•(TUCR) “Power Precision” it’s a very nice piece. This blank feels like it’s in between a walleye/perch sweetheart model from Thorne Brothers.

• (JT’s) “Gold Digger”
Soft tip, 1/4 ounce spoons or less only. Not a fan of this model. Open water rods are amazing though.

• (Thorne Brothers) “Walleye Sweetheart” Ideal for 24” + fish IMHO.
Awesome backbone for hook setting & handling.
When you see that big mark coming in , I feel confident in hook sets.

• (Thorne Brothers) “Perch Sweetheart”
Hands down my go-to rod for all types of fishing, well balanced for jigging a variety of sizes in the 1/4 – 3/8 ounce range.

Awesome info! Thanks for all the details.

olas88 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
I run Thorne bros. But another guy here has been building my rods and ill go that way. Half price. No big names. No surcharge for big name. Very impressive

Be willing to disclose info?

I would be interested also

Definitely agree with futurepoorperson on his views of the Thorne Brothers rods. The Perch Sweetheart will cover the majority of your Walleye fishing and the Walleye Sweetheart is a pretty heavy duty rod but also nice.

The correct Croix rods and JT are better at absorbing headshakes from bigger fish than any of the tuned up rods that I have experienced. That being said they are all great sticks but the tuned ups have a quicker tip that goes into stiffer backbone a lot faster than the other rods. Just something to consider.

Whatever you buy, you probably won’t be disappointed. Now if you asked this question a few years back, it would’ve been 99% Thorne Bros. But with the influx of new companies building rods, there are tons of options. TUCR being a big sponsor on IDO. I think a lot of folks followed IDO over to TUCR.

I like a lot of others on here have rods from both companies and from other custom shops. My all time favorite is the Perch Sweetheart from Thorne Brothers. Not sure if it is any better than the rest, but it was my first custom.

Don’t mean to add another wrench into the equation but it wont be long before Elliott rods are thrown into this Thorne Bros vs. TUCR category. A lot of unknown about them now, especially their new evolution ice line, but I’d be surprised if their ice rods aren’t as great as their open water rods.

Correct me if I’m wrong here, but the two guys behind Elliott are the actual Thorne Bros, Paul and Gregg Thorne. They sold “Thorne Bros” and started over with Elliott.

tbro16 wrote:

Don’t mean to add another wrench into the equation but it wont be long before Elliott rods are thrown into this Thorne Bros vs. TUCR category. A lot of unknown about them now, especially their new evolution ice line, but I’d be surprised if their ice rods aren’t as great as their open water rods.

Correct me if I’m wrong here, but the two guys behind Elliott are the actual Thorne Bros, Paul and Gregg Thorne. They sold “Thorne Bros” and started over with Elliott.

Correct me if I’m wrong but Elliot seems to be more of a small scale high end builder but they aren’t exactly a custom shop. It seems like they have limited options for length etc. in each model. TUCR and Thorne Bros. Both have pre built rods but you can order true customs. Say you need your noodle in a specific length or handle configuration etc. You can also get wrap colors and such anyway you want. I haven’t seen Elliot offer that at this point. Elliot must build in small quantities because they often times appear to be sold out of stock. It will be interesting to see how their line progresses. It’s nice that we as ice fisherman have so many options now. It had not always been that way.

Gilgetter wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tbro16 wrote:</div>
Don’t mean to add another wrench into the equation but it wont be long before Elliott rods are thrown into this Thorne Bros vs. TUCR category. A lot of unknown about them now, especially their new evolution ice line, but I’d be surprised if their ice rods aren’t as great as their open water rods.

Correct me if I’m wrong here, but the two guys behind Elliott are the actual Thorne Bros, Paul and Gregg Thorne. They sold “Thorne Bros” and started over with Elliott.

Correct me if I’m wrong but Elliot seems to be more of a small scale high end builder but they aren’t exactly a custom shop. It seems like they have limited options for length etc. in each model. TUCR and Thorne Bros. Both have pre built rods but you can order true customs. Say you need your noodle in a specific length or handle configuration etc. You can also get wrap colors and such anyway you want. I haven’t seen Elliot offer that at this point. Elliot must build in small quantities because they often times appear to be sold out of stock. It will be interesting to see how their line progresses. It’s nice that we as ice fisherman have so many options now. It had not always been that way.

Yes, for now I believe that is accurate. It doesn’t seem like they’ve got near the choices that TUCR has, including the custom builds. I’ve never actually spent the money to get a decent ice rod but with a little research it seems like TUCR would be my choice, even though I am a bit partial to Elliott. I think I’d prefer a longer and lighter walleye rod than what Elliott has in their line.

What are you looking to fish for? I use a mix of TUCR and TB rods, and some are better than others.

If I’m spending more than $100 on an ice rod, the only company I’m going with is TUCR.