Capt.Bob

There better as a Team (pun intended) !!

I custom make these, they aren't cheap, but you wont have to worry about loosing a 40+ incher, 20" 100%, Vicious Big Game fluorocarbon leader material, clear vinyl reinforced eyes to cushion them and protect them from wear to extend the life of the leader, with weed guards over the crimp sleeve to avoid sharp corners and shed weeds they help tremendously! (only necessary on the leading edge sleeve) so these are intended for weedy cover, with light weight blackened chrome hardware (cross lock snaps and ball bearing swivels, these are the finest Fluorocarbon leaders available. 60# 80#,100# and 130# with hardware matched to the weight.

Several years ago I caught and mounted a personal best Red Ear, it was what I thought would be my best ever Red Ear @ 11 3/4" and weighted 1lbs. 6oz., Don't I feel like a fool, it was just a fry!!! That is a true HOG! nice!

My favorite lightweight rig for Smallmouth and Walleye is a St Croix Legend Elite 6'3"MXF with a Stradic 1000FJ and weights 10.4 oz, I use it for open water Largemouth finesse fishing, but I just put together a 6'10"MXF and a 7'2"MHM St Croix Legend Extreme with a Lew's Team reel's and they weight 10.9 oz & 11.0 oz, these will be for my heavier cover work, both feel weightless. Balance your outfits and even a little heavier setup will feel weightless.

School should be out now, just go get the one of your choice and the decision will be an obvious SSSSMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOOOTTHHH MOVE! I just got another Lew's Team, the Gold this time, every Lew's reel I have bought has enforced the thought that I made the right move over a year ago!! They are the best buy on the planet, I will put this brand new $170.00 Team Gold up against any reel at twice that price!

My winter purchase intentions has changed, I was going to go with the Team Pro on the 6"10"MXF but was a little to light to balance it out so I did the next best thing, I went with the Lew's Team Gold w/a 7.1 gear ratio for the 6'10"MXF and on the 7'2"MHM instead of a Super Duty, I ended up going with the Original Lew's Team w/ a 6.4 gear ratio. I had them out today and am really impressed, very n and just in time for soft water season,,,,,I think!! a pic of my new "TOOLS"

Very nice!! Job well done!

best prices I have ever seen on new Stradics or Sustains! I sold the CI4 a year ago when I bought my first FJ, sold my Sustains also they were FD's and replaced them with FJ's!! The Sustain as others said is a Stradic with a bearing supported spool, never used it but may be smoother on running fish, other than that it's a Black Stradic, with the same drag that adjust a little different. In my opinion you have to spend $600.00 bucks or more to get a spinning reel that is as tough and smooth as a Stradic FJ, and the Sustain just gives you a choice of a different color.

Spot on great setups! I have the 1000 FJ Stradic, which is the same weight wise as the 3000 CI4, mine is on the LES63MXF, pure perfection and only weights 10.3 oz. with your reel would be 10.1 oz., and will assure you it will be perfectly balanced, as would the Avid Francho mentioned, you would love it.

I took the 2 new extremes out the other day and with Fireline Braid and Power Pro was surprised at how smooth and qiet it was in the recoil guides. I said I would have never own rod with half a handle on it, before the ridiculous price Croix dropped these rods to a couple weeks ago, and the fact I bought a St. Croix 6'8"MXF LT last year for $75.00 used. Now a year or so ago I said "I would never own a rod with Recoil Guides" hmmm, I geuss we all can be bought for the right price!! If they don't grow on me, I can have my rod tech replace them with sic guides and still have a rod that was a steel! Time will tell.

right now you can get a Legend Extreme for under $190.00 if you put a Lew's speed spool on that there step up from the laser, to the Tournament (not the MG), around $105.00, now even though it isn't TP you have a setup that would retail for around $530.00 to $550.00 for less than 3 bills, that my friend is getting way more than your moneys worth, and a rig that will put most 600 dollar rigs to shame!! That is less than some premium reels cost alone, and that little Tournament Lew's is a performer that will compare with the premiums, and the Tournament Extreme is the top dog along with the Elite, when it comes to rods. while they have em the Lews paired with the 7'2MHM is a fabulous treble hook rig, and the 6'10MXF with a Lews would be a stellar finesse outfit that would please anyone. you can spend less, but won't get more dollar for dollar!

I bought the 2 Extremes XC72MHM, and XC610MXF, and told them I wanted the rage in a RS610MXF spinning rod, and they all came at the same time on the same Fed EX truck, 3 days later! I ordered direct from Croix, ext 115 Ken! $409.00 total, now all I have to do is sell the Rage!!

I would flush the bearings good and dry, add one drop of my favorite light premium bearing oil, install a carbon drag, and call it as good as it get's! Then I would buy that St. Croix you mentioned in your other thread, the 6'10"MXF with that reel would be one bad a$$ finesse rig!!! Top Water, light jigs in deep open water,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and though its not a Lew's Pro Team, its a great real and it would be on one of the best rods on the planet!! I think anyone would be happy to have that outfit in there arsenal!!

First off, they are gone fast now that the Extremes have been dropped to the 50% off price! So you better hurry! Then as far as the Free rage rod, they do apply!! and it is buy $300.00 worth of St. Croix rods period, and get a Rage for Free! I bought the 72MHM and will agree with Dwight, the most versatile rod in my locker!! I bought the 72mhm and the 610mxf both rods are 3.6 oz weight and feel like my other Legends, great balance unmatched sensitivity and the most durable rods on the planet! plus I got a free Rage 610mxf spinner, all for 409.00 shipped!! Finally don't buy em because they are the best rods for 200 buck's*********** BUY EM BECAUSE THE ST. CROIX LEGEND ELITE AND EXTREME SERIES, ARE THE FINEST RODS ON THE PLANET, AT ANY PRICE!!!***********

Salt water must do something to them, I never noticed that with mine. I have heard salt water makes other rods kinda limp, that didn't used to be, sounds like it has something to do with the Ocean???? Good Point Snook but we don't have that problem in freshwater, once a stiff rod with backbone always that way.

There are a lot of good rods but only one can be the best!! Legend Elite finest fishing rods in the world! If you have a thing against cork they make a Legend Extreme on the same blanks for you. I like fast actions and 6' to 7' with the longer rods for deeper water presentations, for real finesse presentations extra fast actions with lighter rods and lines, Power varies from ML to MH, for bass size fish. Always run braid with Fluorocarbon leaders the structure and technique dictate the Lbs. test..

at almost 12oz. I'll take the Stella, the Stella would be almost as good as "a mouth full of ______ and a hand full of ______", the Van Staal isn't in either one of those classes!!

Got my two new Legend Extremes both casting, a 6'10"MXF and the 7'2"MHM, now this week the Lews Team Pro for the MXF, will be a 9.5oz. finesse rig, and I am undecided on the other reel, I want a Calcutta TE 200 maybe "GT"? but am leaning towards the Lew's in a Super Duty????? But I got time to decide,,,,,,,,lookin out a window at 4" of new white stuff!

I use Shimano spinning gear exclusively because it is the most durable equipment I have found in spinning gear. I ran a charter service on Lake Erie, I furnished my clients, Symetre reels and Bionic Blade BP rods. Most were surprised at the quality of the rods as well as the reels. I did this because brand A that I had used before didn't hold up as well, and resale sucked! "NO OTHER SPINNING REEL HOLDS ITS RESALE VALUE LIKE THE BETTER SHIMANO'S' (Stradic, Sustain, Symetre, Saros) PERIOD! My Personal reels are all Stradic's and Sustain's, I sell them and upgrade every 3 to 5 years, I keep them tuned and serviced, and when I sell them I usually get within 10 to 20 dollars of what the new models cost me, and their condition is as good mechanically as when I bought them! I have actually sold reels that I used for 3 or 4 years for within 5 bucks of what I paid for them new when I bought them. This is because they hold up that good. I have never had one fail me, and I usually fish very light for the application and run the heaviest lines and drag tension these reels are made for, They work! I think the Stradics are the best Buy on the planet!! in any configuration they are available in, I also think the Stradic's hold their value the best of any reel made. regardless of type!

Bass Pro Bionic Blade, best rod I ever used or seen under 100 bucks! thank me when you get it!

I would also recommend a MF and would keep the rod on the shorter side 6' to 6'6", I remember bank fishing and wading, and there are many times obstacles are easier to fish around with the shorter rods, not to mention much easier on the rod's. There aren't many lakes around me where the property owners let you just ramble the shoreline where things are well manicured, so most times there are overhanging trees and bushes, not to mention other obstacles to maneuver through and the longer rod is much harder to stealthily get around with, and you won't loose that much in distance but will gain in accuracy with you cast. Now if everything is wide open then 7' is my preference, but MF should be plenty for bass.

Yep, and wont do no good to ask the clerk, as most don't have a clue what is supposed to be in the box, why I don't shop at DICK's,,,,,,!!

They are on there way! The Bargain room does qualify, any St. Croix rod purchase totaling the $300.00. I was having trouble not pulling the trigger with those two rods priced so ridiculously low. I think the Rage may get sold anyway but I am bringing this to everyone's attention because there are quite a few that thought the Bargain Room didn't qualify. They have some sweet Legend ultra fly rods in there also that would qualify at ridiculously low prices. I love to catch em on mice and frogs in the weeds, but have an 8' 7 weight Legend Ultra and am eye'n a 9 weight 4 piece that would be sweet in heavy cover, I need soft water so I spend more time on the water and less on the puter!!!

Well Today I finally broke down. I have as some know a weakness for St. Croix Rod's. I have been watching the Extreme's and wishing they were Elites in the bargain room, But the more I looked the more the price dropped and then a couple weeks ago they offered the free Rage Rod giveaway, I Just couldn't take it with the 1/2 off retail and a free $150.00 rod with a $300.00 purchase, so here comes a 6'10" MXF and 7'2" MHM Legend Extreme casting rods. I love my Legend Elites which are the same blanks, and have a LTB 6'8" MXF that will soon be for sale and I wanted the 7'2" MHM because I don't have a MH in a Moderate action, and have been wanting one. Now how do I justify the 5.9 oz Team Lew's Pro for the 3.6 oz. MXF? Anyway I figure maybe a Rage RS610MLXF w/a Symetre would be a pretty nice rig for the grankids to fish when I take them with me, and who knows, maybe I will start to get used to fishing rods with half the handle missing??? If not I sure got some great trading stock!!

You hit the nail on the head, I do the same and can assure you either driver would go out of their way to take care of me. To many people think they are their employees and treat them like less than they would want to be treated themselves, then wonder why some people get taken care of above and beyond. I use both and thank them for the service they so professionally "deliver"!! pun definitely intended!!