WI_Angler1989

I have 3 setups now: 1) 610mlxf spinning/ 2500 reel 2) 66mf spinning/ 3000 reel 3) 7mhf spinning/ 2500 reel If I can afford to add a 7mf rod, I think I'll be set up juuust fine for my river smallies. I like the 66mf rod for tight quarters and canoeing, so even though a 7mf would be similar, I think it's worth it. That way my 610mlxf can stay rigged as a dropshot rod and the 7mf can become my tube/craw/finesse jig rod. Plus jerkbaits and topwater would fish well on it too.

I have the lucky benefit (?) Of being poor hahaha. So tax return is a thing for sure. I try my best to treat myself with a portion of it, along with a lot going towards bills, student loan, etc. It's a good way for me to restock tackle without having to pinch pennys and talk myselfnout of it, like tend to.

Ahhh, tax season. It's a beautiful time when someone like myself can come into a nice little bit of excess money. However, The Bait Monkey waits in the wings, checking my TurboTax account, biding his time. Does anyone out there have any fun fishing related plans with their tax return?? I plan on placing a niiice little order of Siebert Sniper Jigs, a fan favorite for my smallies. Another order of River Rock swimbait sounds like a good idea too I think. Those have been on my radar for too long not to get a handful of packs. Then, come spring, I'll use a chunk to fund the annual fishing trip I take with a buddy and head up to northern WI. Maybe swing by the St Croix rod factory and see what all those "B" rods are about.

I'll just echo other peoples posts and say yes, and for a variety of reasons. Does it hide the line from the fish? Oh yeah, I'm 100% sure that it does. The flip side is, does it make a big difference? Maybe? I'm sure there are occasions where a fish I get a lure in front of is turned off by the weird, dark thing by the tasty morsel in front of it. At the same time, said fish does NOT think "oh s***, fishing line, better run!" Know what I mean? Plus, if i cast out and a fish doesn't take my tube, I will never know anyway. As far as I know, there wasn't a fish even looking. The benefits of tying on a Fluoro leader outweigh all the cons (always retying, potential knot issues, initial cost) for me though. I get more abrasion resistance in my rocky rivers, more stretch than braid (how much varies by brand, #, etc), that possible invisibility for finicky fishses, and most importantly, my braid laaaaaasts and lasts. Like, I could maybe put 12-15 yards or so on my reel at MOST after last seasons re-spool. So while fluoro isn't cheap, the use of short leaders vs saving braid easily pays off for me monetarily. Consider it an investment. I bought a 330 yd spool of Sunline Super Sniper to use as leaders for smallies...4 years ago. I still have a bit left.

Spunds like quite the tedious situation, @Turkey sandwich. I can understand why you'd want to avoid that scenario again. Regardless of how you like the product. I've always heard St Croix has fantastic customer service, but I've never had to deal woth it yet. I've been fairly lucky woth not damaging rods and such (knock on wood!!) I'm going up to the factory this spring with a buddy, maybe ill score a quality Eliye in the factory seconds stock! Other than that I cannot afford one hahaha. Yet.

Truer words have never been spoken. What model LE do you have? I've thought about getting one of those as well, but my wallet won't cooperate..

St Croix seems to be lagging in the advertising department. Especially considering they're in stores already. My local Wheels doesn't have any of the new Legend X rods yet sadly, but I know what you mean about the color @Loomis13. I'll reserve judgment till I see it in person, but it seems odd. The rod is stacked in their tech though so idk if color matters much haha. Can't wait to handle one tho.

I like the Avids too. I've got 2 of the regular Avid series that I've had for a few years now and they're definitely great rods! I've never fished and X, though they look awesome.

I dont have a link handy, but you're best bet is to google "2018 st croix legend tournament bass" and watch their brief video descriptions.

It won't affect the function, but may as well like em! They are quite slick. Makes me wish companies did demo programs for rods like they do with reels.

I got to handle some today actually. The balance does seem a little bit better. Still not on the level of the other, more balanced rods. The handlrs are a lot more comfortable though! I don't have any issues with my current LTB, but it's a lot nicer off the bat.

That makes sense. Different rods will have such a variety of materials used in construction affecting balance. I really do like the LTB rods; But the higher end series have the same features, PLUS awesome balance. At the end of the day, it feels silly to have a 400$ rod at this point. Within my means, right?

Hi folks, Does anyone out there own a new and improved LTB? I'm curious what your feelings are on the balance of it. Obviously it's no secret the LTB series is tip heavy, although I've had great success with my own despite that. The new models say they're more balanced... are they? It would be great if they are! I like the rods in every regard, but I can definitely understand the heavy tip being annoying, especially with my style being bottom contact baits for river smallies. Holding an Elite or Xtreme is like it just disappears. No imbalances. Now to get that feeling in the "cheaper" LTB series... that's my dream.

I've gone a guided trip up in Door County on Lake Michigan. It was an awesome experience. However, I've heard fantastic things about Smallie fishing on the Wisconsin river waaay up north. There's a guide service I've seen YouTube Vids of that showcase the waters (and potential guiding) really well. Smguide1. You don't have to feel limited to big waters where winds can literally shut down a trip. That would be heartbreaking after all that travel. Or, as others have said, maybe hit both and have a the more sheltered rivers as backup? It's all about what you want! Personally, if I ever do another guided trip, I'd go to a river like the Wisconsin or Eagle River. I really enjoyed my experience on Sturgeon Bay, but it was very challenging to fish well and feel satisfied with how windy and nasty it got. Especially with only a single day guided.

Well, that changes based on the point of view for me. Best fishery? Surgeon Bay. Most fished waters? Chippewa River right at home. Favorite overall is tough to say because I have so many favorite experiences, memories and days on the water. The fishery may change, but certain days stand out for me.

Smallie Crawlin' jigs all day for me, Ted!

Ah winter, the magical realm of The Bait Monkey. He thrives in cold weather. I too spend my winters buying a "bunch" of tackle, gear, etc. Not even limited to fishing. I'll fill gaps in my camping gear, outdoor clothes and anything else that peaks the interest. In the realm of fishing, i tend to buy more new things in winter. I'll pick up brands I've been wanting to try, small "tester" orders per say. Obviously I'll stock the staples in plastics and lures too. It's also the season of adding, upgrading and all around drooling over new rods and reels for me. Yeah, I have a problem. I like shiny stuff. In season, I find that I'm much more likely to refill whatever's been working, Whatever I'm burning through. That's how I fine tune my gear: buy stuff, try it, re-buy what worked, don't buy what didn't. Honestly, as much as I like getting orders and new things, I've fine tuned my tackle down to the minimum. All of which are things that worked for me over the years. I'm frugal and it's much easier to restock when all my gear is basically an assortment of confidence lures. My wallet frequently thanks me.

Rods: St Croix Reels: Shimano, Pfleuger Line: PowerPro Super Slick braid, Sunline FCSniper, Seaguar InvisX Hooks: Gamakatsu, VMC Plastics: Cabin Creek, Kalin's Jigs: Siebert Sniper Jigs Spinnerbaits: War Eagle Hardbaits: Rapala, Spro, Lucky Craft, Heddon, River2Sea *****Huge Edit****** Cadman's Smallie Crawlin' Jigs are used for nearly 100% of my tubes, craws, and other bottom contact presentations. Unless it's a weightless plastic, I'm probably rigging up on a Smallie Crawlin' jig.

Hey All, Who out there has experience with St Croix's factory second rods?? I'm curious as to what the "defects" could be to make them fall into that category. A Buddy and I are planning out a trip/fish-along/pilgrimage up to Park Falls this spring, starting here in Eau Claire, following back roads and ending at the St Croix factory. We'll be traveling along a number of great rivers here in WI: the Chippewa, Flambeau, and Eagle River. Not to mention a bunch of lakes. I'm guessing that a new rod may be in order as well...

Hey, whatever works for you, right? It seems like there's a good amount of unused space in there though. It looks like it would be a good "car bag" for me. throw terminal, jigs, a handful of plastics, maaaybe a small plano and leave it in the car, ready to go.

I don't have any experience with his skirted jigs, but I use the Smallie Crawlin' jigs SO much it's ridiculous. They're my go to hook/jig to rig tubes, craws, finesse worms, and grubs occasionally. They're excellent quality and basically revolutionized my river fishing experience.

I love Siebert jigs when fishing for my river smallies. The Sniper finesse jig, to be exact, in a variety of colors and the 3/16 weight. Although to be fair, I add the wire tie for a little extra, so it tops $3.50.

I really like how those look, but I fish from shore a lot, so it's not always good to fish a deep(ish) diver. I'm pretty intrigued by the new RKcrawler MD in the 4-8 foot range. That's right about what I fish.

Thanks for the replies guys. I really need to get better at taking the temp early on in the year and just being aware. As for finding spots... I need me a kayak to get on the water safely. I've got a lot of experience going small and slow but just don't seem to be in the right spots early in the spring.

There is a dam, but there's also a small dropoff that spans the entire river, like a mini waterfall, so i'm not sure if the fish head up river. Maybe they move way further down river than I've assumed and i'm just looking to close by? One thing that has made it tough is there are next to no river maps that show contour. I get that its ever changing in rivers, but there must be some consistencies.