St Croix Legend Tournament

[breezy]

I stopped by a local shop I don't visit often and noticed they were blowing out their St Croix rods. They only had two models left (LTB) at 60% off. The two they had were:

7'3 MH/F C-Rig

7'6 MH/Mod-Fast (both telescoping)

After handling the rods in store I wasn't all that impressed, especially at the $280 MSRP. They seemed heavy in general and not balanced at all.

What is everyone's opinions on these rods? I might have been interested in the 7'3 but the telescoping part seems unnecessary and just adds weight. I don't have a pitching rig at the moment (not a technique I use often), but it may be worthwhile to pick up a nice rod at an extreme discount.

So what does BR think? Just from handling the rods they didn't impress me compared to rods even in a similar price range while on sale (~$110). A Veritas, Verdict etc still felt much better in my hands. Would I see a huge increase in sensitivity with the LTB (enough to justify the weight issues)? Or is this just a good deal I should pass up?

[Bluebasser86]

St.Croix lists their 7' 3" rigging rod as 4.7oz. That seems pretty light to me for a rod that long. I have the older model with the full handle in the carolina rig rod and I really like it. Maybe the full handle balances it better or something. It's a very tough and sensitive rod that I really enjoy using. It's all about what you like though. I'm sure you can get a Dobyn's or Gloomis that is an ounce or two lighter. I've heard of the Veritas having some breakage issues but haven't heard much about the Verdict. If it were me and I didn't already have that rod I know I would be jumping on it.

[Hooligan]

That 7-3 LTB is one of the best C rig draggers ever built. Bar none. I prefer the LTB to my NRX 873CRR.

[BobP]

I don't think you'll find rods as light, sensitive, and durable as the St Croix LT's anywhere, and you rarely see top-of-the-line rods from St Croix or Loomis discounted that much. But if you didn't like the rod from just swishing it around in the shop and prefer another brand, there's no sense in buying it. Leave it for someone who will appreciate it more than you did. There are plenty who will.

[midnighthrasher]

110$ are you kidding me. I would have baught them and figured it out later. Those are 300$ rods.

You need to call 1-800-bait-monkey and tell them you need help!!!

[S Hovanec]

That's around wholesale cost on the blanks alone! Worth it just to re-sell them!

[Fat-G]

Buy them both!

[breezy]

St.Croix lists their 7' 3" rigging rod as 4.7oz. That seems pretty light to me for a rod that long. I have the older model with the full handle in the carolina rig rod and I really like it. Maybe the full handle balances it better or something. It's a very tough and sensitive rod that I really enjoy using. It's all about what you like though. I'm sure you can get a Dobyn's or Gloomis that is an ounce or two lighter. I've heard of the Veritas having some breakage issues but haven't heard much about the Verdict. If it were me and I didn't already have that rod I know I would be jumping on it.

That weight sounds comparable to most other rods of similar length/power in the Dobyns lineup, so I'm not sure why it felt so heavy in store. I've heard complaints about LTB rods in particular being very tip heavy so maybe this is what I was feeling. But compared to a Cumara, Veritas, even the low end Vendetta all these rods felt lighter (or balanced better).

When I came home to look the rods up I noticed all the ones on TW were split grip but thought the ones in store were all full handle (which I prefer). At the time I thought it may have been a memory lapse, but I guess these are just an older model? The store actually had 4 LTB left (they had similar sales on Mojo, Avids, etc but none left):

(2) LTB Pitchin 7'6 MH Mod/Fast

(1) LTB CRig 7'3 MH/Fast

(1) LTB Crig 7'6 MH/Fast

When I looked online I did not see a 7'6 CRig rod so I assumed I had misread it instore, but now that I know they're older models I guess this is just a discontinued rod.

That 7-3 LTB is one of the best C rig draggers ever built. Bar none. I prefer the LTB to my NRX 873CRR.

Could you describe the 7'3 CRig rods? Maybe a comparison to any Dobyns, Loomis or Abu rods? Honestly I rarely fish a C-rig but it still seemed like it might be a nice stout jig pole. Do you use it for anything else, and if so what? As stated above it felt very heavy/unbalanced in hand but that all changes with a reel on it.

I don't think you'll find rods as light, sensitive, and durable as the St Croix LT's anywhere, and you rarely see top-of-the-line rods from St Croix or Loomis discounted that much. But if you didn't like the rod from just swishing it around in the shop and prefer another brand, there's no sense in buying it. Leave it for someone who will appreciate it more than you did. There are plenty who will.

Maybe I was just turned off by the telescoping part and let that sway what my hands actually felt, but the rod did not feel well balanced/light when I picked it up in store. I will bring a reel next time to see how it feels with a reel mounted on the rod. The price is almost too hard to pass up, I could almost buy it and resell online for a profit. The St Croix rods have been on sale for a while the rep said and this is just what's left.

Thanks everyone else for the feedback. Since I have never owned a St Croix rod I was looking for some feedback (especially on these models in particular). By just holding the rods in hand I would have picked a Savvy over the LTB based on feel/balance alone, but that may all change out on the water. I've bought plenty of rods that I thought felt great in store only to become disappointed on the water...I'm sure it can be the other way around.

[breezy]

Also does anyone have experience with the St Croix trade in program? From the site it looks like your rod depreciates $10 per year, you pay $20 for shipping and the difference between depreciated value and MSRP of the rod you're upgrading to. $10/year just seems like a very low number.

If this is true, I could purchase one of the rods, spend some time with it on the water and if I don't like it upgrade to a elite or extreme. I would have to pay more out of pocket but I would end up having very little in a high end rod. Not sure how old these rods are (when did they move to split grips?) but it sounds like I could have an extreme for not much over $200 invested total (depending on what year the rods are). This is sounding more and more like a deal I can't pass up.

Wish you could trade down, I would love to pick up one of these LTB and trade down for a Avid MHM cranking rod.

[Bass_Fanatic]

Dude Im drooling just reading about the deal you found on these rods. As stated earlier, St. Croix rarely go on blow out like that. Eat it up while you can. If it were me, I would buy them all, see which ones I liked and sell the ones I didn't like for $200.

And your idea of the trade up is right on. Great idea!! You'll get one of the best rods built for $200...cant beat that.

[Canga]

go to the st croix warranty website, near the bottom there is a small section on aging the rods, the first 2 letters of the serial number, if i recall correctly. take that info to the store and figure out how old they are, that will give you the depreciation (yes, it is $10 a year). would be a great way to get yourself into an extreme/elite for cheaper.

i happened to find the last model (pre-nsi) legend elite, in exactly the length and action i was looking for in the avid or walleye series, for $180 at gander mountain...when st croix comes out with a new version of a rod series you can find some great deals on the previous models. and as much as i love the elite, i have been thinking about trading it in on an extreme (the 6'8" mxf is one of few that have one in both the elite and extreme, great rod for jigging walleye and dropshot/shaky heads!)

but i digress, good luck with whatever you decide, buy/sell, trade-in and just using should all be excellent options!

[Bluebasser86]

That weight sounds comparable to most other rods of similar length/power in the Dobyns lineup, so I'm not sure why it felt so heavy in store. I've heard complaints about LTB rods in particular being very tip heavy so maybe this is what I was feeling. But compared to a Cumara, Veritas, even the low end Vendetta all these rods felt lighter (or balanced better).

When I came home to look the rods up I noticed all the ones on TW were split grip but thought the ones in store were all full handle (which I prefer). At the time I thought it may have been a memory lapse, but I guess these are just an older model? The store actually had 4 LTB left (they had similar sales on Mojo, Avids, etc but none left):

(2) LTB Pitchin 7'6 MH Mod/Fast

(1) LTB CRig 7'3 MH/Fast

(1) LTB Crig 7'6 MH/Fast

When I looked online I did not see a 7'6 CRig rod so I assumed I had misread it instore, but now that I know they're older models I guess this is just a discontinued rod.

Could you describe the 7'3 CRig rods? Maybe a comparison to any Dobyns, Loomis or Abu rods? Honestly I rarely fish a C-rig but it still seemed like it might be a nice stout jig pole. Do you use it for anything else, and if so what? As stated above it felt very heavy/unbalanced in hand but that all changes with a reel on it.

Maybe I was just turned off by the telescoping part and let that sway what my hands actually felt, but the rod did not feel well balanced/light when I picked it up in store. I will bring a reel next time to see how it feels with a reel mounted on the rod. The price is almost too hard to pass up, I could almost buy it and resell online for a profit. The St Croix rods have been on sale for a while the rep said and this is just what's left. If someone near central KY really wants any of these PM me and I'd be happy to provide the location.

Thanks everyone else for the feedback. Since I have never owned a St Croix rod I was looking for some feedback (especially on these models in particular). By just holding the rods in hand I would have picked a Savvy over the LTB based on feel/balance alone, but that may all change out on the water. I've bought plenty of rods that I thought felt great in store only to become disappointed on the water...I'm sure it can be the other way around.

I use my 7'3" C-rigging rod for both pitching and rigging.I didn't like the moderate fast action of the pitching rod so I went with the rigging rod and use it for double duty. Plus there isn't a lot of need for an extremly long rod around here so it made it a little easier for me to handle and a tiny bit lighter. They are a strong rod and I can say from experience they can set a hook at a distance with a C-rig, or muscle a big fish out of heavy cover on a jig.

[breezy]

I don't know what it is about my area, but St Croix seems to be one of the least popular rods with Shimano and GLoomis at the top. While perusing the sale rack at another tackle store I noticed two more LTB rods on sale--the Teaser and Big Cranker (both newer models with split grips). After talking to the owner he said he is no longer carrying St Croix rods and is trying to clear out the inventory, but is still struggling even with these priced at $140 each.

I will admit that I was not impressed at all with the rods in the original post (pitchin' and c-rig). To me they felt tip heavy, and although the weights are reasonable, their balance made the rods feel uncomfortable in MY hands. The main reason I was interested is simply the huge discount, but why bother if I'm not even happy with the rod in store?

After checking out the LTB Teaser today my opinion about Croix rods did a 180. Although (IMO) even a Dobyns 703/704c seemed to balance a little better when compared side by side the Teaser felt just about perfect. My 734c handles all of my jigs, t-rigs, senkos, etc at the moment and I've been looking for a rod to handle lighter jigs, plastics, etc where my 734 feels overpowered. I only got to play around with it in store for a few minutes but it seems like the LTB Teaser is exactly what I'm looking for.

I plan on going back to the store with a reel (probably a Zillion 100SHLA or Patriarch 71LP) to see how it balances and make a few test casts. Assuming I like the rod I plan on letting the owner know his competitor is blowing his inventory out at 60% off and see if he will come down any more. The Big Cranker is tempting also but I really like having a full handle on cranking rods. If he wants to move them that bad and starts to offer me some even better prices...well, who knows, I may be walking out with both of them After all I would be doing him a favor clearing out the excess inventory.

[boystcroix]

I know that the LBT models had split grips since 2009, but now sure exactly when they switched. I have the 76MHMF rod but in the extreme I love the rod for pitching jigs but I also use it alot for carolina rigging. The extreme is not telescoping however . I also have the 70MF (teaser) in the extreme, this is my go to plastics rod , I bet I use this rod more than other I have . Buy the rods and fish with them a little, at the price they are offered you can get rid of them if you don't like them. You may become a fan of St Croix rods , I know thats pretty much all I fish with anymore. Just an opinion though.

[S Hovanec]

blowing his inventory out at 60% off

60% off = dealer cost.

[ww2farmer]

Go back and buy the Teaser for that price. Best general purpose bass fishing rod made IMHO.

[breezy]

60% off = dealer cost.

While I have no personal experience with dealer cost of St Croix rods I would guess that's not too far off. Even if they're having trouble moving the rods I don't see the store selling them at a significant loss.

Go back and buy the Teaser for that price. Best general purpose bass fishing rod made IMHO.

I've heard the same statement several times after doing some research on the rod. We've had some bad weather here this weekend so I decided to stay home rather than go back by the store...but I have a feeling the Teaser will be in my rod locker this week.

The Big Cranker seemed like a nice rod also but felt it was a little tip heavy. I will probably see how it feels with a reel on it and go from there. I hate to keep preaching about Dobyns rods, but after purchasing several I can't help but compare my other rods to them. The Big Cranker didn't seem to balance as well as a 705CB (more similar to a 764CB RM). It's not really an issue for a tip-down presentation like cranking but it's one of the first things I notice after picking up a rod. May just pick up the Teaser for now, then depending on how I like it make a decision on the big cranker.

I appreciate everyone's feedback! Can't wait to pick up the teaser and try out some plastics