# experience with St. Croix Legend series



## hawglet (Jul 10, 2011)

LURKER ALERT!!!

As the story goes, I primarily fish crankbaits although I do some occasional early finesse jigging and draggin' during the cold water temps but I get out the crankbaits probably a week or 2 earlier than most guys. I'm looking at either a St. Croix Legend Walleye-small crankbait or a Legend Tournament rod. Basically the big difference in these rods is a med./mod. vs. a med./fast. I generally fish a 1/4oz. to 1/2oz crank (3/8oz most often). Anyone have any suggestions or experience with either of these rods?
BTW: For those that got confused when I referred to a walleye rod I'm fishing bass and talking about spinning rods here as well. If only my thumb would figure out the happy medium/gradual pressure for a caster!


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## Sharpix (Aug 10, 2011)

For Finesse, a fast tip to sense better and hook solidly.
for cranks a medium tip, to let the fish swallow the lure.

St Croix are good rods. Ive got the 2nd best of their line, the Avid, just below the Legend, and they are very well made, rounded handle, exposed blank at the index finger, good guides and very well made. Its my only rod, a 6' Medium/Heavy with a fast tip. Its solid, dependable and just plain does the work properly.


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## newcar16 (Dec 24, 2011)

I have two st. croix rods and love them.


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## flatboat (Dec 25, 2011)

if ya ever get a chance and in park falls wi there is the factory store seconds are real cheeep i have several fine from there


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## LonLB (Dec 25, 2011)

My thoughts on rods in general.

Contact baits-jigs, worms, drop shot, shakey heads etc, all techniques that a good rod is important.

Moving baits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, etc, IMO it just doesn't make any sense to me, to spend a bunch of money on rods for this stuff.



More specific to your question....I like crankbait rods a little stiffer than what is available, and what most consider "crankbait" rods. The traditional crankbait rod is to soft, IMO, to rip lures out of weeds very effectively. Plus I usually don't do a strait retrieve with my crankbaits so any action you impart yourself to the bait, is absorbed into the rod when using an overly soft rod.

Spinning rods tend to run a little "softer" or less power.
So if I were cranking with a spinning rod, I would do so with a MH, rod that was at least a fast action.


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## Captain Ahab (Dec 26, 2011)

Good stuff guys - unfortunately the person who asked this question has not been back since October.

He was specifically asking about the Legend series - which are some of the higher end St. Croix rods. 


I have a Legend Elite that is unreal - it is one step up from the Legend Series 

Anyone fish any of the Legend series rods - i am thinking about trying one (Although I have recently become hooked on the new Powell and Lamiglass rods)?


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## 00 mod (Dec 26, 2011)

I have several st croix rods!

Avid series: 70m/f: Primarily spinnerbait rod
70mh/f: worm rod
70h/f: one of my jig rods

Legend series: 68m/xf: topwater rod

Legend elite: 68m/ex: spinning rod used mainly for river fishing, but also shakey head and drop shot


I do feel there is a diminishing point for rods. The only other rods I have are a shimano cumara, a couple quantum kvd cranking rods, one lamiglass cranking rod and a g loomis glx jig rod.


The glx is extrememly sensitive, but at $400, a custom or a ltb series rod for half the price would suffice! The shimano cumara line are really nice, but the newer crucial maybe? rods now have the same blanks, so at less than $200, should be really nice rods. My legend elite I got at a sweetheart of a deal($330 rod for $200) so I couldn't pass that up! I think the Best bang for your buck rod you can buy is the Avid series from St. Croix. Also consider that at the $200+ range, you can have a custom rod built that has just as good if not better blank.

We dont have any rod builder sponsors on here so I will plug a couple, and If they need to be removed, mods please do so, or I will myself!

https://www.imaginationbassin.com/gblanksproducts.htm GBlanks Rods, I have had one and loved it, but a friend of mine loved it more, so we traded some stuff!

https://www.delawarevalleytackle.com/ Mike is a really nice, knowledgeable guy, although I have never owned one of his rods, I have fished one and it was nice!


Jeff


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## LonLB (Dec 26, 2011)

00 mod said:


> I have several st croix rods!
> 
> Avid series: 70m/f: Primarily spinnerbait rod
> 70mh/f: worm rod
> ...





I'm going to disagree with you on the custom rods.

If you price components alone, and no labor, there is just no possible way to build a high end blank rod for anywhere near the price of an off the shelf rod.

Just an example: 
7' Tube rod, on a SCIV blank (same as legend series) $140
Split grip cork handle $38
Micro Guides  $25
Recoil guides (I like them personally) $45 approx
Hook Keeper $2.75
Component kit-finish, brushes, glue for handles
maybe some other stuff...Says it does 3 rods,
at 20 bucks. So I'll cut that into 1/3rds $6.67



That's a total of $212.42. That includes no labor, no thread, or any other misc exependable supplies that I don't know about, no extra wrappings, stickers etc.

I could easily see a Legend Tournament equivalent rod costing well over $300 for a rod that is what $240 off the shelf.



To clarify, I really don't want this post to come off as argumentative. Custom rods, and gas money in co-angler tournaments are just my subjects I have strong opinions on.


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## 00 mod (Dec 26, 2011)

I see your point, but when a custom rod builder is not just a weekender, and does it for a living, he buys in bulk and saves a lot on those items! Just call Mike and get a quote for the components you want. I think you will be surprised! Tell him 00 Mod sent ya! :wink: 

Jeff


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## hawglet (Jan 18, 2012)

Thanks for the input on this. While yes, I haven't been on here in a long time. My wife actually bought me a 6'6" Med Fast Legend Xtreme spinning rod for christmas. And I bought a 6'6" Med Mod. Avid casting as well. Most will say these were bought backwards but I'm just not confident enough with a baitcaster to know that I'll stick with it as in the past I never really have but also haven't giving it a chance in probably 10 years or maybe more. The last BC reel I bought had no cast control so I figured what the hell, I'll give a modern reel a chance right. Being that I'm partial to Quantum reels I paired each of these with the moderate Antix reel line. I have an Antix spinning on a BPS Extreme and love it. The Antix BC feels/fits nice in my hand, has a bunch of cast control, and a flipping switch plus it's pretty damn smooth. While these reels may both get replaced with Exo's in the future this close to x-mas and having a 4mth. old baby I couldn't justify spending what I did, much less any more. 

So far both of these rods feel great obviously although I haven't had the chance to fish them I'll have to wait and see this spring. Both are light but oh my the Xtreme is crazy light. My wife says, "it's so light. Seems likes it's a piece of junk and easy to break." Good one dear. BTW: she also said I don't get it what is the fun in fishing anyway? ...... 

I'll update my opinion of these rods once they've hit the water. Thanks for the replies though, I had kind of given up on this thread after a few weeks went by then we had a baby and I haven't been able to get back.


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