Home Forums Fishing Freshwater U.S. Made Fishing Rods

Wish my local BPS stocked St. Croix well. Just a few on hand.

Hear great things on them.

.. So does St Croix.

65BR, St Croix's are awesome rods. BassPro doesn't stock St Croix. Not sure why. But you can order them online through Cabelas, which is what I do. I own a few Tidemaster Saltwater Series spinning rods of varying lengths and weights, but close enough they can pull double duty, if needed.

When in buy mode, try to watch for the convergence of rebates (St Croix or Cabelas), free shipping, and Cabela's codes when you can. It'll save you a couple bucks for beer and ice money.

My local BPS has the Avid, Premier and one other in a few sizes/powers, but not a large variety.

What rods would you put on a Shimano 1000 Symetre and Ci4+ Stradic 2500:

Future plans to use a 1000 for panfish and possibly light bass

2500 more for larger fish i.e. Bass, possible Redfish/Flounder/Speckled Trout, possibly Walleye and similar.

Will likely use 6lb mono/flouro and/or 8 or 10lb braid on the 1000

The 2500 will either run 8 mono/fouro and/or around 20lb braid.

Thoughts are something around 6 - 6'8 or so in Light or possibly ML with fast tip on the 1000, and more likely ML if not Medium power fast tip for the 2500. Figure the larger fish need a harder hook set.

Thoughts/feedback by experienced Spin fisherman appreciated. Any recs on rods, and/or line appreciated. Using P-Line CX often, and have some 10# PP. Hear good things about 832 Suffix. Anyone using other P-line? Know the CXX is stiffer and likely not good for spinning.

On Rods, thoughts on the Avid and Premier line if it matters. Want lightweight and sensitive....as one might imagine which is why I am looking at St. Croix.

I did handle a Shimano Crucial Medium/Fast at BPS, felt good in hand, but all else equal, rather spend on US mfg.

Thanks in advance.

I can add my 2 cents in here.

Mostly fish for smallmouth and walleye with the spinning gear. Crappie, perch, white bass and goldeye once in a while. I would pair the 1000 size Shimanos with a St. Croix Avid AVS63MLXF or G. Loomis WJR761S for walleye jigging and smallmouth tubing. For the 2500 size, my current set-up uses a St. Croix Avid AVS70MLF. I use Fireline on all my spinning reels, 10# test in these sizes w/ 8# fluorocarbon leaders for walleye and 10# for smallmouths. You can get the rod specs. from the St. Croix and G. Loomis websites. They both make basically the same power/action rods in various materials depending on your budget. The Avid from St. Croix and GL3 from G. Loomis are both pretty good bang for your buck, with my preference being the Avid.

Great info thanks much. I've thought that a 6'3 or 6'6 rod would be a great length.

As to the Flouro leader, do you use an albright knot, and any reason for the 8 vs 10? Any preference on the line or does it not make much difference given it's short? On leaders how long do you like to make them?

Appreciate the input very much. Looks like the XF is for lighter lures while the F on the larger rod matches those weight lures best. Makes sense.

Thanks again.

I like to use the lightest line I can get away with. Always used 8# w/ walleyes before the "superlines", but 10# makes me feel a little safer for bass. I use Berkley Vanish, mostly because it's cheap. A 125yd "pony" spool lasts me about 1 season. I attach the flouro leader w/ back-back uni-knots. They go through the guides well while casting. Usually starts around 4' and gets replaced after it gets down to 2'(gets shorter due to retying to clean up the last abraded parts of the line). If vertical jigging for walleyes is the only thing on the menu, the leader is only 18" or so.

I appreciate your info Sir, not used leaders but need to with Braid it seems, to maximize my strikes.

Thanks again.

Are any blanks still made domestically?

My local rod builder told me that St. Croix built a plant in China to make their blanks. Still assembled here in the US. There are a few fully American companies still making rods. I believe Loomis and Phenix both make their blanks domestically. I just looked at a Denali rod (Arkansas I think) that is a domestic rod. Any custom rod maker can tell you where they are sourcing their rods. I know the guy I deal with gets his stuff from Batson.

Pretty sure G Loomis was bought by Shimano.

That is unfortunately correct

Falcon makes great rods in several price ranges, from cheap to very expensive. I hold one for a living and they get the job done well.

I have and use more Loomis GLX's than any other rods.

I really like them!

I understand why!



Shimano does a good job with G. Loomis. Haven't found anything I like better.

I have been using St. Croix ultra light spinning rods, their performance and quality have set a new standard for me. Last year I added my first Falcon rod, a LFS-3-166 Finesse Spin to the collection. Quality seems to be very good. I would buy another.

Actually they are an excellent company. Their high end salt water reels, like Trinidad and Talica, are amazing works of art.

They make a great reel and I use their reels exclusively. I haven't had the best of luck with their warranty department since the transition. Last August, when I called the Customer Service Department for my most recently damaged G Loomis Escape rod the called was placed to Irvine, CA. Some "bro" answered and gave me the run around about products and policies that he clearly wasn't familiar with. He insisted that I go through the store I purchased it from for any warranty claim rather than deal with Loomis or Shimano directly. Before, I could call or drive to Woodland and the problem would be fixed in a fraction of the time by local people that care.

I break a Loomis rod, I bring it to the biggest Loomis dealer in the area. They pack it, ship it,send it back to Loomis and call me when the new rod shows up.

When you cycle through a large dealer, you get more attention. Just a fact of life because they are dealing with each other daily and the leverage is in the large dollars and high volume of rods.

It does not happen often but the past two years the handle on an NRX slipped and an IMX broke. They were both replaced free of charge.

Hard to complain about that kind warranty service.

For the money, I like Scheels Outfitter Tournament and Guide Series rods. You brake one and they will trade you right over the counter for a new one. I can't feel the difference between a loomis and a Scheels rod.