Capt.Bob

Yep, just falls outside the guidelines set for legal archery equipment, for whitetail in most states, and even unhandier than the crossbow!! If we had choices, after 30+ years hunting with nothing but Hoyts,,,,, I wouldn't handicap myself with anything but a Hoyt, but three years ago after 20 years of fighting the switch, because of a 42 foot fall as an Iron Worker in 1991, on the job, and 11 busted vertebrae I had to give it up or quit hunting, they'll probably find me in a stand some day while I continue my hunts in the promised hunting grounds!! Till then nI'll be in my Timber Tall, nock'n em down and stack'n em up!!!!

Like others have warned, especially at Dick's and Gander Mountain, be prepared to return them more often than factory direct or a sporting good shop's that are small enough to monitor customer abuse would probably have meant you didn't have to take it back at all. For most a 25 to 50 mile wasted trip for a return cost most of us $12.00 to $20.00, if your time is worth anything there are better options, either way the played with rods seem to have more problems???

X2 either one is an excellent choice for the money, they would be my best suggestion in your price range, well worth it, price wise nothing else compares!!

X2 total tear down and flush of every bearing and part, even the handle knob, probably gona need a couple or more bearings, but you may get lucky and after flushing and re lube save em???? If you have never done it before you will certainly find out how underpaid we as real techs are we work for pennies, and just what a steel it is to have your reels professionally serviced!!! GOOD LUCK,,,,, it's a great project, and your not out anything if everything is salvageable!!

XX3!!! The chance of any quality new rod being damaged by braid is non existent, but only the lowest quality rods use softer ceramic guides, most quality rod's use newer lighter and harder materials than the softer ceramic alloy the $10.00 rods use, hence the price difference, at least part of the cost difference. Treat it with caution, the fact is you get what you paid for.

S Hovanec is 100% correct!!! The rod fixed and sent back from the factory is probably not as good as a rod fixed by a good skilled custom rod builder!!! They don't work for a company and get paid by the hour, and I know the one I use is as skilled as any builder in any factory!!! My Legend Elite which I dropped on a rock cracked a concept guide insert, I not only had the exact same insert replaced, with the same thread, but actually had to waite a week to get it so he could by the thread wrap from St Croix so it was an exact match, and cost me $12.00 I can't ship it for that cost and that ius exactly what any factory is going to do. They don't send you a new rod, they do exactly what my custom builder did, only you pay over 20 bucks in shipping for them to do it!!!! To this day you cant tell a guide was ever replaced!!! In your case you chose to exchange the rod, and the place you bought it did that for you. Many places will not, you have to send it in on your dime and the company wioll fix it,,,,NOT,,,, replace it, the same thing a skilled rod builder does!! and anytime you choose that option, you are making a mistake, and it's coming out of your pocket, you just pay twice as much for nothing extra!!!!

Shimano hands down for your St. Croix!! On a medium action the 2500 size would be my choice, and for the money I have all FJ's over the Sustain, I can't see, feel or find 100 dollars worth of wow in the Sustain over the Stradic. The new CI4+ I am not experienced with, but the old model CI4 is not as smooth or as efficient as the FJ, the new CI4+ with Xship should have changed that!! Once you mate that St. Croix with one of these 3 reels in 2500 size, I can asure you that you won't be looking back and will have a super spinning outfit that is,,,,ASS GOOD AS IT GETS!!!!! Enjoy!!

Yep that's not a bow it's a crossbow, compound bow, long bow. recurve bow, traditional bow, a bow is a bow!!! that is as much a bow as anything you find with a string on it, that is why all archery shops have em, and why like every other type of bow,,,,,,,there all called bow's!! that is about like saying a spining reel isn't a reel, a baitcaster is a reel. Sorry guy's it's all Archery Equipment, which makes it a bow!!! There all up close and personal!! I thought everyone new that???

If the Friction ring has been removed, this will allow the bail to spin to freely when open and will allow it to rotate to the ramp and slam the bail closed. I have seen guy's remove the friction ring, which goes bad and think the reel is working great, till the problem you are describing happens, The friction ring is a necessary part if you don't like your bail slamming shut, the FH is one model I replace the most on.

Big game is all bow, or handgun for me, if I use a firearm it's 45 cal all the way!!! I love em. The encore will do under 3/4" at 100 yards any day, I have shot some groups w/ 2x7x scope at 200 under 1 1/2". If open country and shots can be over 200 yards, I use the 460 encore. Most times in the timber when I am expecting shots under 200 yards, I take the revolver, my Super Blackhawk Bisley Hunter will keep em under 2 1/2" at 100 yards. One hole at 35 yards with 250 grain self cast slugs, or 340 grain self cast slugs. I prefer the Gale Force, have taken one deer each of the past 2 seasons with firearms, and have limited out the past 3 years with all but those two deer taken with the Bow. This year I will most likely only take 6 deer and probably just use the bow, up close and personal!!

Would be the only rod close to your budget I would consider for such a fine reel, If I was buying split cork grip's, my choice would be the Legend Elite, but don't cut corners by putting such a low dollar amount on the rod, You are going to be glad you didn't do that on the reel, The LTB from St. Croix will make you never look back,, you can put that in the bank. Buy a cheaper rod and be assured,,,,,you'll always wonder how nice that outfit could have been!!!

There everywhere Grantman83, you just are much better off as a consumer when you use all buying options, I have made a couple crazy deals on archery equipment and firearms in ma and pop shops as well as fishing equipment in sporting goods stores, mostly just depends on being in the right place at the right time, and Knowing,,,,what is what and who your dealing with!!

Sorry if you thought I referred to another post you made. If you notice this was your first post, the second answer to his problem??? great information to a "new to batcasting user" he needed to know how to tighten the tension control cap, not where to buy a reel!!! That was what I referred to! As far as buying anyplace. I have 3 brand new when I bought them Lew's Team Gold reels, and paid an average of $165.00 a piece for them online, they retail for $249.00, they All,,,,come with a Lew's warranty. I was stupid, I bought those reel and got screwed out of paying almost $100.00 more for them!!!! I have serviced reels in my shop for around 30 years, they are all top shelf reels, not blems. My Super Duty was $90.00 also top shelf and sells for a retail price of $179.00, it to came off the internet. I have two brand new St. Croix Legend Extreme rods bought of the internet, direct from St. Croix on an internet only deal, for a total cost of $389.00 including shipping, that was not a possible purchase from any store, as St. Croix controls the price all retail dealers sell their products for. Plus I got a free $159.00 Rage rod of my choice with it, Which I sold on the internet (classifieds). Those were purchases that can't be made in a store anywhere, the rest of my purchases the past year or so have been in stores. My point is if you don't know who what where how to buy, you can get screw yourself in a store as fast as you can online. When you buy from a reputable seller it doesn't matter, they will take it back and give a refund, when you buy a product that come with a warranty backed by a Customer Service as good as Lew's it wouldn't matter,,, your covered! When you limit your purchases to one type be it store, online, or factory direct, or whatever, be prepared to miss out on a lot of good purchases!!! When you don't know what where or how to buy whatever, it doesn't mater where you buy it, you can have problems, even your favorite Big Box Store, or a little sporting goods store, I have found the bigger the store the bigger the scams!! I am sorry if you thought your comments helped him in any way, it was pretty evident they didn't, and that the Problem,,,,stemmed from a new user trying to figure out how a "new to him" piece of equipment worked. It was a simple adjustment that he needed on piece of fine fishing equipment that needed brought to his attention,,,,,,,not where to shop!!!!! I believe he now has that adjustment figured out!!

Small Northern Pike,,,,,, are Chain Pickerel!!

thru the guide around the spool,,,,no right or wrong, just whatever works for you!!

I would visit a Pro shop and have the bow checked, this will let you have experts watch what you are doing and make sure you are aware of any bad habits you are acquiring before they become habits that are hard to break!! Form is important and when you teach yourself, you can teach the wrong thing. The other thing they will do is make sure the bow is still in tune, an out of tune bow will spoil the experience and possibly cause you to get frustrated and quit. I think the most important thing you have to do is find a form and get consistant with it, to be efficient with any verticle bow you must do the same thing every time, same anchor point same grip on the bow same position with the hand on the grip etc, etc. Once you get this far then it's,,,,,,,practice practice practice!! till 2 years ago I huted with a Hoyt 7 new bows in nearly 30 years, my most favorite weapon to hunt with, once you get good with one they efficient killing machines,,,,,,,Enjoy

My main tool, What I use early season, and for a backup! Simple and reliable!

that would be a fact!! regardless of brand.

see war-eagle, needed some guidance using the reel, not where to shop, I think most did see CLEARLY GLASSES WERE FINE!!

You can take a rod made with inferior components and cheap composite material with voids and be thinner and lighter than a quality blank that is slightly larger and the slightly larger CAN BE,,,,,,more sensitive!! I am sorry but there is a lot more to sensitivity than smaller diameter, and lighter!!! Sorry but I have seen smaller lighter and less mass than my St, Croix 7'6"HF Flippin rod, that were not even close to being as sensitive, never thought of comparing pushing cars to the sensitivity of my St. Croix's,,,,

We all have opinions, and regardless what some think,,,,,,on any open forum they should have there opinion, we should respect that, and there will always be those that think differently!!!! It is good to have some that make comments with more than a BRIEF,,, time to gain there experience, I agree with K_Mac,,,, after some time under your belt you will to!!

of COURSE,,, but the more important question would be WHY,,, on God's green earth would I want to???? My biggest problem would be going to the man cave and sorting thru all those St. Croixs,,,,, and picking a favorite!!! Or Lew's or Shimano???

war-eagle you will find many on hear have problems with equipment, and most aren't suckers when they post for help many of them find those problems are stemmed from their own actions or lack of, kinda like buying on the internet, many don't have the basics to securely buy in a sporting goods store, we have seen those that have been talked into unwise bargains there too, my money is on the tension control knob being backed off to far, or maybe loose gear housing screws?? Tuornament's to Team's, all but 3 of my Lew's came off the internet, all are 100%!! Let us know young gun

This would be my move, if your going to use it for Bass and had no chance of ever getting hit by a Peacock or Snook of any size, the 2500 and a Med Fast would be my choice, but if those non target species are present with other Salt water tanks,,,,,,,4000 and MHF, JMO

That move just cost you a bundle,,,,,once you try a Legend Extreme or Elite, one is not enough, you would have been better off not owning one,,,, THEN,,, you could tell everyone how good your other rods are!!!! But now you are going to be spoiled,,,,yes they are that good!! ENJOY!!!