Capt.Bob

I like the simplicity of the improved clinch for terminal tackle. For leader to line I use nothing but the improved Blood knot. Both fast and easy, with good knot strength. There are others that are marginally better, not as simple and easy,,,, but with the arthritis I have today, I lean hard on easy!!!

I personally find the rods made in Mexico (Rage, Mojo Eyecon, etc) are comparable to the GL2 and GL3 rods, If you compare a NRX to an Avid it's like comparing a GL2 to a Legend Extreme,,,,, not what one call apples to apples!!! St. Croix unlike some,,,, makes a rod to compare to any rod built, Triumph to Lightning rod or NRX to Legend Elite and Extreme, IMX and GLX to Legend Tournament and so on. Far to many want to compare a $400.00 rod to a $200.00 Rod, It is hard to compare any rod costing less than $200.00 to a $180.00 Avid. I think the Avid far better than it's price, and the only way to compare any rod to a Legend Elite is fugal, sensitivity, weight, durability, and most of all as I said in the beginning NO ONE BACKS EM BETTER!!!!! It will take 14 years of hard use and dozens of upgrades to the same model to find out if they come close!!!! I did!

14 years ago I bought my first Legend Elite and my first Loomis IMX, as a Lake Erie Guide I have fished most everything out there,,,,,,,I own over 20 St. Croix's today, Avid's, Legend Elites, Legend Tournament, Legend Extreme's, Lend Ultra, along with a couple premiers, and 1 Loomis, I don't see that changing!!! I may suggest to others "FOR THE MONEY" but to me I don't care about price, it's the quality I want. and I love knowing my money is putting Americans to work!!!

I leave no doubt, regardless of the tactic your using, St. Croix makes the rod you need. I feel St. Croix has the best CS in the business and make the "VERY BEST RODS ON THE PLANET", and Premier and up are "100% MADE IN THE USA BY AMERICAN CRAFTSMAN", and there are none better than the Legend Extreme, Elite, and Tournament are as good as it get's. This year I had a problem with one,,,,,,,their first year Legend Elite!! I bought this rod and every since it has been my favorite Small Mouth and Walleye rod. I also use this rod every year for Walleye in the largest tributary to the great lakes as a Carolina rigged floating jig rod for Walleye, for over 14 years it has been abused and landed fish well over 15 lbs. in this white water river environment. This year about 2 weeks ago, as the end of the run was on us, I hooked an egg sucking Quill Back Carp, not a big one, about 6 lbs. but almost to me and one excited flurry and I was hand lining him in on a rod that was now in three pieces! I made the call to St. Croix and their first question was,,,, what is the serial no.,,,,, I had no idea and it's not on the rod, but it was a EC66MFCS and after she learned the rod was over 14 years old, she said that had to be made the first year the introduced the Legend Elite Series. So she said send it in and $20.00 for return shipping and they would decide what was going to be done. I got the letter Saturday and was very shocked!!! They want another $55.00!!! But that is to send me their latest LES66MF a $330.00 rod for my $290.00 14 year old rod that I had beat the crap out of for all those years, and the 2013 model is better material better tappers, and well worth the 55 bucks to trade up, that is why they are not only the best rods in the world, but the "BEST BACKED RODS IN THE WORLD". I think last year our own roadwarrior had a similar experience with St. Croix Customer Service. This is why I say you can buy more expensive rods, or less expensive rods, "BUT YOU CAN'T BUY BETTER ROD'S OR BETTER BACKED ROD'S AT ANY PRICE" and best of all knowing they are "MADE IN THE USA BY AMERICANS" By Wed. I should have a brand new 6'6" MF spinning rod to replace a rod that was over 14 years old and this one is as GOOD AS IT GET'S!!

I am not familiar with that particular rod, but after purchasing a rod this year, after a review by one of our own, testifying how versatile it was, I was very surprised. The rod was a Legend Extreme, in a 7'2" MHM action, probably quite close to the blank you are thinking about. It is a little stiffer than my rod by the action designation MHMF mine is a little slower MHM, but I think you would have a good rod for both, I use this rod for big deep cranks of course, but it is still quite capable as a worm or Carolina rig rod, hell the more I use it, I think it will work great as a Jig Rod?? If I were you I would pull the trigger, there are pros that would choose different rods for the same application, it just depends on the way you fish it, and that rod sounds like a very versatile rod!!!! Let us know what you think but I wouldn't be afraid to try it.

SUFFIX 832, best I have found, one I would never recamend is Fireline Braid, seems good but constant wind knotts, and have had numerable line whips on cast that cut themselves, have never had one good trouble free outing with it?????

what he said, I can almost assure you if you try wrapping and coating by hand your self, it will look like ,,,,,,,well anyway you would be the onlly one who would ever want to use it. It is evident this guy has never replaced more than the eye at the tip!!!, The eyes that are below tip top are quiet a bit more complex to repair properly than just gluing on a new one!!!

Same here total cost last year to have a new eye replaced on my Legend Elite 6'3" MXF from the guy who fixes all rods that come thru my shop was $17.00, and he had to by a spool of thread from St. Croix to get a perfect match. When I got it back it was impossible to tell which one he replaced. I think the bait shop is jakin the price up and makin a profit too. Most good rod builders worth their salt, work pretty reasonable, and will do a much better job than putting a bandaid on it yourself,,,,,,,I would find the right guy and have it done right if you want to keep it.

For spool and pinion bearings, they use 2@ 3x10x4 and 1@ 5x11x4, I would suggest you try flushing and using a good light bearing oil on the factory bearings, there is very little to be gained by replacing the excellent bearings already used on the Lew's reels. You should do this before you change them out so you realize how little you gain for the cost, if any gain. One other thing, if going to ceramic, enjoy the noise, or, if you use a drop of oil to quiet them, you might as well stick with SS in the first place, because you are defeating your purpose By Oiling a Ceramic Bearing, it quiets it, and at the same time, slows it down!! Try the flush and proper lube first with whats in the reel, you will see an improvement, I think you will be quite happy!

Excellent choice, you will not be disappointed!! That's a very nice rod.

I always think a good rod for someone starting a serious arsenal is The St. Croix Avid, for your want's the 7' MHF would do you justice, lot of backbone and very sensitive, and fairly light in weight. I am sure there are better, as good, and plenty that will work but just a little lacking. It is easy to recamend a Legend Elite but that is a hunk of change. the Avid can be had new for around $180.00 and is warranted for life, used for 110 to 150 but well worth the money, and St. Croix craftsmanship is obvious. I would say of the ones you listed the Bionic Blade is the sleeper of the bunch, very rugged and good sensitivity, quality well above its price! My choice of the ones you mention.

In Aluminum I would go with the Crestliner, very good boats and reasonable, they will usually hold up better than most others. There are other brands you may want to consider as well, maybe no better structurally but maybe more friendly laid out.

I have never had this problem so I am reaching here, but my answer would be to open it up best you can to air out use floor dry just as you would for a spill elsewhere, you may have to do this several times and keep vacing it out, and adding more till you see it is no longer sucking up any of the petroleum. This will probably be something you need to do and let set over night to absorb what has been sucked into the boat compartment, and keep repeating the process. Let us know how you take care of it and the results. good luck and welcome to boat ownership!! Don't understand the bow HB??? but it is always good to run wiring to a fused hookup, and the fuse panel would be ideal for any added circuit if there is space for it, or if need be the main can be branched to a new panel board or what have you. I would never hook a device of anykind without protecting it with a fuse, or breaker.

The better your thumb is trained the less you will need brakes, they are like an insurance policy. The Centrifugal Brake is most beneficial at the beginning of the cast, and the Magnetic braking does more toward the end of the cast. The fact is we all need a little help and why some select more braking and some less. The spool tension knob should not be used as a break, that is not it's purpose.

pretty nice lookin lures!!

I personally would spend the 300 bucks for a worm jig or finesse rod where max sensitivity is more important. The main thing on a Crankin rod or trebble hook rod is FORGIVENESS,,,,,,, where the main goal is to give enough to keep the bait hooked up, I honestly think the Avid series is a great blend of sensaitivity and forgiveness with the backbone to handle any fish, Med Moderate or Med Heavy Moderate, and less than 150 bucks used with the ability to purchase the lifetime warranty, or for like I said, 180 bucks new with the Lifetime Warranty. and you would be halfway to a great rigging rod with the money you would save.

The spring washers are a good point J, I too see reels come in with poor drag maintenance, and by that I mean, the drags CRANKED DOWN,,,,, they probably have been that way since the day they went on a rod. It is hard on the whole assembly, one way to maintain top drag performance is to back it off when you are not using it. I can't remember the last time I opened a customers box and found the drag backed off, and most of the time they are cranked down where you can't tell if they use a hammer or not??? This kind of constant pressure weakens the spring washers and shortens the drag range, usually benefits from the metalic surfaces needing polished, and causes very jerky drag performance and in time reduces max drag poundage. I have no way of measuring this but have seen very little difference in wet and dry Max drag poundage, but see a very increased performance in smoothness, I highly recommend any drag being ran wet with Shimano or Cal's drag grease, with the Carbontex washers you will get the best of both worlds, Max poundage and smoothness, and when you store your reels with the drags backed off, a lifetime of top performance.

Just ride the boat the same way, (like a lady)!

St. Croix Avid 7' MHF $180.00 an excellent rod very sensitive and Lifetime warranty. Everyone has their favorite brand, I like the Croix cause their top end are American Made by American Craftsman,,,,,,,,and it shows!

St Croix avid, MHM or MM, used under a buck fifty new $180.00 and lifetime Guaranty! Excellent action for treble hook fishing, I had both and just recently upgraded the MHM to the Legend Extreme MHM, a very verastile rod,,,,,,,thanks for the tip Dwight!

Take your pick, Lew's Team if you like red accents or Team Gold if you prefer Gold accents.

I make these same jigs with lead heads powder coated and cleared with epoxy. These are with my favorite material, Buck Tail died in fluorescent colors, and I make the jigs on 1/4 oz molds w/ the proper material for floating bodies and the hair adds to the buoyancy which when fished in lakes, as a Carolina rig, lets them dive on the retrieve and raise on the stop, enticing the strike. They are great for LM Walleye, Smallies, White Bass, and Crappie on streams as well, when weighted just enough to keep them on the bottom and letting them slowly roll with the current, my favorite jigs for streams with the bucktail. These are made on 1/16 oz molds and use a #4 Oshaunesy used the same way or at times as a drop shot rig, great when they want a small bait, and a great bait for Yellow Perch as well as the other species.

EXCELLENT CHOICE!!

I agree, as you have been told, if you only had one settup, the one you have is going to do a great job for most applications for all bass species and most freshwater fishing period. The smaller finesse lures and techniques should have a little lighter action more forgiving rod, which I would get next, like a 6'10" MXF or MLXF with the same reel or similar. then for trout and pan fish of course require much lighter and preferably spinning equipment. But as others have said for bass fishing, and I think for 70% of all freshwater fishing, you have a darn good setup!! We all have our preference for brands, but you have pretty good gear for that first serious bass outfit!!!

I sent you a PM