Capt.Bob

Thats ok guy's, I'm sorry, you can BLAME ME! I already have everything covered or would be on it too. But when I saw this ridiculous price it was time to share some love!! When I was young and raising a family I would have loved to find a deal like this! I mean really, you can unload it on flea bay and make a profit if you don't like it at that price! Boy does it work sweet with the Lew's Tournament Pro, or if you prefer, the slightly heavier Curado 50E, either way you would be hard pressed to put together a sweeter finesse setup for under 3 bills!! Plus the lifetime warranty!! I hope the ones that got em let us know what they think of them when they arrive and use them, we'll be waiting to hear about it. On the 6'8" MXF and 7' MLXF I use the TP loaded with 20 Fireline Tracer Braid (6lbs. test mono diameter) and Fluoro. leader 10-12' 6 or 8 lbs. test, @ less than 10.5 oz they are SSSOOOOO LIGHT & SENSITIVE, not a legend elite, but 1/3 the money and very close!

If I was new to bass fishing and had limited funds, and wanted to build a quality rod arsenal, I would jump all over this, an excellent rod for open water Smallmouth, Largemouth, Crappie, you name it, this would be hard to pass up on a limited budget if you were looking for a lightweight finesse rod! liftime Warranty for $115.00 50% off!!! Not Seconds, Premium Brand New Item's. http://www.stcroixrods.com/shop/catalog/Freshwater-23-1.html#Legend_Tournament_Bass_Casting_Rod_LTBC69MLXF_11-327-23.html

Ya I know this is MLXF but if you have only got 120 to spend this is less than that and a brand new rod with lifetime warranty, plus a ST. Croix!! This rod retails for $230.00 and since it is a St. Croix I would think maybe it would be a stout ML or at worst a mild medium. But for a finesse rod you wont find a better buy on the planet, and it is brand new!! 6'9" MLXF and a Legend Tournament Bass!!! Buy one of these and you will be spoiled! Everyone should have a rod like this in there arsenal. http://www.stcroixrods.com/shop/catalog/Freshwater-23-1.html#Legend_Tournament_Bass_Casting_Rod_LTBC69MLXF_11-327-23.html Ya if you are wondering I have around 20 St. Croix rods, but I am not bias ------ however I am CONVINCED!

X6 if you want mono

About the same money you can have a St. Croix, better warranty (5 years), better customer service, lighter, more durable, sensative and full Cork handle! or as WBN said Legend Elite, if you can aford it, Nothing Better! NOTHING!

I use the 80# 100# and 130# test Pro Elite for Salt water and Muskie Ball Bearing Leaders, this heavy line works great, but the Cross lock snaps and Ball bearings are terminated with brass sleeves so there are no knots involved. But I tried some 8# for my Bass and Walleye leaders which use knots to braid and tackle, I really didn't care for it, I prefer the Seaguar Abrazx, it is excellent for the price and I like it much better than the Viscous.

I would suggest to try and just back your spool tension knob off till there is no tension on the main shaft, it cannot get any freer by loosening it more, this is usually where most reels are at peak casting efficiency, as the spool does not wonder back and forth, usually makes a big difference, from having the cap ready to fall off, it will make cast's more consistent.. The other thing you should consider is if the "finesse rig" is really what you want, weight is a major concern, chunken high resistance lures is the opposite of what you ask about, finesse is super light, delicate, and requires excellent feel to make tantalizing presentations to entice finicky fish and do it efficiently, at any age. Armature, Pro, beginner, or veteran. As for chunken all day, this old man loves throw'n his custom double 10 Bucktails @ around 2 3/4 oz on up, I make, and sell, on 70 and 100# test fluorocarbon leaders, I also custom make and sell, with my 7 1/2' heavy action w/ custom 400B Calcutta for Muskie all day long, and I assure you 2 #10 colorado blades will give new meaning to resistance when throwing spinner baits! . But it would be ridiculous to try and us it for finesse fishing, unless you are trying to finesse Blue Whales. weight of your equipment is a huge factor for a GOOD finesse rig, why most don't use round reels, you want to feel weightless lures so know what you are presenting. Easy to do for an old man, No offense!!

Graphite Stradics?? 1000 3000 and 4000 FJ just bought this spring, $136.00 was the most I paid for one, what price increase!! I would say the Stradic is a solid leader of the class over any other for that price. Hard to compare a 50 size Shimano to any Lews, although the Lew's are as small, they hold the same amount of line as the 200 with a strionger drag, smoother with carbon drag and more bearings than the Chronarch. 50E weighs more than a Lews tournament Pro, the TP can be had brand new for $150.00 so that is what is killing Shimano, it is selling reels of comparable quality for over $100.00 more. The Lew's Tournament is a match up with capacity , a better drag and smoother retrieve than the Chronarch and sells for $108.00 street price. I personally think the Tournament Pro and Team are a comparable reel to the Core 100 , either one sells for less than $200.00 and for the core to be a $300.00 reel, I believe in time even this high end reel will start loosing sales to the mighty Lew's. Like others said, reel manufacturers are catching up and surpassing Shimano and they are doing it with comparable models while offering more features for 50 to 100 buck's less! And Lew's is leading in sales right now, why not mention them???? I haven't used the new Calcutta, but have herd nothing but good words about them form those who have, although they upgraded a reel that had no equal already they did raise the price. It is still an upgrade and still a Superior round reel, I guess they can get away with it for now. Shimano just needs to get in line with their Low Profile Baitcasting reels price wise! Today you don't have to pay rediculous prices for a top quality baitcaster!!

I have had many, meaning dozens of rod and reel setups for this type fishing over the years, and right now I have the best I ever put together. Sensitivity was my main interest, with enough tip power and stiff enough action to set the hook on Bass and mainly Walleye, in water over 15 feet deep up to 30 feet. The rod I chose because of price, and the fact it was as light as a Legend Elite and nearly as sensitive, it was a 6'8" MXF Legend Tournament Bass, and weights 3.8 OZ. The single hooks used for finesse rigs are usually taken deeper and may have to penetrate bone so I shy away from the lighter ML power and stay with the Medium, plus they have enough power to get 10 LBS + Walleye and 5 + Bass in the boat.The reel I wanted to keep weight down as the lighter the easier it is to feel vibrations, the heavier it is the more it dampens vibration.I also found the Lews Tournament Pro that weighs 6.7 OZ. to be one of the smoothest reels I ever used, and has a 7.1:1 gear ratio to pickup slack line in deeper water very quick and a butter smooooooth drag to tier the really big ones. Line is important because you want optimum feel, and the ability to use as light of weight as possible to present your offering. For the line, Fireline Tracer Braid in 20# test works remarkable, it is 6 lbs test mono diameter, it does not absorb water, it telegraphs vibrations like only Braid can, and has ZERO stretch, this gives instant hook sets with MXF rod. The Tracer Braid which I have used all summer is amazingly easy to detect movement and does not bleed the color from the line like other colors. I then use a quality Fluorocarbon leader in 6 to 8 lbs. test for increased invisibility and sensitivity over mono. This rig weigh's 10.5 oz. and is the most sensitive Baitcasting setup I have ever used, let alone owned.I have several friends that have used it in my boat and feel the same way. Plus it has enough balls to land the bigger fish in these species, and still enjoy landing the smaller ones without hogging them in. There other components to meet every ones choice of manufacturer, and these were just what I found the best. What ever you choose these should be your considerations bellow. This would be my guide to your quest. Medium Power to handle even the bigger fish, "Extra Fast Action" for tip speed and hook setting, and a quality blank for sensitivity that weighs less than 4 oz. For the reel, I love mine for its compact size smooth drag and over all performance of the reel over most with this line capacity. But any reel that keeps the body size as small as the TP and weighs under 7 oz. will work as long as it as smooth as possible, this is very important to sensitivity while the handle is turning. The line again any quality Braid will work, I wont go under 20 lbs. test which is 6 lbs diameter in mono, and as light as can be used on baitcast reels without diggin and other problems being to much, it gets down quicker with less weight than 6 lbs mono which makes for more realistic presentation, and is the most sensitive line available. Personally the Fireline Braid beats Power Pro, and with the Tracer colors alternating every 29", the slightest movement on slack line is very easily detected by these worn out 57 year old eye balls. And I always use at least a 10 to 12 foot Fluorocarbon leader for finesse rigs and in clear water. Good luck, stick to this guide and I am sure whatever you put together you will love it's performance. I would guess you will be doing more of this style of fishing as well! PS By the way with this reel 30 yards is common with 1/6 oz 1/4 usually 45 to 50 yards. If you are compatant with full free spool and these type of reels.

with that rod hitting bottom shouldn't matter, it would have better feel than a crankbait rod. My MHXF or MXF are very sensitive compared to my moderate action rods, and I can feel the action of the lure very well with them. I would get the Moderate action and as DVC implied, you should feel bottom or when contacting structure even with the less sensative Moderate action. The XF most don't care for because they have no forgiveness and it is very easy to rip hooks out, the Moderate action rod's are what MOST preffer for treble hooks.

Probably just the AR but if not sure how to service it, either get your money back or if you want to keep it send it someone who sevices reels professionally. It could be the AR just needs serviced PROPERLY, I would think at worst replaced.

I spool my 400 Calcutta W/ 65 # test braid on my Muskie rod, tie direct to a 70# Fluorocarbon leader for the thoothy critters, and if I lock into a log or rocks and have to pull hard enough to break it, it will dig into the spool, not bad but if you are running the reel totally free, which I do a lot, you better be careful on the next cast or you could have problems, this is magnified with lighter reels and lighter line and lures!. . On Bait casting reels W/ a MH or H rig for heavy weeds and cover I like 30, only because I use 25# test leaders with Big Game in the thick slop. I use 20# test on my finesse rods W/ 6 or 8# test Fluoro. for plastics and light rigging, same for crankin but I use 12# fluorocarbon leaders, gets down quicker and farther. I like Sufix and Fireline Tracer Braid, it doesn't bleed the color as bad as regular Braid. Regardless what you use, I can generally straighten the hooks out with 25# test when using hooks and tackle for anything Bass size in fresh water.

Well Since LMG kept his mouth shut so will I, besides looks like the word on the Lew's Tournament Pro has been well distributed!

You have to remember that different gear ratios are only applicable to the same reel, you may have a 5.0:1 on a Curado but retrieve a lot more line per turn of handle on a 400 Calcutta with the same 5.0:1 gear ratio. The larger the spool the more line you retrieve per turn of the spool. But a DVC said, absolutely nothing to do with quality!

I think if you really mean quality and Upgrade, Stradic or Sustain how much you want to spend? They are the smoothest strongest and most durable reel available today under $500.00, so for less then $140.00 you can own a Stradic FJ, or spend over $225.00 on a Sustain, the next best is over $500.00 I'm not willing to spend that! But if I was going to upgrade gear the Stradic FJ is the best you can do for that kind of money, there are a lot of other reals but if you pick one up and turn the handle, you will see what I mean, put a fish on the other end and it will get even smmmooooottthhhhhheerrr, with a drag that will rival most baitcasting reels. I would not buy anything without checking it out in person, if I new I was looking for something better than I had, if you do, it will be a Stradic FJ.

As DVC said, I have my custom rod builder make a lot of rods for customers that cant find what they want, they can dream up a lot of different design's and special lengths, but haven't found one that couldn't be built, and usually unless it is an extravagant request, for the same price or less than the brand name rods they normally buy.

I would say you should have had someone look at it or taken it back. A lot of Stradics can do that, reason for the package of shims sold with them. I am not familiar with how pfluger manages there spool location, as I have found the Symetre's, Stradic's, and Sustain's, take care of all my spinning needs as well as can be taken care of, but if pfluger uses the shims taking a few out would have cured the spooling problem, or had it replaced where you bought it. Unless it came used and that would explain why someone sold it after they screwed it up. I own a G. Loomis IMX and over a dozen and a half, TOP END St. Croix's, which are "in my opinion better than the IMX, I find it hard to believe they make a better $50.00 rod than the top end Croix's, maybe you are using the wrong rod's for the job, all I can think of??

With the sales for the Sahara at $50.00, thats a deal that would be very hard to pass up if you get the Sahara go with 2500 or 3000 size, you will be happy with this reel, the pfluger is nice but at 50 bucks this is a steel!

I would get them a 5'6" rod Med or Med Light, good for everything, if your only fishing smaller inland lakes, a spinning reel with 6 # test should give them a good castable rig, If they weren't new to this type of gear I would go 6', and as Bluebasser said, you may have to anyway, but I know Ugly sticks use to be easy to find in the 5'6" length and would think the chain stores would carry them. I am no fan of ugly sticks, but they do have there place and when it comes to abuse, they will take as much as any!

X2, every rod I own baitcast and spinning have braid for mainline, and use 4# to 25# Fluorocarbon for leaders, the clear the water or the spookier the fish, the longer the leader, fishing slop maybe only 3 or 4 feet, gin clear water or heavy pressured fish up to 12 feet, as LM said, best of both worlds!

I will try and answer you without the insults and as clearly as I can with my single digit IQ? without making anything up. I would not argue how many rods are built in each model, never did, and Extreme . Elite, Avid, Legend Tournament, Premier, Wind River, are all made in Park Falls, which is America with American labor. And yes after making Graphite rods alone there since the Mid 70's, will assure you they have 100's of thousand's more premium rods out there than Imports. that includes Bass Walleye Muskie, Salmon, Surf, Fly, spinning, casting. You name it. in all the models I sated, not just Extremes! with less complaints than I have seen on all forums, not just here on there premium rods compared to the complaints on there imports! as to why they went with lower quality components and labor, isaid what you are saying! I don't understand your point, I agreed that St. Croix chose to make a lower quality line of rods to compete with cheap imports! Yes I said that all along. You state they chose to make them in another country with cheaper labor. I said that. You said the the market for a Premium rod is very small, I don't know about that and never said it, but did agree that that was why they built them in Mexico so the could build a cheaper line of rod's to compete with rods in that catagory! I will not agree with your statement, and I quote "St Croix chose to take existing designs and have them manufactured in a country where land and labor are cheap, not to mention the cost of shipping from point of manufacture to point of distribution." and I won't retaliate with insults about IQ, but will say most here know that BEFORE they designed these rod they new they were going to be made out of this country! until then they were not existing plans, if they didn't see a need to compete with cheap imports, they would have never designed them! And even my grand kids know it is not cheaper to ship anything into another country, I don't know what you were thinking there, but that I will disagree with, the only thing that justifies being cheaper to import them is what the total cost of labor and expense is to make them out of the country. I sell enough products to know it cost more to send something to any other country, than to send it right here in this country! And sir if you read any of my post on any thread, and here for sure, you will see I am 99.9% St. Croix, I honor there products with over, at present 17 different Legend Elites, Legend Ultra's, Legend Tournament's, Avids, Premiers and one Wild River. along with a few BP Bionic Blades, and Extremes. There have been many times I have glorified St Croix's customer service, and products, made here in Wi.. I have never said there cheaper imports are not as good as other imports, not once have I said that. I will however say one more time there import line is made with lower skilled craftsman than the craftsman in Park Falls Wi. FACT. the import line is made with lower quality components! Fact, just so you understand that is how they sell them so cheap. and yes, I will in all my years I have left, say for the umteenth time, you would be hard pressed to find a better product than St. Croix produces right here in America, or better Customer service, and I am sorry, but I can not state that about there products that come out of MEXICO! They are not the quality the American made St. Coix rods are, as you agreed earlier!

That is also simple. over twenty years fishing commercially isn't enough and dealling with over 400 other Charters in my home marina maybe you should just go to the top of the page and hit search! or maybe that would be to much trouble! If so call St. Croix and ask why they build rods out of the country and Import them if you want the truth!! THAT IS WHAT I DID!! FACT!

I am sorry I didn't see this, but now I see why Thank you S Hovanec, I was also short on my response to the Triumph, but maybe that is why Mark is so confused as the Triumph was never made here, other than prototypes and everyone that that was ever made and sold on the open market was made in China before they were moved to the Mexico plant, and why Mark may have had such good luck with his 10 year old TRIUMPHS is because they are counterfit! Thats right any 10 year old St. Croix Triumph that is still going is a counterfit, that is because the first prototype Triumph was built in 2006, so in Marks case it is either more fabrication trying to justify supporting these companies that are killing American jobs as those rods can't be 10 years old,or didn't know he had COUNTERFEIT ST. CROIX RODS. since THEY WERE ONLY AVAILABLE for less than 6 years, (point being if they were so worried about meeting demand and not selling cheap products to compete with cheaper foreign manufacturers they would have built that Mexican factory right here in the United States of America) to sell at that price they cannot do the following -- 1) USE QUALITY AMERICAN CRAFTSMAN -2) USE QUALITY COMPONENTS THEY USE IN THERE PREMIUM RODS - 3) SELL TO THE CONSIMERS IN ANY MARKET THAT ARE NOT WILLING TO PAY FOR PREMIUM QUALITY. By the way Mark you think some people abuse there own equipment, supply customers with equipment for a while that are paying you for a service and SUPPLYING THEM with the equipment to use. They really don't care and why I found out very quick how cheap it was to supply St. Croix Premiers, and Shimano Symetre's both take a lot of abuse, the reels were bomb proof as long as I kept line and lube in them, and the rods were extremly durable a took unbelievable abuse, and I didn't have to worry about them with the St; Croix warranty. and also when the higher end or more experienced customers were aboard they were satisfied with the quality of the equipment furnished.

I can ASSURE you there are FAR fewer Failures with their Premium rods, and I mean MUCH MUCH FEWER, and assure you a lot has to do with the quality of the American Craftsman! They use higher quality materials here but they are from the same suppliers for the most part, as in 3m glue is 3m glue, but does make a difference HOW YOU USE IT. And YES I do have a problem with any US Company that OUTSOURCES THERE PRODUCTS! They do it to save money, not to REINFORCE THE AMERICAN ECONOMY or to try and build a BETTER PRODUCT, and most obviously NOT TO PUT AMERICANS TO WORK! I am not faulting you or upset with you, or anyone else for using them, but it is ridiculous to try and say they are as good or of near the same quality, and stand up for their shortcomings by saying they are of the same or nearly the same quality the ones made hear are, ain't happenin!! PERIOD!

The side cover wouldn't be the deal breaker for me. To me and I have said this before, a floating level wind, where the line guide floats when disengaged would be the biggest improvement in my 200GTB I would wish for. I tune reels so when I did my own super tune on my GTB it was smoother than a TE from the factory. The narrower spool is a bigger deal to me as Jay stated, there was less severe angle when paying line out, that is the biggest downfall with my tuned 200GTB, the line guide is very close to the wider spool and does change tension on the fish as it pays out line against the drag, the other problem is when casting, making sure the guide is centered when going into free spool is more critical on that reel than my others, it will play a big role on casting accuracy and distance. Probably to much to ask for but the TE200GT, or even the CT200GTB, upgraded like the D with side plate and Floating level wing on disengagement with floating level wind when drag is being played out would be my dream reel, w/ the gearing to pickup 28" of line per turn of the handle!! that would be NICE!!