Cody28

Hello. I am looking for a new baitcaster for a 7’4 heavy St. Croix Bass X I have laying around. I saw the new Lews Super Duty LFS has a flipping switch but after some research I still don’t understand the function of it fully. Anyone like these things and if so why? I’m also looking at the skipping and pitching reel if anyone has input on that. Usually stick to lew’s but might even try out an SLX strictly because the blue on the rod matches so nice haha. Any thoughts?

This post made me start looking into buying one but I’m so torn right now. I made a new thread just about the St. Croix victory spinning rods and most people are saying this rod is too soft for neds, but you seem to love it… idk what to do.

Thank you to all for your input. I definitely am going to go with one of the medium power options now. If anyone has experience with the 7’1 MF and/or 7’3 MXF rods I would love you hear your input between the two.

Are you saying the extra fast action is the issue? In theory extra fast would mean it hits back bone sooner, making the hook set harder not softer. Which medium rod did you end up going with? Looking between the 7’1 fast and the 7’3 extra fast if I don’t go medium light. So do you like your ML Victory for this type of use or no?

Hmmm I wonder why I’ve heard the rods are so soft. Thanks for the input.

I am looking to upgrade an old rod that was my workhorse spinning combo. I usually carry 2 and already have a 7’0” MLF set up I use for drop shots. This rod will mostly be used for ned rigs but double for some other techniques like wacky rig. I really like the St. Croix Victory rods in casting but haven’t held any in spinning. I heard the ML rods are super soft and not very versatile so I’m leaning towards the 7’3” MXF. Can anyone confirm this to be true? If you have the MXF, does it have issues casting light baits like neds? Any other St. Croix rod you recommend for a ned combo??

As a whole, the Victory line up fishes much lighter/less stiff than the avid and mojo line ups. I read a whole forum on the spinning rods stating that the ML rods are very light and whippy. Might be worth looking for that post.

There are lots more rods coming out in the victory series including a 7'3" MLXF action. I absolutely love this series so far.

I am very new to smallie fishing. Mostly have chased their green counterparts around all my life, so I have never looked at hair jigs until now. Just curious where I should start with weights, colors, brands, etc. What are the best hair jigs on the market? Also what conditions are best for this application. Would my 7'0" MLF St. Croix Premier do the trick for this application or should I use something else? Any tips and tricks would be greatly appreciated.

If you have the money for the Braillist I have heard this is the single jig best rod on the market from people around me. I recently got a dedicated jig rod myself but couldnt stomach the price tag of the Braillist. I went with St. Croix Victory 7'3" MHF and love it. I went with the MH due to it being available at a local shop, but have heard a lot of people love the 7'3" HXF because it has a very soft tip for light jigs, but lots of backbone.

When a fish swipes you’re gonna miss most of them for sure, but sometimes they get skin hooked in the lip and the more moderate rod helps land these fish.

There are accounts on youtube that show underwater footage of how lures/fish act, but from personal experience of losing fish its just a theory honestly. What is important to me is that I lose fish on rods that are too fast when throwing bladed jigs. Additionally, I do not like extra fast rods for jigs in general. My reasoning is it makes it easier to shake the hook out due to the heavy weight being outside of the mouth, giving them leverage when slack is put in the rod. A fast action is plenty for the hook set and provides a little give to avoid the rod losing its bend. Again this is just a theory based on personal experiences. Myself and others around me lose less fish on a softer rod and thats all that is important to me. You use whatever rod you want thats the beauty of fishing. If you haven't lost a fish on the bladed jig with your set up then theres no reason to change. That just was not my personal experience with faster tipped rods.

You will lose a lot of fish fishing a bladed jig on an extra fast rod. It may have a jig hook, but it is moving, often gets swiped at, and has a big blade out in front that will blow the fishes mouth open if ripped too hard. Medium Heavy Moderate Fast is the best way to go if possible. If not, look for a MHM with braid (the braid makes a big difference and leaders can be tied) or a softish MHF rod. I would also fish a MF before using a MHXF. If you have to use that rod get the stretchiest line you can find.

I have tried using true cranking rods for chatterbaits and do not like it, but many do if there is enough backbone. I also tend to blow open the mouths of fish if I use a MHF rod. After a long and hard search, I found the St. Croix Mojo Bass spinnerbait rod to be perfect. It is a 7'0" MHMF which works great. I would also see no problem using this rod for cranks with any line other than braid. St. Croix is known for having a heavy backbone with a more moderate taper than most, so this falls right into the type of rod I believe you are searching for. Not a noodle, but plenty soft. This rod specifically has a much softer tip then I would have ever expected. I havent missed a fish on a chatterbait since using this rod.

Im often out alone so the one handed aspect is crucial for me, but I am up on a deck. In your opinion is the trade off worth it or should I go with something that has a longer handle?

Sorry if I am confused but I thought we were discussing a jig rod? The glass rod is best suited for moving baits with treble hooks paired with a slower ratio reel and the MHF paired with a fast reel would be best for jigs and other bottom contact lures.

I have been looking into grabbing a bigger net because the one I am currently using is the small type you clip to your belt while wading. Mainly have looked into the YakAttack Leverage Landing Net. I have 14 foot aluminum boat with a self made deck so there is not a ton of space and I don't like having stuff everywhere to trip over. With that being said what are your thoughts on this net? Does it fold up nicely? Does the odd handle get in the way when storing? Any other nets you'd suggest instead?

My preferred jig rod is a 7'3" MHF rated for 5/16 to 1 oz. I feel that I have more sensitivity yet plenty of backbone in the MH over the H. I only use heavy for frogging, swim-baits, and SUPER thick junk. Also fast action is best over extra fast just because jigs are easy for fish to spit if they take the bend out of your rod. Some flipping rods are mod-fast for this same reason. The 6'10 MHXF would get the job done for what you need, but a little longer and a little softer tip might be what is best.

Best advice I was ever given: Use max centrifugal brakes, almost no magnetic brakes, and slightly loose spool tension compared to normal. Magnetic brakes and spool tension slow the bait throughout the entire cast, while centrifugal brakes stop the extreme speeds which are often involved in skipping. You want a loose spool to allow the bait not to slow too much as its hitting water. This allows you to avoid big backlashes while also not needing to overpower the cast during the skip. From there it is just a nice and easy circle cast, keep the elbow tucked into your side, and release the bait with a slightly upward direction of force. The bait released downward does not give any lift that is required to skip (or maybe it's a mental thing to correct release point). Many people release downward and many people crank the mag brakes/tension too high in fear of backlash. Both will hinder your skip. Additional Tip: Use a jig 3/8 to 1/2 oz. The extra weight provides the bait momentum limiting the effect of water on the bait. Jigs also skip much easier than senkos when learning. Any trailer with a wide flat bottom helps too. Soft tip yes, deep load into the blank no. You want an almost whippy tip section and strong backbone. Some companies will label this differently.

I use a braid to leader just because my topwater rod is not just a topwater rod and braid to leader allows the setup to be more versatile. Otherwise I would probably lean towards straight mono. When fish are schooling and missing the walking bait a lot, I will sometimes even use fluro as my leader. Sounds weird, but the reason is when they miss and I set the hook, the flouro will sink the tip just a tad. This way my hook set digs into the water instead of flying away from the school. With poppers this would affect the action, but with super spooks it really doesn't. All that being said, braid to mono is what I use 99% of the time.

I did this too just forgot to add it to the list ?

Following creek paths could definitely be worth while. Also looking for rock bottoms and docks/tree stumps are main targets for me. 28" is a good overall speed especially usable for swim jigs, but I do agree 33" is better for most uses. Even though the rod is a MH I would still try finesse jigs for the most part on your spinning rod. The bonus is you'll get more bites this way and learn how to detect a bite better due to the increased amount of practice. Also I do the same thing as you in terms of left hand retrieve for both (its makes so much more sense that way).

Good choice. Soft plastic jerkbaits are the best. Now wait until you try the Strike King Caffeine Shad. It's great.

Yep! Thats the one. The backbone is really stout on that rod, but the tip section is super soft. I love using it for weightless plastics like super flukes or topwater toads because of this. The Marshall might load a little deeper down the rod...maybe...but the tip section on the mojo is way softer and more whippy. I just remembered that my mojo is the 2 piece model because I bough it to take on vacation with me, so maybe there is a difference between 1 and 2 piece models.

The concept still applies. Should I have typed IPT instead of gear ratio? yeah probably, but Im sure he gets the point I was trying to make. This varies so wildly depending on your specific reels. That is why I made sure to add "most likely" and that I didn't know what his set up was like.