No not loose as in ZERO tension, but a little looser than normal. Turn the mags up ALL THE WAY. Make a cast, if it's not the distance you want (And I doubt it will be), turn the Mags DOWN 2-3 clicks, and add a TINY bit more spool tension....keep doing this until you are casting as far as you want with the least amount of "issues"....your still going to have to use your thumb, it's just a fact of life for most casting reels.
Pick a $50 spinning reel in any of the name brands (Daiwa, Shimano, Abu, Pflueger, etc....) in the 2500 size. Spool it with 20lb braid, and grab a 6'6" or 7" Medium Berkley Lightning Rod Shock. That combo won't break the bank, fish all the things you listed, and give you trouble free use.
To answer one of your original questions, St Croixs usually only go on sale when they are being discontinued in favor of a new and improved model. Not to say that certain retailers don't ever put them on sale, but sales on them (except for the previously mentioned circumstances) don't happen often enough IMHO to "save" or "hold out" untill they are on sale. Especially with the Legend Extreme, as they just re-did that rod, so your looking , unless this current generation is a sales flop, at at least a few years for any of them to be on sale.
We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.