I need a new general purpose baitcasting rod and narrowed it down to these two. Which one would you pick and why?

I've got them both and would choose the veritas for its sensitivity IMO it has better sensitivity but if your looking ti cast lighter baits they are so stiff while the premiers have a softer tip than then so it comes down to what you want to use it for I think the premier is more versatile because it can handle light baits and baits up to the 3/4 oz mark. If it helps at all the st.croix in basing this off of is a 6'6 MH fast and the veritas is all of the medium heavy models

I'm going to go the other way here. I would go with the Premier without even thinking about it. The Premier in my opinion is a far better rod feel, balance, sensitivity, quality, and warranty. St Croix's customer service is outstanding, and the Premier is made right here in the United States. I also hate ther reel seat on the Abu JMHO...

For the money you can't beat the veritas.

The premier feels like using a baseball bat compared to the veritas...

st. croix premier. they have been around forever and have stood the test of time.

Premier reel seat is way better for me. I like the guide better too, I'm more traditional that way.

Veritas! It's lighter and I like the seat.

I held both of them at bass pro and they both feel good and the veritas felt a little lighter but I've heard it has durability issues.

Also just found rods by Damiki at tacklwArehouse does anyone have experience with these?

Premier...no doubt. I own both and agree the reel seat on the vertias is rough. The premier feels better in my hand and casts much better. The weight difference is minimal.

I held both of them at bass pro and they both feel good and the veritas felt a little lighter but I've heard it has durability issues.

For some reason I've heard about durability issues as well. However, I've never had any what so ever and I think most people you talk to will say the same. I really dont think you can go wrong with any of them that youve mentioned so just go with what feels/balances best

Not sure what length you're looking for in general purpose, but you can get a real steal on a 6'6" MH/F St. Croix Legend Tournament Bass right now. This rod is likely the same price as a brand new Premier right now, but is a couple models above it in St Croix's lineup, even though it is the older 2011 model.

http://www.stcroixrods.com/shop/catalog/Freshwater-23-1.html#Legend_Tournament_Bass_Casting_Rod_LTBC66MHF_11-325-23.html

While I'd love to have the legend tournament part of the reason I picked the Varitas and premier is because they are some of the few good rods that come in 2 piece variants.

Veritas. The grips and reel seat feel better to me.

I have owned both, I would go with the Veritas because it is lighter... I feel both models are equally stiff

Any rod St Croix makes > than Abu rods. IMHO. I have used both, and I won't buy any Abu's, but I will St Croix.

I've seen too many Veritas rods returned because of damaged eyes or broken rods. I asked a good friend that works at Cabela's and he said that other than Cabela's brand rods the Veritas is one of the most returned rods because they're broken or damaged. Maybe that's just the users mistreating them but I've never had any problems with the "made in the usa" St.Croix lineup.

i like t the veritas, my spinning is great, broke the tip off my casting.. i have a crankbait premier, i am no rick clunn but i have caught a few and really enjoyed it. IMO i like the full handle for cranks.. or if i am throwing lures all day, like frog-buzz, spinnerbaits.

I have a 7' M premier that I regretted buying the first time I fished it. Its dead in my hand. Sensitivity is poor. The rod is so tip heavy it hurts my wrist on any tip up techniques. After replacing a lost guide insert I ended up making it a squarebill rod, it does the job with no complaints.

The 7' MH veritas I have isn't perfect, but its a much better rod in my hand. Sensitive and the balance/weight are better than my $200 rods. The only gripe I have, and it does bug me is the reel seat...

My 2¢ is the carbonlites the best rod in that price range...

Veritas for sure!

I've seen too many Veritas rods returned because of damaged eyes or broken rods. I asked a good friend that works at Cabela's and he said that other than Cabela's brand rods the Veritas is one of the most returned rods because they're broken or damaged. Maybe that's just the users mistreating them but I've never had any problems with the "made in the usa" St.Croix lineup.

DINGDINGDING! We have a winner!

I'm not "down" on the Veritas, but their quality has gone downhill since the initial launch for sure. A close friend of mine has broken five of them in the past four months, all on a hookset, all about ten inches above the handle. I thought that it was related to how he was storing them, or how they were riding in the boat, but could find absolutely nothing to indicate that. I've also talked with a great number of people in recent months that have denoted much the same thing. The kicker? Their older Veritas rods, from last year for instance, are still in perfect working order with no issues. Word on the street is that part of AG's production on the Veritas has been shifted to GLV International, opposed to another, unnamed facility. If, in fact, that's the case, it's entirely legitimate that they're having some issues. There are few companies out there than can handle the volume of GLV, but the sacrifice is that some of the qc is going to be lowered. You can't catch every mistake when you're building 1500 rods at a time in a run...