7 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I don't fish the tiny or super lightweight reels that a lot of people that complain about them seem to use either. Mine are mostly Tatula 150s or TWS SVs Tatulas. The tiny reels are too small in my hands and uncomfortable to hold for very long (think Shimano 50E, Scorpion 70 sized reels). I need a reel big enough I can actually get a grip on it without clenching my fist. I don't even think it's that I don't care, I just never have picked one up and thought it felt real tip heavy, but I'm sure the fact that I prefer larger reels probably has something to do with that.

I think the bigger (and so heavier) reels definitely make a difference. In the case at hand of the 2 SC rods I have, I originally tried to put Steez reels on them and they were horribly tip heavy, so I tried Tatula SV TW and it helped quite a bit. One rod became sort of OK while the other, 1" longer, while not good enough, did improve.

 

For me I think a lot of it is because I'm older (64) and came up using heavy reels on fiberglass rods 6' long for about 25 years. The reels and metal handles on those old combos were so heavy that there was nothing tip heavy about them. Fast forward 40-50 years and now all the rods are 7'-8' long and they just don't feel right to me.

 

Another factor is likely that I have never acquired the habit of palming my reels for the most part, so I am always feeling the rod from the handle. For me, while I really like the feather weight stuff, the overall weight of a combo isn't a deal killer for me as long as it balances well.

 

It's a good thing that they make gear for all of us isn't it?

I LOVED the original full grip LT's. I had a boat full of them. 

 

Then they came out with the split grip version, but still with the standard fuji reel seats. I liked them well enough to keep using them.

 

THEN.....they came out with the abortions that had those skeleton Fuji reel seats. It completely changed the feel and balance of those rods....and not for the better IMHO. That's when I tapped out on St Croix rods.

 

I see they are on another generation of them with yet another reel seat. But I won't be dipping my toes in that water again.

9 hours ago, ww2farmer said:

I LOVED the original full grip LT's. I had a boat full of them. 

 

When it comes to St. Croix I typically look for their older discontinued models. When it comes to the handles and reel seats I wish they would K.I.S. They make great rods but pick components that are not always comfortable.

I have the 6'8 MF and the 6'8 MHF in the LTB. Both have 7.5 ounce AG reels. Like a few here have said, I don't think they are overly tip heavy. Especially because every rod I've ever owned feels the same with a 3/8 ounce bait hanging off the end. I love the reel seat and the rods are very comfortable to fish. They are super smooth while fighting fish with any size. I have a few avids, and although the sensitivity difference is negligible if even noticeable, the LTB excels in overall feel while both fighting fish and not.