I haven't received my rod and reel in the mail yet so I don't have any pictures.

     I dropped 500 dollars on a 2 piece 6' 6" St Croix Avid series medium fast with a Shimano Vanford VFC5000 with 20lb Durabraid. I love fishing but have never spent more than 150 for a combo. So this will be my most expensive rod by far.

What I'm currently using is a 2 piece 6' 6" Medium Fast Ugly Stik Elite with a Piscifun Carbon X 4000 reel with 15lb braid. My back up pole I use mainly for chair and rod holder fishing is a 2 piece 6' GX2 medium fast with an Abu Garcia Black Max reel with 17lb Trilene.

      I plan to use the new rod like I use my Ugly Stik Elite. Bank fish for bass during the day and when the bite is right. Then hook up some of them nightcrawlers on carolina rigs, toss 'er in the good ol' rod holder, with the other 2 rods. I tighten the lines and loosen the drags. Then kick back in a camping chair with a head lamp and fish for small to medium sized channel cats and white sucker fish, sometimes trout. Whatever is biting really...

    But anyway, what I want to know is how will the new St Croix Avid and Shimano Vanford compare and stack up against my Ugly Stik Elite and Piscifun Carbon X?

I bought the new set up hoping for something that was next level from my Ugly Stik Elite.

Please give me some feedback about my New St Croix Avid (not Avid X or Avid Inshore) with Shimano Vanford reel. 

 

 

 

Your new combo will be much better than your current outfit. You should notice a big difference right away.

Agree with Sean - the difference between those two rigs is gonna be like night and day.

I went from the very same ugly stik elites I fished for 6 years to Loomis/St. Croix rods last year trust me you will feel a huge difference in sensitivity.  I also weighed those ugly stick elites and I was surprised I have been fishing with such heavy gear all these years it weighs almost twice what my Loomis rod weighs.

I’m excited for you, that first big step up in quality blew my mind.
 

I know people say the rod and reel and tackle don’t matter, but it begins to matter at a certain point to a certain extent. When you begin to learn and know what your rod is telling you, “my bait is coming over grass, I’m on a soft/hard bottom, a fish just swiped at my lure” a higher quality rod can help you detect those differences.  A Gx2 and Avid will feel the same to someone who has never fished is what I’m saying, but they certainly will feel different you. 

I have used the 6'9" ML/XF Avid X spinning rod for smaller drop shots and ned rigs for a few years now with a Daiwa BG 2000 reel. It's a great rod and a pretty huge step up from the Ugly Stik Elite, you're going to be happy

As others have said, huge improvement over the prior setup. If your targeting bass, the 5000 size might be overkill. I personally max out at 2500 sized spinning reels.

 

But either way, enjoy it. Your first high dollar combo usually opens the flood gates in gear preferences. Better start saving up now!

11 hours ago, DBillsFshnThrllz said:

Is my Spinning Combo decent?

Yes.

8 hours ago, MidwestBassAttack said:

If your targeting bass, the 5000 size might be overkill. I personally max out at 2500 sized spinning reels.

x2

Your I’m for a real treat. Congrats. 
that comment about your new gear preferences and start saving up is no joke.