GEAR
PRODUCT REVIEW
ST. CROIX LEGEND GLASS SPINNING ROD
S
pinning tackle typically
doesn’t get much play
in crankbait arenas,
but it does provide some
advantages when it comes
to slinging lightweight
crankbaits that can give
you fits on baitcasting gear,
especially in windy condi-
tions. the key to optimum
performance is to build the
proper setup for the job,
and the rod is a vital com-
ponent in the mix.
st. croix has the bases
covered with a 7-foot, 2-
inch, medium-power, mod-
erate-action spinning rod
that was added to the high-
performance Legend glass
series in 2018.
First Impression
42
this rod isn’t a buggy
whip – not even close.
surprisingly light (5.3
ounces) for a glass model,
the rod is balanced with a
forgiving tip and plenty of
backbone in its thick butt
section. st. croix outfitted
the stick with high-quality
fuji k-series concept tangle
free guides, a fuji reel seat
and a split cork handle.
In Action
i played around with
this rod for several months,
but it only took a couple
days and a few solid bass
to learn it’s everything st.
croix makes it out to be.
CASTABILITY – i was
impressed by how well the
rod loads and launches
rapala shad raps, strike
king strike shads (a discon-
tinued balsa crankbait) and
other featherweight cranks
that can cause line or dis-
tance issues when deliv-
ered on rods that are too
stiff. With the rod matched
with a Mitchell Mag-Pro
3000 and 8-pound-test
sufix advance copolymer
mono, i was able to consis-
tently hurl a balsa strike
shad about 30 yards.
KeepS ’eM pINNed –
the rod provided plenty of
By Matt Williams
Photos By Matt Pace
backbone for solid hook-
sets, yet was flexible
enough at the tip to feed
the bait to the fish when
they ate it. the tip is also
soft enough that it won’t
tear the treble hooks on a
hard run near the boat. i
didn’t tangle with any mon-
sters during my field test-
ing, but i did hook up with
multiple fish in the 2- to 4-
pound range. not one
came unbuttoned.
GOOd vIBrATIONS –
though glass isn’t as sensi-
tive as graphite, i found
this rod to be extremely
responsive, which made it
easy to maintain good con-
tact with the bait for the
duration of the retrieve. it’s
lightweight, too, which
made it a pleasure to fish
with for long periods. designed with the precision
balance and specialty
craftsmanship found in this
one. the rod blends for-
giveness and power into a
lightweight package
designed to keep fish
pinned and give anglers a
definite leg up when throw-
ing light lures on small-
diameter lines.
there are plenty of spin-
ning rods around that can
be used for throwing a
crankbait, but few are • helping novice anglers
throw a variety of treble
hook baits
Final Thoughts
APPLICATIONS
• casting lightweight
crankbaits in windy
conditions
• Maximizing casting dis-
tance and diving depth
with mid-size
crankbaits, lipless
crankbaits, small jerk-
baits, under-spins and
other light baits
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