SEC T I ON T H R EE
Edge TV host Jeremy Smith def initely put the rod
through paces, in scenarios ranging from river muskie
f ishing to numerous Canadian trips. Bucher Tail. Fish get conditioned to bigger, higher-
prof ile baits and a lot of times that little snack comes
by it’s going to appeal to the f ish.”
“The LMD90MLF is pretty much my #1 stick right
now. I just like throwing it, especially for a lot of
smaller baits, and it’s really versatile, too. Besides
smaller bucktails it’s become my number 8 Colorado
rod for double 8s. Also, I’m using it with Super Shads
and triple Ds and crankbaits with smaller hooks—it’s
just a good stick for all that stuff. It’s also become
my go-to live bait rod. I’ve been testing the rod for a
couple of years and have caught a couple dozen f ish
on it. It was a rod we were pushing for big time, so we
put it through a lot of testing and supplied a lot of
feedback during the development stage,” says Smith. On an ending note, Belanger says he and the rest of the
St. Croix team are incredibly pleased with this recent
recognition in Chicago by their muskie peers. “We
are truly honored any time we are recognized with an
award. But part of the credit should go back to our
customers. We get the idea from customers, whether
that’s anglers or retailers—like this entire Legend
Tournament Musky Downsizer rod series—and then we
design the rod, play with it, ref ine it, test it more, and
when it’s 100% we’ll bring it to market. But really, it’s
the listening part to customers that makes rods like this
happen.”
With regards to his favorite muskie rod winning “Best
New Muskie Rod” at Muskie Expo Chicago, Smith says,
“I’m pumped the industry is realizing you don’t need
an extra-heavy rod. This rod just makes f ishing so much
more comfortable and sporting. Especially for anglers
who don’t muskie f ish a lot, you get a size 300 reel on
it, and it just makes f ishing way more fun. And it’s way
better for f ighting f ish. It’s designed to f ight muskies.
So much of the other stuff is designed around throwing
big baits and that can reduce the fun of f ighting f ish.
This is just the real deal. At nine feet, you can f igure 8
really well with it and it’s great for boatside maneuvers.
The other thing I like about it is the reel seat isn’t too
far forward yet it’s perfectly balanced; in comparison
with other rods of the same length, I feel like you get a
lot more working rod and it’s not in the butt section.” About St. Croix Rod
Headquartered in Park Falls, Wisconsin, St. Croix has
been proudly producing the “Best Rods on Earth” for
over 70 years. Combining state-of-the-art manufacturing
processes with skilled craftsmanship, St. Croix is the only
major producer to still build rods entirely from design
through manufacturing. The company remains family-
owned and operates duplicate manufacturing facilities
in Park Falls and Fresnillo, Mexico. With popular
trademarked series such as Legend®, Legend Xtreme®,
Avid®, Premier®, Tidemaster®, Imperial®, Triumph®
and Mojo®, St. Croix is revered by all types of anglers
from around the world.
Belanger adds, “And it really is made for catching and
f ighting f ish. After throwing Bulldawgs and double 10s
all day, It’s really nice to throw #5 Mepps or 500 Series
Volume 03 No. 01 | 2019
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