My wife constantly teases me about how I turn one of the world’s least expensive hobbies into one of my most expensive obsessions. She can’t fathom why I would “need” a rod that costs several hundred dollars when there are plenty of perfectly good ones out there for less than fifty. If you’re new to fishing, you or your spouse might be wondering the same thing. Is there really a point to buying an expensive fishing rod?
In my experience, you can definitely feel the difference between expensive and cheaper fishing rods. Expensive rods are more sensitive, able to detect smaller bites, and generally more fun to use than their cheaper counterparts.
With that said, the law of diminishing returns definitely applies. There’s much more difference between a $50 rod and a $150 rod than between a $100 rod and a $300 rod.
Before we go any further: please note that most of the rods here are recommendations for parents. If you’re seeking some advice on what type of rods you should buy for your kids or grand kids, I have another article that discusses that here. Further, if you’re interested in learning if expensive fishing reels are worth it, I wrote an article that discusses that here. Check it out.
Expensive Fishing Rods Have Diminishing Returns
As you’ll soon see, I currently own eight different classes of St. Croix rods, including their entry level bass fishing rod, the Triumph, and their top-end product, the Legend Xtreme. I will tell you right now that there is a huge difference between these two rods.
There is significantly less difference between my Avid rods (a mid-tier offering) and the Xtreme series. There is almost no perceptible difference between my Legend Elite and Legend Xtreme rods, although the latter has a few nice touches.
Keep this in mind as you read through my reviews. You may not have a legitimate need or purpose for one of the higher-end rods. You may live a perfectly happy life with rods lower on the price scale.
Intended Use of the Rod
When you’re trying to figure out how much you should spend on a fishing rod, or what class of rod to purchase, you also want to consider the intended use. Ask yourself a few questions. What types of lures you want to use with the rod? How likely it is that you’ll know a fish has struck with the technique you’re using?
I use my Legend Xtreme as a bass jig rod because I am less comfortable with that technique. I wanted a rod precise enough to help me understand what was happening under the water. The Legend Xtreme allows me to feel every twitch, to differentiate between rocks and leaves on the bottom, and to make the most out of this technique.
It would, however, be total overkill for a spinnerbait. There is never any doubt that a fish has struck a spinnerbait. You could use any rod in this list below equally well with this technique. The only reason you might prefer one of the more expensive fishing rods would be that they have a lower weight, but you’re only shaving off tenths of an ounce. That absolutely would add up if you were fishing 8-10 hours per day, but if you’re just a recreational fisherman, you’re wasting your money.
A Few Notes Before We Begin
When comparing fishing rods it’s important to realize that their measurements are not standardized in the industry.
Fishing rods come in many different powers, such as medium-heavy. However, two different manufacturers could have completely different opinions for what “medium-heavy power” is. This makes comparisons difficult unless you happen to favor one brand.
Luckily, I do. While I do have more than my share of UglyStiks, as they’re great rods for kids, the majority of my rods were manufactured by St. Croix Rods. They are high-quality, reasonably priced, feature a great warranty, and most importantly (to me at least), sticking with one manufacturer gives me the consistency in power ratings.
It’s also important to remember that St. Croix Rods offer many more series than these, but these are the ones I’ve owned, used, and thoroughly tested. I’m uncomfortable making recommendations about products I haven’t fielded, so this won’t discuss every last series that they make.
I also own one of their panfish series of rods, but will concentrate on their bass lineup here. If you want to learn more about my thoughts on why the panfish series is an awesome “high-end” rod for kids, you can read my post about it here.
I feel this helps me select the right tool for the job, and also should lend some consistency to this article. With that out of the way, let’s discuss the differences between the various lines of St. Croix Rods that I own.
St. Croix Triumph
The St. Croix Triumph series is their “entry level rod” but that is a relative term. An “entry level” St. Croix rod is still an impressive fishing tool that you’ll keep in your rod box for years.
The Triumph series features SCII graphite and is manufactured in Mexico. It comes with a 5-year warranty, though I’ve found the rod to be sturdy and hold up well even to my four-year-old’s use.
These come in a variety of sizes, including short ultralights which are very appropriate for small children and anyone else who is fishing for panfish.
These rods are affordable and could be good “workhorse” rods for your family. You can buy two or more of them for the price of some of the higher-end series discussed below.
I don’t find these rods to be the most sensitive that I own so I tend to use them for things like topwater or spinnerbaits. They’re fine for any technique where the bite is going to be obvious. You certainly don’t need an overly expensive fishing rod for every technique. Use Triumphs where it makes sense.
If you’re interested in picking up this great rod, you can buy it at Amazon:
St. Croix Premier
The St. Croix Premier are a step above the Triumph. They are designed and built in the United States out of SCII graphite and feature a 5-year warranty. I’d consider these to almost be the “standard” rods that St. Croix offers. They come in an enormous variety of lengths, powers, and actions, and are one of the few in the lineup that feature a spinning rod that comes in heavy power.
I wanted to get my wife a rod that she could fish frogs with and I knew she would need a heavy power brute to pull fish from vast vegetation, but she doesn’t use baitcasters. The Premier spinning rod in heavy power, fast action is a great spinning rod for frog fishing.
Recently, I picked up a 6′ model with medium power and fast action for my son’s first “spinner baits” rod and presented it to him for his 5th birthday. This really is the line where you can find a rod for anything.
I don’t own very many of these, but I do appreciate the wide variety offered and the range of applications they support. You can pick your own up at Amazon today.
St. Croix Mojo Bass
The Mojo Bass Series is very popular for St. Croix and it’s easy to see why. They were redesigned a few years ago and now feature SCIII graphite though mine are the older versions with SCII. These come in split grips, have a 5-year warranty, and are a good all-around value for the money. While this series is designed in the United States, it is not manufactured here if that is important to you.
I own a few of the Mojo series and spend quite a bit of time fishing with them. My main spinnerbait rod is a medium-heavy power, fast action Mojo casting rod. I like it because it’s lightweight enough to toss all day but also inexpensive enough that I don’t think twice handing it to my five-year-old to reel in a fish.
I would recommend it as a good balance between price and performance. They series comes in a variety of lengths, powers, and actions with specific techniques in mind.
I used to consider the Mojo series a good rod for techniques where you really didn’t need a hyper-sensitive blank to detect light bites, but now that they share the same SCIII graphite as the Avid series (discussed below) they make a lot more sense for other techniques where you want greater sensitivity.
This change to SCIII might allow the Mojo to take a serious run at “best bang for your buck.” Check them out on Amazon to find the best price.
St. Croix Avid Series
In my opinion, the Avid series is your best bang for your buck. I’d argue that after this series, the law of diminishing returns really kicks in. These rods have SCIII graphite like the Mojo, but feature a 15-year transferable warranty. That alone is worth the price difference from a Mojo, and makes the Avid series a great rod to purchase used (see my guide for doing so here).
The Avid family comes in a variety of shapes and colors. I’m kind of a “meat and potatoes” guy, so I personally prefer the classic look of the Avid Spinning and Casting, both of which are designed and built in the United States.
I really enjoy the Avid series so I use them for most of my fishing. Even though I probably don’t need a rod this sensitive for a spinnerbait, it is just fun to toss one with these. I also like using an Avid for throwing out Senkos or texas-rigged worms as I can detect bites better.
If you’re looking for a great gift for your wife or daughter, you can pick up the Avid Pearl, which is a rod designed specifically for women. These are gorgeous, high-performing rods. My wife has owned one for the better part of a decade and it has never let her down. I do wish it came in medium-heavy power as a spinning rod, however.
St. Croix Legend Tournament
I picked up two St. Croix Legend Tournament rods at an auction once and ended up selling one of them as it was a little bit more specific of a power/action than I needed. These come in a ton of casting models and a decent amount of spinning models, and they’re “technique specific” meaning that each variation was specifically designed for a particular use.
This of course doesn’t mean that you can only use them for what the label says, but it does help you plan as you’re building your arsenal.
They come in SCIV graphite, are designed and built in the United States, and feature a 15-year transferable warranty. They really are designed more for the tournament fisherman than just a simple fishing father, and if money was on the line and you wanted a great balance of sensitivity and performance, I could see building out a rod locker mostly comprised of these.
While they certainly aren’t cheap, they’re not anywhere near as expensive as the Legend Elite and Legend Xtreme fishing rods discussed below. If you’re the kind of person who really values high-end equipment, this brand might be your “workhorse” rather than some of the more affordable options others use to fill that role.
St. Croix Legend Elite
While the Avid series might be the best bang for your buck, I absolutely LOVE my Legend Elites. I own one for each of my two favorite fishing techniques: the drop shot and the jerkbait.
They are one of the more expensive fishing rods out there, but they’re well worth it. Their cost is explained by their combination of premium SCV and SCVI graphite and other quality components. These come with a 15-year transferable warranty and are designed and manufactured in the United States.
These are just the perfect drop shot rods. My medium-light power, fast action “wizard wand” is hands-down the favorite rod I own. I could fish with it all day long and it has caught some extremely large fish for its size and power, including a bruiser carp.
The 6’6″ medium power, fast action rod I use for jerkbaits is also great and allows me to work this labor-intensive technique throughout a long day without tiring. I don’t really “need” this sensitive of a rod for a jerkbait (the bites are obvious), but when you’re jerking in giant lures all day, it’s nice to do so on a very light rod.
These are high-end fishing rods and deserve a high-end reel. I favor the Pflueger Patriarch as I’m a fan of the brand and feel it matches very well.
It’s a little hard for me to recommend that anyone go and spend the kind of money that these command new, but if you can find one used, the transferable warranty makes these a great buy, especially if you prefer their subdued design over the more pronounced Xtreme series.
St. Croix Legend Xtreme
The St. Croix Legend Xtreme is another very expensive fishing rod. It is technically the “best” fishing rod that I own, but I don’t use it that often because I don’t really fish bass jigs that frequently ever since my son started coming out fishing with me. This is a big fish lure, and therefore this is my big fish rod, so I’m usually only tossing it the rare times I go out myself.
I had a tough time learning to fish with bass jigs. It’s a technique I taught myself later in life and didn’t grow up on. Because of this, I found I had a hard time detecting light bites and didn’t have much success until I went out and bought this rod specifically for the purpose.
I’m much more successful now and do feel that the rod made a difference. I’m glad I have it and I wouldn’t sell it. If you have a technique that you really need to feel precisely what is under the water, it might make sense to look at a top-class, expensive rod such as the Legend Xtreme, but I do think it would be completely overkill for most techniques.
The Legend Xtreme features a combination of SCV and SCVI graphite, comes in a wide range of sizes, powers, and speeds, and is designed and manufactured in the United States. It comes with a 15-year transferable warranty.
Where to Buy These Rods
If you’re wondering where to buy any of the rods in this article, let me fill you in on a little secret: St. Croix rods rarely, if ever, go on sale in box stores. Most of the sales that these stores have will specifically exclude this brand. While you can, on occasion, find that the manufacturer itself will offer a sale for select items, it’s very rare to see them discounted at a local store.
Thus, these rods a great way to support a local tackle shop that carries them, as you don’t have to worry about missing out on a great deal by supporting your neighbor. Or, if you don’t have a tackle shop nearby, you can also simply use Amazon and enjoy the convenience of buying from a retailer you have probably used extensively in the past. Here’s a link to the rod that I personally feel is the best value.
Conclusion: Expensive Fishing Rods Are Worth It (Sometimes).
You shouldn’t let a hobby break your budget, but if you’re going to get into one as potentially frustrating as fishing, you ought to start with decent equipment. While I’d certainly advocate buying a less expensive brand for your kids, you as the fishing father or mother should invest in quality. St. Croix Rods are a great choice.
Out of all of the rod series discussed above, I’d argue that your first one should probably be a Triumph, or a Premier. These are solid fishing rods that you can be proud of without spoiling yourself with something too expensive, or light.
Neither of these models will let you down and you could pick up a few different sizes, powers, and actions in these series for the price of one of the more expensive ones. This will allow you to build up your arsenal quickly and experiment with different lures and techniques.
I hope this article and my review of the different models helped to break down some differences and give you a little real world perspective on the different St. Croix rod series. I’d like to invite you to join my Facebook group to be updated on new articles. I’ve thought about how best to reach folks and decided that I hate mailing lists, and Facebook is the way to go. Please consider liking the page so we can keep in touch.
Thanks,
John Paxton
