Take a Long Spin Around the Lake
Long spinning rods join St. Croix Legend Tournament lineup; improves drop shotting, wacky-rigging/shaky head and hair jig techniques
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Park Falls, WI (March 17, 2017) – The finesse bite. It’s a thing of beauty, seldom capped with a violent thump, but rather felt in the gentle twitch and a wandering line that form the telltale signs of a bass sampling your bait. Sometimes, it’s the only way to lure bait-weary bass into the boat; other times, it’s simply the most exciting and entertaining way to fish.
And for days when finesse-fishing holds dominion over finicky feeders, St. Croix is adding two new, 8’6” spinning additions to the Legend Tournament Bass lineup. And the progressive rods are reaching the light of day just in time for the 2017 Bassmaster Classic Expo in Houston, Texas.
Both rods are coming off a trial-by-fire testing period at Billy Chapman’s famed Angler’s Inn in Mexico, where the St. Croix team spent the better part of a week battling the bass of lakes Picachos and El Salto—two of the most legendary bass fisheries in the world. “They’re incredibly lightweight,” says St. Croix’s Dan Johnston, who put the rods through the ringer with virtually every lure avid bass anglers might throw on them. “Even with light lures like hair jigs, you can throw them a long way, and the added rod length combined with braided line and a fluorocarbon leader means if you do get bit on a long cast, there’s no stretch. You hardly have to set the hook.”
Johnston doesn’t know how many fish he landed with the new, now-seasoned designs; he stopped counting. But he does know that the fast-tipped, 8’6” rods are capable of putting more distance on a lure than a traditional-length finesse rod. And, he says once a fish is hooked up, the added length gives you unparalleled control over your prey.
“I could see the fish coming up like a rocket ship,” Johnston says. “Once I knew a fish was going to jump, I could just very slowly, in a controlled way, put that rod tip down and give it a couple of reels, and when I did, that the fish could not clear the water because of the length of the rod. Now, is a real hot six-pound fish who’s full of steam going to clear the water? Maybe so, but it’s a heck of a lot better than trying to keep one out of the air with a shorter rod. You gain a lot of control in fish-fighting with these.”
New at the Bassmaster Classic, St. Croix’s 8’6” Legend Tournament rods were born when B.A.S.S. opened competition to rod lengths up to 10’, lifting a ban that had been in place since the 1970’s.
“At first, people talked a lot about float-n-fly being the technique that would benefit most from the new rule,” adds Johnston. “But what we’re entering now is a really exciting time for rod manufacturers. There are a ton of techniques that can benefit from the added inches.”
“When you’re fishing humps and drops, and you want that lure to fall before you bring it across, you need to be able to pick up extra line quickly when they bite. These rods absolutely do that,” adds Simpkins.
Diehard competitors, and the everyday angler alike, will immediately improve their efficiency with modern techniques like dropshotting, casting hair jigs and working wacky-rigs and shaky-heads with these tape-measure spinning rods.
“St. Croix really nailed it with these,” summarizes Johnston.
Legend Tournament Bass spinning features:
- Integrated Poly Curve (IPC) tooling technology.
- Advanced Reinforcing Technology (ART).
- High-modulus/high-strain SCIV graphite with FRS for unparalleled strength and durability.
- Fuji K-Series Concept Tangle Free guides with Alconite rings. Ideal for super braid, mono and fluorocarbon lines.
- Fuji TVS blank-touch reel seat on spinning models.
- Machined-aluminum wind check and trim pieces.
- Split-grip/super-grade cork handle.
- Kigan hook-keeper.
- Two coats of Flex Coat slow-cure finish.
- 15-year transferable warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service.
MODELS:
- LBS86MLXF (Hair Jig/Drop Shot) 8’6”, Medium-Light Power, Extra-Fast Action
- LBS86MXF (Big Water) 8’6”, Medium Power, Extra-Fast Action
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