St Croix Triumph rods

[waxworm09]

Anyone use these? They are 70 bucks, I checked into them and they are made in Mexico, not Wisconsin, but on Cabelas HSOforum they are rated 4.6 out of 5 stars. Are they worth the cash? I would like to try one of them in a 6'6" medium action for walleye fishing.

[Shane May]

I have a buddy of mine that had orderd 3 of them. And from what I have seen, whom ever or what ever ties the rod eyes on the blank isnt putting them true to the blanks back bone. Its just something I practice but I wouldnt suggest ordering rods online because of this problem. Even when you go to the stores you run into this problem but you can sort threw a few rods before you find a rod that is built properly.

[Tuds75]

They are NOT worth their current price. You basically are paying for a low grade St. Croix rod that is comparable to a very low grade graphite rod. I would say of the $70 you are paying for, 1/2 of that is going toward the "St.Croix" sticker/decal on the rod. I see the Triumph series of rods for people who want to own an authentic St. Croix rod, but don't want to pay $100 for one.

If you are looking to pay $70 for a rod. Do some shopping around. I own a rod from another Wisconsin rod maker who advertises on this site (Limit Creek) and absolutely love their rods and they run under $100 too. If you are looking for a spinning rod for walleyes, let me me suggest the 6'9" "Slurpie" rod. I own one and think it an awesome rod for a low price.

If you are going to pay $70 for a rod you might as well spend a few bucks more and feel confident that you are getting quality rods.

Just my 2 cent. Happy (Rod) Hunting!

[solbes]

The materials in a Triumph are exactly the same as the Premier. The difference is the $30 or so in cost and the country of manufacture. I would guess the actual procedure for putting them together is the same, so I would expect little difference between the two.

I bought a Triumph for my wife, since she fishes maybe 3-4 times a year. Couldn't tell any difference between it and a Premier, which I also owned. If you don't believe me, compare the identical models next to each other in the store.

I would disagree that they are a very low grade graphite rod. Easily more sensitive than most of the 30-50 rods out there. Of course there are always rods that are better too. I don't know if the country of manufacture bothers you. If it does, look elsewhere.

[Walleye Guy]

I own four Triumphs. Bought them at the Minnetonka GM closing for 45% off. Even for $70 I think they are a nice rod. There are a number of rod manufacturers who sell rods in the $70 range and the Triumphs are as good as any other. Are they equivalent to a high end St. Croix, Loomis or Fenwick? No. But they are still nice rods for the money when used in the right situations.

[candiru]

I have one I picked up for $60. I fish that and a Loomis GL2 as jigging rods. Is there a difference? Yes. Is it a large one? No. Weight is where it is most noticable. For $60 it is a good rod.

[Rick G]

Mass produced in china. A better rod can be had for the same money.

[waxworm09]

where did you hear they were mass produced in China? I called customer service and they said they are made in Mexico.

[Walleye Guy]

What does country of origin have to do with quality of the rod? There are many good products that come out of China that have higher quality than US produced products. Same is true in reverse. Lets not downgrade a product just because its made outside the US. Mexico, China, Japan, India the USA...lets judge a product on its virtues not on where its assembled.

[PTocko]

wax - not to take the conversation in a totally different direction but another rod to consider in the $70 range is the Shimano Clarus. IMO their quality and features have taken a jump since they purchased G Loomis (I am seeing some trickle down, or is that up??). I now have 3 of these (2 6' 6" med heavy, 1 6' medium) for extra "all purpose" rods that I have been very happy with. Good sensitivity, good back bone - is it as good as $200 g loomis, no. But it is certainly very fishable. Just something else to consider in that price range. Good luck. Paul

[Northlander]

PTocko hit it on the head. The Clarus's are a very nice rod for the $ and I think they have a over the counter warranty as well.

[PTocko]

Northlander - that's very kind. You are correct, they do have an over the counter replacement policy (at least at Joe's Sporting Goods they do, have NOT had to use it). I bought one to mate up with a citica D reel I had laying around as an extra crank bait / spinner rod for bass / northern. Was very happy, reasonably light (could fish with all day) and brought in several decent fish with this combo. Since then I purchased two more as "additional" rods and I have a couple of cheaper rods that I will replace with Clarus over time. I also have 4 high end rods but totally different price point. 70 dollars is a tough price point for rods - you expect / require decent performance but you will not get everything. What the maufacturer builds in and what they leave out can really impact the performance. I think Shimano really nailed it. Good luck. Paul