8' st croix rod

[Cooter]

I'm planning on having a rod built with a St Croix premier blank and am leaning towards the 8' med/hvy fast action. Would be paired with a 7000hsn and be used primarily for bucktails. Any comments with this rod or 8 footers in general? I already have a 7'6". Should be a good rig to toss my new PINK and RED lures. Thanks.

[Lals]

I have an 8' St. Croix Premier Rod and it is my go to rod for bucktails and spinnerbaits. Great rod.

[Scoot]

Cooter,

One thing I'd keep in mind is to be sure the tip isn't too fast. You definitely want some give in a bucktail rod- helps keep fish from throwing the bait. With the superline we all use today, a really fast tip isn't the answer for nearly all applications muskie fishing. If I remember right, the St. Croix Premier blanks in fast action aren't overly stiff. Personally, I like a bucktail rod somewhere between moderate and fast. Too fast and I don't think it's best suited for bucktails.

My guess is you'll love the exact rod you described. However, I'd check the blank to be sure there's a enough give in the end of the rod (sorta like me after too many cocktails )

[Random guy]

Well put Scoot, my first custom bucktail rod was as a very fast 8'2" job. It tossed bucktails a mile but as soon as a fish went airborn it was all over but the crying and the smaller pike with the quick head shakes could toss a lure before I had time to react to them. I then had Thorne Bros. make me a 8'6" Diamondback that loads up a little slower and deeper into the rod. Once I learned to use a slightly different casting method with it I could load up the small light bucktails and let the softer tip fling the little guys way out. Another thing I have found to my liking is with the longer rods I have them put on a longer handle to help control a rod of such length.

Ya know Cooter with a custom rod at Thornes they can put just about any color you want on the wraps, I think I even seen your shade of pink in the thread shelf last time I was in back where they build rods. Maybe you could do pink with baby blue accents, it would be cute!

[TMan]

Alright, you two need to step outside and work this "Red & Pink" acusation out. I've got a daughter at home and see enough of her favorite color without you two clogging up my electronic dreamland with the dang shade...

[Cooter]

I'm a step ahead of ya Jon - I got it coming with rose petal red wrap and bubblegum pink accents. Guide wrapping colors were actually the first thing I asked the guy.

[cjac]

I was just in Thorne Bros on Friday taking a look at the rods they build. They really are some nice sticks. I picked up one of the the Diamondbacks and it felt lighter than a bass rod. Also looked at a couple of the custon St Croix rods, those also felt really good.

Very reasonable prices, some of the St Croix customs were almost the same as off the rack. The Dback rods were starting at $250.

I'm just afraid that if I try one I'll never want to fish anything else!

[Cooter]

I really like the custom route - other than picking out the blank, guides, and wrap colors, you can usually specify handle length, size of the cork, a fighting butt or not, etc. Plus the rod I'm having made is gonna cost me $90 vs whatever an 8'st croix premier goes for.

[cjac]

Quote:

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Plus the rod I'm having made is gonna cost me $90

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Details please!! Where are you scoring one for $90? Can us common folk find a deal like that?

[Cooter]

You can, but its gonna cost ya

Seriously, first and foremost, he let me know right away that his prices are gonna go up 30% - at least St Croix rods. It was great timing, he had the butt and a couple rings of cork on the rod when I called him - someone ordered it and then decided 8' was too long.

If you do want more info, drop me an email:

[email protected]

[danlk]

GREAT choice i have a 8 foot fenwick i use for buktails and topwater. i also fish out of a 1660 pro v and partner in back can quite nerveous with 8 footer. wacth him duck. ha.