Legendary Components and Craftsmanship in a US made rod:
The 2005 St. Croix Legend Elite
By: TackleTour.com

Introduction: At the conclusion of 2004, we debuted an article reviewing St. Croix's new Legend Tournament Bass technique specific rods featuring their famous IPC technology and their new ART rod building process. We were so excited by this new line from St. Croix, that we decided to follow on to that article with the acquisition of one of the new Legend Elite Series, St. Croix's top end offering.

Impressions: St. Croix's goal of Japanese detailing with US quality craftsmanship extends to their top end offering as our EC68MXF Legend Elite rod sports a very understated yet elegant detailing that, as time passes and you hold and fish with the rod, grows more and more endearing. This understated elegance is reminiscent of Japanese rod manufacturers Daiko and Evergreen more so than the intricate and coordinated Megabass rods.

Our EC68MXF arrived in impeccable order and as its understated design would have, we were at first, underwhelmed. But, taking the rod out on our first trip and reassessing it in the sun, we could see the pearlescent glow of the blank, and began to notice other design subtleties that really made us appreciate the craftsmanship of the rod. Overall balance and weight of the EC68MXF is very respectable which made us all the more anxious to get this stick out on the water for a test drive.

The Field Tests: The light weight and extra fast action tip of this rod had us thinking of battling feisty smallmouth and spotted bass in our local waters. As such, we spooled up one of our Daiwa Alphas with 8lb Yozuri Hybrid and headed to one of our local clear water reservoirs, Folsom Lake, for an extended trip chasing after what we refer to as the triple crown of bass fishing (largemouth, smallmouth & spotted bass).

Casting & Pitching: Among the offerings we tied on during our field tests with this rig were 1/4 oz finesse jigs, 4" weightless Senko's, small, finesse cranks, and Texas rigged Zoom Baby Brush Hogs with 1/8oz brass bullet weights. As one would expect from a top end rod, our Legend Elite EC68MXF handled this variety of baits very well with our favorite being the finesse jigs and small Senko's.

Paired with the Daiwa Alphas, we found ourselves pitching more than casting and dropping our baits right up next to flooded trees and bridge pilings. This 6'8" stick proved to load easily which allowed us the luxury of very accurate presentations.

Sensitivity: Rated as a medium weight rod, we had very high hopes for of our Legend Elite EC68MXF. We are pleased to say all expectations were met and even exceeded with some baits as we were able to feel everything from the very subtle vibration of our finesse cranks, to the soft landing of our jigs on the rocky surfaces below. In fact, at times it almost felt as though we could feel the fish turning to look at our miniature Senko's on their descent into the crystal clear depths of Lake Folsom! Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but to say we were pleased with the touch and feel this rod afforded us would be an understatement. This rod is exceptionally sensitive!

Power: Light weight rods with extra-fast tips are great sticks for targeting smallmouth and spotted bass because these acrobatic battlers are, on average, more compact and streamlined than their larger cousins, the largemouth bass. In fact, a smallie or spot over 5 pounds is considered a trophy in most waters, so using the heavier tackle often associated with largemouth bass fishing is simply overkill both in power and ability to present properly sized lures. Interestingly enough, anyone who has battled either or both of these species knows, that pound for pound, they can put a largemouth bass to shame.

So while lighter rods are preferred for their ability to present smaller lures and make catching more fun, power is not something you want to sacrifice. Thanks to St. Croix's advanced engineering, our Legend Elite EC68MXF delivered quick and smooth power ideally suited for presenting downsized baits to powerful, hard running fish. While the triple crown eluded us, we caught several two to three pound spots on our quest that had us convinced they were five pound or greater largemouth until we had them onboard. The energy in these fish is astounding and our EC68MXF held up to the challenge time and time again providing us with solid hooksets and exhilarating battle after battle.

Features: As touched on earlier, the simple, clean lines of our Legend Elite EC68MXF speak well to the quality behind this product. Subtle design enhancements such as a machined aluminum winding check, custom finished reel seat, compressed cork butt cap, and gold highlight threads are a welcome departure from the almost formula driven rod assembly features practiced by most manufacturers in today's market. The one thing we did find odd about this rod was the placement of the hook hanger. Located on the right side of the blank, the hook hanger is a bit awkward to reach for those of us who cast with our right hands. Conversely, left handed casters will, I'm sure, find cause for celebration with this placement as they no doubt find it awkward when the hanger is on the other side of the rod. Funny how something as seemingly inane as a hook hanger can be taken for granted until such time as this.

Warranty: St. Croix offers a limited lifetime warranty on all their Legend Elite fishing rods. This warranty applies to the original owner of the rod only and is subject to evaluation by St. Croix as to whether the damaged rod will be repaired or replaced under this policy. In addition, rods that have become damaged due to normal wear, accident, or neglect can be replaced under this warranty at a reduced cost from regular retail. The owner is responsible for postage to and from St. Croix. This is a rather solid warranty and just what someone comes to expect from a company with the reputation of St. Croix.

Conclusion: It's taken a while for this editor to pull the trigger on a St. Croix Legend Elite, but I'm glad I finally did. The clean lines and straight forward detailing have really grown on me since I acquired this rod and there's no arguing the top end components that came with this stick. It's refreshing to see a US tackle company paying such close attention to the assembly of their product and making sure everything from each drop of epoxy to the velvety grain of the cork are handled with care. When we pay top dollar for a fishing rod, we want not only top end performance, but attention to detail and craftsmanship. St. Croix definitely delivers in both categories with their redesigned Legend Elite fishing rods.