Best St. Croix Rods for 2023: Among the Very Best Money Can Buy

Longtime readers of USAngler will know that we’re huge fans of St. Croix rods. 

The reasons are clear. High quality components and super manufacturing yield rods that are strong and sensitive, and until you’ve fought a personal best with a St. Croix in your hand, you don’t know what you’re missing!

If you’re in the market for a new rod, take a look at some of St. Croix’s best options. We’ll review our favorites and offer a buying guide that explains these picks.

Quick glance at the best St. Croix rods:

• St. Croix Rods Mojo Bass Casting - Best Bargain St. Croix Casting Rod
• St. Croix Rods Mojo Bass Spinning - Best Bargain St. Croix Finesse Bass Rod
• St. Croix Rods Triumph Spinning - Best St. Croix Spinning Rod for Inshore Fishing
• St. Croix Premier Spinning
• St. Croix Rods Premier Casting
• St. Croix Rods Legend Tournament Bass Casting - Best St. Croix Casting Rod for Bass
• St. Croix Rods Legend Tournament Bass Spinning - Best St. Croix Spinning Rod for Bass

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• Best Ugly Stik Rods

Best St. Croix Rods Reviewed

St. Croix Rods Mojo Bass Casting - Best Bargain St. Croix Casting Rod

Amazon 

Material: SCIII carbon fiber blanks (100% Linear S-Glass blanks for select reaction-bait models)

Guides: Kigan Master Hand 3D guides w/ aluminum-oxide rings

Handle: Split-grip/premium-grade cork handle

St. Croix has introduced a new line of Mojo Bass Trigon rods, making their “older” Mojo Bass rods an absolute bargain.

Designed from the blank up as a magic wand for bass, the Mojo Bass lineup features high-modulus carbon fiber blanks that feel a touch stiffer in hand than their rating suggests. Thus, a medium feels more like a medium-heavy, and a heavy fishes like an extra-heavy from other manufacturers.

For me, that makes this St. Croix a poor choice for crankbaits, and I’d look elsewhere for a fiberglass rod that offers the cushioned hookset you want when bass hit all those sharp trebles. 

But for everything else, the Mojo Bass is nothing short of magic!

The blank on these rods transmits every bump, blade of grass, and pebble your lure encounters, and even with heavy rods, you’ll feel the soft suck of a bass engulfing your worm. My understanding is that the topwater models are linear S-glass, adding a bit of flex to the rod that’s otherwise not present in the carbon fiber options.

Hook-setting power is legendary, and that high-modulus carbon fiber delivers a bone-piercing set, especially if you’re fishing braid. The S-glass, on the other hand, offers just enough give for a solid lock-up with spooks, torpedoes, and other topwater lures.

Of course, the Kigan Master guides help out too, protecting your line in hard fights and transmitting vibration to the blank.

Speaking of fighting, some readers may worry that a stiffer-than-usual rod may not be a big bass option. You can flat out forget that concern!

Despite being a step stiffer than the competition, these rods can handle tournament-winning bass without missing a lick. You can break the tip on any rod by mishandling it, but these sticks are tough.

As with all carbon fiber blanks, they don’t like abuse, though. So watch slapping them against your gunwales or other obstacles.

In my experience, the rods are designed for casting load easily under appropriately sized lures, delivering great casting performance when paired with the right reel.

Expect premium-grade cork on their split-grip handles, as well as a generously-sized hook keeper.

There’s not a bad rod in this entire lineup, and with the exception of crankbaits and finesse techniques, there’s a model here for almost any technique.

Do yourself a favor and pick one up before the “old” stock sells out!

Pros:

• Awesome carbon fiber or S-glass blanks
• Awesome guides
• Lengths, powers, and actions for most techniques
• Premium-cork split-grip handles
• Excellent bargain on “old” stock!

Cons:

• Not the best option for crankbaits

St. Croix Rods Mojo Bass Spinning - Best Bargain St. Croix Finesse Bass Rod

Amazon 

Material: SCIII carbon fiber blanks

Guides: Kigan Master Hand 3D guides w/ aluminum-oxide rings

Handle: Split-grip/premium-grade cork handle

Finesse techniques like Neko or wacky rigging demand sensitive spinning tackle, and St. Croix’s Mojo Bass spinning rods are pretty much perfect when fishing pressure has spooked the fish and suppressed the bite.

The Mojo Bass Spinning lineup features the same awesome carbon-fiber blank technology found on the casting rods, and yes, I’d say these rods feel just a tad stiffer than their rating suggests, too.

That’s nothing to shy away from with finesse techniques, and I love how these rods fish shaky heads, drop shots, and Ned rigs. I can feel my soft plastic like it’s in my hand, and I can sense the bottom with every bounce, crawl, and drag.

I’d also recommend the 7’1” medium model for weightless Senkos. It’s simply murder for getting a 5-inch Senko to dart and turn.

When a bass takes my lure, that blank delivers a sharp, decisive hookset, and with the Kigan Master guides and the perfect-for-size handles, the fight is going my way for sure.

If you’re a fan of finesse techniques - and really, who isn’t? - the Mojo Bass Spinning lineup is a fantastic option, especially since the new Trigon rods are replacing the “old” models. That makes the rods an absolute bargain at the moment, so jump on the chance to pick one up at a deep discount!

Pros:

• Awesome carbon fiber blanks
• Awesome guides
• Lengths, powers, and actions for finesse techniques
• Premium-cork split-grip handles
• Excellent bargain on “old” stock!

Cons:

• ???

St. Croix Rods Triumph Spinning - Best St. Croix Spinning Rod for Inshore Fishing

Amazon 

Material: SCII high-modulus carbon fiber

Guides: Sea Guide Atlas Performance slim aluminum-oxide guides with black frames

Handle: Premium-grade full cork

Whether you chase panfish like perch and bluegill, prefer spinning tackle for bass, cast to walleye on the Great Lakes, or sight-fish reds in a marsh, there’s a St. Croix Triumph spinning rod that’s right for you.

The Triumph lineup ranges from short, 5’ ultra-lights that deliver precise casts for panfish to 7’6” medium-heavy sticks that can tame tough inshore species like speckled trout and striped bass.

Each is armed with a high-modulus carbon fiber blank that’s tapered to produce a strong backbone and plenty of sensitivity. 

I’m not exaggerating that last point at all: the Triumph is a wonder of sensitivity that will amaze you with its ability to relay what’s happening to your lure to your hands. 

SGAP guides work wonders in hard fights, especially when you’re pulling on light test, and they’ll keep your line intact even when you tie into something that’s out-sized for your tackle!

Expect beautiful, full-cork handles with plenty of room for casting and fighting.

To me, there are a few standouts in the Triumph Spinning series. 

The 6’6” light-power, fast-action rod is a crappie slayer that’s perfectly at home wrangling the odd largemouth or two into your boat. It’s just as good on smallmouth, too, and as an all-arounder for smaller species in freshwater, it’s hard to beat. It will also do the trick for flounder, delivering tremendous sensitivity.

Another is the 7’6” medium-power, fast-action rod. Perfect for inshore adventures featuring multiple species, I wouldn’t hesitate to throw cut bait to specks, reds, stripers, blues, and other similar fish.

Overall, St. Croix’s Triumph Spinning line-up is just amazing, and with something for every angler, every species, and every technique, you’re sure to find the right rod for you.

Pros:

• Awesome carbon fiber blanks
• Very good guides
• Lengths, powers, and actions for a wide variety of species
• Premium cork, full-grip handles

Cons:

• ???

St. Croix Premier Spinning

Amazon 

Material: SCIII carbon fiber blanks 

Guides: Kigan Master Hand 3D guides w/ aluminum-oxide rings

Handle: Full-grip, premium-grade cork handle

St. Croix’s Premier Spinning lineup is an upgrade from the Triumph in several ways. 

First off, with a larger selection of lengths, powers, and actions, it leans more toward specific techniques and series than the Triumph. And second, the Premier wears unbeatable components like Kigan Master guides.

As far as I can tell, the SCIII carbon fiber blanks used in the construction of the Premier are shared with the Mojo Bass. That yields awesome casting with appropriately-sized lures, as well as extreme sensitivity and fight-winning backbone.

In concert with those Kigan guides and the premium-grade, full-cork handles, the Premier is ready for the fight of your life with a personal best.

As an avid ultra-light angler, I really love the 6’ ultra-light with a fast action. As is typically the case with St. Croix, this rod feels more like an extra-fast, which is just perfect for detecting light strikes in early spring. Crappie, bluegill, perch, smallmouth, and even largemouth bass are well within the ability of this slender rod.

The 7’6” medium-light is a great finesse rod for bass, delivering the feel you need for Neko rigs, drop shots, wacky rigs, and shaky heads. It fishes more like a medium in terms of backbone, while preserving the sensitivity of a true medium-light.

What more can you ask?

The 7’ extra-heavy is there for worm fisherman who love spinning tackle, as well as inshore fishing for bull reds and other demanding species like tarpon. When paired with an appropriate reel, it can handle pretty much any fish you throw at it.

And of course, the 7’6” medium-power, fast-action rod is great with cut bait, spoons, and other lures aimed at stripers, reds, and specks.

I’ve only just scratched the surface of the Premier lineup, and a close look at the specs of these capable rods will warm the hearts of anglers no matter what adventure awaits them.

Pros:

• Awesome carbon fiber blanks
• Awesome guides
• Lengths, powers, and actions for fa wide variety of species
• Premium-cork full-grip handles

Cons:

• ???

St. Croix Rods Premier Casting - Best St. Croix Casting Rod for Bass

Amazon 

Material: SCIII carbon fiber blanks 

Guides: Kigan Master Hand 3D guides w/ aluminum-oxide rings (SiC on musky models)

Handle: Full-grip, premium-grade cork handle

St. Croix’s Premier Casting series are ideal for everything from large game fish like red fish, snook, and musky or pike to largemouth bass. Built tough and equipped with top-end components, these Premier rods are exceptional fishing tackle.

St. Croix uses high-modulus carbon fiber to create the blanks for these rods, making them light, sensitive, and strong. As with all of this company’s tackle, expect a slightly stiffer action than what is indicated on the rod, making this entire lineup essentially extra-fast.

That results in two notable advantages.

First, these rods are amazingly sensitive for their price point. Not only will you feel the grass you rip a spoon through, you’ll sense the difference between a bump against an oyster shell and a strike.

Yes. They really are that good.

Second, that added stiffness and strong backbone lend awesome hooksetting power. If you’re fishing with cut bait and circle hooks that’s not going to matter, but switch to spoons or other single-hooked lures and you'll notice an improved ability to set your hooks on hard-mouthed fish like pike, musky, and barracuda.

St. Croix equips the Premier series with top-flight components like Kigan Master guides, exceptional reel seats, and generous hook keepers.

And the full cork handles aren’t just pretty - they provide enough real estate for big hands and demanding fights.

For anglers chasing large game fish, the St. Croix Premier Casting series is the best fishing buddy you can hope for.

Pros:

• Awesome carbon fiber blanks
• Awesome guides
• Hard hook-setting power and plenty of backbone for big fish
• Premium-cork full-grip handles

Cons:

• ???

St. Croix Rods Legend Tournament Bass Casting

Amazon 

Material: SCIV+ Carbon Fiber with Fortified Resin System (FRS) technology (iAct Glass on select models)

Guides: Fuji K-Series tangle-free guides with Alconite rings.

Handle: Super-grade cork

If you’re looking to place in your next tournament, hoping to outfish your buddies, or just want to know what next-level tackle can do for your fishing, St. Croix has the rod for you.

Their Legend Tournament Bass Casting rods cover every niche in the sport but true finesse, where spinning tackle reigns supreme. From flipping to swimbaits, crankbaits to jerkbaits, worms to chatterbaits, there’s a rod for your favorite technique in this series.

Blanks designed around single-hooked lures will sport blanks made from the most advanced carbon fiber St. Croix can source, with additional strength and stiffness made possible by a proprietary resin. The result is, as you’d expect, a super-sensitive rod that can drive a hook home hard, load easily, and cast a country mile.

Crankbait- and chatterbait-specific models feature the addition of iAct glass to soften the action and cushion your hookset slightly, resulting in better hooksets with treble hooks, as well as better retention when bass try to throw your lures.

Fuji’s K-series guides help transmit vibration to your hands and protect your line, giving you every advantage from strike to landing net.

Expect technique-specific tapers, lure weight rating, and line ratings that are as perfectly tuned as you’ll find at any price.

I love these rods, and from the finish to the super-grade cork handles, they’re sure to put a smile on your face!

Pros:

• Nearly unbeatable carbon fiber blanks with glass additions for some models
• Awesome guides
• Hard hook-setting power and plenty of backbone for tournament-winning bass
• Super-grade cork handles
• Technique-specific materials, tapers, lengths, and weight ratings

Cons:

• ???

St. Croix Rods Legend Tournament Bass Spinning - Best St. Croix Spinning Rod for Bass

Amazon 

Material: SCIV+ Carbon Fiber with Fortified Resin System (FRS) technology (iAct Glass on select models)

Guides: Fuji K-Series tangle-free guides with Alconite rings.

Handle: Super-grade cork

When money’s on the line and the difference between the winners and losers is your ability to get pressured bass to bite, the spinning rod you want in your hand is St. Croix’s Legend.

Quite possibly the best finesse rods available at any price, St. Croix puts every bit of materials mastery and engineering prowess into them, resulting in superior feel, better casting, and harder fighting than anything you've fished before.

Most models feature extremely high-quality carbon fiber fortified with a proprietary resin that adds stiffness, enhances feel, and improves backbone. To say that these rods are built around sensitivity is something of an understatement, and your ability to feel every bump of a Neko rig, every hesitant tap on your wacky-rigged drop shot, is unparalleled.

The finesse swimbait rod has the addition of iAct glass, softening its action slightly to improve hooksets and keep your hook nailed to the bass.

Tuned for specific techniques, with the exception of one all-arounder, when paired with an elite spinning reel, these rods will outfish anything on the water.

Expect Fuji K-series guides, technique-specific hook keepers, and perfectly-executed cork split-grip handles.

I can’t emphasize enough how great these rods really are, but I’m sure you’ll be nodding along with me when you have one in hand!

Pros:

• Nearly unbeatable carbon fiber blanks with glass additions for some models
• Unbeatable sensitivity for finesse techniques
• Awesome guides
• Hard hook-setting power and plenty of backbone for tournament-winning bass
• Super-grade cork handles
• Technique-specific materials, tapers, lengths, and weight ratings

Cons:

• ???

Buying Guide: Why Did We Select These St. Croix Rods?

Sensitivity

If there’s one thing every angler can agree about, it’s that St. Croix’s rods are among the most sensitive money can buy.

Indeed, dollar for dollar, there aren’t better rods out there at each price point, and anyone who’s fished one of the excellent sticks can attest to the supreme feel they deliver.

Chalk that up to very high-grade carbon fiber, even in the less expensive models, and next-level carbon fiber and fortified resin in the high-end rods.

That advanced rod tech delivers faster-than-rated actions, which are softened for techniques that demand it with the addition of fiberglass.

And you better believe that sensitivity matters. 

You’ll have a better feel for your lure’s performance, a better understanding of the cover and structure you’re working, and a better chance of setting the hook at the right moment.

Hook-setting power

St. Croix obviously believes in carbon fiber’s strength and stiffness, and when it comes time to set your hook, you'll know why.

Their faster actions and stiff backbones translate your wrist and arm motion into sharp, decisive hook sets, even on fish that are notoriously tough to penetrate.

Even when you’ve got lots of line out, you'll have the confidence to know you can strike true.

Backbone

Hooking isn’t landing anymore than fishing is catching.

When the fight is on and it’s time to wrangle a tournament winner into your net, you want a rod that’s fight ready.

St. Croix’s blanks are among the best in the business, and they’ll give you fight-winning backbone that’s perfectly tuned to deliver.

Even their lighter rods that are designed around finesse techniques have the power to fight big bass - I’ve been there - and I’ve never worried about being out-gunned with one of their rods in my hands.

Quality components

You can count on St. Croix’s attention to detail, and from premium handle materials to exceptional guides and reel seats, everything about these rods screams “first rate.”

Unbeatable performance

Some rods add up to something greater than the sum of their parts, and I feel that’s true for St. Croix.

Among my favorite rods at any price, from the Mojo Bass to the Legend, you’ll be hooked for life once you try one.

Final Thoughts

Our shortlist includes St. Croix rods at a variety of price points, including current bargains on “old” stock Mojo Bass sticks. And from the Triumph Spinning series - perfect rods for inshore fishing - to the Legend Tournament Bass rods in both casting and spinning options, there’s a rod here for every angler and every situation.

We can’t tell you which St. Croix rod is the right pick for you, but we’re pretty sure there’s one on our shortlist that’s ideal.

We hope that this article helped you select your (first?) next St. Croix rod, and we’d love to hear any questions or comments you might have.

Tight lines!