This is the week of ICAST, a giant fishing show that is taking place in Orlando this year. I always said that one year we will attend but it wont happen this year do to scheduling conflict. I will try to reach out to some of our friends to get you some news this week.
First is Dave Colley, the representative and Regional Account Manager from St Croix Rod company. I’ve noticed that they had a 12 foot Legend Surf rod at the shows this winter. At 12 foot rod is not for everyone and I was curious what was behind their thinking. So naturally I asked Dave for some more information.
Dave, why a 12 foot Legend Surf model?
Like the legends that came first it started as an idea of a longer rod to fit a particular area. Montauk, standing on a rock you just swam to and not being able to use your feet to help load the rod. The rod needs to bend all the way through with less effort an still be able to throw 150+ yards with a 3 to 5oz plug or pencil. The rod is rated 1-6oz and handles 6 well.
How and where did this beast of a rod went trough testing and development?
We made several versions and sent them to Rich Swisstack and Davy Torrick for testing. The first rod we did was in an 11 because we had the tooling for it and they received that in the fall. Both of them loved it and signed off the rod so we ordered 12 foot tooling. That came in through the winter and it’s kind of difficult to test rods with snow on the ground but we found a way. They took the test rods to a park and started with bank sinkers 2oz to 6 and found out in a hurry they needed more room. Feet planted together 2oz sinker 165 yards easy cast. So then they started going up in weight same cast 4oz 200 yards. Swiss threw all the braid off his reel.
What kind plugs is mind is this rod designed for?
The LSS120MHMF2 is designed for big pencils long distance style! 1 to 6 gives you the option to cover a lot of plugs swimmers and the like. It has some SC1 glass in the tip section like the MM models blended with SC4 throughout the rest of the rod. ART, IPC tooling, FRS are all incorporated in the Legend series.
Thank you Dave, You can get more information at St Croix website at http://www.stcroixrods.com/products/saltwater/legend-surf/
Still don’t see the need for a rod over 9′ for fishing the NE, I guess your getting 3′ for free!
↓Longer the better lets fish
↓İ have been fishing a 12ft Diawa Emblem rıd for the last 30 years..
I have been out casting everyone on the beach, lifting up double header teen blues up to the jetty, fishing bombers with the same rod.. and bucktails…
I see people are just now starting to get hip to the advantages of a light properly made 12 ft rod 🙂 Good morning 🙂
↓Only time I use 12 is for baitcasting chunks. But, if you’re man enough to plug with one, God Bless (your shoulder)
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