St Croix Avid Surf Rods

Its candy apple red, kind of metallic, it has awesome power, it’s made in USA and it’s got a St Croix awesome warranty behind it. Yes, I am talking about the new Avid series Surf Rods from St Croix Rods. I think I should preface ANYTHING I ever say about ANY rod by saying this.

People have lost their collective minds when it comes to rods, rating, recovery rate, fast tapers, slow tapers, grips, splits and don’t even get me started about guides. Low riders, hi riders, no riders, thongs..wait, are we still talking about rods or butts?…no, not those butts! But my mind is drifting into Kate Upton’s direction. I wonder if she has a candy red swimsuit that would compliment new St Croix Avid rod? I would say most likely

Back to important stuff. The metallic red color. It’s unusual for a rod. And for sport that is dominated by old,square cranky people like yours truly. But after few days I found myself admiring the rod in my hands and saying “this IS  a cool color”. Not that it has anything to do with performance. But then again, it is St Croix, do you really expect anything less that great from these people?

Back to craziness that has been  prevalent lately when it comes to rods. It seems that every guy wants us to buy whatever rod he is using, dismissing all others as too weak, too stiff, too moderate. Yet very few intelligent people on the internet boards actually chime in and say “Hey, just about any rods will be useful in some situations”. Everyone is looking for a wholly grail, one rod that will throw 1/2 ounce bucktails, 3 ounce Guppy Pencil Poppers, 5 ounce rigged eels and 8 and bait. When they invent this beast, please wake me up. Till then how about we actually talk about rods that are useful for specific style of fishing you want to do.

Ok, so St Croix has a affordable Mojo in its line up, and new Avid rods are priced between Mojo and Legend series. And like I said, there is a piece of mind knowing that St Croix is backing all their rods with awesome warranty, check their website for details on each line. I believe its a five year warranty on Mojo and lifetime on Avid and Legend. I will copy/paste the warranty details on the end of this blog post.

I am not going to go into the tangle free K guides, reel seats, cork, alconite grips, I’ll leave that stuff for the official review. I will only tell you my experience with it.

I fished with nine foot St Croix Avid rod all spring, rated for 1 to 4 ounce. This is not your typical nine foot noodle stick to throw small Bombers and tiny lead heads. I primarily used it on jetties to toss one to two ounce bucktails and three ounce Tsunami shads and I can honestly say, for that application, it’s probably the best suited rod I own. I used it to toss some lures too but with my chronic elbow issues not nearly as I did with bucktails. I particular liked it with around 1 1/2 to 2 ounce bucks. In windy conditions it had balls to whip that bucktail into the wind and a lot of power once you set the hook which I often needed to prevent the fish from going around the jetty and cutting me off. Yet it is sensitive enough to feel every bump, from the fish and as the bucktail was bumping on the sand during the retrieve. Since I’ve done more jetty fishing this spring than in last ten years combined, the new Avid was a Godsend for this application. If you are looking for a nine foot rood with which you want to throw small swimmers and tiny lead heads I suggest you look into a rod that is rated somewhere between 1/2 an ounce and 2 ounces. Noodle stick? Yeah but those rods can be awesome too in the back bays and places like Long Island Sound. And yes, many will bring them to Montauk in the fall, claiming they can control the fish “just fine” with it and then they will get their asses kicked by fish, rocks, wind, surf and crowds. The 9 foot St Croix Avid is one awesome rods for inlet bucktailing, shads, poppers and any plug up to about three ounces. To be honest, if I got to cast anything bigger that 2 3/8 ounce Super Strike popper, I am bringing a longer rod. But that is just me

Avid Surf rods are made using IPC technology. What is it? Instead of me trying to use my high school dropout vocabulary to describe it, how about I use the description from St Croix website.

Developed exclusively by St. Croix, Integrated Poly Curve® (IPC®) tooling technology has rapidly become the engineering leader in rodmaking. Designed to eliminate all transitional points in the rod blank, IPC-engineered rods feature smoother actions, increased strength and greater sensitivity.

 

Avid rods specs

• Premium, high-modulus SC^III graphite.
• Designed to provide surf anglers maximum casting distance.
• Fuji® K-Series Concept Tangle Free guides with Alconite® rings and black frames. Ideal for super braid, mono and fluorocarbon lines, the sloped frame and ring “shed” tangles before they become a problem.
• Fuji® MN style top.
• Off-set, slim-profile ferrules on two-piece models provide one-piece performance.
• Fuji® DNPS reel seat.
• Custom cork tape handle with machined delrin trim pieces.
• Two coats of Flex Coat slow-cure finish.
• Lifetime limited warranty backed by
  St. Croix Superstar Service.
• Designed and handcrafted in Park Falls, U.S.A

 

Warranty information from St Croix Website

 

Service & Warranty Policies

SILVER STAR SERVICE PLAN

The fact that you’re reading this probably means you’ve got a damaged rod. Rest assured that our goal is to get you fishing with it again as soon as possible. Now, if you’re convinced that our error led to its demise and you know the warranty has not expired, then our Silver Star Plan is your best solution. Here’s how it works.

1. Write a note explaining the problem. Send the note, a check for $20* and your entire rod to St. Croix. We suggest using our Discount Shipping Program, which is described elsewhere on this page.

2. If your rod was damaged due to faulty workmanship, then of course we will cover the cost of the repair or replacement during the warranty period.

3. However, if evidence indicates that the damage is due to an accident, normal wear or neglect, then we’ll advise you of the additional cost to repair or replace your rod.

* The $20 s&h charge applies to shipments within the continental USA. The s&h charge for shipments to Canada is $30. Contact St. Croix for s&h charges for shipments to Alaska, Hawaii, and all other countries. The s&h charge for international orders must be paid by credit card (VISA, MC, American Express, Discover.)

GOLD STAR SERVICE PLAN

Ahh..but what if you’re not registered as the original owner of the rod. Or your buddy stepped on your rod, or slammed it in a car door, or worse yet, used it to free a snag. No worries. St. Croix’s Gold Star Plan eliminates the uncertainty of a dubious warranty claim. Here’s what to do.

1. Return your damaged rod to St. Croix. You can use our Discount Shipping Program to save money.

2. Include a note requesting our Gold Star Service, along with a check for the Gold Star fee. Here are those fees:

$50 for any rod in these series: TRIUMPH, PREMIER (all series), MOJO (all series), EYECON, PANFISH, RAGE, RIO SANTO, TIDEMASTER, WILD RIVER

$75 for any rod in these series: AVID (all series), LEGEND (all series), IMPERIAL, BANK ROBBER, HIGH STICK DRIFTER

3. Upon receipt of your rod, our Service Technician will determine whether to repair or replace your rod. Keep in mind we’ll chose to repair it when we can make it perform like new.

4. That’s all there is to it. There’s no additional s&h charge for shipments within the continental USA. The s&h charge for shipments to Canada is $30. Contact St. Croix for s&h charges for shipments to Alaska, Hawaii, and all other countries. The s&h charge for international orders must be paid by credit card (VISA, MC, American Express, Discover.)

GOLD STAR + UPGRADE PLAN

Understandably, you’re feeling pretty badly about your damaged `Croix. So why not make the best of a bad situation and treat yourself to that higher-performance model you’ve been dreaming about? With our Upgrade Plan, you receive a brand new rod with a fresh new warranty. Here’s how you do it:

1. Return your damaged rod to St. Croix. You can use our Discount Shipping Program to save money.

2. Include a check equal to the Gold Star fee (Either $50 or $75 – see above.), plus the cost difference between the price of your new rod and that of your damaged one. It’s best to telephone a St. Croix Customer Service Representative at 800-826-7042 (select Service Center), or e-mail at service@stcroixrods.com for assistance in determining the exact price.

3. That’s all there is to it. There’s no additional s&h charge for shipments within the continental USA. The s&h charge for shipments to Canada is $30. Contact St. Croix for s&h charges for shipments to Alaska, Hawaii, and all other countries. The s&h charge for international orders must be paid by credit card (VISA, MC, American Express, Discover.)

 

LIFETIME   WARRANTY   Legend Surf   Avid Series® Surf Rods   SCV, SCIV, SCIII Rod Blanks

5-YEAR   WARRANTY   Triumph® Rods   Mojo Surf Rods   Note: 2005 and prior years offered a 2-year   warranty.