St. Croix rods suck

If I was a betting man I would bet Croix has filled more warranty requests that were abused rods versus defective rods. JMO

Now not returning emails and phone calls is just a bad business practice.

I’ll never understand the dedication behind St Croix rods.

I’ve owned 5 Croixs in my lifetime (Mojo casting, Mojo spinning, BassX casting, Triumph spinning, Victory casting) and have mixed feelings. They tend to be on the heavier side, and lack great sensitivity. The one thing Croix still has going for them is their warranty program, which is one of the best in the industry imo.

One thing that I’ve noticed is that St Croix hasn’t changed with the times. They’ve been using the same blanks for decades now, and haven’t stepped up quality in the mid price range. I say this because a lot of companies now make a better rod than Croix does at the same or lower price point. I’ve sold 4/5 of mine but still hold onto the mojo bass for a backup rod.

Daiwa, Shimano, and even 13 Fishing have gapped St Croix in terms of bang for the buck at every price point. Won’t be buying another St. Croix unless they finally decide to push innovation instead of living in the past.

Just looked at the Sixgill website and the Lykan rod. It has a soft polymer grip with this qualifying statement: *Due to the nature of the Poly style grips, please avoid prolonged exposure to direct and indirect heat such as long term storage in a rod locker or similar.
I put my rods in the rod lockers in the spring and take them out in the fall changing occasionally for specific trips.
Bearcat, the Lykans are on closeout for $65.

Thanks for the reminder I have a warranty claim from September that I didn’t follow up on. They just called me back, and a new rod is on the way for $70. It was well outside the 5 year warranty, so I’m pretty happy with St. Croix Warranty.

brandmoney wrote:

I’ll never understand the dedication behind St Croix rods.

I’ve owned 5 Croixs in my lifetime (Mojo casting, Mojo spinning, BassX casting, Triumph spinning, Victory casting) and have mixed feelings. They tend to be on the heavier side, and lack great sensitivity. The one thing Croix still has going for them is their warranty program, which is one of the best in the industry imo.

One thing that I’ve noticed is that St Croix hasn’t changed with the times. They’ve been using the same blanks for decades now, and haven’t stepped up quality in the mid price range. I say this because a lot of companies now make a better rod than Croix does at the same or lower price point. I’ve sold 4/5 of mine but still hold onto the mojo bass for a backup rod.

Daiwa, Shimano, and even 13 Fishing have gapped St Croix in terms of bang for the buck at every price point. Won’t be buying another St. Croix unless they finally decide to push innovation instead of living in the past.

All 5 of those rods are there cheap Mexico rods if I remember correctly. I personally think they all are less then desirable

TillrLife wrote:

Hoisting a walleye over the side of the regardless of size, will stress any bruise on a blank. And this time you found the bruise.

Are you really netting or hand landing every single fish you catch? Yeah there’s a limit but boat flipping small fish isn’t it. Rods are made to be bent.

TillrLife wrote:

Take a piece of paper and fold it in the same spot 100 times, is it easier to tear the paper at the crease, or when the paper is brand new with no folds?

Apples to oranges comparison, maybe even apples to alligators. Rod blanks are built to be flexed, their sole purpose in this world. Paper is… not.

Netguy wrote:

Just looked at the Sixgill website and the Lykan rod. It has a soft polymer grip with this qualifying statement: *Due to the nature of the Poly style grips, please avoid prolonged exposure to direct and indirect heat such as long term storage in a rod locker or similar.
I put my rods in the rod lockers in the spring and take them out in the fall changing occasionally for specific trips.
Bearcat, the Lykans are on closeout for $65.

I just ordered a few. But my rods are in my locker as well year round. And my boat sits out side. I haven’t had a issue with the poly grips and hope I don’t.

Also, if you want to lift fish into the boat you should use a clean sweep motion. Pop up and back down not pop up … hold … back down. That hold will add more stress on the blank when the fish bounces.

Unloading crates of rods, St Croix had a ridiculous break rate. 1 of 5 was usually missing a tip at the least. This was over hundreds if not thousands of rods. The retailers shipping didn’t help, but rods that are 20$ would survive just fine. The next worst offender was Fenwick. Seems like if they have a warranty they expect you to accept that it will break in trade for lightness and sensitivity.

I have a few questions.

How old was the rod?
What kind of boat do you have an how do you travel with the rod?
Do you use rod sleeves, does your boat have built in rod tubes in the rod locker or just open space?
Have you ever cast and had a sinker come through an hit the blank.
Have you ever been landing a fish with rods on the deck?

I can tell you first hand rod companies have been trying to reverse the warranty situation they put themselves in for over 20 years. Proof is how the length of warranties has diminished from lifetime to limited or 15 years at the highest, replacement costs etc. The fraudulent warranty submissions were killing the domestic rod companies. Rod companies positioned their product, them most fragile product in all of fishing, with the most extreme warranties. The manufacturers used warranties to buy customers/business. It worked until consumers started abusing the system. A rod that “Snaps” with a 10″ walleye on the line OBVIOUSLY had some abuse, likely not intentional or even known, prior to that event. Anything from sinkers resting on the blank and banging on it while in a rod locker, an aluminum flange inside a rod locker, a sinker that bangs the blank on a cast, your kid hit it with a ball in the garage, so many things can happen but the rod MFG is Always to blame.

None of this applies to why St Croix is not replying to the customer but it is the larger topic in the fishing rod business. Consumers have unrealistic expectations of durability and expect 100% replacement and that warranty expectation policy is the MFGs problem.

jerad wrote:

I filled out the warranty claim and haven’t heard jack squat. Also called into the company several times.

I called their warranty department this morning, asked for a call back, and received one 25 minutes later. I’d try again.

an example of a defective rod claim. I talked to a guy at a sportshow in a booth.

Angler, “I have had 3 of these rods replaced by warranty, each time the rod breaks at the same exact spot. the rod design is defective.”

Clarifying question, “what kind of boat?, where to you store rods?”

Answer, “aluminum, in the rod locker”.

Turned out the transition of the rod locker to the front deck had an aluminum rivet flange. The flange was raw aluminum, it did not have a piece of trim. The trim was sawing the blank on trips across the lake and on the road.

My point is, you never know what is happening to rods when not in your immediate possession. I could tell you countless other stories from lindy rig weights banging on blanks to car doors to rod locker doors. I laugh every time I see a Tuna boat coming off a rolling lake with rods teetering over the aluminum gunnel, bouncing and rubbing on aluminum with big weights and bobbers slapping around.
I have seen MFG stress tests on rod blanks in person, most take more load to break than any one of us can actually put on them when they are fresh built. The MFG processes are so streamlined/efficient that there is almost no flaws in material cuts or application on mandrels. I suggest if you don’t want to be inconvenienced by an untimely break, buy rod sleeves to protect the the blanks, hang them in rod racks out of danger. just take measures to protect them.

jerad wrote:

Ok I actually really really like their fishing rods. Their customer service leaves little to be desired though. I was on a fishing trip in Canada and had a blank fail and snap the last two eyelets off while hoisting a 10″ eye over the side of the boat. I filled out the warranty claim and haven’t heard jack squat. Also called into the company several times. I seriously think they scrapped their whole warranty department. I guess I won’t be buying any of their rods again.

2 minutes for high sticking!!
Keep that tip down. Hoist the fish with the backbone of the rod.
Been there done that.
I own somewhere around 20 different st croix rods. Only time I’ve broken one was user error.
I had no trouble getting it replaced.
Try contacting them again.
So you understand, they won’t replace your rod for free since you broke it. You’ll pay somewhere around $70-$80 for a replacement depending on the model.

To elaborate here, this rod was pretty new to me. Owned it less than 3-4 months. When in the boat it would be in the infloor storage tubes. This blank was defective plain and simple. Just like most of you Ive been fishing since I could crawl and know how to care for rods.

jerad wrote:

No I don’t but two months is too long of a period to not hear anything plus they obviously dont have a functioning warranty call center anymore.

It took me 25 minutes today to complete my warranty request. If you filled out the online form, you should have received an email confirmation with a phone #1800-826-7042 to call. Call that and request a call back. Boom, done.

Ok so I filed my claim with St Croix yesterday afternoon, Received my claim number this morning, called them 10 min ago and just got a call back rod should be here in 8 days No charge as it broke after 2 hrs of use.
Can’t complain about that service. Also I love that rod.

To say they suck is a strong choice of word, I’m pretty much fully switched over to st croix, and also my son and his league buddies. We vacation up by their factory and between myself and son and his fishing partner we had like 12 or so rods to warranty! The only thing the guys said was next time to call To make sure they had all the rods in stock! Super easy to deal with! And it was almost no charge for the exchange! Very impressed. No I’m not sponsored by them! Lol just the first time I witnessed a warranty claim like that and no hassle, almost like the hood old days at cabelas.

I’ve never had any quality issues with st Croix so that means I have zero experience with their CS. However, the last time I purchased high end spinning rods, st. Croix was one of the worst I handled. They were heavy, clumsy, unbalanced and lacked sensitivity. There was nothing I like about them. I still haven’t found any lineups from them I like.

Back in the day they were the most available high end rod. Now there’s so many out there that much better rods.

I have never sent one to them. I just bring the broken one to the local bait store I bought it from, they grab a new one off the shelf and I am on my way with no money out of pocket. Pays to deal local with a reputable shop.

I am no fan boy and am not brand loyal to them but I have certainly got my money out of their lifetime warranty. One of my ice rods cost like $50 which was expensive at the time but I think I am on rod number four and a good 10-15 years on the rod.

I understand the frustration though. I have crossed certain brands off the list for good for not responding to customer service requests.

If anyone has St. Croix rods they dont want/like let me know. They have terrible rods and terrible customer service…… happy to take them off people’s hands!

I guess I am blown away from the number of guys breaking rods and needing customer service. The only rod I have broke in my entire life was in college closed a car window on it.

I wouldn’t hesitate to lift a 14” walleye out of the water. Do it all the time. I mean are you guys really netting those fish? How about panfish? Wow.

Got my Sixgill Lykan today after the November pre sale. See how it is . Feels stiff , light though ill give it that ! Quality looks good .

I never had an issue with St. Croixs, and a while ago sold off all my GLX rods to replace with Legend Xtremes. I since have gone back to Loomis, those NRX rods are a notch above what the Croix’s offerings are. I feel St. Croix should come out with another top shelf blank material as their rods, to me, feel great, but not the best. I still use their Premier Glass Musky rods for tangling with big Flathead catfish. And I use their Avids for truck rods, that I have with me most of the time, in the event I drive over a bridge or by a river and see a current seem that needs a jig thrown at it.

isu22andy wrote:

Got my Sixgill Lykan today after the November pre sale. See how it is . Feels stiff , light though ill give it that ! Quality looks good .

Mine are supposed to be in today as well. What did you go with ?

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>isu22andy wrote:</div>
Got my Sixgill Lykan today after the November pre sale. See how it is . Feels stiff , light though ill give it that ! Quality looks good .

Mine are supposed to be in today as well. What did you go with ?

Lykan – 7 foot medium . Think it was 65 bucks on sale or something cause of the grips .

Lykan – 7 foot medium . Think it was 65 bucks on sale or something cause of the grips .
[/quote]

Never handled the medium but I love the medium lights. They are awesome rods. I bought 4 on that sale.

I got my two 7 foot medium Lykan’s today. First look at them looks good. I have two other custom medium lights from other manufacturers so didn’t need more. One of these will be for rigging and the other for a bigger fish (eyes/bass) jig rod.
Thanks Bearcat for bringing these up on IDO. The only reason I looked at them. Was going to buy a Dreadnought reel also but they only had 4000 size left. They said they’ll have another higher end spinning reel this spring.

jerad wrote:

I guess I won’t be buying any of their rods again.

I’ve only had to deal with them on 2 occasions and both were handled quickly. They were VERY courteous. I wouldn’t consider any other rods at all!!

I started building my own. If they break, it’s on me. Does suck when you put hours into a rod, and I do something stupid and break it. I’m too lazy to call StCroix about warranty work. Probably dumb on my part. I can break an expensive rod as easy as a cheap one. Don’t go high buck anymore. Mid-level Fenwick seems pretty good