Reviews Stcroix Tidemaster Inshore Medium Power Fast Action Rod
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The St. Croix Avid Inshore spinning reel is an extremely well built lightweight graphite rod that is designed specifically for saltwater inshore fishing.
In 2015, the St. Croix Gorging Inshore was completely redesigned and won "Best Saltwater Rod" at ICAST in 2015. From the time you pick this new seafoam colored rod upward, you lot know that you have a high-end piece of fishing equipment in your hands.
The quality of the build and the components that St. Croix has used in the Avid is credible right away.
The rod blank is made of premium quality SCIII graphite, the guides are Kigan Principal Manus Zippo with very slim aluminum oxide rings and titanium frames that offer the highest level of protection from the saltwater and tangle-complimentary construction.
A Fuji reel seat with a gunsmoke hood and super-grade cork handle finish off the construction all backed by a transferable 15-year manufacturer warranty.
The St. Croix Avid is the step up from the St. Croix Mojo which I personally fish and love. If you take the budget of between $229-$289 retail and are looking for that very high-end rod feeling, without the extreme price point of saying the Thou Loomis NRX and so this is a great selection.
Features
Integrated Poly Curve® – IPC or Integrated Poly Curve tooling technology allows St. Croix to eliminate all of the transition points in the rod making for non merely a strong rod but ane that besides has a smoother action.
You can learn more about IPC and some of the other engineering science that St. Croix has integrated into their rods HERE.
Premium quality SCIII graphite blank – The Avid Inshore spinning rod starts out with a premium quality SCIII graphite rod bank. Premium means the corporeality of the graphite modules that are constitute in the bare.
The graphite modulus basically describes the stiffness to weight ratio of the graphite used to make the blank. Typically, the college the modulus, the lighter and more than sensitive the rod. The reason being is that information technology requires less material considering the higher modulus graphite is stiffer. Learn more about Rod Blanks Here.
Kigan Guides – Kigan Chief Manus Nada tangle free guides take slim and strong aluminum-oxide rings and titanium frames for the ultimate protection from saltwater corrosion.
Fuji® DPS reel seat – The St. Croix Avid inshore rod uses standard Fuji DPS reel seats that are known for their quality and durability. A quality reel seat ways that you are going to be transferring the feel of the fish you are fighting or in the process of hooking into the handle of the rod without whatsoever slop and therefore increased sensitivity. The spinning model characteristic gunsmoke hood covers.
Kigan titanium claw-keeper – The new Kigan hook keeper allows you to have just the right spot to place the hook and with the new sideways design the claw tip tin can no longer dig into the rod weakening it.
Super-grade cork handle – All Avid rods have the acme of the line super-grade cork handles which are literally flawless, this ways that yous will non feel any flaking of the handle over fourth dimension.
Ii coats of Flex Coat – Once all of the components take been assembled St. Croix brings it all together and finishes the rod off with 2 layers of the Flex Coat deadening-cure finish. Flex Coat is an epoxy finish that is used to seal the rod wraps to a point where yous basically tin can not run across the wrapping textile. This provides for a clean look and a long lifespan.
xv-year warranty – St. Croix offers a fifteen-year fully transferable warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service.
Features at a Glance
- Integrated Poly Curve tooling technology
- High-modulus SCIII graphite
- Specialized inshore specific designs
- Kigan Master Hand Zero Guides
- Fuji DPS reel seat
- Select class cork handle
- 15 yr warranty
- Handcrafted in The statesA.
At the cease of the twenty-four hours what really sets the St. Croix rods apart from much of the competition is the engineering science that goes into each and every rod. St. Croix engineers are constantly looking at new pattern and manufacturing technologies to run into how they can meliorate the rods overall performance.
For the geeks out there, and I say that with all respect, St. Croix uses the latest CNC technology to manufacture their own plastic and aluminum trim pieces such as wind checks, and shims. By keeping the manufacturing process in house, they are able to maintain a very high level of consistency and quality.
St. Croix also has produced such breakthroughs as Integrated Poly Bend® and Advanced Reinforcing Applied science™ that literally eliminates all of the transitional points in the rod blank making for a stronger and more than durable rod that has a smoother activity. In my opinion, this is the primal feature that makes the Avid the rod that it is.
For those of you who want all the details I have provided the chart below. The St. Croix Avid Inshore spinning reel comes with 6 different handle designs.
| MODEL | LGTH. | PWR. | Activeness | PCS. | LINE WT. | LURE WT. | ROD WT. (OZ.) | HANDLE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIS66MF | 6'vi" | M | Fast | 1 | 8-17 | 3⁄8 - three⁄4 | 3.6 | 2 |
| VIS66MHF | 6'6" | MH | Fast | 1 | 10-20 | 1⁄ii - 11⁄4 | 4.five | 3 |
| VIS70LM | vii' | L | Mod. | 1 | half-dozen-12 | one⁄8 - 3⁄8 | 3.iv | 1 |
| VIS70MLF | 7' | ML | Fast | one | 6-12 | ane⁄8 - i⁄2 | four | 2 |
| VIS70MF | vii' | M | Fast | 1 | viii-17 | 3⁄8 - 3⁄4 | 4.1 | 2 |
| VIS70MM | 7' | Yard | Modern. | ane | 8-17 | ane⁄four - 5⁄8 | 3.5 | i |
| VIS70MHF | 7' | MH | Fast | 1 | 10-20 | 1⁄ii - eleven⁄four | 5.2 | four |
| VIS70HF | 7' | H | Fast | 1 | xv - 30 | iii⁄4 - 2 | vi | 5 |
| VIS76MLF | 7'6" | ML | Fast | ane | half-dozen-12 | i⁄8 - 1⁄2 | 4.3 | three |
| VIS76MF | 7'6" | M | Fast | ane | 8-17 | 3⁄eight - 3⁄4 | 4.3 | 3 |
| VIS76MHF | 7'6" | MH | Fast | ane | x-20 | 1⁄2 - xi⁄4 | 5.eight | 5 |
| VIS76HF | 7'half dozen" | H | Fast | i | fifteen-xxx | 3⁄4 - 2 | 7.2 | six |
| VIS80MLF | 8' | ML | Fast | i | vi-12 | i⁄8 - one⁄ii | v | v |
| VIS80MF | eight' | Chiliad | Fast | 1 | 8-17 | 3⁄8 - three⁄4 | 5.2 | 5 |
| VIS80MHF | 8' | MH | Fast | i | xiv - 30 | 1⁄ii - ii | 7.1 | vi |
| VIS80HF | 8' | H | Fast | ane | 17 - 40 | 3⁄iv - 3 | 7.six | 6 |
Pros
- Made in the USA
- Handmade rod
- Premium SCIII rod blank
- Top notch components
- xv twelvemonth warranty
Cons
Cost is at the high finish but you are investing in a quality rod that will last for decades is cared for.
Alternatives
If y'all want to spend a few dollars less, then I can recommend that you bank check out the St. Croix Mojo Inshore. Information technology'south my favorite get to rod which costs about $100 less. Read the total review of the St. Croix Mojo Inshore HERE.
The Star Stellar Lite series of rods which start at around $100, deport a lifetime warranty and are likewise made here in the USA. Read the full review of the Star Stellar Lite Hither.
The tertiary rod I would take y'all take a look at would be the G Loomis E6X rod, which is an excellent mid range rod. Read the full review of the G Loomis E6X HERE.
The cost point of the E6X starts out at $179 and for me fishes very much like its big brother the Thousand Loomis NRX which is a a $600+ rod. Read the full review of the Thousand Loomis NRX Hither.
In Conclusion
The St. Croix Avid is a nice pace up from what I normally fish with – the St. Croix Mojo for virtually 80% of my fishing here in the SW Florida flats.
The Gorging adds a certain level of refinement above the Mojo and has higher component and a higher end rod blank that has more sensitivity. I think at this point it all really comes downwards to the budget if you have the money and then spend it on the Avid and you will not be disappointed.
If yous think that $229+ is too much to spend on a rod, then consider the St. Croix Mojo. Before switching to the St. Croix line of rods, I had been fishing the Star Stellar Lite which is still a fine rod but I like the action and the weight of the St Croix rods better.
Source: https://saltedangler.com/spinning-rods/st-croix-avid-inshore-spinning-review/