St. Croix Rod Pitches Perfect Game

New Legend Tournament® Bass Pitchin' rod - debuting at the 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic Expo - promises improved accuracy and comfort

Park Falls, WI – In bass fishing, like baseball, every pitch counts. Much like painting the corners of the plate, pitching a wakeless bait into a laydown or grass pocket is often what wins games.

"As time goes by, a lot more anglers are pitching than flipping," says Dan Johnston, National Accounts Manager for St. Croix Rods and bass fishing expert. "Down and up with one hand pitching is being used in more scenarios all the time, from docks to laydowns to grass edges. The funny thing is, many of the rods being billed as pitching rods are actually flipping sticks, and there's a big difference in the technique mechanics and what's required from a rod."

To that end, St. Croix Rod is proud to introduce a new technique-specific model to the Legend Tournament® Bass series, the 7' 5" medium-power, fast action Pitchin' rod (LBC75HMF). The St. Croix design team painstakingly considered countless factors to create the ideal pitching rod, including rod length, power, action and ergonomics, to best suit contemporary pitching situations and baits.

"First, 7'5" is the perfect length to cover a wide variety of pitching distances - from short to far - without getting in the way of common obstructions. The length is also long enough to transfer a lot of energy for sure hooksets. Secondly, the moderate-fast action protects braid and fluorocarbon lines and supplies the right amount of deflection given braid's lack of stretch. This means you can jack fish from a close distance and the rod absorbs much of the energy to keep bass buttoned. As to the heavy power, we wanted to create a rod that's simply going to get fish around cover and into the boat, end of story," says Johnston.

The Legend Tournament Bass Pitchin' rod also features the progressive, proprietary St. Croix technologies found in other Legend Tournament Bass models, including Integrated Poly Curve® (IPC®) tooling technology, Advanced Reinforcing Technology™ (ART™), and high-modulus/high-strain SCIV graphite with FRS for unparalleled strength and durability.

"The Pitchin' rod is fantastic addition to the family," notes Johnston, "We retained the Fuji K-Series Tangle-Free Guides with Alconite Rings and put a pitching/casting guide platform on it to reduce line slap and increase accuracy. The result is a rod where the line moves like a laser through the guides for far greater pitching accuracy."

The new rod also features a Fuji PTS blank-touch reel seat with built-in hood, which drops the reel farther down into the reel seat. "This is a really comfortable set-up for anglers who palm the reel when pitching. The feedback has been very positive," adds Johnston.

Missouri-based BASS Elite pro Brian Snowden is one angler who's has been very impressed with the Legend Tournament Bass Pitchin' rod. "For fishing shallow, sparse grass or laydowns in tight quarters - especially with overhanging trees - it's become my go-to stick. The length is perfect; not too long to interfere with overhanging objects but still powerful enough to set the hook while fishing in tight conditions. Its moderate-fast action allows me to fish a variety of lures ranging in size from 1/8- to ¾-ounce, which is a pretty wide and versatile range for one rod," says Snowden.

All-new for 2018, Legend Tournament Bass rods have been refined to include a new guide train, improved reel seats and split-grip cork handles. The series has also been expanded to 31 models, including new 8' plus models leading the way in long-rod performance. All Legend Tournament Bass rods boast 15-year transferable warranties backed by St. Croix Superstar Service. Retail prices range from $250 to $400.