Musky Anglers: Get a Grip on Pinnacle Performance
"No doubt, we make a lot of exceptional musky rods," says St. Croix Engineering Supervisor and self-described musky nut, Gavin Falk. "But even with everything we do to ensure an elevated fishing experience for musky anglers across multiple price points, there's a reason so many elite-level musky anglers consistently reach for our blue rods. All the St. Croix technologies are there along with uncompromising components, but it's those SCIV carbon blanks that have really green-lighted Legend Tournament Musky rods in the brains and hands of musky anglers in the know. The material just makes such a light and sensitive rod. Combine that with the fact that anglers can choose from so many different lengths, powers and actions, and you can start to understand why the Legend Tournament Musky Series has always been so special. And we recently set out to make them even better."
Origin Story
Falk says St. Croix organized a Musky Round Table event a couple years ago where they challenged the who's who of the musky world to critique and offer insights on every musky rod St. Croix has ever made. "All the best musky anglers were there on the shores of Big St. Germain Lake in Northern Wisconsin, and we pressed them to open up and tell us everything the liked and didn't like about all St. Croix musky rod models and series in a very open setting," Falk recalls. "Everything they told us was like pizza, cold beer and peach pie to our engineers… we couldn't get enough. We took our notes back to the full team and set our sights on an epic rebuild of what everybody told us was already the best musky series out there… Legend Tournament Musky. Today, the next generation of all-new Legend Tournament Musky rods are available to anglers."
Reengineered and Expanded Legend Tournament Musky Series
Available today, St. Croix Rod introduces the next generation of Legend Tournament Musky - rods that are lighter, stronger, more balanced, and more comfortable to fish for hours on end than any previous St. Croix musky rod. "This is destined to be a defining series for St. Croix," says St. Croix Brand Manager, Ryan Teach. "Put simply, the next-generation Legend Tournament Musky Series is comprised of the finest musky rods St. Croix has ever built."Teach says SCIV+ material retains all the best attributes of SCIV carbon, while taking weight off the tips to make each rod lighter and more balanced while - as amazing as it sounds - making them even stronger and more durable at the same time. "All of this means easier fishing with a lot less worry," Teach adds. "We've tested, refined and reengineered these 21 new Legend Tournament Musky models repeatedly over the past couple years to make sure anglers will be blown away by any new Legend Tournament Musky rod they invest in."
In addition to their distinct hybrid blank designs, new Legend Tournament Musky rods also feature St. Croix's top technologies including IPC, ART and FRS. "When combined with IPC (Integrated Poly Curve) mandrel technology, our new SCIV+ material really shines in its ability to transmit energy, which means even more sensitivity for the angler," Teach says. "Each distinct thump of the blade or a single small piece of grass fouling the action of a jerkbait… anglers are going to feel it." Meanwhile, ART (Advanced Reinforcing Technology) is added to further reinforce key transition areas between the SCIV and SCVI materials. "Simply put, these are the most durable Legend Tournament Musky rods to date. We've proven this on the water via our test staff, as well as inside the factory on our Dynamic Analyzer."
GRASP Technology
St. Croix didn't stop with lighter, stronger and more sensitive performance in its redesign of Legend Tournament Musky. "Angler ergonomics are important in any style of fishing, because if their rod can help them fish longer with less effort and less fatigue they're going to enjoy their outings more and increase their chances for success," says Falk, adding that the scale of the tackle employed makes ergonomics an especially critical consideration for musky anglers."Our team knew we had a real opportunity here," offers Teach. "So we engaged our field staff - some of the best and most-respected musky anglers in the country - to help us engineer a new angler interface that would make our next-generation Legend Tournament Musky rods even more fishable than they already were.
GRASP effectively combats the hand and wrist fatigue that commonly sets in when casting and retrieving heavy lures and doing battle with large, powerful fish. GRASP accomplishes this by always keeping the wrist properly aligned while affording the most comfortable and efficient grip on the rod and casting reel - straight and in line with the rod in the ultimate palming position, not canted back when casting or canted forward while retrieving as commonly happens with traditional casting-rod grips. The result is total control over rod and fish, with less fatigue so anglers can fish longer, harder, and earn more success.
In addition to GRASP's ergonomic design, its angler interface is sweetened with an extremely durable and tactile SoftTouch coating. "The selection of the proper coating took years of discovery, trial and error, and it's a big part of what makes GRASP distinct in the marketplace," Teach says. "The SoftTouch coating we landed on is just as important as the refined geometries that make GRASP a complete and unique design. It is incredibly resilient yet remains slightly tacky when wet."
New Legend Tournament Musky models are available in the lengths, powers and actions that support a complete range of musky presentations and techniques. Ranging in length from 7'6" to 9'6" in medium-light through extra-heavy power, all new Legend Tournament Musky rods have fast actions, with the exception of the moderate-fast 8'3" LIPSTICK II model. Five telescopic (T) models with a collapsible design are also available, reducing overall length to 90" or 94" (depending on model) for easier transport and storage.
Blue-rod afficionados will also appreciate that some parts of Legend Tournament Musky have not changed. Namely, they're still handcrafted in Park Falls, Wisconsin, USA with a 15-year transferrable warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service and they still retain their iconic Tournament Blue Pearl color. Most of the recognizable model names are back, too, as well as some brand new ones like BLUE OX, TOOTH FAIRY and GRINDER, which are destined to become angler favorites.
Reengineered St. Croix Legend Tournament Musky Features
- Next-generation technique-specific hybrid SCIV+ carbon fiber blanks
- Fortified Resin System (FRS) technology
- Advanced Reinforcing TechnologyTM (ARTTM)
- Integrated Poly Curve® (IPC®) mandrel technology
- K-Style tangle-free stainless-steel guides with Alconite rings
- Ergonomic full-grip super-grade cork/premium EVA hybrid handles on select models
- Ergonomic split-grip super-grade cork handles on select models
- St. Croix GRASP reel seat with ergonomic complimenting componentry on all models
- Precision-machined aluminum reel seat nut
- Model specific hook keepers
- 15-year transferable warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service
- Designed and handcrafted in Park Falls, U.S.A. for musky anglers worldwide
- Retail price $380 to $500
Reengineered St. Croix Legend Tournament Musky Models
- TWITCH STICK / LMTSC710MF - 7'10", medium power, fast action, split-grip, casting / Retail $380
- LIL' DAWG / LMTSC86MLF - 8'6", medium-light power, fast action, split-grip, casting / Retail $390
- BANTAM BAIT / LMTSC90MLF - 9'0", medium-light power, fast action, split-grip, casting / Retail $400
- THE JERK II / LMTSC76HF - 7'6", heavy power, fast action, split-grip, casting / Retail $380
- THE JERK II / LMTFC76HF - 7'6", heavy power, fast action, full-grip, casting / Retail $385
- LIPSTICK II / LMTSC83HMF - 8'3", heavy power, moderate-fast action, split-grip, casting / Retail $405
- TOP-N-TAIL / LMTSC80MHF - 8'0", medium-heavy power, fast action, split-grip, casting / Retail $390
- SWITCH BLADE / LMTSC80HF - 8'0", heavy power, fast action, split-grip, casting / Retail $395
- SWITCH BLADE / LMTFC80HF - 8'0", heavy power, fast action, full-grip, casting / Retail $400
- LONG RANGER / LMTSC86MHF - 8'6", medium-heavy power, fast action, split-grip, casting / Retail $410
- SLING BLADE / LMTSC86HF - 8'6", heavy power, fast action, split-grip, casting / Retail $420
- SLING BLADE / LMTFC86HF - 8'6", heavy power, fast action, full-grip, casting / Retail $425
- BIG DAWG / LMTFC86XHF - 8'6", extra-heavy power, fast action, full-grip, casting / Retail $430
- GRINDER / LMTSC90MHF - 9'0", medium-heavy power, fast action, split-grip, casting / Retail $435
- BIG NASTY / LMTFC90HF - 9'0", heavy power, fast action, full-grip, casting / Retail $440
- BLUE OX / LMTFC90XHF - 9'0", extra-heavy power, fast action, full-grip, casting / Retail $450
- BIG FOOT / LMTSC90MHFT - 9'0" (collapses to 94" storage length), medium-heavy power, fast action, split-grip, casting / Retail $470
- SLING SHOT II / LMTSC96MHFT - 9'6" (collapses to 94" storage length), medium-heavy power, fast action, split-grip, casting / Retail $475
- TOOTH FAIRY / LMTFC86HFT - 8'6" (collapses to 90" storage length), heavy power, fast action, full-grip, casting / Retail $460
- BEEF STICK / LMTFC90HFT - 9'0" (collapses to 94" storage length), heavy power, fast action, full-grip, casting / Retail $475
- BLADEMASTER II / LMTFC96HFT - 9'6" (collapses to 94" storage length), heavy power, fast action, full-grip, casting / Retail $500
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