St. Croix Reveals All-New Legend Tournament Bass Series GRASP Swimbait Models in ICAST 2022 New Product Showcase

Innovative angler interface meets SCIV+ hybrid blank design and other top technologies in three all-new performance-forward swimbait rods

Building on its expanding and proprietary expertise with hybrid blank development, St. Croix's latest expression of angler-centric design became reality in March of this year when 24 all-new Legend Tournament Bass rods were made available to anglers. Designed and handcrafted to be lighter and stronger than previous Legend Tournament Bass models with all-new SCIV+ and iACT Glass blanks, evolved ergonomics, and contemporary cosmetics, these 24 premium, technique-specific rods elevate the bass-fishing experience with improved balance, performance, and capability in any technique or presentation.

New St. Croix Legend Tournament Bass GRASP Swimbait Rods

Set to be unveiled next week in the ICAST 2022 New Product Showcase, a trio of all-new Legend Tournament Bass swimbait models firmly establishes a new standard in heavy-bass-lure rod design and performance. Designed to excel in the presentation of swimbaits and Alabama rigs, these three all-new swimbait rods bring the newly reimagined Legend Tournament Bass Series to an expansive total of 27 distinct technique-specific high-performance models for the benefit of anglers.

NEW Legend Tournament Bass LIGHT SWIMBAIT / LBTC710HF - 7'10", heavy power, fast action, 14-80-pound line, ¾-3-ounce lures / Retail $350

NEW Legend Tournament Bass MID SWIMBAIT / LBTC710XHF - 7'10", extra-heavy power, fast action, 14-80-pound line, 2-5-ounce lures / Retail $360

NEW Legend Tournament Bass HEAVY SWIMBAIT / LBTC86XXHFT - 8'6", extra-extra-heavy power, fast action, 14-80-pound line, 4-8-ounce lures / Retail $395

New Legend Tournament Bass swimbait rods have the distinction of being the first-ever contemporary St. Croix rods released with proprietary St. Croix-designed and manufactured componentry - in this case, the all-new St. Croix GRASP (patent pending) real seat.

"The angler-requested St. Croix-exclusive GRASP reel seat represents St. Croix's take on a casting rod handle design with its legally documented origins in the 1940's," says Teach. "The improved design of GRASP helps give anglers the upper hand by delivering superior ergonomic control of Legend Tournament Bass swimbait rods during the cast, retrieve, and throughout fight."

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 Bass swimbait rods feature next-generation hybrid SCIV+ carbon fiber blanks. "Recent launches of Croix Custom Ice, Legend Xtreme, Victory, Panfish and other series have proven the performance advantages that can be attained using hybrid blank designs," says St. Croix Brand Manager, Ryan Teach. "We're building rods for anglers today that are markedly lighter, stronger and better balanced than previous models, and these hybrid designs are also allowing us to dial in specific models within each series to possess the unique performance characteristics that allow them to excel in their intended applications. In other words, rods within the same series may look the same, but each individual blank contains a different and distinct combination of materials. In the case of these new Legend Tournament Bass rods, those materials are high modulus SCIV carbon, super-high modulus SCVI exotic carbon. The specific and proprietary percentages, locations, and combinations are based on exhaustive research and testing for each length, power, and action. In these heavier-power swimbait rods, for example, we use a greater percentage of SCVI material and less SCIV to minimize tip weight and rod torque."

In addition to their distinct hybrid blank designs, new Legend Tournament Bass swimbait rods also feature all of St. Croix's top technologies including IPC, ART, FRS, and TET. When combined with IPC (Integrated Poly Curve) mandrel technology, St. Croix's new SCIV+ material has been lauded by rod engineers and beta-test anglers for its ability to transmit energy. IPC removes hinge points during the layup process for smoother actions, and ART (Advanced Reinforcing Technology) reinforces key transition areas. "Extremely lightweight, sensitive rods are worthless without durability," says Teach. "ART and FRS (Fortified Resin System) combine to guard against rod failure in every new Legend Tournament Bass model, including these three powerful new swimbait rods. It's been proven on our Dynamic Analyzer and confirmed on the water by our Analytical Team."