Inshore anglers win with even purer legendary performance

Inshore anglers win with even purer legendary performance © St. Croix Rods

St. Croix's Legend Tournament Inshore Series has always been a winner. Voted Best Saltwater Rod upon its release at ICAST in 2017, the hyper-performing inshore series blended extremely light and sensitive SCIV carbon with top St. Croix technologies and premium saltwater components to make it a standout, winning choice for inshore anglers chasing their passions along any coast.

For 2023, St. Croix engineers and rodcrafters pushed the limits of how light an inshore rod could be without - under any circumstances - sacrificing strength or durability. While they were at it, they colabed with its expert staff of inshore anglers to create all-new handle designs that further advance balance, comfort and control, while also improving reel seats and fine-tuning guide trains.

The result? An expanded series of 19 all-new Legend Tournament Inshore casting and spinning rods that check every box, delivering technical excellence and pure performance from the cast to the retrieve to the fight without compromise. These legendary blue rods are more capable, assertive and masterful in more inshore presentations than ever before... certainly worthy of the Legend name.

Lighter and stronger inshore performance starts with St. Croix's next-generation hybrid SCIV+ carbon fiber blanks, each of which are distinct combinations of St. Croix's premium SCIV carbon fiber and exotic SCVI carbon fiber. "Hybridizing these materials in specific and proprietary percentages, locations, and combinations in each Legend Tournament Inshore blank allows us to not only build these rods lighter, but also to dial in the characteristics that positively affect balance and action," says St. Croix Brand Manager, Ryan Teach. "That means each one of these 19 rods performs to its own unique specifications - without any sacrifice to strength - all while maintaining optimal feel and balance."

Strength and durability of these new, lighter Legend Tournament Inshore rods are further fortified by St. Croix's IPC, ART, and FRS technologies. "When combined with IPC (Integrated Poly Curve) mandrel technology, which removes hinge points during the layup process for smoother and stronger actions, our new SCIV+ material really shines in its ability to transmit energy, which means even more sensitivity for the angler," Teach says. "But we also know that extremely lightweight, sensitive rods are worthless without durability. Rod failure is not an option, so ART (Advanced Reinforcing Technology) and FRS (Fortified Resin System) combine to guard against rod failure in every new Legend Tournament Inshore model. We built these next-generation Legend Tournament Inshore rods to be tougher than the anglers who fish them and gritty enough to stand up to the fights of a lifetime. We've proven it by testing every one of them on our Dynamic Analyzer and confirmed it on the water with our test staff."

Lengths, powers and actions in the new Legend Tournament Inshore series support more techniques and presentations than ever before. "We've nearly doubled the number of models available, growing the series from ten to 19 by added some of the new angler-requested lengths, powers and actions that we worked with our field staff to develop and offer in the recently reengineered Mojo Inshore Series," Teach says. "In addition to the incredible new levels of performance, Legend Tournament Inshore is now a truly comprehensive series with seven casting models and 12 spinning models to support presentations for any species along any coast. We've added light and extra-heavy power models as well moderate and moderate-fast actions to the lineup."

For saltwater sharpies chasing trophy-class fish ranging from stripers to tarpon, the new Legend Tournament Inshore Series now includes 7'11" heavy power, moderate-fast action rods in both spinning (ITLS711HMF) and casting (ITLC711HMF) configurations. These were designed based on pro-staff, angler and dealer feedback in the Northeast striper fishery, but are also great for jumbo snook, jacks and permit, or live-baiting tarpon in southern waters. Additionally, they excel when making long casts while sight-fishing for giant cobia. The moderate-fast actions soak up much of the abuse anglers absorb with faster rods while battling beasts weighing 40 pounds or more. A 7'11" medium-heavy, fast action spinning (ITLC711MHF) rod, ideal for bombing long, accurate casts to smaller inshore species, was also added.

A pair of new 7'9" extra-heavy, moderate-fast casting (ITLS79XHMF) and spinning (ITLS79XHMF) models have been designed to handle 2- to 6-oz. lures, including large metal-lip swimmers and 9" swimbaits, while applying maximum pressure on large inshore and nearshore fish. Thanks to their new SCIV+ construction, these extra-heavy power rods remain exceptionally light in the hand and remarkably balanced for such powerful sticks. Anglers will admire the strength and backbone of these models for everything from dragging giant snook away from docks and jetties, fishing for the biggest tarpon near bridges or other potential trouble, or keeping giant trevally on the flat and away from the reef.

On the lighter side, a 7'3" light-power, fast-action spinning rod (ITLS73LF) - perfect for speckled trout - rounds out some of the more noteworthy additions to the expanded and reengineered St. Croix Legend Tournament Inshore lineup.

All new Legend Tournament Inshore models feature premium componentry like lightweight, K-style stainless steel tangle-free guides with Alconite rings and custom, model-optimized hook keepers.

"The new blanks and components combine for significant improvements in balance and reduced tip weight across all models," says Teach, who adds Legend Tournament Inshore's all-new, redesigned full-cork handles play an integral role in furthering fishability. "The reel seats are integrated seamlessly within the 11 distinct full-cork handle designs that provide an extended foregrip for more comfortable fishing. We've also minimized the handle diameters and the amount of cork or 'palm-swell' behind the reel seat and added a machined aluminum locking nut to further promote comfort while enhancing feel."

Why 11 different handle designs in a 19-rod series? "Again, ergonomics and balance," Teach says. "When you apply as much time, energy and resources as we did in perfecting each individual blank, these rods would have fallen short if we'd slapped the same four handles on each of them. The 11 distinct super-grade cork handle designs vary in length and are necessary to promote proper balance in each of the individual 19 models."

Medium-heavy through extra-heavy Legend Tournament Inshore models now also feature non-marring rubber gimble butt caps which inhibits rods - especially those carrying larger, heavier reels - from banging around in the rocket launcher or holder during rough rides to and from the fishing grounds. The gimbal can also be tucked against an angler's hip during tough battles without causing the discomfort of a plastic or metal gimbal. This new soft gimbal and full handle assembly combination provide anglers the greatest leverage when trying to turn large predators away from structure like boat docks, boulder fields, reefs, jetties and bridge pilings.

Despite so many significant and notable changes in the reengineered and expanded Legend Tournament Inshore Series, anglers will appreciate that these legendary Belize Blue Metallic rods remain handcrafted in Park Falls, Wisconsin, USA with a 15-year transferrable warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service

New St. Croix Legend Tournament Inshore Features

• Next-generation technique-specific hybrid carbon fiber SCIV+ blanks
• Fortified Resin System (FRS) technology
• Advanced Reinforcing TechnologyTM (ARTTM)
• Integrated Poly Curve® (IPC®) mandrel technology
• K-Style stainless-steel tangle-free guides with Alconite rings
• Ergonomic full-grip super-grade cork handles with integrated nylon reel seat
• Precision-machined aluminum reel seat locking 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 inshore saltwater anglers worldwide
• Retail price $330 to $390

New St. Croix Legend Tournament Inshore Spinning & Casting Models

• ITLC70MLM - 7'0", medium-light power, moderate action, casting / Retail $340
• ITLS70MF - 7'0", medium power, fast action, spinning / Retail $330
• ITLC70MF - 7'0", medium power, fast action, casting / Retail $360
• ITLS70MHF - 7'0", medium-heavy power, fast action, spinning / Retail $350
• ITLC70MHF - 7'0", medium-heavy power, fast action, casting / Retail $360
• ITLS70HMF - 7'0", heavy power, moderate-fast action, spinning / Retail $350
• ITLS73LF - 7'3", light power, fast action, spinning / Retail $360
• ITLS73MLF - 7'3", medium-light power, fast action, spinning / Retail $360
• ITLS73MF - 7'3", medium power, fast action, spinning / Retail $360
• ITLS73MHF - 7'3", medium-heavy power, fast action, spinning / Retail $360
• ITLS76MF - 7'6", medium power, fast action, spinning / Retail $370
• ITLS76MHF - 7'6", medium-heavy power, fast action, spinning / Retail $370
• ITLS76HF - 7'6", heavy power, fast action, spinning / Retail $380
• ITLC76HMF - 7'6", heavy power, moderate-fast action, casting / Retail $370
• ITLS79XHMF - 7'9", extra-heavy power, moderate-fast action, spinning / Retail $390
• ITLC79XHMF - 7'9", extra-heavy power, moderate-fast action, casting / Retail $380
• ITLS711MHF - 7'11", medium-heavy power, fast action, spinning / Retail $380
• ITLS711HMF - 7'11", heavy power, moderate-fast action, spinning / Retail $380
• ITLC711HMF - 7'11", heavy power, moderate-fast action, casting / Retail $390

Reengineered to be lighter, stronger and more balanced for elevated fishing experiences along any coast, the expanded series of 19 all-new Legend Tournament Inshore spinning and casting rods exude technical excellence that checks every box. Available right now, experience the new inshore Legend at St. Croix dealers worldwide or at stcroixrods.com.