St. Croix Victory Review: Does It Compete?
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- Опубліковано 2 гру 2024
- The St. Croix Victory has shaken the market this past year, offering a large selection of rods to cover any technique you can think of at a reasonable price. If their light weight, quality components and low price aren't enough to convince you, St. Croix backs it with a 15 year warranty. What are you waiting for? Try yours at www.americanle...
www.americanle...
Just bought the Victory 6'10 Lite Weight model. Cant wait to fish with it!! Great video bro.
Honestly really great review and your feedback was really in depth and informative. You earned a sub from me and deserve a ton more subscribers. Keep up the great content
Bought my victory finesse couple days ago and it feels and light like NRX rod
I just bought the same rod from a local dealer on sale 25% off. I'm very impressed. Definity the most sensitive rod in my bass collection. Looking forward to catching alot of fish with it.
I have like six of these victory models now, and a lot of the characteristics of this one carryover to the others. The rods are all a bit slower than listed with soft tips, and the 7’2 MH moderate rod is nowhere near a MH power. I bought it as a chatterbait rod but it can’t even cast a 3/8 chatterbait accurately cause it doesn’t have the backbone. It’s more like a medium moderate, and Ive fallen in love with it for squarebill/lipless. The 7’3 MH comes with me everywhere, it’s absolutely fantastic as a versatile rod but shines for jig hooked moving baits - i have a swim jig on it like 90% of the time but it’s awes for weightless plastics and light t rigs, small jigs, spinnerbaits, flashy swimmers… love it
I have that 7'2 MH moderate in the Bass X line, I too bought it as a chatterbait rod and transitioned it to a crankbait rod. I'm totally trying more from this line, including the 7'3 H modfast for chatterbaits, and the 6'8 M Jerkbait rod. It's such a great line
Yuuup i bought my 7'4" heavy victory for $145 i had to jump on that deal! Plus 15 year warranty 👍💪. Nice work my friend 👍👏
To balance it man, get some furniture leg caps or lacrosse stick butt caps and put them on the end. Use talcum powder in the cap and use coins to balance it. Ive done it on several of my rods, even though it's adding weight, it makes the rod feel lighter because it's better balanced. Hope that helps.
There's more to rod balance then just balance point. The reel seat position and length of the butt section play big parts in the torque of the rod. I have a 7'1 M/F Legend Tournament with a Lews Hypermag and its tip heavy. I used furniture caps to balance it right at the reel, but all that did was make the rod heavier and the tip slightly easier to lift up. I used it for a few weeks, then just went back to normal. Maybe some people will like it, but I just preferred having it weigh less. Rods are either made with balance or they're not, putting butt weights on them really doesn't make them more comfortable to fish.
Dude awesome review. Really informative. I like the taper on that rod. I've heard these victories are crazy light for the price. This confirms it. Cheers.
They're surprisingly light. You'd usually have to pay much more money to get these kind of weight numbers!
I have the 7'3" MHF and absolutely love it. The thin handle needs a small reel, but one I found that I have no complaints. I want them all honestly. With all St. Croix it's important to remember they have stout backbones and a unique take on tapers. What they call an XF tip is really just and extra soft tip and what they call moderate is very moderate and whippy. It's goofy, but once you understand their take on tapers they have great sticks.
How does it do on bass 10 lbs and over?
I live up north, so 6.5 lbs is my PB. Handles my larger fish well. The 73MHF is powerful with a deep load into the rod. I cant imagine it having trouble on a 10. People catch 10's on light spinning tackle. Its all about how you play them no matter what rod you use.@@chriswalls5831
All this rod did was make me hope they transition this model into their higher end lines.
Or get an 873c CRR. Whichever. I'm glad you got to smash that big one on it, Mitchy!
Nice video, brother! I just got my first St. Croix Victory rod a few days ago. I'm planning a review on it myself. Mine is the cranking rod.
Sub'd to the channel. Keep up the good work!
Thank you sir! I hope you like your Victory! I've been loving mine, I've since added the Jerkbait rod to my collection and it's incredible as well
I love these rods. Just purchased my 2nd. The new one is a 7'11" knockout, which I'm very excited about. I'm not sure but maybe having it off balance towards the front is why I liked it so much though. I'm thinking it would theoretically give you more sensitivity to any forward pressure or nudges the fish might cause. I think the fact that its front heavy might allow you to detect any forward/downward pressure much more effortlessly....but whether a fish slams it or just softly inhales it I can feel almost everything with these rods.......................Unfortunately my last one literally exploded in my hands. I honestly pushed it past its rating though and that's definitely why it broke lol (saltwater fishing). It was a very sad day because I LOVED THAT ROD! I still need to try their warranty process. If they're actually that good I've got a number of St. Croix rods I've broken over the years (all my fault). My other favorite is the Shimano Expride. If you haven't already tried it, I highly recommend it for your next review. Thanks for making this video!
One of the things I love about the Victory line is the wide variety of models they offer, there is something for every technique you can imagine. I haven't been unfortunate enough to have to use their warranty, but I've heard from others it's a breeze!
In some cases, I prefer a little bit of tip heaviness when fishing moving baits, only because I'm keeping the tip down anyway.
The Shimano Expride is an AWESOME rod. I have the 7'3 XH for Frogs, but I haven't used it enough to make a review. Unfortunately, I probably won't be catching any frog fish for quite a few months 😅
From a pure ergonomic standpoint, these rods are competitive with all of my crazy NRX, Conquest, Legend X, etc. My current jerkbait setup is a 68mxf victory with a metanium and it’s an unbelievable. For those baits, it fishes like a rod costing twice as much. The victories aren’t going to be as sensitive…you just aren’t going to find Conquest caliber sensitivity for $200. But they’re every bit as lightweight and comfortable to fish. I’m in the process of converting all of my “reaction” style setups to these. NRX caliber weight/comfort for $200 is almost unbelievable…
By the way, my old metal band toured with Sid Wilson from Slipknot about 10 years ago when he was doing his DJ Starscream thing. I got high as fuck with him out back every night of the tour. He’s a good dude….explained a lot of the Slipknot symbology to us 🤙
Hey man! I've got to 68mxf Victory too and it's insane! It's stupid light and the perfect action for jerkbaits, it's hard to imagine a better jerkbait rod especially for that price. I've also got the 6'10 M Expride everyone loses their mind over and I'd happily use either. I threw some 30lb braid on the Victory and used it for top water, it does that very well too. It's a total gem and a standout in the Victory line for me.
That's a sick story about Sid dude!! That must have been a hell of a time 😅 I just got over COVID I caught from the Slipknot mosh pit a few weekends ago, was totally worth it lol
@@FishinMitch
I’ve always loved st croix’s 68mxf. I have almost every model they make in it…like you said in the video, their extra fast is *not* extra fast but they’re really good, fast-ish rods
Would you the Victory 6’8” MXF for skipping wacky?
Hey man, just looking into these Victory Rods a bit. I saw you have another video talking about the Dobyns Colt line in the 734 for chatterbaits. I know there is a price point difference, but would you say this Full Contact Finesse rod in the Victory line would be worth the price jump from the Colt specifically for chatters?
I am also considering the Dobyns Maverick line in a 733, 734 & 735 for that purpose. Appreciate your videos and your time man!
Hey! I'd say the full contact finesse is a little too stout for chatterbaits. They do make the Victory Rip N Chatter, but I don't have any experience with that specific model. I've used the Colt 734 extensively for chatterbaits and it is excellent, especially for $80! I haven't used the Maverick but heard they're comparable to the Colt
Sweet, thanks for the reply man, appreciate it! I did pick up this rod today, Scheel’s in my area had a special where you get a $50 gift card when you buy a St. Croix Rod at $205 or more.
I haven’t fished a ton of bottom contact, but sounds like this will be a nice rod to get me started with some of that! Great video man, and thanks for your time!
@@ljj4206 That's a good deal, hard to pass that up! It's a great rod for Texas rigs, jigs, flipping, etc. I'd also throw heavy Spinnerbaits, medium sized swimsuits, etc. Hope you like it!!
Thanks man, appreciate it! Found a solid deal today at Midway USA for St. Croix rods also. Grabbed a Rip N Chatter in Victory as well, will let you know how that is also.
Excited about the techniques you mentioned for this Full Contact Finesse, I’m sure I’ll take a liking to it!
I got the 7’1 Medium heavy fast action casting model just before they released their full lineup and I was sad I missed out on the 7’5 model. Do you think it’s that much of the difference?
Honestly my man, I've only ever used the 7'3 H so it's difficult for me to say! They're all great rods that excel in different techniques, so while the 7'1 MH may be a great all around rod, the 7'5 may be a little better for heavier cover!
Great vid. Have you had a chance to try other Victory models? I know inventory is hard to come by. Would you say this particular rod would be for bottom contact fishing setups only like Texas and Carolina rigs? I fish my local river with 1-6” crankbaits and spinner/buzz baits, but I also have fished Texas rigs and weighted plastics. I like top waters too lol. Seems I need three different rods? Have only been fishing since April but I freaking love it and go out 4-5 times a week now. I only have an Abu Garcia Black Maxx caster combo and enjoy it but I want to step up my game. Any insight would be much welcomed. Thanks!!!
No more Victories yet! My lakes are beginning to freeze now anyway, so hopefully in the Spring I'll get my hands on a few more!. I'd say this rod excels at bottom contact, but could absolutely double for moving baits like Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Once you start getting into crankbaits though, you want a rod with much more give and flex so you don't rip the treble hooks out of the fish.
Your current Black Maxx combo is likely a 7' MH? That should suffice for top water for now, and even shallow crankbaits on a budget. I started out with a 6'6 MH Berkeley Lightning Rod with a Silver Max and 12# mono. I threw literally EVERYTHING on that rod. There is no doubt however that having specified gear amplifies your experience, and the right tool for the job makes it much easier. Figure out your FAVORITE technique, and step up the quality there. For me, having a good quality all around combo was very important, so my first nice rod was a 7' MH Shimano Zodias that i still use frequently. If you're spending good money on a rod, you want to use it A LOT!
I'd say if you want a crankbait rod, there's the Victory 7'2 MHM (the last M being "Moderate"). It's a great all around cranking rod. 1.5 square bills, DT6s, rattle traps, anything up to 10' divers and 1/2 oz this rod throws great. I have the BassX version of this rod and it's performed incredibly well for $120. I highly recommend either. You don't need totally expensive rods for cranking and other moving baits, you just want them to throw your bait a long way and have the correct action for the application (lots of give for treble hooks, more backbone for single hooks like Buzzbaits/Spinnerbaits)
Learn from me. I bought a bunch of cheap combos to begin with and ended up selling most of them all to upgrade within a year. The $200 price point is the peak value:quality ratio in my eyes. Shimano Zodias, St. Croix Victory, Daiwa Rebellion, Falcon Expert, etc. However, your dollar goes further for BOTTOM CONTACT techniques. You're paying for sensitivity, which means you feel more bites. Moving baits, 95% of the time the bite is obvious. I still use an $80 Dobyns Colt 734 for my Chatterbaits and Spinnerbaits.
Thanks for watching, if you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask!
@@FishinMitch this just made my day. A thoughtful, thorough, and quick reply to a newbie fisherman who wants to embrace this hobby and get the most out of my time on the river and lake. The black maxx caster is a 6’6” 1/4-5/8oz medium and maybe Mf action? 6:4:1 gear ratio. Not sure what I should put on this one primarily but I have caught spotted bass in the river on top water poppers and buzz baits. My very first combo was a spinner ugly stik GX2 6’6” and I’d catch spotted and catfish on spoons and crankbaits on the river over the summer. But I would lose a ton of lures too (rocks/trees) and could never truly tell I set a hook till I was like “oh I got a fish”. I don’t want that anymore. I want to feel the difference between a rock and a bite. I want to be able to actually set a hook. As for my goal for 2022: in an ideal world I still use the two rods I have now (I know they are basic but gotta start somewhere) and I have them set up for the limited techniques they are likely to be good at. Then I get a $400-500 rod/reel combo that as a good amount of versatility to do the techniques that I enjoy the most. Issue is idk what I enjoy the most because I don’t have the right gear to match the lures. I freaking love a top water blow up. Who doesn’t. Would love a rod/reel for that. I have a ton of crankbaits (1-6’ a few deeper) with treble hooks. Those are fun too. Then I have spinners and buzz baits. Oh and weighted hooks for Texas rigging chartreuse 5-6” worms. The issue - I put lures before rod/reel and now I have all this tackle and not the right arsenal to use all that ammunition. I saw some charts at Croix published on their victory line (on their instagram page) and I’m not too sure how much faith I should put into it as some of the check marks don’t seem to make sense based on the power and action ratings. Had my eyes on VTC72MHMF which seems to NOT be a bottom contact rod at all but will crush jerk, spin, buzz, and most cranks. But if I wanted a bottom contact exclusive rod maybe it’s the VTC73MHF (just can’t use that one for top waters or jerks) maybe I need to buy two new rods? (Then we need a whole other chat on reels lol though I’m leaning Shimano Curado)
@@ajmi982 If there's one thing I can do for hours it's talk fishing 🤣
That 6'6 M you have is actually a PERFECT combo for poppers, walking baits, lighter buzzbaits, small crankbaits and jerkbaits. None of these techniques really rely on sensitivity, so it'll do all of them well. The lighter power (medium) should mean it inherently has some decent flex to it, which makes it good for treble hooked baits.
Here's my advice to you. The 6'6 M is fine for topwaters for now. Shouldn't have any issue there.
I'd say you definitely need an all around rod that can do whatever you ask of it. Since you're bank fishing, longer rods tend to be a little unruly on casts. I've hit plenty of branches on my backswing 😬. I'd say 7', or 7'3 at the absolute longest. Medium Heavy is the most versatile rod power there is. You can throw anywhere from 1/4-5/8 Texas rigs and jigs, and also have a rod capable of throwing bigger moving baits like chatterbaits, 1/2 oz Spinnerbaits, swimjigs, buzzbaits, small frogs, anything you feel like throwing at it. This seems to align with what you want and what you currently fish. It would allow you to have a top water tied on your Black Maxx, something on your Ugly Stick, and then rotate between almost anything else on your nice combo.
As for reels...it's difficult to find a reel on the market that beats the Shimano SLX for the money. For the longest time I tried figuring out what I should invest more money in, the rod or the reel. With the SLX on the market, you don't need to invest a ton on the reel. $100 for the basic one, $130 for the SLX XT (better brakes), and $150 for the SLX MGL. All awesome reels.
As a "newbie", I think you should also join the American Legacy Fishing Outdoors Community page on Facebook, and check out Americanlegacyfishing.com. Tons of members who are knowledgeable in fishing and gear that can help with any questions you have.
The website also has a great used section with tons of higher end gear for cheaper prices. If you're not dead set on St. Croix, they have plenty of nice rods at a discounted price. They're also running a sale on the SLX rod and reel combos, that's a great combo you can get for cheap. Like, 2 rods and reels for $250 cheap lol.
Also, follow Fishin.mitch on Instagram if you have one and send me a message there! Feel free to ask any more questions and talk fishing at any time.
Mitch
Just got the 7’ 2 “ MMF for square bills and? Will it work for a 3/8 to 1/2 jackhammer or is it to whippy? Haven’t fished it yet, I’m thinking my 7’ 1” mojo bass MHF I bought for Texas rigs might be better, love that rod. Your thoughts
Nice job! Always trust a man in a Slipknot hoodie. 😁
Thank you my friend! I had just seen them live and was wearing it around the house all week 😅
I have 10 different St. Criox rods ranging from UL Panfish spinning up to 7'6" Legend Tournement. Love them but balance is terrible in the casting models and yes all of them are way more moderate then their rating says. Being that moderate is one of the things I love and the warranty also. I have bought some shimano Exprides love the weight and sensitivity but wish they had some of the moderate actions of the St. Croix.
Wish I would have seen this before ordering one of these lol. I'm used to very good balance, and I was planning on using this for small frogs so tip heavy is a no go for me. Luckily I ordered from where I work so I can just return it if I don't like it right away
Don't get me wrong, it's a great rod and it would be nearly untouchable at the price if it were balanced. It will work for frogs but I'm not sure how comfortable it will be for a long day of frogging!
@@FishinMitch Tried it out for maybe 20 casts with the frog, it's not too bad. But ya, a long day of working that rod tip would have my wrist hurtin' lol. I really wish Shimano still had the old Zodias/Expride 7'2" heavy available so I could try one of those. Not interested in a hard carbon butt section digging into my ribs when setting the hook hard on a frog.
I have that rod also. Great rod!
Bull bay LMG rods made in the USA with lifetime warranty and is $160
Which Rod do you prefer between the victory and the Zodias?
After using both pretty extensively, I'd probably choose the Zodias as I think the quality is just a little nicer overall, the rods tend to be balanced better too. But if a good warranty is important to you don't disregard the Victory!
@@FishinMitch thanks 👍for the details. I am a big St. Croix fan. But I decided to go with the 7’2MH Zodias. It’s going to be my first higher end bass rod. As I typically spend around $80-$130. Not that color match is important. But it will look good with my Revo SX gen4.
@@robertmetcalfe8828 I'm nearly certain you will love that rod. The 7'2 MH and H are standouts in all of Shimano's lines
I'm not a huge fan on mine. It's very unbalanced. I had to throw a heavy reel on mine to balance it out. You should check out the falcon cara series. It will blow you away
I got rid of my Victory shortly after this review. They're solid rods for $200, but the longer, heavier power rods are just too unbalanced for me. I have their 6'8 M Jerkbait rod and it's great. Very light and balanced perfectly. St. Croix just has a hard time getting it right with their longer rods.
And as for the Falcons...I've got 6 Caras and 1 Lowrider so far. They're ridiculous. I plan on doing a review of the Cara line in the spring once I get adequate time fishing them all!
@@FishinMitch I agree I think the lowriders are amazing for the price. Also ark makes a killer rod. Gotta check them out.
@@tegteg798 I've got a buddy who's trying to get me to buy an Invoker, I may have to. I've heard great things!
How would you compare this rod to the Shimano zodias heavy model? Which one would you recommend?
Great question!
While I've only ever used the 7'5 H Zodias, I feel a lot of my experience with it would apply to the 7'2 H model.
The Zodias may be a little heavier than the Victory, but makes up for it in balance. My 7'5 was balanced very well and felt amazing in the hand.
The Zodias is also definitely a faster action rod than the Victory, so I'd feel more comfortable throwing larger presentations with it, like 1/2 oz + jigs, Texas rigs, etc. The 7'3 H Victory feels like a "Heavy Med-Heavy" while the Heavy Zodias feels like a true Heavy bottom contact rod. The more moderate action on the Victory could make it more versatile, I'd feel fine throwing chatterbaits, swimbaits, big Spinnerbaits etc. on it in a pinch!
Victory hands down has a better warranty at 15 years, and is $20 cheaper than the Zodias. Shimano offers a 1 year free replacement warranty on manufacturer defects. After that, they offer a rod replacement program where you can pay 50% MSRP to have the same rod shipped out to you, you just ship the broken rod back. Halfway decent, but doesn't match St. Croix.
Sensitivity on the Zodias is a notch above the Victory in my experience, not to say the Victory isn't sensitive. Hell, I caught my PB on the Victory. It's a great rod. But if the bite was super subtle, I'd prefer the Zodias in my hands.
Sorry for the long response, hope it helps!
@@FishinMitch Thanks Mitch! Great answer and nice PB Bassi! I actually just purchased the Shimano Zodias 7ft medium light spinning rod for my spybaits and drop shot rod during the Black Friday deal on tacklewarehouse. My next rod I'm looking for is a long casting spinner bait and chatter bait rod in that 7ft 2in -7ft 3in range. Sounds like The Victory may be a better choice! Do you think that Victory rod could handle 1/2 oz spinnerbaits? Thanks again.
@@nicknush1630 Of course my friend! I'd feel comfortable throwing a 1/2 oz Spinnerbait/Chatterbait on the 7'3 H Victory. It's got a solid backbone to drive the hook but loads up well to fight the fish. 1/2 oz with trailer is probably topping out what I'm comfortable tossing on that rod.
Another option would be the 7'2 H Rip N Chatter model, specifically made for throwing chatterbaits and other heavy moving baits. I'm trying to get my hands on one so I can review it!
If you're still interested in a 7'2 H Zodias, check out the used one on American Legacy Fishing...pretty good deal right now for the remainder of the night!
www.americanlegacyfishing.com/shimano-zodias-zdc72ha-7-2-heavy-casting-rod-used-excellent-condition.html
@@FishinMitch Thanks Mitch!
There’s not a standard for powers or actions throughout rod manufacturing and St Croix is much different than Loomis or Shimano or Daiwa or Dobyns….. St Croix is made in USA and a super warranty,
They make some in Mexico
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