The Downside to Big Fish...

[Big Sky]

This bugger busted my St. Croix rod right in half. Had to land him by hand. Glad the rod is still under warranty. Even in the photo this rascal is still copping an attitude.

 

[Bambistew]

Yeah, we all feel real sorry for you.

Nice fish!

 

[noharleyyet]

Nice reticle...

 

[JLS]

Cry me a river . That's like feeling sorry for Buzz when he wears out a backpack.

Which St. Croix are you using for your jigging? I may add a new rod this year to try jigging for Smallies in the Grand Ronde. Are you mostly using 1/8 oz jigs for your lake fishing?

 

[Big Sky]

JLS, yes mostly 1/8 oz. Might go as light as a 1/16 oz on small creeks. I'm using a 6 foot Medium/Light Fast Premiere. However, when I call up St. Croix I'm pretty sure they will ugrade me to an Avid rod for a minimal fee if I send in the busted rod. It's not the first one I've had break. Last time they treated me well with an upgrade hoping for the same results this time. The only difference this time is I will order the one piece instead of the two piece. You could also get away with using a 5.5' rod ultra-light. I have one in a 6.6' but would rather it be 5.5. You get a better hook set with the shorter rod, and better jigging action. It's one of the few times in life where shorter is better.

 

[Festus]

Cry me a river . That's like feeling sorry for Buzz when he wears out a backpack.

Yeah, Boo Hoo


Nice fish, again.

 

[hank4elk]

I feel for you. Been there done that more than once.
It's when you bust one on a palm size Brookie stumbling in a creek that gets to me.

 

[Big Sky]

I'm not overly upset about breaking the rod as I was wanting to upgrade it anyway. I will say I'm a little annoyed though that I've broke two St. Croix rods in the last two years. The first one wasn't even a year old, and this one is under two years old.

 

[JLS]

It's when you bust one on a palm size Brookie stumbling in a creek that gets to me.

...or shut one in a car door. It's not an easy way to learn that lesson when you're a college kid and you break your first Sage fly rod.

 

[Big Sky]

JLS, funny you should mention that. I've destroyed two Ugly Sticks and one of them was the car door trick my first year out of college. The other was last year, the two pieces were stuck together and would come apart. So I got some gloves with really good grip and gave them a twist. Apparently if you twist hard enough you can cause an Ugly Stick to basically explode. That did kind'a tick me off as I really don't know what I could have done different to get the two pieces to separate.

If I destroyed a Sage rod I'm not sure I could mentally recover from that...

 

[sbhooper]

That's what you get with those Wal Mart rods!

 

[JCS]

Terrible problem to have. If you catch the small ones you wont have any problems.


Nice fish you have been getting this year.

 

[Big Sky]

sbhooper, you know as well as I do, those St. Croix rods cost about 3 to 4 times the best Walmart has to offer. Some are 8 to 10 times more if a guy is so inclined to spend the money. With that said I wish I could find a really good new spinning rod. GLoomis was the go-to but now they are Shimano and that is not a "plus" in my mind, and Gary Loomis is no longer associated with them. Scheel's is actually making some really nice high end rods and that might have to be the direction I go. Well that is unless someone else knows something I don't about higher end medium/light or ultralight spinning rods? I'm open to suggestions there...

 

[Big Slick]

He probably heard about the fish your having mounted! Might be kin!

 

[Big Sky]

Big Slick that's funny and probably some truth in it. We all know what payback is...

 

[Adamm88]

Nice fish

As for suggestions to rods im a big fan if tfo rods, iv never had a issue with any of mine(but i dont catch the size fish you do) good luck with your tod search.

 

[Coyotes-R-Us]

No comment...
Fish on! :W:

 

[Yellowstoner]

+1 for the Scheels rods. They are the real deal.

 

[hansontyrel]

I'm not overly upset about breaking the rod as I was wanting to upgrade it anyway. I will say I'm a little annoyed though that I've broke two St. Croix rods in the last two years. The first one wasn't even a year old, and this one is under two years old.

I live pretty close to Jim Falls where they're made. The last time I swung in I picked up 6 new St. Croix for $250. Just bragging! Nice trout!

 

[Big Sky]

Hansontyrel, HOW? Where they factory seconds/blemishes or something?