ST. CROIX AVID TREK TRAVEL SPINNING ROD REVIEW





Unpacking the ST. CROIX AVID TREK TRAVEL ROD

First impressions matter and the team at St. Croix clearly thought this through with the Avid Trek travel rod. The rod is packaged inside of a travel tube that comes inside of a solid cardboard retail box well secured and protected for shipping.

The travel tube is made from tough cordura and hard plastic material capable of standing up to the rigors of road and air travel. Instead of a round or even square tube that has for years been customary with any type of travel case, St Croix has opted for an oval version of travel tube design. This is kind of a big deal as many other travel tubes can be hard to get rods back into easily.

The St. Croix Avid Trek travel rod is a well built 3-piece stick with polished blanks and high quality wraps and finish. This rod is not trying to win awards with razzle dazzle and eye popping colors or features. It’s a traditional looking rod that seems well built and is done so with top quality components.

The Avid Trek includes a Sea Guide hook keeper and Hero Hi-Grade guides with zirconia rings and stainless gun smoke frames. It also has an uplocking Fuji DPS reel seat with gun smoke hoods. The handle is made of quality cork.

With the 15-year transferable warranty from St. Croix the Avid Trek is also a rod meant to last.

Field Testing the AVID TREK TRAVEL

To test the St. Croix Avid Trek travel rod, Baitstick paired a 7’ medium power, fast-action rod with a new Shimano Vanford spinning reel spooled with 30lb braid and a 15lb fluorocarbon leader. Testing was completed from a boat and by fishing, casting and jigging spoons as well as swimbaits and jigs.

Rod is light in weight at just over 5 ounces (5.1 ounces to be exact). Baitstick found the St. Croix Avid Trek travel rod to be a very responsive stick that is well balanced and transitions power smoothly from butt to tip. The rod cast heavy lures well and had some serious backbone for setting the hook and fighting fish.

The Avid Trek keeps things focused on performance and does not leave much room for flash and decoration. The rod lacks gimmicks (good thing) and is not built with some of the fancy ergonomics seen in some other newly released rods. The St. Croix Avid Trek is focused more on simple, effective, comfortable style.

All of the high performance and quality construction of the 3-piece travel rod from St. Croix comes at a price, and it’s a high price. Baitstick purchased the St. Croix Avid Trek travel rod at a retail store for the commonly found price of $260. While a premium product does not surprisingly come with a premium price, the price tag of $260 may put the St. Croix Avid Trek travel rod out of the reach of many budget minded anglers. Still, for anglers looking for a travel rod that comes with the performance of high quality one and two piece rods then the St. Croix Avid Trek travel rod is one not to be missed.

The Takeaway

The Avid Trek travel rod is a top notch travel rod from St. Croix, a company with a history of making solid, no-nonsense fishing products and standing behind them. The rod packs a punch, even for being a 3-piece design. And as result, it is most likely overkill for the needs of a beginner angler. But the model tested by Baitstick will work great for more seasoned anglers chasing largemouth and smallmouth bass, as well as walleye. The Avid Trek commands a high price and, as a result, is not necessarily the right product for all anglers, unless the flexibility and convenience of a 3-piece travel rod is the biggest need of an angler in the market for a great travel rod and looking to hit the road to some fish. The rod could be used as an everyday rod with the added bonus of being a travel rod. With the15-year transferable warranty from St. Croix the Avid Trek is also a rod meant to last.