Shimano Expride vs St. Croix LTB? EDITED

Riazuli · February 03, 2018, 10:57:21 PM

Hey everyone, what are your thoughts on a Shimano Expride vs St. Croix LTB? I am going to be using it mainly for cranking and am looking at a ~7' M/Mod (LTB) or M/Mod (Expride) setup for 1/2-3/4 oz lures. I've heard mixed reviews and am not really sure here. To me, it's a nicer looking rod, and I will be pairing it with a Shimano reel, but the LTB seems like a good bet too. Would like to stay in this price range and compare these two rods for my purposes. Any suggestions?

analfisherman · February 04, 2018, 12:31:44 AM

Have numerous Avids......didn't like the X because I'm not big on Micro guides.
Plus regular Avid has lifetime warranty and X has 15 yrs....incidentally Shimano has a 1 yr.

Avids are great rods, X has Kigan Guides, regular Avid has Fuji® Alconite® Concept Guide System.
Blanks are the same.

Expride feels good but I haven't fished one.

Both are about same weight .3 lighter on the Expride side.

Expride $249 JDM Expride $329 (not sure which Expride But found a 7' 2 Piece Retail $318 on sale for a $199)
Croix Avid X $200 Avid $200

So I'm not sure what the $70 extra for the Expride you speak of.......

But the Avid is my vote.....Avid X if your into Micros I guess......I know a couple guys who work in thier factory and they say basically similar rods, same blanks...asked why the warranty difference....said they were assembled in Mexico and they were getting many returns...now Xs are made in Park Falls just like the reg. Avids......they aren't sure other than maybe the Kigan Guides (but from my research Keegans are good guides)

Anyway, that's my input.

Riazuli · February 04, 2018, 08:13:42 AM

Wow, thanks a lot for that review! I'm lucky someone with a name like that stumbled in on my question lol. There are new series of exprides out now and the price has dropped significantly. Supposedly, the quality has actually gone up according to descriptions I've read. They are reportedly as strong, but actually lighter than the previous series. They are supposed to be more geared toward US specs for lengths and action, etc.

I'm actually on the verge of leaning toward the expride with the price drop, it looking sweeter imo, the fact that I'm using it with a Shimano reel, and the lure rating goes from 1/4 to 7/8 vs the avid I'm looking at I believe starts with 3/8 and goes to 1oz. I know these ranges aren't law but the expride range covers just about everything I'll be throwing. The expride specs seem to fit more of my aim of using it as a cranking rod too. I'm still not 100% on it as I'm waiting to hear more of issues, if any, that people come across. The warranty will be a feature to miss though if I do go with the expride; although I've heard that if your rod doesn't break in a year then it will only likely break from your negligence after that which makes sense because ive been using one of my rods for almost 20 years now. That and if you do have a warranty issue after a year, Shimano offers 50% off of retail with free return shipping on the broken rod after 1 year.

SFL BassHunter · February 04, 2018, 08:39:18 AM

I purchased a MH F Avid X spinning rod and was supremely disappointed. It feels more like an XF, and can't cast worth a damn. Its really stiff all around. I get so much better casts on the Dobyns 704SF I bought to replace the Avid X.
What a disappointment at a high cost. :-/

Cant comment on the Expride though. Sorry.

I would recommend taking a look at the Dobyns rods though as a choice.

loomisguy · February 04, 2018, 09:33:50 AM

St. Croix rods always fish tighter than most other brands. A MH is going to feel more like a heavy.
Really depends on what type of crankbaits your looking to fish with it.
I've had a lot of time with the Mojo glass crankbait rods and I like the the 7ft8 MH for DD22'S and 5 and 6xd's. It's no light weight however.

Riazuli · February 04, 2018, 12:12:15 PM

Thanks guys, that really has me thinking. I actually had a new/unused st. croix mojo that I returned today so that I can upgrade to one of the rods I mentioned. That rod also felt particularly stiff even for having a moderate action. I'm interested to see what others say!

analfisherman · February 04, 2018, 12:22:26 PM

Croixs do fish heavy......BUT go with a Med/Fast Action insted of the Moderates....'maybe' it would be fine?

?

Bottom line........let us know after you fish it, WHICH ever one the MONKEY DECIDES ON for you.

Bud Kennedy · February 04, 2018, 12:30:10 PM

Riazuli, you seem to be uninterested in the Dobyns product. You would be doing yourself a great disservice if you don't check them out. You can even post your questions in the Dobyns forum and Gary Dobyns will provide valuable information related to what you are looking for. You will also find that there are a lot of Dobyns users here because of their site sponsorship but in reality they are really that good or so many of us would not own them. You will also find that there specs are really what they say they are and this eliminates a lot of the guesswork for rod selection.

Riazuli · February 04, 2018, 12:53:05 PM

Quote from: Bud Kennedy on February 04, 2018, 12:30:10 PM
Riazuli, you seem to be uninterested in the Dobyns product. You would be doing yourself a great disservice if you don't check them out. You can even post your questions in the Dobyns forum and Gary Dobyns will provide valuable information related to what you are looking for. You will also find that there are a lot of Dobyns users here because of their site sponsorship but in reality they are really that good or so many of us would not own them. You will also find that there specs are really what they say they are and this eliminates a lot of the guesswork for rod selection.

I've heard good things about the Dobyns rods and I've also come across this suggestion in other forums. I am actually looking into them now.

Riazuli · February 04, 2018, 12:54:54 PM

BTW - I've edited the post to compare Expride vs the St. Croix LTB now as they are more comparable in terms of price. If I'm willing to consider the higher priced Expride to the Avid X, might as well compare to a similarly priced model (Said the Bait Money

)

Riazuli · February 04, 2018, 01:11:07 PM

Quote from: analfisherman on February 04, 2018, 12:22:26 PM
Croixs do fish heavy......BUT go with a Med/Fast Action insted of the Moderates....'maybe' it would be fine??

Bottom line........let us know after you fish it, WHICH ever one the MONKEY DECIDES ON for you.

Oh, the bait monkey got a hold on me this winter...and he won't let go! I'm happy that I'm investing into better quality stuff though. My last new setup I purchased was almost 20 years ago, and since then I've used that setup for most of that time. Only in the last summer did I purchase a second setup (outside of cheapo spinning combos), and that was a used version of the rod and reel I have been using (quantum ac500pt and bps bionic blade).

Since the summer I have been spending a lot of time researching and fishing, and have full on embraced the sport more so than before. That being said, I went ahead invested into nice reels (Shimano Metanium 13's) and two rods that I now want to upgrade one from a St. Croix Mojo that I just returned today. The other is a 7' M/F BPS Johnny Morris Signature series that I love the look and feel of, and had to have at least one rod that felt similar to the one I've been using for the last 20 years (at least in terms of the power hump). I didn't see the point of spending a good amount on the reels and then cutting short on the rod, especially when I really love the sport and it treats me well. I don't know how much of this is the bait monkey talking, but I can surely blame that on the insane amount of lures I purchased this winter during sales and clearances!

loomisguy · February 04, 2018, 04:55:08 PM

I own more rods than the law allows ,and to be honest I get a discount on most.,and I still can't bring myself to spend a lot on moving bait rods anymore. I don't think there's much to be gained.
Bottom contact is a different game.
If a more moderate rod is what your looking for you may want to consider a glass rod or a blend like the MHX 843cb. What crankbaits are you wanting to use it for ?

Riazuli · February 04, 2018, 05:53:03 PM

Quote from: loomisguy on February 04, 2018, 04:55:08 PM
I own more rods than the law allows ,and to be honest I get a discount on most.,and I still can't bring myself to spend a lot on moving bait rods anymore. I don't think there's much to be gained.
Bottom contact is a different game.
If a more moderate rod is what your looking for you may want to consider a glass rod or a blend like the MHX 843cb. What crankbaits are you wanting to use it for ?

Thanks for your reply. I definitely considered glass but heard mixed reviews in regard to sensitivity and stiffness. I also don't like how glass rods seem super thick. I'm open to hearing otherwise and positives of glass and more about hybrids.

I fish a lot of 1/2 red eye shads and every now and then a 3/4. Sometimes 1/4 oz lipless.

I also fish 7/16 squarebills, 1/2 oz spinner and chatterbaits, and 3/4 oz spooks. I want this rod more for cranks as I know a mh/mf is generally recommended for spinnerbaits (at least according to st. Croix).

I'll be using medium fast rods for worms and other lighter baits.

loomisguy · February 05, 2018, 05:30:01 AM

For me, It would take 2, maybe 3 rods to cover that. A deep crankbait rod is a lot different than a spinnerbait or spook rod.
The advantage to glass is it helps keep the fish hooked, especially that last pull or 2 right at the boat.
It is a thicker and usually heavier rod however. A deep crankbait rod is pretty much a one trick pony.

Riazuli · February 05, 2018, 07:55:52 AM

Quote from: loomisguy on February 05, 2018, 05:30:01 AM
For me, It would take 2, maybe 3 rods to cover that. A deep crankbait rod is a lot different than a spinnerbait or spook rod.
The advantage to glass is it helps keep the fish hooked, especially that last pull or 2 right at the boat.
It is a thicker and usually heavier rod however. A deep crankbait rod is pretty much a one trick pony.

I've got two other medium fast rods and a medium heavy to manage the spinnerbaits and spooks as well. I'm mainly considering this rod for cranks. That being said, I realized the expride I'm looking at is actually a glass composite and am now more sure about going for that model. The previous version I remember was composite glass but the new model I wasn't sure of until now. It's called xxxmga with the g standing for glass. This one is designed for smaller cranks (has a better lure weight range than comparable rods), is light, and thin.

Riazuli · February 05, 2018, 12:18:36 PM

Just wanted to add that a tech from Shimano recommended I go with the m/m instead of mh/m for 1/2 to 3/4 oz lipless and even through grass. He added that the mh would be too stiff for my needs - personally I am not a fan of the stiffness of a mh unless I'm just throwing 3/4 and up. I do not like it for a 1/2 oz, so along with that and the shimano tech's suggestions, I'm happy to be going with the m/m for mainly 1/2 oz lipless which I've ordered and will report back with my thoughts! Thank you everyone for your thoughts and suggestions.