PARK FALLS, Wisc. – St. Croix’s popular BassX Series sets the standard for affordable high-performance in handcrafted bass rods. Since its debut five years ago, the bass series has found its way into the hands of countless passionate bass enthusiasts who appreciate the series’ ability to deliver the upper hand in any angling situation, at a price that allows them to stack their decks with the Best Rods on Earth.
Driven to continually improve and heighten the angling experience, St. Croix resolved to take what it has learned from recent product introductions – Legend Xtreme, Victory, and others – and put that intel to work in improving its angler-favorite BassX Series. The result is a new lineup of BassX rods for 2022 that are stronger, lighter, and more comfortable, with sizzling new aesthetics and more choices for new presentations than ever before, while retaining and compounding their exceptional value in the $120 to $150 retail-price range.
The BassX transformation begins in the blank itself. Crafted from a brand-new formulation of premium SCII carbon that increases flexural strength while reducing weight, new BassX is then made even stronger with the addition of St. Croix’s Fortified Resin System (FRS) technology.
“Fiber wash is something that can happen when carbon fibers come out of alignment when a rod blank is cured,” says St. Croix Product Manager, Ryan Teach. “This can create weak spots in the blank.” St. Croix combats fiber wash with FRS, which combines a fortified super resin with computer-operated curing ovens that provide improved temperature and time management through all stages of the critical curing cycle. “FRS prevents micro-buckling by keeping the carbon fibers in proper alignment. Blanks manufactured using this advanced manufacturing protocol test significantly stronger than those built with standard resins and curing methods,” Teach adds. “Our use of FRS in the new BassX Series in combination with our new, lighter and stronger SCII material represents a quantum leap forward with respect to performance. For the BassX angler, it ultimately means they’re buying a rod that is lighter than ever with all-new levels of strength and durability. Our engineering team has proven and validated these performance enhancements in testing.”
Those critical attributes are further enhanced in new BassX models by an all-new hybrid guide train, which also reduces weight and noise while improving performance with braided line. “The hybrid guide platform on new BassX models combines SeaGuide Aluminum Oxide guides with SeaGuide Atlas Performance stainless steel guides,” says Teach. “The new stainless guides are incredibly light and durable, largely because there are no troublesome inserts. They have a slim profile that compliments the new skeleton-style real seats with a modern and stylistic appearance; weight is also reduced and sensitivity is improved.” Teach says anglers fishing braid with a mono or fluoro leader will also notice less disruption, which is measured by the noise and resistance the angler perceives when casting a lure. “We’ve optimized the hybrid guide train on new BassX models to better handle braided line and gave them the ability to pass a large diameter leader-line knot thought the guide train with limited disruption.”
Lightweight sensitivity and balance are the hallmarks of any bass rod – at least they should be. “I’ve always been a huge BassX fan and I really like what St. Croix has done to make these rods even better,” says bass-fishing wunderkid and St. Croix pro, Trey McKinney. “They feel even lighter and crisper,” the 2018 Bassmaster and FLW Junior National Champion says. “I like the way the new skeleton-style reel seat with carbon fiber insert (on select models) allows me to keep in direct contact with the blank, and the way St. Croix listened to anglers in developing the new handle configurations in all the different models. The reel seat is integral with the handle, and there’s no extra material in places it isn’t needed.” McKinney adds. “This really increases each rod’s versatility and results in improved balance in the hand. Normally, when you make a rod stronger you also make it heavier or at least add tip weight, but St. Croix found a way to make these new BassX rods even more durable while shedding weight and improving balance and ergonomics. That’s impressive, but not surprising to anyone who knows anything about St. Croix and the people who work there.”
New BassX rods for 2022 come wrapped in an all-new aesthetic that accentuates their heightened performance. “A lot of bass anglers – especially younger ones – want that performance they know they’ll get from a handcrafted St. Croix rod, and they want to be able to afford several rods that support all the techniques they use out there on the water, but they want them to look right, too,” offers McKinney. “For someone like me, I loved the way BassX rods looked before, but I can’t argue with what St. Croix has done with this new Raw Carbon finish. You can really see and appreciate how each of these strong and lightweight performers is built. I’d describe it as a minimalistic approach and it just looks right with the new handle designs, reel seats, guides and contrasting hot accent colors. Bass anglers are going to love them, and the fact that these high-performance rods are as affordable as they are, they’ll have the ability to pick up two, three, four, even five of these incredible new BassX rods for the cost of what they’d pay for someone else’s ‘latest and greatest’. That’s a really big deal for most anglers I know.”
The redesigned BassX Series expands from 14 to 16 models for 2022, offering passionate bass anglers the ability to fish anything from a 1/8-ounce dropshot to an 8-ounce swimbait with handcrafted St. Croix performance, which comes backed by a five-year warranty.
St. Croix BassX Models
- BAS68MXF – 6’8”, medium power, extra-fast action spinning / Retail $120
- BAS610MLXF – 6’10”, medium-light power, extra-fast action spinning / Retail $120
- BAS71MF – 7’1”, medium power, fast action spinning / Retail $120
- BAS71MHF – 7’1”, medium-heavy power, fast action, spinning / Retail $120
- BAC66MF – 6’6”, medium power, fast action, casting / Retail $120
- BAC66MHF – 6’6”, medium-heavy power, fast action, casting / Retail $120
- BAC68MXF – 6’8”, medium power, extra-fast action, casting / Retail $120
- BAC71MF – 7’1”, medium power, fast action casting / Retail $120
- BAC71MHF – 7’1”, medium-heavy power, fast action casting / Retail $120
- BAC72MHM – 7’2”, medium-heavy power, moderate action casting / Retail $120
- BAC74MHMF – 7’4”, medium-heavy power, moderate-fast action casting / Retail $130
- BAC74HF – 7’4”, heavy power, fast action casting / Retail $130
- BAC710HF – 7’10”, heavy power, fast action casting / Retail $150
- BAC710XHF* – 7’10”, extra-heavy power, fast action casting / Retail $150
- BAC710XXHF* – 7’10”, extra-extra-heavy power, fast action casting / Retail $150
- BAC711HMF – 7’11”, heavy power, moderate-fast action casting / Retail $130
“Bass lures keep growing in size, especially in certain areas of the south and here, out west, where anglers are carving out new techniques for plus-size swimbaits,” says John Sherman of Sherman Sales, St. Croix’s West-Coast sales representative. “Finding dedicated bass rods that are up to the task of presenting these magnum baits while providing the backbone to drive large hooks into big bass sometimes takes some creativity. Thankfully, given the company’s experience in delivering innovative, high-performance solutions for musky anglers, St. Croix isn’t at all intimidated by lures over 6 ounces. These new BassX swimbait models are right in their wheelhouse, and they’ve done them right.”
The rods Sherman refers to are the all-new BassX BAC710XHF and BAC710XXHF models. These 7’10” fast-action casting rods feature full-grip premium-grade EVA handles to protect anglers from the physical rigors of casting and retrieving giant swimbaits. Fast actions provide immediate access to maximum power when bomb casting or setting the hook – either extra-heavy power in the BAC710XHF, which makes easy work of lures between 2 and 5 ounces, or extra-extra-heavy power in the BAC710XXHF for swimbaits between 4 and 8 ounces.
“Adding FRS to SCII carbon to make these new, specialized rods results in an extremely durable package, while remaining surprisingly light for such an exceptionally powerful rod,” says Sherman. “That strength is key, and the SCII carbon plays a role, too. It’s a bit softer than some of St. Croix’s other materials, so these fast action rods are slightly more forgiving when a big girl slashes at a giant, 10” moving swimbait,” Sherman poses. “It’s the perfect combination of material, power and action to make casting, retrieving, setting the hook and fighting double-digit bass to the boat a more successful and enjoyable experience. These are the rods big swimbait specialists are going to want in their hands and on their decks.”
New St. Croix BassX Features
- All-new, premium-quality SCII carbon material with FRS for unparalleled strength and durability
- Hybrid guide platform featuring SeaGuide Aluminum Oxide guides with black frames and SeaGuide Atlas Performance stainless (SS304) guides with Sea Guide black PVD coated tip top
- SeaGuide XCMS reel seat with black hood on non-swimbait casting models
- SeaGuide TCS reel seat with black hood on swimbait-specific casting models
- SeaGuide NPS reel seat with black hood on spinning models
- Split-grip premium-grade cork handle on spinning and non-swimbait casting models
- Full-grip premium-grade EVA handle on swimbait casting models
- Split-grip premium-grade cork foregrip on spinning models
- Model-specific SeaGuide NHOOK, THOOK, or Kigan Custom hook keepers
- Two coats of Flex-Coat with slow cure finish.
- 5-year warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service
- Designed in Park Falls, U.S.A. and handcrafted in Fresnillo, Mexico
- Retail price $120 to $150
No matter where or how you fish for bass, give yourself an edge on the water at an exceptional value. The all-new collection of handcrafted BassX rods brings heightened St. Croix performance to passionate bass anglers looking for strong, lightweight, exceptionally well-balanced roads that support all their favorite techniques. And unlike a lot of high-performance bass rods, BassX is for everyone; With retail prices ranging from just $120 to $150 and backed by a five-year St. Croix warranty with Superstar Service, new BassX rods make it possible for dedicated bass anglers everywhere to stack their decks with the Best Rods on Earth.
New BassX Series rods are being introduced at the 2021 Bassmaster Classic and are expected to be available for purchase at St. Croix dealers worldwide this fall.
