St Croix Victory Spinning Rod Review

The St. Croix Victory family comes in an impressive 25 technique-specific models, giving the company a huge, never-before-achieved victory.

The St. Croix Victory spin casting models employ high-end componentry from base to tip, providing a blend of power and sensitivity perfect for everything from bank fishing to kayak fishing fun.

However, the Victory rod may be a solid fishing gear investment, but it doesn’t come at an amazing price.

While the high-modulus hybrid carbon fiber SCIII+ blank material and top-notch components might justify the Victory rod as coming in at a fair price, this review helps figure out if that’s the right call for your rod locker or not. 

Contents

Pros

  • Premium, high-modulus SCIII carbon
  • slim, strong aluminum-oxide rings
  • Feather-light build

Cons

  • 160-200$ price point
  •  Limited rod power ratings
  • Requires more experience

Review

Construction (craftsmanship, make quality)

The Victory spinning models feature a premium, high-modulus SCIII carbon blank that employs carbon technologies for a dynamic blend of different fibers.

To this point, the high-modulus hybrid carbon fiber SCIII+ utilizes the carbon fiber composition of both SCIII and SCIV graphite fibers for the blank design to reduce blank weight.

But St. Croix applies high-performance design through manufacturing processes making use of their exclusive technologies like mandrel technology and its concurrent Integrated Poly Curve Technology to ensure no dead zones and maximum power transfer.

Combine this with other proprietary technologies like the Advanced Reinforcement Technology, and you have an exceptionally advanced blank.

Taking it a step further, the precision-cut blank patterns allow the blanks to enjoy Taper Enhancement Technology.

That said, this series of rods lack two-piece models which can be a bit cumbersome for some of the longer models.

Thankfully, the one-piece performance makes this inconvenience more than an acceptable trade-off.

Following the blank, the St. Croix offers high-quality components like slim, strong aluminum-oxide rings that use the Fuji Concept O-Rings.

The deep-pressed design of these rings helps prevent the aluminum oxide inserts from becoming damaged or slipping free of their hold and allows a full epoxy finish on guides for further protection.

That this series of spinning rods come with high-quality handles that use super-premium cork is great in its own right.

However, when you factor in that these handles come in four different styles depending on the configuration and intended target of the specific rod, the sheer level of attention to detail imparted onto the rod’s holistic design begins to feel a bit intimidating.

Of course, given everything that’s already come before, it should come as little surprise that St. Croix applies a fanatical degree of care to the reel seat as well.

As an almost afterthought, the Victory lineup also comes with specialized hook keepers chosen specifically for the particular technique that corresponds to the individual rod.

Material

The premium, high-modulus SCIII carbon combined with the SCIV carbon is what makes the Victory’s high-modulus hybrid carbon fiber SCIII+.

This hybrid carbon fiber material blends the more flexible and resilient SCIII material with the stiffer SCIV to generate a solid increase in power and sensitivity without a subsequent increase in blank weight or reduction in durability.

The entire blank then receives a single coat sealer with a slow-cure finish which, when combined with the pole’s Fortified Resin System further reduces the blank weight while still transferring maximum power through the entire body of the blank.

The result is one of the more durable options that doesn’t lose much of anything in the process– except weight.

Of course, the Victory further reduces its weight with the use of slim, strong aluminum-oxide rings and inserts that are some of the lightest materials used.

The slim, strong aluminum-oxide rings see two coats of Flex-Coat slow-cure finish to prevent the double-footed Fuji Concept O-rings from influencing the blank’s action too much.

Though specifics aren’t provided, it’s safe to assume that the super premium-grade cork used for the handles meets the same standard as all of this rod’s other high-performance components.

Aside from the fact that it can handle numerous seasons of use, this cork grip handle should feel comfortable in your hand and reduce fatigue for all-day fishing trips.

Action

This series of rods doesn’t blow the doors off with variety, instead favoring the increased casting accuracy and additional sensitivity of quicker actions, namely the fast and extra-fast actions.

These finesse actions allow for deeper, more responsive hook sets to avoid allowing your quarry to spit the hook out of its fish mouth.

However, St. Croix’s technology also allows for smoother actions than much of the competition thanks to the mandrel technology that affords the blank its Integrated Poly Curve.

This design ensures that the precision-cut blank patterns don’t suffer any dead zones along their length which benefits both casting and fighting the fish.

Power

This might be the least impressive part of the build, though not because the blank lacks the ability to access its maximum power– even with the medium-light rating.

However, the overwhelming majority of the rod power ratings come in either medium-light or medium sets with only a single medium-heavy rod in the mix.

Taper

While you general cover the taper as part of the action St. Croix’s mandrel technology not only provides smoother actions but provides an all-around improved action in general.

The precision-cut curved patterns not only even out the taper but also increase the durability and reduce ovalization, making it a high-end attribute in rod design

Rod Guides

The St. Croix’s slim, strong aluminum-oxide rings are arguably the most pedestrian part of the build, though they’re certainly no slouch.

Granted, this design isn’t nearly as strong as stainless steel rings, and the slim, strong aluminum-oxide rings won’t be able to handle braided fishing lines at the tip without some aftermarket tweaks.

Still, the silky smooth aluminum oxide inserts will help prevent the line from slapping the blank, increasing casting distance as well as casting accuracy.

Handle (material, shape, etc)

The Victory lineup’s super-premium cork handle comes in four different design styles that fit perfectly for a drop shot position.

Even better, the hood Split-grip, super-grade cork handle also provides for plenty of exposed raw blank surface area, ensuring that you feel even the slightest tremor through the rod’s blank and into the palm of your hand.

Uses (Who is this good for)

Because of its advanced design, the Victory lineup works well for all of your favorite bass fishing tactics and can stand up to the rigors of angler-inflicted abuse without much issue.

However, its exceptional rod blank makes this a versatile spinning rod that can adapt to numerous angler preferences and fish effectively with a wide range of different fish species.

It’s the blend of premium components and exceptional manufacturing techniques that provide bass anglers lightweight performance spin casting rods.

Still, whether you use crankbaits or drop shots, this fishing spinning rod can perform whatever type of cast or technique you need to land some of the largest fish you’ve ever caught.

That said, while days of bass anglers avoiding spin casters may be over thanks to this series of spinning poles, it’s still not ideal for every fisherman.

Beginners, for example, will (and should) likely balk at the high price tag. If you’re not already committed to fishing in general and freshwater fishing in particular, this is a heavy investment to gamble on your long-term interest with.

Reel and Real Seat Compatibility

The Victory reel seats may not seem all that special at first glance, but if you don’t think St. Croix tweaked this to perfection, you haven’t been paying attention to their other high-end components and top-tier manufacturing processes.

But, at its base, this graphite reel seat at least reduces the pole’s weight while increasing its transfer of vibration.

The Victory series of spin casting rods come with a Fuji VSS reel seat that employs comfort-centric complementing componentry.

For starters, this series comes with a KDPS Fuji reel seat nut on spinning models as well as a hood that covers the threading.

While some fisherman might appreciate the smidgen of additional sensitivity, most prefer the comfort of not feeling that thread on their fingers.

Warranty

The St. Croix comes with an impressive 15-year warranty that is significantly longer than most of the other options on the market– regardless of the manufacturer.

However, while that fact is impressive enough on its own, that this rod comes with a transferable warranty, allowing you to include it as part of a resale, only adds icing on top of a many-layer cake.

Conclusion (Wrap Up)

The St. Croix Victory family employs an advanced, performance-inspired design and pairs that innovative hybrid pattern construction with premium componentry that includes Fuji Concept “O” slim aluminum oxide guides.

But even the finishing touches, like the two different types of slow-cure finish, help make these incredibly balanced models suitable for exclusive fishing purposes.

Granted, the Victory spinner rod comes in at a fairly high price range, but more than justifies that cost with a crazy-light build capable of some of the cleanest drop shot presentations.

Whether targeting bank fish or looking for a rod perfect for kayak fishing fun, the Victory spin caster is well worth the cost of admission and out-performs most of the competition.