St. Croix Offers Discerning Panfish Anglers Heightened Performance and All-New Choices

St. Croix Offers Discerning Panfish Anglers Heightened Performance and All-New Choices

Panfish Series refined and expanded for 2022

PARK FALLS, Wisc. (June 16, 2021) – Different fishing strokes for different angling folks is what drives St. Croix Rod forward every day. Our anglers have unique and distinct needs, and we make it our mission to deliver the Best Rods on Earth® that give them the upper hand, no matter where or how they fish.

St. Croix’s popular Panfish Series is a prime example. Introduced in 2012, the specialized collection answered the call of passionate anglers demanding new rod choices handcrafted just for them, choices specifically designed with lengths, powers, and actions that combine to support unique panfish presentations with St. Croix performance at a great value.

For 2022, St. Croix has improved and expanded its popular Panfish Series, making these rods stronger, lighter, and more comfortable, while adding new lengths, powers and actions that support an even wider range of panfish techniques. And while they were at it, they figured they’d make them look even better, too.

St. Croix Panfish Series rod blanks are now crafted from a new formulation of premium SCII carbon that increases flexural strength while reducing weight, combined with strategically placed super-high-modulus SCVI carbon fiber reinforcements, providing the basis for crisp actions, improved strength and durability, and lightweight sensitivity. These new rods are made even stronger with the addition St. Croix’s Fortified Resin System (FRS) technology, 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. This prevents micro-buckling of individual carbon fibers by keeping them in proper alignment.

Ultimately, the all-new SCII material with FRS results in Panfish Series rods that are lighter and more durable, performance attributes that have been proven and quantified by St. Croix’s engineering team in testing.

Anglers will also notice that new Panfish Series rods feel better balanced and more sensitive, thanks to carefully considered new handle designs, reel seats and guide trains.

New Panfish Series rods receive all-new Sea Guide® Atlas Performance guides with stainless steel rings and frames and a PVD coated tip top. These are lightweight, durable, and trouble-free guide trains designed to maximize performance in light-line applications, while minimizing noise and disruption from knotted-line rigs used in many panfish presentations. They also wear durable and slim, Sea Guide NPS reel seats with an integrated rear nut – a design component proven to excel in supporting micro techniques on St. Croix Legend Black Ice and Premier Ice rods.

New Panfish Series rods now employ angler-preferred premium-grade split grip handles on all models except the 8’ and 9’ models, which retain premium-grade full cork handles and foregrips. “With the increase in popularity and transposition of bass anglers to crappie anglers, may panfish anglers indicate preference for the bass-centric styling of skeleton-type reel seats and split grip handles,” says St. Croix Product Manager, Ryan Teach. “Our new Panfish Series rods reflect this trend and look more than ever like miniaturized bass rods. Style preferences aside, the performance benefits are real, as we’ve designed them to shed weight, improve balance, and aid in increasing sensitivity. They’re a pure joy to fish with.”

In keeping with current trends, cosmetically, new Panfish Series rods also receive new label designs and an attractive, new Copper Slab color to differentiate the series.

New St. Croix Panfish Series Features

• Ten one- and two-piece spinning models optimized for a complete range of light-line panfish presentations
• New formulation of SCII carbon combined with SCVI carbon, matched with Fortified Resin System (FRS) technology offering maximum power and strength with reduced blank weight
• Sea Guide® Atlas Performance guides with stainless steel rings and frames; PVD coated tip-top
• Sea Guide® NPS reel seat with integrated rear nut
• Premium-grade cork butt, mid, and foregrip on split grip models
• Premium-grade full cork handle and foregrip on 8’ and 9’ models
• Copper Slab color
• Two coats of Flex-Coat slow cure finish
• 5-year warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service.
• Built to provide superior performance for panfish specific anglers
• Designed in Park Falls, U.S.A. and handcrafted in Fresnillo, Mexico
• Retail price $115 to $175

All-New Panfish Series Models

St. Croix’s reimagined Panfish Series expands to ten distinct spinning models for 2022, including two, all-new extra-fast choices: a 7’ medium-light power, extra-fast action model (PNS70MLXF) and a 7’3” medium-light power, extra-fast action model (PNS73MLXF).

“St. Croix’s Panfish Series is built upon both heritage and angler feedback,” says iconic Northwoods panfish pro, Brian “Bro” Brosdahl. “Today’s panfish angler needs more choices in faster rods with more backbone that aid in casting accuracy and hook-setting ability. Backbone, sensitivity and durability are the keys and they need to come in at a reasonable price point, too,” Bro adds. “These two new medium-light power, extra-fast action models give anglers the ability to throw small jigs, blades and crankbaits on light line without blank slap. And the extra length opens up new worlds of versatility for popular techniques like dipping, craning, jigging, or fishing from a kayak. Overall, all of these rods are stronger than ever before without becoming heavier, and I really like the ergonomics with new handle designs and reel seats. St. Croix nailed the guide trains, too. The refined hybrid design is light and durable and handles braid, bobber stops, and leader knots really smoothly.”

St. Croix Panfish Series Models

• PNS50ULM – 5’0”, ultra-light power, moderate action spinning / Retail $115
• PNS54ULF – 5’4”, ultra-light power, fast action spinning / Retail $125
• PNS60ULF – 6’0”, ultra-light power, fast action spinning / Retail $125
• PNS64LF – 6’4”, light power, fast action spinning / Retail $135
• PNS69ULF – 6’9”, ultra-light power, fast action spinning / Retail $135
• PNS70LXF – 7’0”, light power, extra-fast action spinning / Retail $135
• PNS70MLXF* – 7’0”, medium-light power, extra-fast action spinning / Retail $135
• PNS73MLXF* – 7’3”, medium-light power, extra-fast action spinning / Retail $135
• PNS80LMF2 – 8’0”, light power, moderate-fast action, 2-piece spinning / Retail $165
• PNS90LMF2 – 9’0”, light power, moderate-fast action, 2-piece spinning / Retail $175

*All-new model

St. Croix’s refreshed and expanded Panfish Series answers the call of passionate anglers demanding high-performance rod choices handcrafted to support today’s unique and diverse presentations with St. Croix performance at a great value. These rods are now stronger, lighter, more comfortable, and better looking than ever, while including new lengths, powers and actions that support an even wider range of panfish techniques. New Panfish Series rods are being introduced at ICAST 2021 and are expected to be available for purchase at St. Croix dealers worldwide this fall.

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About St. Croix Rod

Headquartered in Park Falls, Wisconsin, St. Croix has been proudly producing the “Best Rods on Earth” for over 70 years. Combining state-of-the-art manufacturing processes with skilled craftsmanship, St. Croix is the only major producer to still build rods entirely from design through manufacturing. The company remains family-owned and operates duplicate manufacturing facilities in Park Falls and Fresnillo, Mexico. With popular trademarked series such as Legend®, Legend Xtreme®, Avid®, Premier®, Imperial®, Triumph® and Mojo, St. Croix is revered by all types of anglers from around the world.