Panfish Rod Review St. Croix Eyecon

I'm normally not a huge St.Croix fan. For the most part they are overpriced and the blanks weigh more than rods half their price. BUT! I bought this 6'6" medium light Eyecon series about two years ago for a multi-species rod that could cover white bass, winter time smallmouth, crappie and maybe even some shell daddies. I have caught a bunch of smallmouth on it with braid and leader and that was about it, I put it in a corner and haven't touched it since. So I picked out of a lineup this evening and headed to the river since I really had a dropshot for crappies on my mind when I bought this rod and wanted to see if a dropshot for Shellies would be a good fit also.

The last trip I used a dropshot on a 6'6" TFO trout & panfish rod; however with a 1/4 oz. weight it was overloaded on the cast and works better as my 2 lb test light weight jig rod. Sometimes a heavier weight is needed even for panfish because depth and current thus a medium light. Rod power isn't always determined by the fish but by the weight of the lure and the cover you are fishing, so keep an open mind ultralight purists.

I gotta say this particular St.Croix I am a fan of. It's action is soft tipped enough for casting light stuff but isn't whippy so it has the power to not overload with bigger than average bluegill lures/rigs. The guides are average but better than the stainless guides on so many rods now. The handle! The handle is so comfortable. When drop shotting I like to put my entire hand forward of the reel stem so being a Daiwa guy I opted for a 30 series Pfluger instead because they make a few models that have the stem further back on the foot making the reel closer to the butt of the rod and making the fore grip longer. The only handle more comfy is a Tennessee handle and even then maybe not. It's that comfortable!

It's not some weird color so finding a reel that matches isn't a pain in the keister. Not that it matters for functionality but if like me you're bothered by a Daiwa Fuego (black & red reel)on a ACC crappie stick (green rod) then you can appreciate a neutral color.
This rod is probably gonna stay in my boat and be dedicated for a drop shot and maybe heavy cover bobber duty. And like I said it would be great for crappie and white bass too.

Walleye and smallmouth with 1/8-1/4 oz swimbaits/curly tail grubs and inline spinners or crappie sized crankbaits like a Deep Tiny N or Strike King series 3 deep diver and small balsa minnows like Rapalas or Bagleys would be perfect too. Can't leave out a ned rig or slider fishing finesse style baits... Crappie Sliders!!! The soft tip and lots of backbone would bury that crappie slider hook. This evening I caught a few shellcrackers on a 3" drop shotted trout worm and it was perfection.

A VERY versatile piece of gear indeed and they are on the more affordable end of the spectrum for an otherwise overpriced brand. I give it a 8.75 out of 10. With better guides and maybe a slightly lighter weight blank and it would get a 10 easily. This rod reminds me of a medium light Fenwick I broke about 20 years ago that steel haunts me to this day. So if you're looking for a ride to do any of these things this is it.

Troy Seal-Bream Brain