St. Croix Product Manager, Ryan Teach, on combatting rod torque with an all-new material
PARK FALLS, Wisc. (February 4, 2021) – In physics, torque is the term used to describe a type of moment that has a tendency to impart a change in angular momentum of a body about its longitudinal axis. Here, in the context of fishing rods, we’re talking about the torque an angler feels due to the normal bending stress of the rod, not torsional stresses associated with twisting forces… that’s another issue and perhaps another video.
Rod torque is experienced whenever a fishing rod is loaded – either while casting, retrieving a lure, setting the hook, or battling a fish. When a force is applied to the tip end of the rod, it creates a force at the opposing handle end that the angler must manage. If rod torque is excessive, ergonomics are compromised, angler stress and fatigue are compounded, and the rod is said to be “tip-heavy” or “unbalanced”.
Rod torque is addressed in design and manufacturing, primarily through balance. The goal is to place equal amounts of weight in front of and behind the point where the angler grips the rod. But this isn’t always as easy as it seems. If it were, every rod would be perfectly balanced. Rods with faster tips and more power, for example, are needed in certain fishing situations. Because such rods generally require more materials above the angler’s hand, these particular rods are more prone to rod torque. Balancing them often means adding more length or weight to the butt section behind the hand, but that can make them heavy, less sensitive, and a burden to fish with.
St. Croix combats rod torque with a variety of unique tools, materials and technologies, creating well-balanced rods that are strong, sensitive and durable, without increasing weight. Its latest material – SCIII+ – represents a huge win for anglers.
“We know the easy way to get a better balanced rod is to add materials to rear end like aluminum or fiberglass plugs, or extra carbon wraps under the handle,” says St. Croix Product Manager, Ryan Teach. “We didn’t do this on the new Legend Xtreme we released last year, and we didn’t do it on this new project either. Instead, we looked at each component individually and their placement on each specific rod.”
It all works because of the new, hybrid materials.
“Our new hybrid SCIII+ carbon material, which combines proven SCIII carbon with exotic SCVI carbon and ARTTM (Advanced Reinforcing Technology) is allowing us to build lighter, stronger, better-balanced rods that perform like our more expensive rods at a fraction of the price,” Teach says. “We couldn’t be more excited about announcing the first of these SCIII+ rods next Monday. No matter what kind of bass angler you are, these rods are going to help you win.”
Keep up to date at https://stcroixrods.com/pages/new-st-croix-rod.
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.