St. Croix Mojo Bass Rod

We're back! After an extra long hiatus the Low Country Angler is back with a new focus on product reviews, while still providing tips, techniques, and fishing reports.

For quite some time I've kept an eye out for a good saltwater tackle review site on the internet. While the freshwater side has quite a few good ones, most notably my favorite TackleTour, saltwater tackle is particularly lacking in good, independent tackle review sites.

So Low Country Angler is reborn, with a passion for the latest and best in saltwater tackle. Ironically enough, though, the first review is for a rod that was made with freshwater in mind:

St. Croix Mojo Bass Rod

Whether you are aware of it or not, about a year ago the St. Croix Mojo Bass rod started a silent revolution in the freshwater tackle industry. This rod created a new market niche for high quality, high-modulus graphite, split-grip rods available for about $100. At a MSRP starting at $99.99, the Mojo Bass was the first rod to give casual anglers a taste of features previously only available in the high-end enthusiast market. Now all the major rod manufacturers are beginning to answer with their own versions of this rod. They are even beginning to show up in saltwater flavors, such as the recently released All-Star ASR Inshore series. Lets start, however, where it all began.

The Mojo Bass is available in 9 baitcasting models, but only 3 spinning models. It is a little disappointing to see such a light selection on the spinning side, but I'm sure St. Croix plans on expanding the product line. We may even see more saltwater-specific models down the road as well.

I have been putting the St. Croix Mojo to good use lately in the Wassaw Sound/Wilmington River area. I matched the rod up with a Daiwa Fuego 2500 reel, which matches well with the weight and balance of the rod. Most recently, I took a trip with Capt. Roger Straight of Backlash Charters and, on a day that the redfish remained elusive, tested the rod out on seatrout and flounder.


Review Rod:

• St. Croix Mojo Bass MBS70MF
• 7'0" Length
• Medium Power
• Fast Action
• 6-12 Pound Mono Line Weight
• Lure Weight 3/16-5/8 oz.
• Branded For Tubes and Grubs
• 5-Year Manufacturer's Defect Warranty
  

Rod Blank

The Mojo Bass rod, despite its branding, is highly suitable to inshore saltwater fishing applications. The biggest reason is its blank composition. The Mojo uses St. Croix's SC^II graphite blank technology. This is the same blank used in most of St. Croix's saltwater series rods. Here's the skinny on SC^II:

Superb, mid-modulus graphite fiber with a higher strain rate than fibers commonly used by others.

Featured in Premier®, Wild River®, Mojo Bass, Triumph®, Tidemaster®, Premier® Surf, Premier® Saltwater, Triumph® Saltwater and Imperial™ rods.

This is our most popular material that produces rods that are highly sensitive, lightweight and durable. Put another way, rods far superior to those common off-the-shelf varieties. A logical choice if you're an angler who appreciates fine performance without the high cost.

The blank is a very good blend of power and sensitivity and it becomes apparent that the rod's durability exceeds that of expensive high-modulus graphite rods. Using Gulp Alive! shrimp baits on jigs, I found the Mojo rod to be extremely adept at transmitting even the slightest bite and vibration.  It also casted well when using a popping cork paired with live shrimp.
On the model I used, the tip had incredibly resilient rebound, which minimizes vibration during your cast, which translates to better distance and accuracy.

Rod Hardware

While it is hard to expect more from a sub-$100 rod, I would have liked to see some better quality guides and reel seat, as it is fitted with the standard Fuji New Concept hardware.  Over the long run, New Concept guides tend to show wear in the ceramic insert rings when using braided line.  However, I have yet to see any problems yet with the Mojo.

Package and Finish

The Mojo has been finished with some stylish colors and graphics.  They all come with the slit-grip design, which has become the standard on most new rod models.  This slit design helps to cut down on weight while maximizing sensitivity.  The idea is that too much grip material can act as a shock absorber to dampen any vibration.  The lack of foregrip on casting models isn’t really an issue, because most anglers should know by now that high-sticking using the foregrip is always a bad thing.

Conclusion

The Mojo packs a lot of high-end features at an entry-level price, and whether you are after largemouth bass on the reservoir or redfish on a mud flat, the Mojo is a great option.  While some higher-quality hardware would have made this a must-have package, the price-point is hard to beat.  If you want to go after bigger foes, such as stripers, cobia, or bull reds, you may want to look at the new Mojo Surf series:

Look for a write-up on this new series in the future!

Save Money With Your Own Bait

Tough times have fishermen looking for different ways to save money.   Combined with high gas prices and other costs, the rising price of live bait has put a pinch on many an angler's wallet.  Artificial lures are one alternative to using live bait.  They are durable and you can throw them in the tackle box to use another day.  However, there are just some days when finicky fish won't accept anything but the real thing.  Many anglers now are exploring ways to catch their own bait, saving money in the process.

    Live shrimp is by far the most popular saltwater bait in coastal Georgia and South Carolina.  Depending on the season, live shrimp can sometimes cost upwards of $20 a quart.  A good cast net is a great investment for anyone looking to catch their own shrimp.  Georgia law requires a cast net with a minimum mesh size of 3/8 inch if catching bait shrimp, up to two quarts.  If catching more than two quarts, or if casting for food shrimp, a 5/8 inch mesh net is required.  A large net is not necessary for bait-catching.  A six to seven foot net is a perfect size for catching a couple of quarts of shrimp.  If you are new to cast netting, practice makes perfect.  Learning to use one can be difficult, but it is very rewarding.

    A cast net is also one of the best tools for catching bait fish in both fresh and saltwater.  A 1/2 inch mesh monofilament net is perfect for finger mullet, small pogys, or pilchards in saltwater, and shad, shiners, or herring in freshwater.  A bigger 1 inch mesh may be needed for catching larger mullet or bigger "bunker" pogys.  Offshore baits like cigar minnows and Spanish sardines are easily caught on a Japanese bait rig, called a Sabiki.  This rig is a long string of small hooks with small pieces of fish skin or mylar attached.  One end of the rig is tied to your fishing line, the other end is clipped to a one or two ounce sinker.  Drop the rig down over artificial reefs and live bottom, and you'll quickly catch a number of fresh baits.

    Traps can be used for some types of baitfish.  A cylindrical minnow trap is a popular tool for catching mud minnows (locally known as polywogs) and killifish.  These small baits are popular for inshore fishing and are a good alternative to live shrimp.  Mud minnows are also very hardy baits, and can even be kept in freshwater aquariums for extended periods before use.  The minnow trap is made of two mesh halves which clip together and are attached to a rope or line.  Wet or dry cat food is a good bait for these traps, which should be set in a small tidal creek at low tide to make sure your trap doesn't end up high-and-dry.  Minnow traps shouldn't be left out for long periods of time; a couple of hours is usually plenty to catch several dozen minnows.  Otherwise, small crabs can invade the trap and kill off the minnows. 

    Experienced anglers know that good live bait is often necessary for a good day of fishing.  If you find that live bait from a shop is too expensive, or if you simply don't have the time to drive to a bait shop, catching your own baits can be a simple, but fun, alternative. 

Maintaining Your Fishing Reels

Most outdoor sporting activities require a lot of equipment maintenance.  Hunters always clean and lubricate their firearms after each use.  Many anglers, though,  neglect using this practice on their reels until it is too late and the reel breaks down.  Reel cleaning is especially important when the reel is used in saltwater or in a sandy environment.  Reels should be given a minor washdown after every use, but a thorough cleaning should be done every two to three months, even if the reel has not been used heavily.  The salty marine air that we have near the coast means that reels stored in a boat, shed, or garage may experience corrosion even when not in use.
 
    There are a three steps to do a full cleaning and lubrication on a reel: washdown, de-lubrication, and re-lubrication.  Reels should be washed thoroughly, but gently, with fresh water.  Do not use a powerful spray nozzle, because this may force salt and debris deeper into the reel's inner workings.  You may remove the outer parts of the reel, such as the handle and sideplates, while cleaning, but do not completely disassemble the reel yet.  Some anglers soak their reels in fresh water, but most reel manufacturers advise against this because it can concentrate salt or debris into certain areas of the reel.  If you do soak the reel, dilute the water with a salt-removing formula such as Salt Terminator or Salt Away that will extract salt from the metals.  Sand is the number one cause of death for reels used on the beach, and it must be removed to prevent damage to the reel.  Water alone will not get sand out of a reel.  Use a spray air can, like those used for computer keyboards, to blow sand and debris out of tight spaces.  A toothbrush and cotton swabs are also good tools to have to remove sand. 

    Disassembling a reel takes a lot of patience and organization.  Most fishing reels come packaged with a parts list and schematic showing how it is put together.  Before the reel is lubricated, all the old grease and oil must be cleaned out.  Grease collects dirt and dust over time, which if left untouched can cause the metal gears to pit and wear.  There are several spray-on degreasers on the market made for removing reel grease.  Spray this on the gears and other moving parts of the reel to remove the old lubricants and allow it to work for several minutes before wiping off the excess with a soft cloth. 

    There are a few different types of reel lubricants with specific applications.  Reel grease is a thick lubricant that should only be used on the teeth of the internal gears.  Reel oil is a light lubricant that is used on ball bearings, spool shafts, and other moving parts.  Only a few drops of oil are necessary; never over-grease or over-oil your reel.  Reel silicone spray, such as Real Magic, is only to be used as a temporary lubricant between major cleanings and is not a substitute for reel oil or grease.  Nothing is more controversial to reel cleaning than the substance WD-40.  While WD-40 can be used as a cleaner and corrosion inhibitor, reel manufacturers unanimously advise against the use of WD-40 as a lubricant because of its degreasing properties.  If you have questions about maintaining specific parts of your reel, contact the manufacturer for the best advice.