{"id":3982,"date":"2016-12-03T19:30:18","date_gmt":"2016-12-03T18:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/flyfishing-blog.com\/flyfishing-blog.com\/?p=3982"},"modified":"2016-12-01T20:54:26","modified_gmt":"2016-12-01T19:54:26","slug":"3982","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flyfishing-blog.com\/flyfishing-blog.com\/2016\/12\/03\/3982\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Croix Rod: Begin with the Best Blanks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Made in the USA, St. Croix blanks are the foundational pieces for creating elite custom rods.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Diehard custom rod builders are true geeks, not freaks. Like a sculptor consumed in concept and covered in clay, rod builders endeavor to create perfectly functioning tools that double as works of art \u2013 their masterpieces hung with pride above the mantle between fishing trips.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Made<\/p>\n

So why go through the trouble of handcrafting a custom rod when a heritage company like St. Croix already builds the \u201cBest Rods on Earth\u201d? Just ask Tom Kirkman, a pedigreed rod builder from High Point, North Carolina. He\u2019s not only been crafting custom rods since the 1970\u2019s, Kirkman also publishes RodMaker<\/a>, a bimonthly specialty magazine, and produces the International Custom Rod Building Exposition in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.<\/p>\n

\"Blank
\n\u201cSure, there\u2019s the aesthetics alone of a custom-built rod, with wraps offered in every color scheme; after all, cars are painted all different colors to suit each person,\u201d says Kirkman. \u201cBut the real reason is most manufactured rods are to be one size fits all. But an angler may desire a handle with a different diameter, or, perhaps, someone fishes a technique differently than the average Joe, and needs a rod to perform differently. And the list can go on and on.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut basically, it\u2019s because the most passionate people in any sport desire customized tools to fit their needs. And, while there are a lot of blank manufactures out there, St. Croix is one of the most highly respected<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

How has that respect been earned? St. Croix offers both hardcore and hobbyist rod-builders nearly every blank used in the USA factory-produced rods. That means you can craft a personalized rod knowing that exclusive St. Croix technologies have your back\u2026and blank. So go ahead and wrap those guides in Chicago Cub blue or Packer green and gold and know that despite the fanaticism, the rod will fish like a pro.<\/p>\n

\"And
And if you want to see how pros fashion blanks and build finished rods, St. Croix encourages you to take a Factory Tour.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cSt. Croix is the last bastion when it comes to manufacturing rod blanks in the United States,\u201d says Director of Marketing Jesse Simpkins. \u201cIt\u2019s the pride that goes into creating the technology, as well as the engineering to make it come together and then the actual manufacturing process. Every employee here truly cares about building the perfect rod, whether we finish it here, or the blank is customized by someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re going to construct a rod from scratch yourself, or hire a custom rod-builder, just remember the blank is the foundation in which all great rods are built upon\u2026so choose wisely.<\/p>\n

\"RodMaker\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Made in the USA, St. Croix blanks are the foundational pieces for creating elite custom rods. Diehard custom rod builders are true geeks, not freaks. Like a sculptor consumed in concept and covered in clay, rod builders endeavor to create perfectly functioning tools that double as works of art \u2013 their masterpieces hung with pride […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3986,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[1348,467,676],"class_list":["post-3982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-blanks","tag-production","tag-st-croix"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t