Good glass rods for crankbait fishing haven’t been hard to find but finding one that’s affordable for more folks yet still has higher level performance has been a unicorn hunt. In the last few weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time putting the St. Croix Mojo Glass casting rod through the paces. It came as a recommendation from one of my friends over at FishUSA who thought it was pretty legit. For $159 I figured it was worth a shot. Before I deep dive into all the pros and cons, here is a little bit about the Mojo Glass Cranker series.
About St. Croix Mojo Glass Fishing Rod
This crankbait-specific bass series is designed for superior performance with all crankbaits including square bills, lipless cranks, and chatterbaits. Mojo Bass Glass rods excel with lures ideally matched to a moderate action rod. St. Croix Mojo Bass Glass Casting Rod in Mojo Green Metallic will have you turning heads at the fishing hole. Featuring St. Croix’s 100% linear S-glass blanks, as well as, their Integrated Poly Curve (IPC) mandrel technology, this series delivers the precision tapers and parabolic bends you need when fishing your favorite reaction bait. Whether you are fishing a crankbait, chatterbait, rip bait, etc., they load up perfectly for long casts and cushion the strike so your hooks always find a home. Also equipped with premium components, including Kigan Master Hand 3D guides and Fuji ECS Reel Seats, the St. Croix Mojo Bass Glass Crankbait Casting Rods live up to the legacy and reputation of St. Croix Rods.
-Integrated Poly Curve (IPC) mandrel technology
– 100% linear S-glass
-Kigan Master Hand 3D guides featuring slim, strong aluminum-oxide rings with black frames
-Fuji ECS reel seat with a black hood
-Split-grip/premium-grade cork handle
-Kigan hook-keeper
-Two coats of Flex-Coat slow cure finish
-5-year warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service
St. Croix Mojo Glass: The Good
The first two things I noticed about the rod were the slow cure finish and the color. The Mojo Glass stands out in a crowd, especially on a crowded boat deck. You won’t have any trouble figuring out which one is the cranking rod. I love the Kigan hook-keeper especially for treble hooked baits. Wit hthe normal style of hook-keeper on other rods, it’s really easy for a treble hook to find its way off. With the smaller profile and double rainbow style keeper on the Mojo Glass, those trebles stay put.
When you cast a good sized crankbait that has some heft, you notice the whole rod is involved in the transfer of energy. That got me curious about exactly what the IPC technology was that claims to make a difference. If you’re a bass nerd like me, here is a video.
For the TLDR crowd, it means it is designed to eliminate all transitional points in the rod blank. IPC-engineered rods feature smoother actions, increased strength and greater sensitivity.
When fighting a fish, the backbone in the St. Croix Mojo Glass is a step above. The hookset utilizes the glass and IPC makeup to land the trebles and keep them there without ripping the bait away from the fish like a traditional rod. Side note for those who don’t normally fish specialized rods for techniques, this is why anglers use a crankbait rod for throwing crankbaits. Yes, the Ugly Stik can get them out there and you’ll catch some fish but you’ll lose more fish than you would if you used a specialized technique specific rod like the Mojo Glass.
I was really impressed with this rod. Normally I throw a Shimano Expride Glass Rod or a Shimano Zodias Glass Rod, both more expensive than the Mojo Glass, and while there were a few differences, I don’t know that the differences would be noticeable to someone who doesn’t throw a lot of crankbaits.
Room for Improvement
The Mojo Glass and really the entire Mojo line is a split grip line of rods. I’m a big fan of full cork and would love to see the Mojo line with that option, especially on a rod that already has cork. Could I step up to a Premiere or Legend series, yes but the price point and full cork would be a homerun, especially for us nostalgic anglers.
I would also like to see a different hood, seat, and nut combo on the Mojo Glass. If you’re putting all the color spin and fine touches on the other parts of the rod, a blacked out finish rather than graphite would really make it pop. Every budget rod in the industry seems to use a similar seat setup and it’s played out and identifies as cheaper than it really is. Step your reel seat game up.
Final Thoughts
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve gotten this year was to try the new Mojo Glass Cranker Series from St. Croix. At $159, I can get two and a couple of crankbaits for the price of one Expride. More rods in the boat that perform well and at a better price point, that’s something we can all get behind. I highly recommend this rod in the 6’10” Target Cranker or the 7’4″ Big Cranker and if you need a chatter bait rod, the 7’2 Rip-N-Chatter will put a smile on your face. Check out the whole line right here: St. Croix Mojo Glass Series