St Croix Mojo Bass vs Abu Garcia Ike Signature Series Spinning Rod s 2024
JohnnyRebTX reply :
I don't mean to beat a dead horse here. I've read opinions elsewhere here on this very subject of St Croix vs Fenwick vs Abu Garcia. There's a ton of posts on them, but people compare rods at different price points. The newer addition of the Mojo Bass has an SCIII blank and is at Bass Pro Shops for $129.99. The Abu Ike Signature series is also $129.99. I believe that's a more fair comparison than to a Fenwick Eagle or HMG, Abu Veritas, or even Duckett Ghost which can be found for much cheaper in most cases. I have held all of these rods several times, and for me it's between the two first mentioned. I only use spinning setups, and that's not changing anytime soon. What will it be used for? Exclusively for bass and only with lures. What kind of lures? Soft plastics like worms on the bottom , and only occasionally for cranks and spinners. Sensitivity is key. I also only bank fish. Most of y'all are massive St Croix and G Loomis fans. I do not wish to bump up to higher priced/rated/performance rods then the Abu Ike Signature or Mojo Bass.
Now let the opinions begin.
KDW96 reply :
I have fished both. My brother has the ike rod. Personally i will stick with the MOJO . It just has a better build quality.
BradGinKC reply :
Haven't used the others, but if you go with the SC Mojo rod, you won't be disappointed. I have three of the casting rods and just recently added the 6'8" MXF spinning rod. I use it with a stradic fk for poppers, light jerkbaits, wacky rigs, and ned rigs. It's been great. The mojo rods definitely fish above their price point. Caught this with it last week.
jtharris3 reply :
I took the Mojo Bass bait and bought a casting rod last fall. All I can say is I'm getting ready to add more!
Scrapiron reply :
I've had both. The Ike is a nice rod but it went back to the store. I've got three MOJO rods (one a SCII) and they stayed.
Spankey reply :
I'm pretty much a St.Croix guy. I have both generations and like them both. The sc3 is a bit lighter. But I would not say night and day difference in them. I only fish soft plastics with the x-fast, is not the feel I want with crankbaits. That's just me. To each his own. I think you will like the ML and Med. for your soft bait fishing. At least Mojos don't break the bank. I do like my Avid rods more. And I'd never get rid of my Premier Rods that I have when I first getting into St. Croix stuff. Balance it with the right reel and I think you'll like it.
JohnnyRebTX reply :
I really appreciate y'alls input. Maybe in the future I'll take a look at the Avid series or higher from St. Croix, or maybe even a G. Loomis. That's a big stretch for my budget at the moment. The only thing that draws me to the Abu Ike Signature is the reel seat and paint job, so if y'all think the Mojo is the better built rod and more suited for worming. Then I'll definitely pick one up. I originally looked at Fenwicks, Veritas, and even a St Croix triumph, but I can see spending a little more for a Mojo if it's worth it. I believe it would be just from what I read on here. Thanks y'all!
Turkey sandwich reply :
They're likely both good rods. I own one SCIII Mojo, a few Rage, an Avid X, an old Premier, and now a Legend Elite. I'm obviously a fan of St Croix. You can likely get a quality fast action rods from either line. For me, the big difference is on the customer service end. St. Croix has hands down the best customer service in bass fishing.
jbw252 reply :
Judging from the above posts, I'm guessing you'll be purchasing the Mojo rod. I concur. The St. Croix line of rods are my favorites. You can't go wrong with choosing St Croix. Good luck & enjoy your future purchase.
JohnnyRebTX reply :
I planned on putting a Pflueger President on it, but I'm not as crazy about that reel as most people are. I have a Limited Edition which is the same as the XT internally, and I feel that's a much better reel then the regular President. I own a Penn Fierce and Penn Pursuit I use for live bait. Both of those are great reels for their purpose, but they aren't super smooth. I know most of y'all are big Shimano and Daiwa fans, but are any of those decent below $100? If not, I'll take a hard look at an Okuma Inspira and High Speed S as well as a few others.
Turkey sandwich reply :
I have Presidents on most of my spinning gear and still use a few Shimanos. I've had older Saharas and Sedona that have been quality reels without breaking the bank, but can't comment on the new line up.
Dtrombly reply :
I like the Ike Series.. but the St Croix Premier is better than both for $140
Turkey sandwich reply :
On 5/25/2017 at 10:46 AM, Dtrombly said:I like the Ike Series.. but the St Croix Premier is better than both for $140
?
I've had Premier series rods for nearly 20 years that I still fish, but the Mojo is just made from better components straight across the board. I have both in the same power and action and it's not even close. Unless you really dislike micro guides, or $130-150 is not in the budget, there's no benefit to buying a Premier. If I were to compare a Premier to an Abu rod, it would likely be the Veritas.
BradGinKC reply :
On 5/25/2017 at 7:37 AM, JohnnyRebTX said:I planned on putting a Pflueger President on it, but I'm not as crazy about that reel as most people are. I have a Limited Edition which is the same as the XT internally, and I feel that's a much better reel then the regular President. I own a Penn Fierce and Penn Pursuit I use for live bait. Both of those are great reels for their purpose, but they aren't super smooth. I know most of y'all are big Shimano and Daiwa fans, but are any of those decent below $100? If not, I'll take a hard look at an Okuma Inspira and High Speed S as well as a few others.
Take a look at the Shimano NASCI. It's only $99 and I've been really impressed with it. I have a Stradic FK and a NASCI, both in the 2500 size, and the NASCI holds up very well. It has a lot of the same features as the stradic at a fraction of the price (hagane gearing, xship, etc). I do like my stradic a little better, but for $99 I think you will be happy with it.
LCG reply :
I recently purchased a st Croix mojo wacky style spinning rod, 6'8" m xf, and paired it with a Pflueger president xt 30 size and spooled it with 10 lb braid to an 8lb fluorocarbon leader. This combination has blown me away in terms of casting accuracy and distance, sensitivity, the xf action is perfect for me using soft plastics, the medium power is right where I want it, and the overall feel is fantastic. I can't recommend this combination enough.
This has become my favourite set up so far. This is also my first st Croix and my first one piece rod, but I know it won't be my last. I also have a fenwick hmg 6'9" ml f, which I also really like but the st Croix has something special to it.
I would also like to thank the good people on this forum for recommending the mojo wacky style rod. Some very good advice offered here. Much appreciated.
Turkey sandwich reply :
On 5/25/2017 at 1:08 PM, Luke Goguen said:I recently purchased a st Croix mojo wacky style spinning rod, 6'8" m xf, and paired it with a Pflueger president xt 30 size and spooled it with 10 lb braid to an 8lb fluorocarbon leader. This combination has blown me away in terms of casting accuracy and distance, sensitivity, the xf action is perfect for me using soft plastics, the medium power is right where I want it, and the overall feel is fantastic. I can't recommend this combination enough.
This has become my favourite set up so far. This is also my first st Croix and my first one piece rod, but I know it won't be my last. I also have a fenwick hmg 6'9" ml f, which I also really like but the st Croix has something special to it.
I would also like to thank the good people on this forum for recommending the mojo wacky style rod. Some very good advice offered here. Much appreciated.
It's a good stick! I really like my Mojo, Rage, and Avid X rods. It's a really good blank. I've never really fished Daiwa, Dobyns, or Loomis, but for the price point they're very difficult to beat.
Spankey reply :
I was all amped up to buy a Bass X Series Rod. Was looking at the BXC72MHM casting Rod for cranking deeper cb's and the BXS71MF for some soft plastics. I never pulled the trigger on it, and I could be wrong on this but I think they are a guide short vs the Mojo's. Something told me not to do it at the time. I'll see where and what the opinion are on the Bass X rods are in a to year. I really don't need another Rod. Just a St. Croix addiction.
JohnnyRebTX reply :
Well ladies and gents, thanks to your input I bought a 7'1", Medium action, fast tip, "soft plastics", St Croix Mojo Bass spinning rod today. I also bought a Shimano Nasci 3000 reel, and I had them spool it with Stren performance braid 30lb test. It's my first St Croix rod, Shimano reel, and first time using braid. Is it weird that I'm paranoid with it so far? Lol. It will get used plenty. Thanks again for the advice.
I guess next up is learning how to use a fluorocarbon leader.
Burke reply :
Just buy one spool with 10 Lbs braid and you shall see a big difference in casting distance.
Trust us on that 
Attila reply :
Congrats on your purchase!
I was going to suggest matching the rod with a Daiwa Fuego 2500 that you can pick up at Tackle Warehouse for $99.99 but you've already made your choice!
Based on all the reviews I've read of the Mojo Bass series I'm sure you'll enjoy it immensely!
JohnnyRebTX reply :
All I need now is to upgrade my primary setup for cranking, spinners, and every other lure I throw besides soft plastics. That can wait a bit though since I dropped $270 on the Mojo Bass, Nasci, line, and hooks after tax. For the moment, it's an Ugly Stik Elite and Pflueger President Limited Edition. Been fine so far.
d-camarena reply :
Im in the minority but my mojo bass rods feel dead in my hands. They dont feel sensitive or balanced in my hands. It may just be me
JohnnyRebTX reply :
On 5/29/2017 at 10:21 AM, d-camarena said:Im in the minority but my mojo bass rods feel dead in my hands. They dont feel sensitive or balanced in my hands. It may just be me
I haven't used mine just yet, so I can't say anything otherwise. I went off reviews, this forum, the sales clerks, and fishing buddies advice that mostly echoed it is a great rod. I realize there are duds in just about any product as well as differing opinions. My first rod I bought for crankbaits was a Berkley Lightning Rod Shock. I run into people all the time the love that rod. It felt good in my hands vs the even cheaper combos I was use to fishing with. The rod tip broke on a cast on my second trip out with it. I was so frustrated that I exchanged it for an Ugly Stik. The Ugly Stik is still going strong, but I just don't like that model for lures. I use it for live bait only now. The Ugly Stik Elite on the other hand is not bad at all for cranking. (Even though I'd love to upgrade that one)
d-camarena reply :
Dont get me wrong, its a great rod and the build quality is really good. My only complaint is sensitivity but that can be fixed by using braid. Id still prefer it over the abu
Burntorangefan reply :
Congrats on your new combo! Like so many others, I'm also a big fan of St Croix. I own a variety in different shapes and sizes, as well as Loomis (home team, I live in WA) and I believe St Croix is the best large maker of rods in the country. Only way to beat one is custom, IMO. Post a pic of your first catch if you have time!
JohnnyRebTX reply :
On 5/29/2017 at 8:50 PM, d-camarena said:Dont get me wrong, its a great rod and the build quality is really good. My only complaint is sensitivity but that can be fixed by using braid. Id still prefer it over the abu
I guess I'll find out soon enough. My setup I was using for soft plastics was a Pflueger President combo. It is the actual Pflueger rod instead of the Bass Pro or Cabela's house brand rod when you buy the combo from them. I was only running mono with that, and to me that cheap rod was way more sensitive than anything I had used before and opened up my eyes that spending a little more on a soft plastics setup would be worth the $.
On 5/29/2017 at 11:38 PM, Burntorangefan said:Congrats on your new combo! Like so many others, I'm also a big fan of St Croix. I own a variety in different shapes and sizes, as well as Loomis (home team, I live in WA) and I believe St Croix is the best large maker of rods in the country. Only way to beat one is custom, IMO. Post a pic of your first catch if you have time!
Thank you. I'll be sure and do just that. Dink or not. Lol. I use to have grandparents that lived in Olympia. Beautiful terrain and water.
JohnnyRebTX reply :
Is it bad that I picked up a Veritas as well? Dang tackle junky bug bit me again. I'm putting an Okuma Inspira on it to match the pearl white. Anyways, depending on how I like the Mojo Bass+Shimano Nasci & Abu Garcia Veritas+Okuma Inspira will dictate if I pick up a St Croix Bass X, another model Mojo, or Abu Ike Signature later on down the road.
CTBassin860 reply :
On 6/8/2017 at 9:21 AM, JohnnyRebTX said:Is it bad that I picked up a Veritas as well? Dang tackle junky bug bit me again. I'm putting an Okuma Inspira on it to match the pearl white. Anyways, depending on how I like the Mojo Bass+Shimano Nasci & Abu Garcia Veritas+Okuma Inspira will dictate if I pick up a St Croix Bass X, another model Mojo, or Abu Ike Signature later on down the road.
That rod fishes like a heavy.I just retired my 7'MHF Veritas.I used it as a frog rod.
JohnnyRebTX reply :
Precisely what I'm going to use it for. I have a plastics setup, general purpose/crank setup, now a topwater.
I am at 2 setups for live bait only (Ugly Stik GX2+Penn Fierce & Ugly Stik Lite Pro+Penn Pursuit). Then my lure setups so far. Ugly Stik Elite with a Pflueger President Limited Edition. A standard Pflueger President combo. A St Croix Mojo Bass with a Shimano Nasci, and now a Abu Veritas 2.0 with an Okuma Inspira. Not much compared to y'all, but two years ago all I had was the Ugly Stik GX2 combo.
Boomstick reply :
On 5/25/2017 at 7:37 AM, JohnnyRebTX said:I planned on putting a Pflueger President on it, but I'm not as crazy about that reel as most people are. I have a Limited Edition which is the same as the XT internally, and I feel that's a much better reel then the regular President. I own a Penn Fierce and Penn Pursuit I use for live bait. Both of those are great reels for their purpose, but they aren't super smooth. I know most of y'all are big Shimano and Daiwa fans, but are any of those decent below $100? If not, I'll take a hard look at an Okuma Inspira and High Speed S as well as a few others.
Have you tried the Mitchell 300 Pro? My friend bought one so I got a chance to use it, cranks moderately fast (5.8 gear ratio) and incredibly smooth.
I'm actually going to get a Daiwa Tatula, but I also considered a Mojo Bass. I like the feel of the Mojo Bass a lot and you certainly can't go wrong with one
JohnnyRebTX reply :
On 6/10/2017 at 12:56 AM, Boomstick said:
Have you tried the Mitchell 300 Pro? My friend bought one so I got a chance to use it, cranks moderately fast (5.8 gear ratio) and incredibly smooth.
I'm actually going to get a Daiwa Tatula, but I also considered a Mojo Bass. I like the feel of the Mojo Bass a lot and you certainly can't go wrong with one
I haven't used it, but I have played with it at Bass Pro. That one and the Lew's Mach II both feel good on initial inspection and have good reviews. I just didn't personally know anyone that used either to say yay or nay. That's all. They look solid.
I'm actually planning on selling my Pflueger President combo. I'm using that $ to switch all my bass setups to braid. I'll look at the Mitchell, Lews, and others if I'm not satisfied with my president limited edition, okuma inspira, and shimano nasci when I'm ready to upgrade again. Dick's Sporting Goods does $20 off if you spend $100 with free shipping over $25 fairly regularly. That would bring a St Croix Bass X down to $80, or an Abu Garcia Ike Signature down to $110.
JohnnyRebTX reply :
Can't beat a Penn+Ugly Stik on the cheap side for live bait though. Those setups are here to stay. The drag is awesome, and the rods are perfect for tossing around without worry around mud or placing in rod holders with bells.
JohnnyRebTX reply :
Or I could just call it good with what I have for bass, and pickup an ultra light St. Croix Panfish Rod for throwing my tiny lures.
Burke reply :
The Monkey Bait got you .....
Next thing you know --- you will have a $#!t load of stuff
CTBassin860 reply :
On 6/9/2017 at 2:04 PM, JohnnyRebTX said:Precisely what I'm going to use it for. I have a plastics setup, general purpose/crank setup, now a topwater.
I am at 2 setups for live bait only (Ugly Stik GX2+Penn Fierce & Ugly Stik Lite Pro+Penn Pursuit). Then my lure setups so far. Ugly Stik Elite with a Pflueger President Limited Edition. A standard Pflueger President combo. A St Croix Mojo Bass with a Shimano Nasci, and now a Abu Veritas 2.0 with an Okuma Inspira. Not much compared to y'all, but two years ago all I had was the Ugly Stik GX2 combo.
The Veritas was my 1st high priced rod.It only gets worse from here haha.I bought that before I even understood what to do with it.After breaking the tip a couple times and losing a guide I retired it after 4 years of service.Mine was 1st gen.It takes a beating,and believe me I beat the crap out of it.
Boomstick reply :
On 6/10/2017 at 4:38 AM, JohnnyRebTX said:Can't beat a Penn+Ugly Stik on the cheap side for live bait though. Those setups are here to stay. The drag is awesome, and the rods are perfect for tossing around without worry around mud or placing in rod holders with bells.
Penn's spinning reels do have some serious drag no question, although I'm sold on the Mitchell myself. The abuse the ugly stik's can take does make them a good pairing with Penn reels imo
JohnnyRebTX reply :
On 6/10/2017 at 9:33 AM, Burke said:The Monkey Bait got you .....
Next thing you know --- you will have a $#!t load of stuff
I would ask if the monkey bait ever stops, but I already know the answer to that. I never thought I'd enjoy fishing quite as much as I do when I started going out again. I believe everyone has to find that hobby or niche that is chicken soup for the soul, and for a time it was target shooting for myself. I love to be by the water now .
Subaqua Adinterim reply :
On 6/10/2017 at 12:56 AM, Boomstick said:Have you tried the Mitchell 300 Pro? My friend bought one so I got a chance to use it, cranks moderately fast (5.8 gear ratio) and incredibly smooth.
This reel offers a lot of value for your $. Has a stout drag - 14# and is quite solid. Not a fancy looking reel, but very functional. This is a seldom mentioned gem. Have one paired with a Veritas that has taken a lot of abuse fished from my kayak for the last few years and works great. I am considering the 308 size the next time I purchase a reel.
JohnnyRebTX reply :
On 6/10/2017 at 10:35 PM, RichPenNY said:This reel offers a lot of value for your $. Has a stout drag - 14# and is quite solid. Not a fancy looking reel, but very functional. This is a seldom mentioned gem. Have one paired with a Veritas that has taken a lot of abuse fished from my kayak for the last few years and works great. I am considering the 308 size the next time I purchase a reel.
I'll take a closer look at those this week when I bring my reels in to switch to braid at BPS. Always on the hunt for a good blend of performance, durability, and value. I actually wanted one rod with the stiffness of the Veritas. I use to use a Shakespeare Tiger spincast in heavy for my heavier lures (I know...I've come a long way) I caught a big gar on a rat-l-trap with that setup, and it handled him easily.
JohnnyRebTX reply :
I was able to get out just before sunset. I saw a lot of surface activity, so I went with topwater. This is my first catch on the Okuma Inspira & Abu Garcia Veritas, first time using braid, and first topwater catch. Man that was exciting. I'm hooked!
JohnnyRebTX reply :
Well, long time coming.
I finally caught a bass on my st croix mojo bass and shimano nasci. I was using a GrandeBass airtail rattler in Smokin Shad color. First fish on the Mojo. It was a blast. 15.5" Just under 2lbs.
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