I had the same rod that you are considering. It was okay for about a year then the top 12 in. snapped off while trying to land a fish in the rocks. I could'nt figure out why it did because I did'nt do anything unusual. I would pay a few dollars more and go with a Lamiglass which is a better blank and I believe has a larger gathering guide then the St. Croix, so you don't get robbed in casting distance. I now use a custom rod with a Fisher graphite blank and like it 5 times more then the St. Croix and hope to still have it in 20-30 years.