By Matt Lynch
St Croix rods has long been a golden standard by which other factory built rods are compared. For the catfish anglers, originally the glass muskie rods provided the tool for the job. Then back in the latter part of the 90s, we were introduced to the St Croix Classic Cat series of rods. These rods were class leading in terms of construction and function. Unfortunately during the 2000s they were discontinued. Much of this stemmed from sales, as many anglers weren’t ready to pony up the money for the higher price tag of these rods. Sales typically went to lesser rods. However those of us who have been cattin’ for a long time have witnessed the explosion in the catfishing industry. No longer a backwoods sport looked down upon by other sportfishing anglers, today we have a large industry catering to the catfish guys with media, gear, and professional tournaments. The demand for dedicated catfish rods capable of handling trophy sized fish and built with premium components has been mounting steadily with many anglers calling for their beloved St Croix’s to come back. Finally St Croix stepped up to the plate introducing a new line. This new rod is the Mojo Cat series. Following the success of the earlier Mojo lines, the Mojo Cat should prove no exception.
When I heard the initial rumors of a new catfish line I was elated to say the least, and after it was confirmed I had to get my hands on one. Luckily I was able to use my contacts at St Croix and get my name on the list for one of the first ones off the production line for review. When it finally arrived I was blown away by this amazingly light rod and could hardly contain the excitement to get it on the water. As I currently write this review the rods have now been in the market for several months, so why so long for review? We all know that when a new product hits the market, people rush to review them and be the first to write about it. And while some do have prior field testing to the release, often times that isn’t the case, and the people only use a product a few times before reviewing it. I’ve postponed my own review for the simple fact I want to tell you what it’s like living with this rod on the boat for several months, not just a trip or two. Often those first few trips always result in stellar reviews and opinions, however as time goes on, we may see changes in performance or even faults and failures. I feel completely confident at this time however, in giving you the most honest facts about this rod and how it performs.
Before I dive into the details of the new line I want to also point out the stiff competition in the market today to help you better understand the quality and value you really get with the Mojo Cat line. For serious anglers, spending $100 or even more for a catfish rod isn’t as much of a shock as it use to be, especially for tournament guys where money is on the line. We have numerous companies making rods that are basically factory custom rods, built on many types of blanks from glass to graphite/glass combinations with other high quality components. And many of these rods have been shutting down the competition due to superior components and quality. So its not hard to see why this St Croix will turn heads when you get one in your hands.
The Mojo Cat family currently has seven models available in the lineup. Five casting models ranging from 7ft medium action to 8ft extra heavy provide a rod for any need if you choose baitcasting. If spinning is more your style, they offer both a 7ft and 8ft medium action model. The base of any good rod build is always the blank, and St Croix knocked this one out of the park with the Mojo Cat. The Mojo Cats blanks are blend of premium-quality SCII graphite and their super premium 100% linear S-glass. This means a blank that is extremely light in weight but with tremendous lifting power and shock resistance. The blank is an attractive silver coloration and features purple/gray wraps complements of its Mojo line namesake. It also features a double coating of Flex Coat which is a slow cured coating. Line guides are a topic of debate in the catfish circle and often the majority of anglers seem to prefer one piece stainless, however St Croix chose to outfit the Mojo Cat with Kigan Master Hand 3D guides featuring slim, strong aluminum-oxide rings with black frames. To secure your reel to the blank, the casting models features Fuji® ECS reel seat with black hood and for the spinning models, Fuji® DPS reel seat with black hoods. The Mojo Cat line also features Kigan hook keepers. Now what really sets this Mojo apart from the rest of its family is the handle. We’re all use to the Mojo lineup offering split grip handles, however the Mojo Cat boasts a full cork grip made with premium cork. This is an incredibly important change from the split grip and I’ll talk more about it later on. As with the rest of the Mojo family of rods the Mojo Cat is designed in Park Falls, WI and assembled in Fresnillo, Mexico. The Mojo Cat also features a 5-year warranty to seal the deal.
I naturally chose the big daddy of the Mojo Cat family, the MCC80XHF. This 8ft extra heavy beast features a one piece fast tip blank that carries a whopping lure rating of 8 – 32oz. It is rated for 50-100lb line and an unbelievable weight of only 11.8oz. When you pick this rod up the weight is mindblowing compared to what you typically expect holding a catfish rod. It weighs in less than some of my muskie rods. When casting and fighting fish, trust me you won’t be fighting your rod. With this lightweight however, don’t mistake the Mojo Cat as being fragile. Mine has taken a few good knocks and drops around the boat as one should expect to happen catfishing. It’s a sport that can be very rough on gear and the Mojo Cat simiply shrugs it off. Fishing the Tennessee River system and using large bait this model is a natural and I have no doubts that this model could easily muscle in a new record.
For a reel I chose to pair the Mojo up with what could be considered by many as the greatest traditional baitcaster on the market, the Truth Reels SG model. The Truth SG with its compact size and reasonable weight makes for a superbly balanced combination that is dripping with brute strength. Spooled with 80lb HiSeas braid I’ve used this combo for several fishing styles ranging from livebaiting flatheads to drifting and dragging for bluecats. It performs admirably in all tasks and I’ve even exceeded the lure rating. Just to see how it handled I’ve had the rod baited up with almost 40oz worth of bait/sinker before and the rod handled it well as you could expect. You won’t win a casting distance contest but it will get the job done and then be ready to handle the fish that can eat a 40oz bait. When using these light rods especially at around 8ft in length you will notice how much easier it is to fight a large fish. A 50lb fish will feel more like a 30lber due to the leverage and weight. This being my only sample I didn’t want to break the rod, however I would love to see a deadlift with it. I have no doubt this rod could deadlift a smaller adult with the strength of its blank and after seeing similarly constructed blanks doing deadlifts. The Mojo Cat, for all its power, still offers a tip subtle enough to work superbly with circle hooks. It loads smoothly down until it reaches around the sixth and seventh guide from the tip. After loading up to that point you get into the true backbone of the rod from there down. This attribute will be very important for the angler targeting blue catfish especially with the numerous techniques involved. On one single day we may go from anchored sets to control drifting in a few hours, and even dragging before the day is done. I use reel clamps just for extra protection but the Mojo Cats factory reel seats seem to be quite sufficient, although I’d like to see an additional locking ring in the future or possibly even a rear locking seat. The rear locking seat would reduce stress on the locking mechanism during a fight with a large fish. As for the handle, I mentioned the importance of the full cork grip earlier.
When placed in a rod holder just a large catfish take down can easily crush the cork where it rests in the holder. If you use a split grip style you run the risk of an impact from a fish actually damaging the blank and crushing it in the holder. By offering the full cork on this Mojo Cat rod, you don’t have that worry as the cork cushions and protects the blank when in a holder. The hook keeper is also of adequate size to hang large 8/0-12/0 hooks and is placed on the bottom of the blank. This means whatever weight is fastened to it won’t be banging up your rod blank as much as if it were mounted on the top or side. For the line guides, I tried both 50lb Ande mono and the 80lb HiSeas braid with good success. I’ve noticed no loose inserts or damage in the months I’ve used the rod and they work well with either line. I do prefer one piece stainless myself however for simplicity and piece of mind and would like to see them in the future. The finish on the blank and the cork also exhibit no excessive wear after use aside from skipjack slime and blood.
After becoming familiar with this rod on the water I will say it’s probably the best catfish rod St Croix has produced, and certainly one of the best on the market. For anglers willing to pay for quality, this rod won’t disappoint and will handle any situation thrown its way. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to review one of these great rods and put some hours on the water with it. If you are in the market for a rod of this caliber I highly recommend you check out the Mojo Cat line. With the models offered they will cover everything from chasing bullheads in a pond to tangling with river giants.
Matt Lynch
Online Contributor
Residing in the Appalachian foothills in eastern Tennessee, Matt Lynch has a variety of fishing opportunities available. A diehard catman from the start his roots always go back to catfishing the region, which is well known for its multiple world record catfish over the years. Scouring everything to flooded backwaters to the mighty Tennessee River in his jet he is always looking for opportunity. Also an avid muskie angler, he certainly takes good advantage of the states offerings of trophy muskie and spends most of his time fishing on Melton Hill Lake where upper 40-50in. muskie aren’t all that uncommon. He also enjoys the occasional foray for tailwater trout that the region is famous for and bowfishing. More importantly than anything he believes in helping maintain good working relationships between the TWRA and groups/individuals for maintaining and improving our fish habitat and also participates in Trout Unlimited.
