I have 3 St. Croix rods, and I have never had any problems out of them. As far as performance, I think they are hard to beat for the money. Sure I would love to have a boat full of G-Loomis or Kistlers, but I cant afford them either. If you are looking for a nice rod in the $100 range, I would suggest a Croix. Others might disagree, but thats just my opinion.