Welcome back to the channel. In this review, I take a deep dive into the St. Croix Legend Tournament LBTC72HMM Rip-N-Chatter Rod, a 7’2” casting rod designed for vibrating jigs, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits. This review uses my detailed DMRVP format—Description, Meaning, Relevance, Value, and Purpose—to give you a full picture of how this rod performs in real fishing situations, especially in Arizona where buzzbait and spinnerbait fishing often outpaces chatterbait use.

What sets this rod apart is its unique SC4+ carbon and glass hybrid blank, creating the moderate action ideal for reaction baits, while still offering the strength and power required to fish in cover. It’s a technique-specific rod built for power fishing, especially when controlling fish in heavy cover or when accurate casts are needed around isolated structure, flooded brush, or rock walls.

St. Croix LBTC72HMM Rip-N-Chatter Rod – At-a-Glance Specifications:

• Model: LBTC72HMM

• Technique: Rip-N-Chatter

• Length: 7’2”

• Power: Heavy

• Action: Moderate

• Weight: 4.59 oz

• Lure Rating: 1/2 oz – 1 1/4 oz

• Line Rating: 12–20 lb

• Rod Material: SC4+ Carbon with Integrated Glass

• Guides: 9 Fuji K-Series Tangle-Free with Alconite Rings

• Handle: Split-Grip

• Reel Seat: Fuji SK2 with Machined Aluminum Lock Nut

• Made in: USA (Park Falls, Wisconsin)

• Warranty: 15 Years (Transferable, $60 replacement process)

• Price: $315

Performance Review – On the Water Use

Although St. Croix markets this rod primarily for chatterbaits, I’ve found it shines equally when throwing spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and even heavy topwater walking baits like a Spook. Its moderate action combined with heavy powergives it the rare ability to cast larger reaction baits accurately while still offering just enough delay on hooksets to help bass fully commit—especially important with buzzbaits and chatterbaits where fish tend to hit hard and fast.

This rod loads beautifully in the midsection during a fight, absorbing surges and preventing tear-outs, while still providing enough backbone to drive hooks through heavy-wire jig heads and control fish in cover. Whether I’m fishing a 1/2 oz buzzbait along shoreline lanes or a 3/4 oz spinnerbait around flooded trees, this rod performs with precision and confidence.

DMRVP Review Breakdown

Description

The LBTC72HMM is a 7’2” casting rod with heavy power and a moderate action. The SC4+ carbon combined with S-glass delivers a light but powerful rod ideal for reaction baits. Rated for 1/2 to 1.25 oz baits and 12–20 lb test, it fits perfectly into a power angler’s lineup targeting active fish around cover.

Meaning

What does this rod mean to me as an angler? It solves two problems: fatigue and timing. I’m an older angler, and I want rods that are lightweight but still strong. At under 4.6 oz, this rod helps me fish longer. The moderate action helps slow down my hookset, especially when I react too quickly to a surface strike.

Relevance

This rod is highly relevant for Arizona bass fishing. I can throw it in spring for spinnerbaits, in summer for buzzbaits, and in fall or around grass edges for chatterbaits. It’s not just technique-specific—it’s seasonally versatile. It even performs with oversized topwater baits, expanding its utility.

Value

At $315, this rod is priced at the mid-to-upper level for technique-specific rods. For me, it’s worth every penny because:

• It’s American-made

• It uses premium components and cutting-edge rod design

• It offers multiple applications with one rod

• It’s extremely lightweight and well-balanced

If you’re looking for value through performance and long-term reliability, the LBTC72HMM is a strong contender.

Purpose

Its purpose is clear: excel with moving baits—chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and big walking topwaters. The moderate action helps improve your landing percentage, and the heavy backbone helps move fish from structure. It’s a reaction bait rod built for precision and power.

St. Croix Technology Breakdown

This rod features St. Croix’s full suite of rod technologies:

• SC4+ Carbon + S-Glass Hybrid Construction – Combines sensitivity, strength, and forgiveness

• IPC – Integrated Polycurve Technology – Eliminates transitional weak points in the blank

• ART – Advanced Reinforcing Technology – Adds hoop strength without weight

• FRS – Fortified Resin System – Increases blank strength by up to 33%

• TET – Taper Enhancement Technology – Improves action and sensitivity via CAD-based patterning

• IACT – Integrated Advanced Composite Technology – Adds glass to moderate action rods for optimal feel with treble hooks and fast-moving baits

These design features produce a rod with refined casting control, excellent load distribution, and extreme durability. The result? A long-lasting, reliable tool for serious anglers.

Load Test and Action Visualization

In this video, I also show a visual load test where I bend the rod against a fixed anchor to help viewers see the real-world flex of the moderate action. The rod bends deep into the blank—perfect for reaction bites and for slowing down your hookset timing, a common issue with chatterbait or buzzbait fishing.

Final Thoughts – Who Should Fish This Rod?

If you’re an angler who:

• Fishes buzzbaits or spinnerbaits in shallow water with cover

• Wants a rod for chatterbait fishing in lakes with submerged grass

• Prefers a moderate action to help reduce missed fish on fast strikes

• Needs a lightweight and strong rod that won’t wear out your shoulder

• Wants American-made quality backed by a 15-year transferable warranty

…then this is the rod for you.

Thank you for watching. If this review helped you, please subscribe to Fish Point and leave a comment about what rod you’d like to see reviewed next. I’ll continue to post detailed reviews of every St. Croix Legend Tournament rod I fish with—along with on-the-water footage and real-world gear testing.

Tight lines, and see you on the water!