Wisconsin rod-builders introduce pro-inspired Mojo Bass Power Shake for plus-size shaky-heads
Park Falls, WI – In 1957, Mississippi bluesman Muddy Waters popularized Preston “Red” Foster’s “Got My Mojo Working” — a tune that eventually found its way onto the set lists of Elvis Presley, B.B. King, The Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton, Widespread Panic, and countless others. In 2004, Muddy Waters’ rendition was canonized in Rolling Stone magazine’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
Five years later, in 2009, St. Croix Rod introduced the Mojo Bass rod series, which, like the song, achieved instant notoriety. Similar to the influence Muddy Waters’ raw rumble had on popular culture, St. Croix’s Mojo Bass brought authenticity, artistry, high performance, and high value to bass anglers of all walks.
Almost 10 years later, Mojo Bass now comprises 27 technique-specific bass rods with talisman-like qualities for putting fish in the boat. Now meet the newest Mojo Bass member, the Power Shake rod (MJS73MHF), a magic wand built around 28-year-old BASS Elite pro Jesse Wiggins’ unique plus-size shaky-head technique.
“When I throw shaky-head jigs, I shake ‘em a lot,” says Wiggins. “Some guys will use a baitcasting rod when they go with a bigger bait, but I can still shake ‘em a lot easier with a spinning rod, whether I’m fishing in three feet or 25 feet. When I’m on a lake like Guntersville or Pickwick, I’m fishing ¼- to ½-ounce shaky-heads with five-, six-, seven-, or eight-inch worms, often with bulky bodies, so you really need a longer and more powerful heavy-power rod to set the hook.”
But Wiggins wasn’t happy with off-the-rack rods. “I was looking for the perfect combination of power, sensitivity, length, and something that I could fish comfortably all day, not a 2 X 4. So, I got together with St. Croix — it was a no-brainer.”
Much like tales of engineering marvels hatched on barroom napkins, the seed for the Mojo Bass Power Shake was planted when Wiggins met Jason Brunner, Director of Engineering, St. Croix Rod, at ICAST 2017.
“Whenever you’re building a rod to pro specs, one of the difficulties can be getting the angler and engineers speaking the same language,” says Brunner. “But Jesse was articulate and specific about what he wanted — in the simplest terms, a spinning rod with a combination of medium-power butt section and medium-heavy tip section in the 7’ 3” length. I knew it would be a challenging blank to create, but our team is always up for a challenge. Honestly, the biggest hurdle was convincing Jesse not to settle with any of our prototypes until it was exactly the rod he imagined. It took five generations, but we nailed it.”
Since soaking that first shaky-head jig with the finalized Mojo Bass Power Shake MJS73MHF, the normally game-faced Wiggins has been all smiles — not only with the rod’s performance—but also product positioning.
“I’ve always liked the Mojo Bass line. They’re rods for the everyday angler. I see them everywhere; everybody’s fishing them because they’re great rods. So, it was an obvious choice to make my rod Mojo Bass. I’m using this rod every day, and I want every bass angler out there to be able to do the same. I really like that St. Croix’s Mojo Bass lets an angler build an arsenal of technique-specific casting, spinning, and glass casting rods on a realistic budget.
So how does the Mojo Bass Power Shake fish?
“It’s great for making super long casts. Even when fishing deep, I can feel the bait, bottom, and bites really well — and I can pick up a lot of slack right quick. Same goes for when you’re fishing a place like the Tennessee River and current gets your line really moving. You’ve got heavier power, plenty of backbone, great hook-setting, and the fast action allows for accurate casts, too,” says Wiggins.
Following a complete redesign in 2016, technique-specific Mojo Bass rods now feature advanced SCIII graphite and IPC® mandrel technology for stunning performance at an unbelievable value. The MJS73MHF features the same winning proprietary St. Croix technologies found in other Mojo Bass models, including premium, high-modulus SCIII graphite, Kigan Master Hand 3D guides with slim, strong aluminum-oxide rings and black frames, Fuji® DPS reel seat with black hood, split-grip/premium-grade cork handle, Kigan hook-keeper, and two coats of Flex-Coat slow cure finish.
All Mojo Bass rods boast a 5-year warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service. Retails at $140.
Mojo Bass Power Shake (MJS73MHF) Features:
- Integrated Poly Curve® (IPC®) mandrel technology
- Premium, high-modulus SCIII graphite
- Kigan Master Hand 3D guides with slim, strong aluminum-oxide rings and black frames
- Fuji® DPS reel seat with black hood
- Split-grip/premium-grade cork handle
- Kigan hook-keeper
- Two coats of Flex-Coat slow cure finish
- 5-year warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service
- Designed in Park Falls, WI and handcrafted in Fresnillo, Mexico
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