I realise there is no standard between companies in terms of what is med fast,Fast and X-Fast.One companies Fast is another companies X-Fast.

Im newish to bass fishing and my main baitcast rod is a 7' MH Fast action Daiwa Exceller rod.Fantastic rod but i find it difficult to cast really light unweighted flukes,senkos etc.I can of course use my 7' M Spinning rod but would like to use a baitcaster to cast the light stuff.

the Shimano SLX baitcast rod is what im after.Unfortunately i can only get a 7'2 M X-fast or a 7' MH X-fast rod.

Can anyone shed some light on the X-fast vs Fast actions?

IMHO, the faster the action the worse a rod is going to cast lighter lures.  A super light XF tip will let you flick-cast light stuff but I really prefer a rod that loads a little deeper when I am fishing light plastics.  

 

A Zoom Super w/ hook weighs right around 5/16oz, so right at the lower limit for a lot of MH rods.  If I was unable to handle them before hand I would go with a F over an XF if I was worried about casting them well.  That being said, my favorite rod to work a fluke on is a M/XF with a very soft tip, but it's light enough to still load into the blank on the cast, but not as well as my M/F rods will. 

5 hours ago, Ryan_SA said:

 there is no standard between companies in terms of what is med fast,Fast and X-Fast.

You answered your own question.

 

But, that said, I haven't owned a rod rated at XF that was any good for weightless flukes (or Senkos.)  There probably are MXF rods that will do, however.  What's the 7'2MXF lure rating?

I can't really tell a difference in action between XF and F most of the time just being honest.  I definitely feel the difference in power between M and MH though.

Why wouldn't you use the spinning outfit to cast light stuff? ?

You really did posit your own question.  The only way to tell the difference is to put it in your hands.  Even when you take someone else's advice, it may not be right for you.  

 

There is even a difference in a manufacturer's speed in their different rods and lengths.  

6 hours ago, Ryan_SA said:

i find it difficult to cast really light unweighted flukes,senkos etc.

 

I highly doubt your rod is the problem!

 

This might hurt your feelings but it's operator error.

 

An unweighted Fluke or Senko aint considered "light" unless you're talking a 3" Fluke or Senko.

 

Make sure your reel is setup properly & practice casting.

While I agree with the above that a 5" to 6"  isn't light weight and very castible with baitcasting reels the rods action is a factor. 

A moderate action or crankbait rod will cast the Senko easier then a Xfast jig or worm rod. We can agree that a moderate action rod is different from a fast action rod. The faster the action the less the entier rod bends from tip down, the result when casting is your release point changes and becomes less foregiving....ie operator error.

Slow down your casting motion and let the rod launch the lure instead of trying to over power the cast.

Tom

 

On 8/20/2019 at 1:42 AM, Ryan_SA said:

the Shimano SLX baitcast rod is what im after.Unfortunately i can only get a 7'2 M X-fast or a 7' MH X-fast rod.

If that's the only 2 choices I'd pick the Medium. I will say as others that if your using a standard size Senko or Zoom super fluke you should be able to get decent distance now. If your using really heavy line or have brakes or tension knob turned up these will effect your casting distance. FWIW I use a M/XF for 3.5" swimbaits with 1/8oz heads and love it.  

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/guides/rodselection.html

My two favorite rods are both xf. 6'8" M-Xf spinning rod and a 6'9" mh-xf casting rod. I am a soft plastics guy mainly. Personal preference at the end of the day.