I've read a Med Heavy Spinning rod is this the best choice for blade baits or what do you prefer?

I've been using a M/F 7' casting rod but I really have no idea what I'm doing with them.

What ever you are using for your jig rod will be fine. I think most guys are

probably fishing  MHF baitcasting gear.

 

I use 7'1" MF.  Same rod I use for smaller cranks and lipless under 1/2 oz. It is important to me to get really good feel of the vibration on the lift...and feel the bite on the fall.

I use a Dobyns Extreme DX742 for blade baits , I like it for 1/2oz -3/4oz blades. The rod transmits the vibration of the blade fairly well, which really allows for me to understand what the fish are tuned into for the day. 

Really depends on the weights you’re using. I throw a lot of 3/16 and 1/4 oz on a 6’10 ML spinning rod. It’s the same rod I use for drop shot. If I’m throwing 3/8 oz or more, I switch to a 7’ M or MH casting rod. 

Definitely a medium or medium light rod with a light tip to let the bait work and feel the vibration. I'm personally running a custom phenix medium power rod. A jig rod would be too heavy in my opinion for 3/8 and 1/2 oz blades

I switch between a 7'6" ML Fenwick HMG and Kistler KLX 7'3" LMH, depending on what other baits I bring with me.

M/F spinning

Lately I have been using either a 7' M or MH fast.  I have tried moderate and x fast rods and fast seems to be the sweet spot for me.

For lighter baits at/under 1/4 oz., I use M or ML spinning gear. For heavier 3/8-1/2 oz. baits on casting gear, the G. Loomis SBR 812 C 6'9" Spinnerbait Series which is labeled as M-XF is killer.

Medium heavy baitcaster

I throw them on the same rods I throw spinnerbaits.  None are spinning rods.

I gave up fast action for 1/2oz blades. Lost too many fish. I only use moderate fast for blades now, and go up and down M or MH based on size of bait.

I really like a shorter (less than 7 ft) rod for blade baits.  I find them most effective with very short hops (just enough lift to feel it vibrate) and a shorter rod makes sure you are not overworking the bait.  Also have a big preference for spinning rods but I prefer them in general.  I don't think the weight of the lure actually matters as much when it comes to rod rating as the pull from these baits water resistance is so much stronger than the weight.

8 hours ago, Blaine Donders said:

I gave up fast action for 1/2oz blades. Lost too many fish. I only use moderate fast for blades now, and go up and down M or MH based on size of bait.

 

   If I could "Like" that a thousand times, I would! What good is it to hook a fish if you can't keep him hooked right on into the net?  Blade lures are one of the easiest lures for a jumper to throw off.      jj

13 hours ago, Team9nine said:

G. Loomis SBR 812 C 6'9"

Been looking at that rod for years. What baits do you like it for? I haven't been able to get one in my hands yet. Is it similar to the JWR taper at all?

I use a 7'0" mh/f for 1/2 oz chatterbaits, and a 6'6" mh/f for 3/8 oz chatterbaits.  Both rods bend like a medium rod.

I suspect that we are not all talking about the same baits.  I posted the rod I use for Silver Buddy type lures.  MF...(St Croix Rage) though, to me, the rod is my 'slowest F'.....lol.   Same rod I use for smaller cranks.

 

1 hour ago, Choporoz said:

I suspect that we are not all talking about the same baits.  I posted the rod I use for Silver Buddy type lures.  MF...(St Croix Rage) though, to me, the rod is my 'slowest F'.....lol.   Same rod I use for smaller cranks.

 

This is the baits I was assuming the OP was referring to.

7 hours ago, waymont said:

Been looking at that rod for years. What baits do you like it for? I haven't been able to get one in my hands yet. Is it similar to the JWR taper at all?

 

Not familiar with JWR line as I only own a few Loomis,’ but it works good with lighter end spinnerbaits (<1/2 oz) and blade baits. Also pretty decent with Spooks and jerkbaits, and I’ve even used it for finesse jigging and wormin’ in a pinch. It has too fast of an action for shallow cranking though. Nice lightweight rod with good balance that is fun to fish with.

I use a medium light or medium action 7' to 7.6' spinning rod.  Nothing heavier than 1/2 oz and mostly 3/8.  

I throw mine.....right back in the box after making a couple casts with them. I want to use them, I really do. I watch video after video about using them. The whens, the wheres, the whys, the hows, and no matter what I do, I never feel like I have a chance to catch anything on a blade bait. I will continue to try though. That being said, I have been throwing mine on a 7' M Crucial rod.

6 hours ago, Choporoz said:

I suspect that we are not all talking about the same baits.  I posted the rod I use for Silver Buddy type lures.  MF...(St Croix Rage) though, to me, the rod is my 'slowest F'.....lol.   Same rod I use for smaller cranks.

 

My answer was for bladed vibration baits.  For Silver Buddy, I use a whatever cranking stick is right for the weight.

 

For blade baits (3/4 oz), I like a MH–F blank, be it a casting or spinning rod.

Yeah, at times I’d wish the action were moderate, and other times I’d wish it were extra-fast

On balance though, I feel that a ‘Fast’ action blank serves best across all scenarios.

 

Blank length is typically stated first, but I personally believe it belongs in last place.

Regardless of application, most anglers are going to reach for a 7 to 7½ foot blank.

In contrast, my favorite blank length for most applications falls in the 6½ to 7 ft range.

Particularly in regard to blade baits, a shorter rod offers a couple nice advantages:

> It gives the angler better control over the Speed & Length of the bottom hops.

> It gives the angler more power, so a full day of bottom-hopping won't cause fatigue.

 

Roger