I can't find a use for a Medium powered spinning rod. This started to occur for me over the past couple of seasons, really culminating last season. Now I'm a spinning rod fiend; I do find a heavy use for them; but only a Medium Light. I can't think of anything anymore that is commonly thrown on a Medium powered spinning rod that I wouldn't rather be throwing on a casting rod. If I'm going small or finesse enough to really need a spinning rod, it's going to be the Medium Light, such as for Ned Rigs.

BFS casting rigs. I've been spinning for at least a decade longer than I've been casting. Finesse to me is all spinning, so I'll save my money and not go for the BFS gear.

 

Medium spinning? I can't skip with a BC worth a darn, so skipping wacky rigs, flukes or weighless T-Rigs is done on a M/F spinning rig.

 

Speaking of skipping - added a MH/F spinning rig to the arsenal for next year so I can skip heavier stuff like jigs, spinners, chatters, etc.

Finesse swim jigs and tubes are usually tied into my medium spinning rod

I use medium spinning a lot -- Shakyheads, tubes, grubs, weightess plastics (e.g., flukes, senkos), light (1/4oz or less) topwaters, jerkbaits, & crankbaits.

 

One rod I don't have, and don't feel I need, is a MH-moderate action rod.

   I've never found a use for extra-fast actions. Not in Light or Medium Light power, not in Medium and not in MH or Heavy power. Don't like'em, and don't use'em.      jj

1 minute ago, jimmyjoe said:

   I've never found a use for extra-fast actions. Not in Light or Mediun Light power, not in Medium and not in MH or Heavy power. Don't like'em, and don't use'em.      jj

Yep - Fast is enough...only other action I have is M-MF on my two crank-rigs (1 BC and 1 Spin).

I haven’t needed a crank bait rod yet. 

Glass.  Just not for me.  

 

Should also note that the technology in graphite rods had already come a long way when I started getting into technique specific rods.

I have a ML 6’ casting rod that I just can’t think what I’d throw with it. 

8 hours ago, ironbjorn said:

I can't find a use for a Medium powered spinning rod. This started to occur for me over the past couple of seasons, really culminating last season. Now I'm a spinning rod fiend; I do find a heavy use for them; but only a Medium Light. I can't think of anything anymore that is commonly thrown on a Medium powered spinning rod that I wouldn't rather be throwing on a casting rod. If I'm going small or finesse enough to really need a spinning rod, it's going to be the Medium Light, such as for Ned Rigs.

I dont use M power spinning gear for freshwater bass either, but inshore is a different story.  

The exception would be Loomis, there mediums are closer the most other companies ML.  

I used to throw a lot of heavier tubes, like coffee tubes on an XF ML.  There were so many times I felt like I needed more power for a better hooksett, I was losing way to many fish.  Eventually I just started tubes with a thinner plastic plastic and that made a huge difference.

I carry 3 medium spinning setups.  They are used for tubes and Trigged baits like critter craws and baby brush hogs.

Seems like quite a few people like a ML crankbait rod for small cranks but it doesn't work for me.

 

Same goes for glass rods and bladed jigs. Tried it, missed a ton of bites with it, went back to a graphite rod.

I’m also not a fan of glass for chatter baits or spinnerbaits. Tried it, worked ok, but wasn’t for me. Glass is for treble hooks baits as far as I’m concerned 

I prefer MF for everything that requires a firm hookset. ML spinning tackle is

reserved for live bait, mostly trout and crappie.

ML spinning rod followed closely by a 6'9" MH casting rod.  Neither work for me.

Extra fast rods and fast rods. Maybe in the days of mono they would have been good, but a more moderate action suits my fishing style a lot better and imo helps keep the fish buttoned a little better.

 

It is getting very difficult to find moderate action rods anymore. Thankfully Dobyn's run a little softer than other brands so I can live with there fast in my M and ML Sierra spinning rods. St. Croix on the other hand fast and extra fast really flex way up the tip and harder to cast accurately with lures on the light end of the rating. I will say my moderate MH St. Croix premier casting rod is a dream rod for me.

 

Full disclosure I fish Suffix 832 30lb or Power Pro 50 lb on my BC's, some with a flouro leader and fireline 10 or 20 lb on my spinning setups with a flouro leader. The line choice puts me into a more moderate action.

 

I will say I have some old Cabela's prodigy rods that aren't the most sensitive in the world, but the flex is just about perfect in all 3 of them. I have replaced two of the 3 with more sensitive rods, but the 3rd is my spinnerbait swim jig rod where sensitivity is less of a need.

There are several for me.  I have no use for an extra fast anything.  BFS is useless for me.  I'd rather go with a spinning setup.  And lastly, I have no use for a Heavy power rod.  Though, to be fair, most of the waters I fish don't have a lot of thick vegetation, so a MH gets me through just fine.  My mind might change on that one if I frequented different lakes, or if I owned a boat (instead of a kayak) and had room for rods that rarely got used.  As it stands now, I can throw 60lb braid on a MH, and if I get hung up, just point the rod straight at the bait and winch it in that way, without putting a lot of stress on the rod.  Not ideal, but better than leaving behind a more useful rod to make room for that one.

Fast taper rods.  I much prefer an X-fast taper.  There's only a few things I like a fast rod for, like traps and squarebills.  Anything else, I prefer a much slower taper, or a very fast taper.  Fast just doesn't feel good to me anymore.

4 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Seems like quite a few people like a ML crankbait rod for small cranks but it doesn't work for me.

 

Same goes for glass rods and bladed jigs. Tried it, missed a ton of bites with it, went back to a graphite rod.

Same for me as for the ML as a crankbait rod.  Like them for tiny JERKBAITS and weightless softplastics like small robo worms.

 

I dont care for glass rods period.  I do however like the composite rods. I tried my new Custom Rainshadow Judge Crankbait rod out with bladed jigs.  Only caught one bass on it with the jackhammer, but I didn't miss any fish.  That rod has plenty of hook setting bbn power and it bent in the middle and kept him pegged while he was thrashing...  I'm still gonna be likely to use one of the Powells for JackHammers, but I was made a believer in mod Fast rods with one.  

2 hours ago, J Francho said:

Fast taper rods.  I much prefer an X-fast taper.  There's only a few things I like a fast rod for, like traps and squarebills.  Anything else, I prefer a much slower taper, or a very fast taper.  Fast just doesn't feel good to me anymore.

For most bottom contact stuff, I'm extra fast all the way.  To me it makes a difference especially with a jig

It turns a half-bassed hook set into good enough.  You know those sets.  I know those sets.  Just sayin'.

ML setup just seems too soft for me, but the lakes I fish (and only from the bank currently) is all vegetation and I need some backbone.  Getting a kayak so that may change when I can get out to some new waters 

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

It turns a half-bassed hook set into good enough.  You know those sets.  I know those sets.  Just sayin'.

All too well, Mr.Bass has caught me with my pants down before and rod out position so he gets 30% of what I should be giving to em... ex fast taper and no or zero stretch line has covered up for alot of technical mistakes.  

Light anything

I tend to lean toward higher power rods. Without a standard to make a comparison power rating are meaningless. Action is a little better defined, the difference between fast and extra fast again comes down to the rod maker to compare.

Bass rods I never owned 2 power or Medium Light rod of any type or brand. 

Example; Dobyns vs St Croix are very different in both power and action ratings and function, it comes down to personal preference.

Tom

In spinning rods I use a ML for inline spinner baits and live bait for crappie and for a Med. I use it for 4in Senkos, Ned Rig, 1/8oz jig head with a trick worm/finesse soft plastic and tubes.