As we have had about a foot of snow and minus temps (100's of people are already out on the hard water) I am going thru my fishing log and fishing gear ----- one thing I have found to be consistent over the past two years is that once hooked I land a high percentage of fish on my two "Moderate" action rods (a Medium 7' Abu Garcia Veritas spinning rod and a Heavy 7'6" iROD Kamani spinning rod) -- conversely I lose a high percentage of fish once hooked on my two "Xtra-Fast" rods (a Medium/Light 6'10" St. Croix Mojo Bass spinning and a Medium/Light 7'3" St. Croix Victory spinning rod) -- both of those rods are Medium/Light power Xtra-Fast action (both are nice rods, yet I believe I am going to relegate them to crappie/bluegill/pan fishing duty in the future as they seem to do well in landing smaller/lighter fish) --- All of this could of course be operator error on my part, yet it does seem the whippy nature of these Xtra-Fast action rods makes it significantly easier for fish to jump off/throw the hook ---  so my question is ---

Do people have any recommendations for a Medium/Light -- Moderate action spinning rod ? I would say probably in that 6'10" to 7'2" range 

Thank you !

Multi species rods for trout or walleye have moderate actions, more parabolic.

Bass angers prefer fast and extra fast actions.  Suggest looking at “trout” spinning rods wide variety available.

Tom

I don’t have a ml/m but I do have a ml/f 7’ St. Croix Premier spinning rod which I use for Ned and swim baits.  It has served me pretty well for the last two years.

When using ML bass spinning rods your hook set needs to be firmer in lieu lighter to drive hooks past the barb. I use the reel set with firm rod sweep and it works with every rod I use including BFS light rods. Don’t worry about breaking off, the rod applies the force.

Tom

Im not sure what your price range is but 2 rods stand out in my mind even though I haven’t used either and they are the Okuma Reflexions-B available from 6’-9”-7’-6” in med light mod fast for $90.00-$104.00 approximately and the Okuma TCS-A available in 7’-0” and 7’-2” med light mod fast for $190.00. I will say I have 2 TCS-A rods and my 7’-0” med+ mod fast casting rod is my absolute favorite rod I own.

What line and lure(s) were you using? I ask because I have a 610 mlxf that I use for drop shots and really like it and don't seem to have that issue. Also do you have a budget for the new rod? I personally like the poison adrenas but I also like spinning rods that don't have a foregrip. Having said that I typically stick to a fast action rod for most presentations but the moderate fast action on the adrena works well with something like a shad rap or a smaller jerkbait / popper.

If you are losing a notable number of fish on any rod, you are likely allowing slack when you shouldn't be and the softer rod bails out your inability to keep the line taught where as the XF rod does not. You can buy all the rods you want, but if you don't fix this, you aren't fixing the root issue. 

 

An XF rod would not typically be described as "whippy", a more parabolic/softer action would be "whippy". 

 

One aspect you didn't describe that could be increasing the issues present from slack in your line during the fight. I wouldn't fish treble hook baits on an XF rod, maybe that is part of your problem? Stick with single hook baits with the XF rods... Trebles on the softer tapers... If you aren't doing that, I would definitely do so and see if your issues go away... You also didn't mention the baits being used, etc... could play a huge role as well, lot of variables... At the end of the day, you shouldn't be losing many fish per year, at all. 

 

Slack is the enemy when fighting fish, the stiffer the rod or the heavier the bait being used, the more this is exasperated and more prudent you don't allow it to occur... The opposite is also true though, too stout of drag can pull hooks, if you are using low stretch braid with the XF rods and have the drags a bit tight, could be your issue as well, but if I had to guess based on your statements, slack is part of your problem and probably most of it. 

 

The worst thing that ever happened to the fishing rod industry was terms like "fast" or "extra fast" being used to describe steepness of taper, humans being humans think faster is better, it isn't always the case and realistically, "fast" isn't even the correct term anyway, fast should only be used to describe rate of recovery of the blank... You can make the steepest taper on the planet, but it doesn't necessarily mean it has fast recovery, the tonnage of graphite, ID/OD of the blank and the wall thickness largely determine that. One company's "fast" can be very different than another companies "fast", etc... 

I'll just keep parroting myself until someone actually buys one.

 

Phenix Maxim.. the 6'10" light is a sick sick rod.  perfect for your description.  I have one step heavier and my local bass HATE the thing.  I lose it, I buy one the next day.  it is rooted into my arsenal.  

 

 

@Goby @WRB-2.0 - You are correct that part of my challenge with the X-Fast action rods is operator error/operator issues - I just finished year three of boat/bass fishing so I am still fully in the learning phase - I have made progress yet have many years of learning ahead of me.

Getting slack in the line makes sense to me and no doubt has played a factor in having the fish jump off/throw off the hook -- it has happened with both single hook and treble hooks -- and has happened most often near the boat, specifically if I reach for the landing net (which can create slack in the line) -- so making sure I keep tension on the line/keep slack out of the line and having a firmer hook set are things I will focus on. Thank you for sharing the info. that I should be looking to use the X-Fast action rods for single hook applications and shy away from using them for treble hook applications (With winter here for the next 4 months I am going to look to make a chart that I can reference - showing what rods will work best with what lures/baits - I can use it as a quick reference chart until I get to the point where I no longer need it). It also makes sense to me that the moderate action would be more forgiving if I am allowing slack in the line. Instead of relegating the current ML/X-Fast rods to panfish duty I will look to work on my technique and lure choices with them. Thank you for the info !

I do enjoy throwing lighter treble hook baits -- so I may still look for a ML/Mod spinning rod in that 6'10" to 7'2" range - I would like to stay in the $200 range for a rod - so @Darth-Baiter I may look at the Phenix rod you mentioned - @Brian11719 the Poison Adrena looks to be an awesome rod yet it might be a bit out of my range, I certainly will keep an eye out for one on the used market -- @Eric 26 I have an Okuma Celio Ultra-Light that I use for panfish so I will look in to the Okuma rods you mentioned -- I am not in a rush as winter is in full effect here in MN and will be until April or so

Thank you again for your replies and input !!

The fact that multi-species rods and bass rods use arbitrary ratings to describe both rod power and action. Very difficult to find the rod you prefer without handing each rod.
Members say the Dobyns rods are feel different than St Croix. The Dobyns MH is similar to St Croix M and Dobyns Fast action is close to St Croix mod- fast etc across the popular rod brands. To be honest I don’t have an answer to this issue, it’s a touch and feel or maybe feed back from BR.

I do have decades of experience with hook sets. I reel fast to start the hook point(s) penetrating bass mouth tissue and make the same firm rod sweep to complete the hook set while continuing to control the bass by reeling. The different rod power action takes care of the power to the lure using the same hook set. I learned not to adjust the hook set and let the rod and line self adjust.

Tom 

12 hours ago, WaskaCrank12 said:

@Goby @WRB-2.0 - You are correct that part of my challenge with the X-Fast action rods is operator error/operator issues - I just finished year three of boat/bass fishing so I am still fully in the learning phase - I have made progress yet have many years of learning ahead of me.

Getting slack in the line makes sense to me and no doubt has played a factor in having the fish jump off/throw off the hook -- it has happened with both single hook and treble hooks -- and has happened most often near the boat, specifically if I reach for the landing net (which can create slack in the line) -- so making sure I keep tension on the line/keep slack out of the line and having a firmer hook set are things I will focus on. Thank you for sharing the info. that I should be looking to use the X-Fast action rods for single hook applications and shy away from using them for treble hook applications (With winter here for the next 4 months I am going to look to make a chart that I can reference - showing what rods will work best with what lures/baits - I can use it as a quick reference chart until I get to the point where I no longer need it). It also makes sense to me that the moderate action would be more forgiving if I am allowing slack in the line. Instead of relegating the current ML/X-Fast rods to panfish duty I will look to work on my technique and lure choices with them. Thank you for the info !

I do enjoy throwing lighter treble hook baits -- so I may still look for a ML/Mod spinning rod in that 6'10" to 7'2" range - I would like to stay in the $200 range for a rod - so @Darth-Baiter I may look at the Phenix rod you mentioned - @Brian11719 the Poison Adrena looks to be an awesome rod yet it might be a bit out of my range, I certainly will keep an eye out for one on the used market -- @Eric 26 I have an Okuma Celio Ultra-Light that I use for panfish so I will look in to the Okuma rods you mentioned -- I am not in a rush as winter is in full effect here in MN and will be until April or so

Thank you again for your replies and input !!

 

One of the biggest mistakes I see anglers make when landing fish, which as you are describing this just might include you. They reel way too close to the bait, leaving say just a foot or two or less of line outside the rod tip to the lure. This also coincides with a lack in the ability to steer the fish properly which leads to slack. So you get a short length of line that takes away stretch and leaves less line to absorb shock which can in turn lead to pulling hooks, especially when you go from slack to taught, back and forth, etc... 

 

You basically need to learn to anticipate what the fish is going to do and thus, enable yourself to effectively control that fish and reduce the amount of slack/tight, slack/tight sorta thing that leads to losing fish boatside. It takes time to learn, actively thinking about such things as you fight fish and developing a better understanding of the way they react to your reactions will help, immensely. 

 

In time, it will become "muscle memory" and you will do it automatically, without thinking about it, will be able to "feel" the fish and remain a step ahead at all times, much more effectively... 

I don’t want to ruin this thread but @WaskaCrank12 I’m semi looking at buying a med light extra fast and when I held both the Mojo and Black Bass series both 6’-10” I felt they were rather moderate and bent relatively deep although that is purely in hand and in no way indicative of it’s on the water characteristics. I find it strange that an extra fast casting rod is almost pool cue fast but the spinning rods are way more moderate at least in my opinion. I’ll be interested in your thoughts and opinions if you do purchase a new rod in the side by side comparison even if they are only in hand due to the frozen water situation that I like you are currently in.

I think it would help tremendously to know specifically on what baits you are losing them, and what type of line and test and/or diameter. Your rod taper, line, hook size, hookset, how you fight a fish, the size and type of fish, and the cover, all play into a system of keeping them controlled. And you can make it as simple or complicated as you like but we can definitely provide you food for thought to refine what works for YOU.

 

Like numerous folks mentioned, powers and actions are so inconsistent across brands and even within brands sometimes, it's hard to say what would serve you best. I personally find croix's ML x-fast to be quite possibly the most annoying taper i've encountered. I've seen the Okuma x-series rods on sale a lot recently and believe the XB-S-731ML is a lot of rod for the money on sale.

2 hours ago, wonkyrig said:

. I personally find croix's ML x-fast to be quite possibly the most annoying taper i've encountered. I've seen the Okuma x-series rods on sale a lot recently and believe the XB-S-731ML is a lot of rod for the money on sale.

I’m being sincere when I ask if you would continue to expand on this reply. 

21 hours ago, Eric 26 said:

I’m being sincere when I ask if you would continue to expand on this reply. 

The tip recovers really quick as it should being x-fast, and it's a medium light so there's not a whole lot of backbone, as expected. But theirs for some reason feels like it's too much in each direction, like they counteract each other somewhat, I guess? And a bit tip heavy. I've tried to put my thumb on it and it's hard to describe.

 

Maybe it's just me but it feels like its use case is dropshotting on really light line with hook buried in the plastic and not much else. I've used it for a minnow rod, light neko rigs, dropshot, and some random odd rigs. It's just never felt like a banger in any use case to me and for every presentation i've used it for, there's another rod or 2 in my "collection" that would do it better. Which bothers me because I really want to like it. I have and have had other croix rods that I really like. I've kept it around because I keep thinking there will be that "a-ha!" moment where it would make perfect sense. I may need to bring it tomorrow and play around with some more presentations and how I'm handling the fish. I don't know if that helps or makes even less sense, but that's where I'm at with it.

I have the same St. Croix as JigMan. I throw everything from Neds to 1/4oz. tubes and it performes better than my old Forecast that I built quite a few years back. I still use that one for the really light stuff, but that St.Croix can toss just about everything it's rated for and has the backbone to land some big fish.

Take a look at the Edge ISR 703-1S.  I stumbled on this model last year.  It is in their in shore line up.  The taper is pretty slow so I would class this model a true moderate or traditional action.  The power is  similar to a Dobyns 702.  It shines as a dropshot or Ned rod.  Some in shore actions  fit really well for bass techniques.

On 12/6/2025 at 8:30 AM, WaskaCrank12 said:

As we have had about a foot of snow and minus temps (100's of people are already out on the hard water) I am going thru my fishing log and fishing gear ----- one thing I have found to be consistent over the past two years is that once hooked I land a high percentage of fish on my two "Moderate" action rods (a Medium 7' Abu Garcia Veritas spinning rod and a Heavy 7'6" iROD Kamani spinning rod) -- conversely I lose a high percentage of fish once hooked on my two "Xtra-Fast" rods (a Medium/Light 6'10" St. Croix Mojo Bass spinning and a Medium/Light 7'3" St. Croix Victory spinning rod) -- both of those rods are Medium/Light power Xtra-Fast action (both are nice rods, yet I believe I am going to relegate them to crappie/bluegill/pan fishing duty in the future as they seem to do well in landing smaller/lighter fish) --- All of this could of course be operator error on my part, yet it does seem the whippy nature of these Xtra-Fast action rods makes it significantly easier for fish to jump off/throw the hook ---  so my question is ---

Do people have any recommendations for a Medium/Light -- Moderate action spinning rod ? I would say probably in that 6'10" to 7'2" range 

Thank you !

 

I have a St. Croix 7'6" ML/XF spinning rod that has an uncanny ability to keep fish pinned. I found that once I get down to ML in power, the rod has a lot of give when fighting a fish, but still has enough power quickly to set a wacky rigged Senko hook. I don't feel the same way about Medium power rods or higher with extra fast or even fast action rods in the same way. I am using 10 lbs braid to 6-8 fluoro leaders. 

 

I have really come to like and appreciate ML spinning rods and have recently acquired a few nice ones (6'10" ML/XF Zillion and ML/F Zodias, in addition to a ML-M/F Tatula Elite AGS) to my quiver. I also have a 7'0" Expride A L+/F that is sublime for baits that benefit from something just a tad lighter in power.

 

I have an older Shimano rod that is roughly the equivalent of a modern ML/F rod that mostly gathers dust these days. 

 

Your experience seems to be a little different from mine, and there's no harm in that. You should absolutely use what works for you.

 

I did come across a Daiwa Zillion offering that may suit your preferences more than it did mine) and that is the ZLON761MLMFS. In spite of it being rated as a fast action rod, it has a decidedly moderate feel IMHO compared to any of their other 7'6" hair jig rods other than possibly the Chris Johnston Tatula Elite TTEL761MLFS-AGS, which somewhere in between IMHO.

1 hour ago, Big Hands said:

I have a St. Croix 7'6" ML/XF spinning rod that has an uncanny ability to keep fish pinned.

Ya - I got one of the 7'3" ML/XF and it's very versatile rod.

5 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Ya - I got one of the 7'3" ML/XF and it's very versatile rod.

If I may ask which rod line is yours?

Just now, Eric 26 said:

If I may ask which rod line is yours?

I've got the Panfish, actually.

@MN Fisher One other question if you don’t mind, if you were able to did you use your Black Bass series rod much and if so how did you like it after using it? I’m really hoping to get to handle the lineup a bit more at this upcoming February fishing show.

^ Nope - since I was shorebound almost all season, it was all finesse with spinning gear. Even the one boat trip, we stuck with finesse...so the Black Bass hasn't been de-virginated yet.

33 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

^ Nope - since I was shorebound almost all season, it was all finesse with spinning gear. Even the one boat trip, we stuck with finesse...so the Black Bass hasn't been de-virginated yet.

Well I for one am looking forward to hearing about your first outing with it. 

On 12/6/2025 at 11:30 AM, WaskaCrank12 said:

 

Do people have any recommendations for a Medium/Light -- Moderate action spinning rod ? I would say probably in that 6'10" to 7'2" range 

Thank you !

it comes in at 7'3" which is a little longer than you asked for, but the irod 731s is moderate fast and i would consider it to be a medium light rod in power. i have zero complaints about mine