What Rod Do You Consider Medium Heavy?

[Josh Smith]

... Or Medium, or Heavy, etc?

 

When I was growing up, pretty much any rod marked MH was good for up to an ounce of weight; 1/4 to 3/8oz being the minimum weight, and with the ideal weight being 5/8 to 3/4oz.

 

Now it's pretty ambiguous.  I see MH rods marked as 3/4oz max, and I also see them marked as 1-1/4oz max.  I consider the former to be more of a medium rod and the latter to be edging into heavy action territory.

 

On top of that, my favorite jig and plastics rod has less backbone than my frog rod.  The frog rod is rated MH, but the backbone is more what I'd consider a heavy action backbone.

 

When you think of M, MH, and H, what's your reference?  How do you personally define these?

 

Regards,

 

Josh

[flyfisher]

they are just guidelines to me and that is part of the reason i like to stay with one company as it is at least somewhat consistent throughout the line.  it is almost a feel thing for me.  I have some MH rods that feel more like a medium to me and i have other MH that feel like H so who really knows.  I guess it boils down to feel and what rod will do the job you are asking for it to do the best.  So to answer your question, I have no reference lol 

[Logan S]

1/4 - 1oz lure rating.

12 - 20lb line rating.

 

You almost have to ignore the power rating since manufacturers are all a little different, I always base my decision on those 2 ratings on the specific rod.

[poisonokie]

on a tackletour review of the gl2 heavy, they noted that while it was rated up to 3/4 oz, it still pitched and casted 1.5 ounces fine, so at least with Loomis it's just marketing b.s.

 

with Daiwa, a heavy is a heavy and the lure ratings actually mean something. Pitching an ounce on a heavy rod is great, with 3/4 really being the sweet spot, but crossing that 1.5 oz threshold is pushing the limits of what is comfortable, even if it is within its capability.

[*Hootie]

I have a heavy g loomis imx. I also have a medium heavy Shimano crucial. They both feel exactly the same.

Hootie

[poisonokie]

bad news for the imx or good news for the crucial

[*Hootie]

bad news for the imx or good news for the crucial

The IMX is as it should be. The Crucial is, in my opinion a little over stiff for a medium heavy. Just used the comparison to show, different ratings mean different things to different manufacturers.

Hootie

[Raul]

Rod ratings are like belly buttons, everybody has one and since there si no standard ratings are subject to interpretation and comparison.

[Catt]

Kinda like technique specific, I ignore both

[lmbfisherman]

I find that Shimano, Fenwick and Loomis has the performance I like.  I personally found Veritas 1.0, Daiwa T Rod/Zillion and Avids' stiffer than I liked.  I think it is personal preference, I go by whatever I think feels right for the rod and use the ranges as "guidelines".

[rippin-lips]

Thats not true at all about Daiwa. Take the tatula series for example. The medium is rated to 3/4oz and the ml is rated to 5/8. Both fish a power heavier than labeled.

[poisonokie]

Thats not true at all about Daiwa. Take the tatula series for example. The medium is rated to 3/4oz and the ml is rated to 5/8. Both fish a power heavier than labeled.

 

So you're saying a medium rod shouldn't have 1/4-3/4 lure rating? Every daiwa rod I've ever used fishes within its rated range. In fact, the medium heavy tatula throws baits just fine at the lower end of its rating and I can pitch 3/8 jigs no problem with the flipping stick. Plus, I've heard more than once that 1/8th is well within the capability of the ML. The medium cranking rod I use has a 1/2 oz sweet spot right in the middle because it's made for 1/2 oz cranks. They feel "high strung" as tackletour put it, but that's because of the density and construction of the blank. They still excel at what they were built to do.

[Raul]

Kinda like technique specific, I ignore both

 

You can`t ignore technique/lure specific my friend, you tie a jig then it becomes a jig rod, change it for a worm and becomes a worm rod, you flip a jig with it then it´s a jig flipping rod ..... can´t be more lure/technique specific than that ! 

[hatrix]

on a tackletour review of the gl2 heavy, they noted that while it was rated up to 3/4 oz, it still pitched and casted 1.5 ounces fine, so at least with Loomis it's just marketing b.s.

with Daiwa, a heavy is a heavy and the lure ratings actually mean something. Pitching an ounce on a heavy rod is great, with 3/4 really being the sweet spot, but crossing that 1.5 oz threshold is pushing the limits of what is comfortable, even if it is within its capability.

Well I have a Loomis GLX that's a heavy and I think it says it's rated up to 1 ounce. That seems pretty low for a heavy. Well that's the rod I use for my 8" punkers and those weigh 3.5 ounces I think. Don't get me wrong it's heavy on the rod but it can handle it all day. I am not whipping them either but it's more of a kinda underhand flick/lob and it casts way far.

[d-camarena]

Yeah, my MH crucial feels for like a heavy. I always end up using it for frogs. Still a great rod