Daiwa Ardito travel rod

[IDUTBass]

I'm looking at buying one of these rods to use when I travel. I found a thread on them from about a year ago but there wasn't much information from people that used them. Has anybody on here used these? If so, how did you like it? I saw a few good reviews but was curious if anyone on here had some input. I'm looking at the medium power, casting version by the way. Thanks.

[Hogsticker]

Tackletour did a full review on the medium heavy model. Just click on the review archive link. Plenty of information in the review. 

[IDUTBass]

Yeah I read that. I just wanted some input from people on here if there was any. I guess I will just have to buy one and see.

[Paul Roberts]

I just ordered one -M spinning; Hasn't arrived yet.

I did get to handle some at a store though -the M and MH spinning sticks, and I liked them. They may compare with my one-piece rods. I will have to cast and fish it before I can really say too much. You won't get a "new toy" review from me.

Both I handled felt very powerful, very crisp, and I spent an inordinate amount of time at the store pressing the tips to the floor trying to gauge their power distribution. The M appeared fast, even XF (at "M spinning" power), of very high modulus (rigid) graphite -nothing rubbery there- with a very powerful butt. Shake them and nothing happens! I really had to press their tips to the floor to see them flex. "Popping" the rods (accelerating and stopping abruptly) showed some tip movement. The M -the one I've ordered- felt to me like a MH stick with a M tip and I'm expecting to use it as a soft plastics and topwater rod -not what I'd usually do with a "M" spinning rod: I can't quite imagine finesse fishing with it (grubs, lighter tubes and lighter jig-worms) and it's a bit long for a jerkbait rod. Remains to be seen.

[IDUTBass]

2 hours ago, Paul Roberts said:

I just ordered one -M spinning; Hasn't arrived yet.

I did get to handle some at a store though -the M and MH spinning sticks, and I liked them. They may compare with my one-piece rods. I will have to cast and fish it before I can really say too much. You won't get a "new toy" review from me.

Both I handled felt very powerful, very crisp, and I spent an inordinate amount of time at the store pressing the tips to the floor trying to gauge their power distribution. The M appeared fast, even XF, of very high modulus (rigid) graphite -nothing rubbery there- with a very powerful butt. Shake them and nothing happens! I really had to press their tips to the floor to see them flex. "Popping" the rods (accelerating and stopping abruptly) showed some tip movement. The M -the one I've ordered- felt to me like a MH stick with a M tip and I'm expecting to use it as a soft plastics and topwater rod -not what I'd usually do with a "M" spinning rod: I can't quite imagine fishing grubs and lighter tubes on it, and it's a bit long for a jerkbait rod. Remains to be seen.

Thank you! None of the sporting goods stores around here carry any daiwa rods so I can't look at it. I'm gonna order a casting one next week. My girlfriend and I are gonna try our luck in Southern Utah the second week of March. Maybe I will try to do some type of review if i can catch anything. Thanks for the help. 

[Raul]

They shure look very nice and excellent choice for the foot patrol, one of those paired to my Alphas Type F with SV spool ......, oh yeah !

[DogBone_384]

I bought the 7' M/F a couple years ago to keep behind my truck's back seat.  It's typical Diawa fit and finish.  To me, it fishes like any of my other rods, be it one or two piece.  I only use it a few times a year, but I'm glad I bought it. 

Jet Blue also accepts it as a carry on.  I just took it to Orlando this past January.

 

[IDUTBass]

20 minutes ago, Raul said:

They shure look very nice and excellent choice for the foot patrol, one of those paired to my Alphas Type F with SV spool ......, oh yeah !

I was going to pair it with my new alphas. I'm pretty excited to try it out.

 

10 minutes ago, DogBone_384 said:

I bought the 7' M/F a couple years ago to keep behind my truck's back seat.  It's typical Diawa fit and finish.  To me, it fishes like any of my other rods, be it one or two piece.  I only use it a few times a year, but I'm glad I bought it. 

Jet Blue also accepts it as a carry on.  I just took it to Orlando this past January.

 

That's good news, because I flew to Washington last year and had to send my rods in the mail while filling my suitcase with tackle. I hate mailing rods.

[YoTone]

22 hours ago, Paul Roberts said:

I just ordered one -M spinning; Hasn't arrived yet.

I did get to handle some at a store though -the M and MH spinning sticks, and I liked them. They may compare with my one-piece rods. I will have to cast and fish it before I can really say too much. You won't get a "new toy" review from me.

Both I handled felt very powerful, very crisp, and I spent an inordinate amount of time at the store pressing the tips to the floor trying to gauge their power distribution. The M appeared fast, even XF, of very high modulus (rigid) graphite -nothing rubbery there- with a very powerful butt. Shake them and nothing happens! I really had to press their tips to the floor to see them flex. "Popping" the rods (accelerating and stopping abruptly) showed some tip movement. The M -the one I've ordered- felt to me like a MH stick with a M tip and I'm expecting to use it as a soft plastics and topwater rod -not what I'd usually do with a "M" spinning rod: I can't quite imagine fishing grubs and lighter tubes on it, and it's a bit long for a jerkbait rod. Remains to be seen.

so how did the MH feel like?

and you got the 7' one?

[Paul Roberts]

Yes, all but one are 7ft. Wish they'd expand the line, actually.

I think that the ferruling makes for a stiff butt and mid section as in both rods the movement is well out there in the tip. The M is, of course, lighter out there. The MH has a heavier (more powerful) tip. Sight unseen I'd have ordered the MH but upon seeing them I felt the M had enough power to handle the 10 - 14lb lines I use most often.

The M will certainly make a fine soft plastics / topwater rod, and for heavier grub and tube applications, and possibly light (3/16-3/8) jig-n-trailer use. I do a lot of standard sized (3/8-3/4) jig-n-trailer fishing and for that I like a powerful tip for detection and hook-setting. The MH will likely be better for that but, again, I haven't so much as strung one up yet, much less cast, much less hooked fish.

[Paul Roberts]

My M spinning Ardito arrived today. It is indeed a powerful “M” -a “MH” by many manufacturer’s standards. A common rating for M spinning is 6-12lb lines; the M Ardito is rated 6-15lb, and I would more comfortably call it 8-15lb. I think you’d have to really baby a 6lb line on this rod.

In general, both the “M” and “MH” Ardito spinning rods I handled have powerful butts and mid-sections, likely to protect the ferrules for such an apparently thin-walled high modulus blank. The "flexible ferrules" advertised may flex some under heavy strain, but bending the blank by hand on either side of the ferrules does reveal "flat spots" in the blank’s curve. This appears to add power over the blank, and leaving the vast majority of the flex to the tip section. Possibly guide distribution relieves these flat spots some? I didn’t look at that.

My “M” Ardito weighs 4.8oz's -a bit heavy for a high performance rod- and this will likely affect sensitivity to some degree. However the upper 2 sections -the fishing end- weigh less than 1.5oz's. The handle section is where all the mass is, weighing in at 3.3oz's.

I have two one-piece spinning rods that are comparable: A Kistler LTA 7ft M 8-15lb (I could see 6-15lb) weighs 3.8oz. This rod has a less powerful tip than the “M” Ardito and serves as my soft plastics/tube/drop-shot rod. A 1pc Fenwick Techna AV 6’6” “MH”, 6-14lb (I’d go 8-15lb) is a powerful crisp-tipped rod that weighs 4.3oz and serves as my casting-jig rod.

Again, the flex in the Ardito is out there in the tip, and the tip is much stronger, more rigid, than the LTA and comparable to my Techna AV. There appears to be enough tip power there to make a good casting-jig rod, so I won’t be needing the MH spinning I was originally considering. I went ahead and ordered the Ardito MH casting rod to round out my break-down pond-hopping rods.

Will be curious how the extra mass pans out in terms of sensitivity.

[adam lancia]

I've been looking at these as well, thanks for your review Paul. The medium sounds like a great all round rod.

[Paul Roberts]

My Ardito MH casting rod arrived. It's what one would expect from a MH casting rod in terms of power. The powerful nature of the spinning models, discussed above, makes me think that the M and MH blanks for spinning and casting may be the same blanks, just different guides and handles put on. Often, spinning rods are lower in power for the same rating. Not the case here. Makes sense as spinning reels are somewhat more robust than than they used to be, and from a production standpoint, I'm not sure how many people are in the market for 3pc rods.

My Ardito MH casting rod weighs 5.1oz. The upper two sections (the fishing end) weigh 1.3oz.; the handle section weighs 3.8oz.

The rod is very nice -entirely fishable (): rigid, crisp; It should be quite sensitive.

[IDUTBass]

I just recieved my Medium casting model today. I agree with Paul. It feels stiff for a medium. I have a medium power veritas and Carbonlite. I'd say it's definitely got more power than the Carbonlite but not quite as much as the veritas. I tied on a 3/8 ounce jig and tried it out on the lawn today. I really like it and will definitely order more in the future.

[adam lancia]

9 hours ago, IDUTBass said:

I just recieved my Medium casting model today. I agree with Paul. It feels stiff for a medium. I have a medium power veritas and Carbonlite. I'd say it's definitely got more power than the Carbonlite but not quite as much as the veritas. I tied on a 3/8 ounce jig and tried it out on the lawn today. I really like it and will definitely order more in the future.

This is really good to hear, I was worried that it would be a little too powerful even as their medium power. I think I'm really going to have to save up for a 7'M spinning and casting rod to travel with. Thanks!

[IDUTBass]

2 hours ago, adam lancia said:

This is really good to hear, I was worried that it would be a little too powerful even as their medium power. I think I'm really going to have to save up for a 7'M spinning and casting rod to travel with. Thanks!

I think you will like it. It seems really well built and designed. I'm going to go down to a pond today to try my luck. If you have any other questions on it, feel free to message me. 

[adam lancia]

3 hours ago, IDUTBass said:

I think you will like it. It seems really well built and designed. I'm going to go down to a pond today to try my luck. If you have any other questions on it, feel free to message me. 

Any chance you might throw a weightless 5" senko and a weightless fluke on it...? I'd really be interested to hear how that rod handles those (they would be my two travel lures, along with a few other things of similar weight). Thanks!

[Raul]

2 hours ago, adam lancia said:

Any chance you might throw a weightless 5" senko and a weightless fluke on it...? I'd really be interested to hear how that rod handles those (they would be my two travel lures, along with a few other things of similar weight). Thanks!

My man, you can cast a "weightless" 5" senko with a pool cue without any problem since it weights 0.35 oz, and that is quite heavy.

[IDUTBass]

Like Raul said you can pretty easily. 

[adam lancia]

I know you can get away with tossing it with a heavy powered rod, but I prefer to have a tip that loads really easily. I have an easier time being accurate with a tip that loads well versus a stiffer tip. I tend to be one of those guys that likes to fish with a rod power lighter than most prefer.

[IDUTBass]

4 hours ago, adam lancia said:

I know you can get away with tossing it with a heavy powered rod, but I prefer to have a tip that loads really easily. I have an easier time being accurate with a tip that loads well versus a stiffer tip. I tend to be one of those guys that likes to fish with a rod power lighter than most prefer.

I fished with it a little bit yesterday. It's definitely on the stiffer side for sure. There are definitely a lot softer mediums out there. I wouldnt personally use it for jerkbaits, just mainly plastics and jigs. I didn't try to cast a weightless fluke but I'm sure it won't do it as well as a softer medium. 

[adam lancia]

I appreciate your input, thanks!

[Crankin4Bass]

I've been thinking of buying the medium casting rod for travel. Was wondering how long is the case? Thanks in advance!

[IDUTBass]

I will measure it tonight when I get home if nobody chimes in. I don't remember off the top of my head.

[IDUTBass]

19 hours ago, Crankin4Bass said:

I've been thinking of buying the medium casting rod for travel. Was wondering how long is the case? Thanks in advance!

It is almost 32" long and has a diameter of 3"