MH spinning rod

[RedHeadAngler]

What do you guys think a Medium Heavy spinning rod is best for?

[Fishin' Fool]

That's a pretty versatile rod. It can be used for soft plastics, tubes, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits.

[Allen Der]

best for people who dont know how to use a baitcaster 

seriously though, if you have a fast gear ratio spinning reel and 20lb braid, you can do just about anything a MH casting rod could do.

[ww2farmer]

It's going to also depend on who made it..............a St Croix MH spinning rod is a pool cue,best used for beating rugs, and driving a team of mules. 

[RedHeadAngler]

  On 2/24/2016 at 4:29 AM, Allen Der said:

best for people who dont know how to use a baitcaster 

seriously though, if you have a fast gear ratio spinning reel and 20lb braid, you can do just about anything a MH casting rod could do.

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I know several people who refuse to learn and some who claim they can use a baitcaster but can't which is especially frustrating when they want to make a cast with your rod.? 

[FloridaFishinFool]

Here in central Florida I use this type of rod- a 7' MH F rod- for heavy duty lightweight weedless rubber fishing in lily pads and heavy cover.

I use a 4/0 hook and 7" rubber worm rigged weedless with no weights! I have yet to find a baitcast reel setup that can cast this lure setup anywhere near as far as a spinning rod and reel can. And I work this weedless rubber worm or lizard or a swim bait across the tops of lily pads and grass and retrieve it into holes in the cover and let it sink down and work it around.

I catch a ton of bass doing this. Sometimes the bass are jumping out of the water to get at the lure. The presentation is so subtle they never even know I am there. And I like to beat the banks with it too. I'll cast straight down the shoreline parallel to it, sometimes right on shore and bump it into the water and watch the bass swim straight in for it.

Fishing like this has caused me to look at various spinning reel designs and I finally settled on just one type that suits this type of fishing very well. Back in the 1980's shimano invented the fighting star drag mechanism for some of their baitcast reels. And in the years since shimano has adapted this dual control drag mechanism over into some of their spinning reels.

With this type of dual control mech, I can set the drag where I want it with the dial, and then use the paddle/toggle control to either add more drag when needed or instantly back it off as needed without changing my original setting. So quite often I will set the dial to the desired drag I need for normal fish fighting, and then move the paddle/toggle control to full on for the hook set and initial get the fish moving in my direction and then back it off so I don't run the risk of snapping the line, which I use only 15 to 20 pound braid keeping it light enough to cast well and strong enough to not lose fish. And I do not use a leader. No need to. All that heavy cover keeps my line virtually out of sight laying on top of lily pads and grass mats so the fish never even sees it. My lure is making all the action vibrations and noise attracting the fish's attention.

Trying to fish like this with a baitcast reel is an effort in frustration because they simply will not cast such a lightweight lure setup- and they certainly will not cast it any where near as far as I can with a spinning reel setup- nor as fast. And I like the longer casts because those bass never even know I am there and it is fun to watch them go crazy in heavy cover trying to get at that lure quite often jumping out of the water they hit it so hard.

I'm not going to mention any names- but one of the forum members right here on this forum invited me to one of his favorite canal spots in South Orlando last summer and we both stood almost side by side on that same canal and in his hands was his trusty baitcaster and I pulled out my 7' MH spinning setup and we both fished that canal side by side. As I recall I don't think he caught one fish. But he watched as I caught bass after bass after bass right in front of him having those bass jump through hoops- jumping out of the water for my rubber worm. I caught like 6 or 7 in less than 30 minutes to his none within this same time frame.

And I will tell you this too... I believe I can operate the spinning rod and reel at a faster rate than I could a baitcast rod and reel setup which is to my advantage big time. I can reel it in and cast it back out there to a missed fish faster on spinning than I can on baitcast. It is not much, but it can make a difference in whether or not a fish is still there or not for that second cast.

So the reel size I use for this is a shimano 4000 size similar to this smaller version shown here:

I suppose one could describe this type of fishing as finesse fishing with heavier equipment. Last summer this setup put the baitcaster to shame! 

In the image above the silver paddle/toggle control sticking straight up in the center detent position is in the neutral position neither adding more drag nor reducing the drag in this position. The black rear drag dial is where the normal drag setting is made when the paddle/toggle control is centered at neutral. Once the drag setting is dialed in on the black dial at the rear, the silver paddle/toggle control allows the fishermen to make instant drag changes either adding more drag or reducing it as needed instantly while fighting a fish.

I have found this type of drag mech very effective and efficient for me going after bass in heavy cover with super lightweight lures and beating the bank too.

Hey if it works, it works! And this works!

ADDED: Fishing like I describe above for me requires a somewhat stiff rod. This is no place for whippy, rubbery rods. I depend on that rod to control the fish out of cover. I need a very responsive rod for this- for instant hook sets and fish control more than anything else. Sensitivity is a non-issue since I am watching the lure at the surface (most of the time) and can see every hit- so I have no need to feel anything through the line and rod. And it is nice to have a dual drag mechanism like the one shimano designed. I would not want a front of reel adjustable drag for this type of fishing when I need both hands on the rod trying to control a fish out of heavy cover.

Another use for the MH is inshore fishing for reds, trout and other...

[Paul Roberts]

Casting tackle has some clear advantages over spinning for some applications. Lures that "pull back", esp on repeated chuck-n-wind: spinnerbaits, CBs, swimbaits, over-sized lures, ... . Then there's wrestling fish from dense cover. BCs make this a lot more enjoyable with less wear and tear on reels and wrists.

But spinning has some advantages:

-Distance casting with lighter weight baits (like FFF mentioned, I've done really well with weightless worms thrown from a distance)

-Casting lighter, or wind resistant, baits into the wind

-Ease of changing lines with spare spools

-Risk-free skipping (any newb could do and with cheap gear)

-Risk-free casting surrounded by brush and trees

-Exploring new waters where you might wind up... surrounded by brush and trees. A MH spinning rig is my GoTo when exploring new small waters from the bank.

-Big fish bolting at boat-side via back-reeling.

 

[Raul]

  On 2/24/2016 at 2:17 AM, RedHeadAngler said:

What do you guys think a Medium Heavy spinning rod is best for?

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For doing the same a MH casting rod does.

[WRB]

Keep in mind that power ratings vary greatly between mfr's and between spinning and bait casting rods. 

Some folks think the rod blank used to build spinning and casting rods are the same, very few are. A spinning rod blank fast action is usually a moderate fast action if comparing to a baitcasting rod, more upper end rod bend to improve casting.

Like a bait casting rod look at the line size and lure weight rating, if the power is rated by numbers a 3 power is a good choice. With higher power spinning rods increasing the length helps to ease casting, go with 7'+.

You can use this rod for Senko's, jigs, T-rigged or drop shot rigs between 3/16 to 3/8 oz, any lipless or shallow diving crank bait to 5/8 oz, structure spoons to 3/4 oz, mono/FC line 6-10 lb test.

Tom

[Dyerbassman]

  On 2/24/2016 at 6:43 PM, Raul said:

For doing the same a MH casting rod does.

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My thoughts exactly.