light or medium light

[Fisher Guy]

fishing for large mouth bass.  i have a light st croix fast action rod and a med light st croix fast action rod.  what do you like better and why?

 

 

[j bab]

Depends on what lures you're throwing & what fish you're targeting 

[WRB]

I don't have any use for light power bass rods, MLor 2 power is as light as I go for spinning finesse presentations.

Tom

[stk44]

I don't use any light powered for LM. You could use the MLF for dropshotting, tubes, grubs, etc. Would definitely be a great smallmouth rod. 

The only time I use light powered rod is when I fish for smallmouth, and then again that's just because I have a light action laying around the house. I use that setup for small shad raps, grubs, etc. 

[JustJames]

Sometime I wish I had ML casting rod, so I can cast 1/16oz jig head or ned jig with it. 

[Darren.]

13 hours ago, Fisher Guy said:

fishing for large mouth bass.  i have a light st croix fast action rod and a med light st croix fast action rod.  what do you like better and why?

Being St. Croix rods, their power will be a tad stiffer
than others. I personally love their ML power. I have
one and it's my favorite rod for all soft plastics save
the heavier TX rigs and jigs.

I just picked up a Light rod (BPS Micro Lite) for a trip
i'm taking in which I'll be fishing for smallies. The action
is more like my ML rod though, because of the sections
as opposed to the same action 1 piece which is much
less stiff.

You'll probably find more use for the ML, but there are 
guys like @Fish Chris who use "micro lite" power rods
for lunkers. It's all about you and how you want to fish.

[J Francho]

I have SC rods ranging from ML to XH for bass fishing.  Baits, technique, and cover will dictate what you use.

[Jeff H]

11 hours ago, WRB said:

I don't have any use for light power bass rods, MLor 2 power is as light as I go for spinning finesse presentations.

Tom

I'm with this.  I don't even bother with ML power for bass fishing unless I'm doing the extreme finesse thing.  Got no use for light power at all. 

[fishindad]

It depends - if your waters have little to no cover and are gin clear, there's probably an absolute need to use 4-5lb lines and small 2"-3" baits to get bit. Otherwise no need to go lighter in power than ML.

[Hookenem2]

St croix avid light 6'6" use for panfish mostly will use it for light wacky rig and small crankbaits

St croix avid medium light 6'9" great dropshot, wacky, & some close quarters skipping

St croix avid medium light 7' great wacky and skipping

St croix avid medium light 7'6" great long casting rod for light presentations

[bigfruits]

ML is as low as I go for largemouth as well. and that only gets used for 3 or 4 applications (small jigs/plastics, dropshot)

[scaleface]

I have a 6'6''  ml casting rod . Shimano Compere . I havent used it in three years .I lost more fish with it  than I landed . 

[Wind Knot]

As long as the rod has enough backbone to work the baits and set the hooks you're using, its all your personal preference.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

These caugth with 8' ML/Mod Avid
 

[rippin-lips]

On 10/6/2016 at 7:40 AM, JustJames said:

Sometime I wish I had ML casting rod, so I can cast 1/16oz jig head or ned jig with it. 

You can throw them on a medium casting rod just fine. They aren't as light as people seem to think. 1/4oz is plenty good for that. I fished them on a light powered casting rod since it was more fun to use with light line and river smallmouth.

[smalljaw67]

I use a ML for finesse techniques but mostly around open water. I believe light power is something you can use but I'd only use it in cooler water or late fall through winter and then early spring. I saw a guy kill a beautiful 4lb smallmouth because he was using an ultra light rod with 4lb line in the middle of summer, it took him a full 20 minutes to land the fish and within 5 minutes after releasing it, the fish was belly up only a few yards away. Now that is an extreme situation and the water was 82 degrees, but you need to be mindful, especially if the water  you fish has big fish in it, but colder water has more oxygen and that helps so you can get away with it but I think a ML is your best bet.

["hamma"]

Depends on how you fish, where you fish, and what lures your using. 

 I keep a older 5'6" light action rod on my boat with 6 pd test mono for tough days that require the lighter lures such as 1/8 oz and lighter. It works for me, as I do have a few choice 1/16 oz lures for such conditions. And 8 pound test line and a slightly heavier rod just doesn't cast the distance im seeking.

 But It really comes down to you. Everybody has their own likes and dislikes, and nothing is really written in stone about this subject. I "prefer" the steps I take,... and you,... may not.

[I.rar]

My primary and currently only complete spinning rig is a ML/F 2 piece Avid x. I've caught some healthy fish with this and even lighter rods when I had a bfs rig and an UL spinning. Proper drag and techniques will keep the fish buttoned. I mainly fish open-ish water (no tourneys either)  and rarely lost a fish because of too light of a line. 

Light tackle definitely has its place but isn't for everyone. I don't fish as often or catch the heaps of fish other members do, but the ones I do catch are a blast. 

My baits weigh no more than 1/4 to 5/16oz total weight with very few exceptions. 

[Fisher Guy]

thanks much.  its not clear why u like the ML so much more.  its so thick compared to the light.  

just fished this morning and water is cloudy due to rain.  didn't catch any.  too cold?  any advice?

[Fisher Guy]

well i split my casts between the 7 foot ML ad the 6-6 Light st croix.  more fight with the light but i like both.  waters are clear on my lake and i land a lot of large mouth.  biggest was 5.7 lbs and happened to land it on the light pole  hell of a fight and super fun.  following weekend i landed a 5.2 large mouth on the ML also a great fight.  both had the heart beating like mad and reminds me why i love fishing so much.  Im pretty much a rookie as i don't know about the weights of my lures etc.  i throw mostly 4-6" plastics texas rigged and it all goes pretty well.  can't get enough. only sorry now its winter in new england so have to wait until next april to get back out. most fishing off a native 10" propel kayak and its absolutely awesome.  

[Yudo1]

I don't need anything lighter than a medium/light for bass. 

[byram bassturd]

You can can catch fish on whatever you want from ultra light to extra heavy. I started with my dad's saltwater gear many many years ago and have landed several 5 pounders on my niece's barbie rod as well. Find what feels best to you and it will be the "right" choice despite what others may say whether it's ML or M because only you know the lures, conditions and presentations you employ... The internet is full of useful info but nothing beats time on the water.

[iceintheveins]

You don't need light for any bass applications. Medium light is great for Ned Rigs, drop shotting, and tiny balsa cranks, but a medium will throw those just fine too. Half my bass rods are MH.