Daiwa Ardito Casting travel rod 7’ M/F ?

[Maw69]

Hi to everybody  

First post on this forum, just starting LM bass fishing.

I’m looking for a 7’ M/F casting travel rod (fits in the trunk = safer and easier), and I’ve noticed positive comments on the Daiwa Ardito 7’3 MH but very little on the 7’ M/F... It would fit my price range and seems well made. 

Does anyone own and use the 7’ M/F model and tell me a bit more about it (balance, recommended lure weights, lines, best applications etc...)?

Thanks a lot in advance for your input ! 

Have a great week

 

[RichF]

I have the 7ft MH and it's pretty great.  Strong, light, and pretty sensitive.  Hard to believe is a 3 piece, honestly.

[YoTone]

i have both m and mh. the male sides of the connecting points are solid carbon so its expected to be heavier than normal. so expect to be a little fatigued if youre using techniques that are controlled by wrist movements like poppers, jerkbaits when used for longer than an hour. 

 

great solid rod, i used the medium full time for a year and used it for everything except frogs, even caught my then personal best 4.7 lbs on a jig.

 

that said i only use them  now when im going in my wifes car to bank fish or going on a plane.

 

 

 

[Maw69]

Thanks guys ?

YoTone, any recommendation for the reel weight (balance)?

What would you say is the sweet spot for the M as far as lure weight?

Have a good one 

[YoTone]

I would go for the MH if you want a rod that can handle heavier lures and be a more versatile. arent they the same price? as for the M i wouldnt be throwing anything heavier than 1/2 oz  so a 3/8th  would be the sweet spot i guess.

 

and dont be picky with the reel weight just find the best reel that you can afford with some solid reviews. everyone and their mothers say the Fuego CT is the best bang for the buck so i would look there.

 

and btw save that receipt. Daiwa has replaced that rod twice no questions asked. one was due from boat flipping a bass in and other was snapping the tip trying to un snag a lure. yeah both were my fault but i thought id give it a try to see what they would do for me. that kinda stuff made me kind of brand loyal to Daiwa.

[Maw69]

Thanks a lot ?

When you say 1/2 oz max and around 3/8 oz as sweet spot, is it the total weight of the lure + the additional trailer or , for instance, just the weight of a jig without the trailer? Trailers can be pretty heavy with all the salt added.

 

[BassFisher22]

I would go with medium-heavy because it’s super versatile and if you get a 3/8 oz jig with a large trailer that will get very heavy for a medium rod. Medium-heavy is my go to rod for bank fishing. The MH/F will cover 1/4-1 oz lures which is a perfect all around rod. You can throw anything from senkos to frogs on it.

[Maw69]

I see. For other techniques and species, I like to fish as light as I can , like for trout on a spinning rod, so I would have been biased towards the M... I ll try and find the rods to “test” them. The M is rated 1/4 - 3/4 oz , but I guess you can’t really trust the manufacturer’s indications (can’t be worse than fly fishing rods though  )

Plus I suppose it depends on the casting technique used: casting, flipping, pitching, skipping ...

I sure would want to be able to use jiggs, swimming or pitching, and chatterbaits. Water is not so clear in the lake I m targeting so Senkos probably wouldn’t work so well... but it s no more than 12 feet deep, so there s no need for a lot of weight or huge sizes...

Thanks again for your answers , much appreciated. Keep them coming ? !

[Maw69]

Update:

I guess I let too many people around me know about my quest LoL: I ended up with a Daiwa Ardito Medium power / Fast action for Christmas..!

Also received a Kastking Assassin reel - I had planned on buying the Fuego CT but you don’t turn down a gift Maybe I ll get one later. 

I ve ordered some Power Pro Maxcuatro 30lb yellow braid and will put around 40 yards of it on top of monofilament backing. Leader will be Maxima Green 12lb, about 5’ . 

As for the rod, being a complete beginner at baitcasting, I can’t really review it, but it certainly feels fairly stiff. Quite a fast, rigid tip for someone who’s used to spinning and fly fishing for trout.

It is a little bit heavy, as mentioned in a post above.

As far as balance, it could do with a slightly heavier reel than the Assassin (which is uncommonly light). 

I ll start experimenting with jigs and trailers as soon as I have some line on the spool.

Bought a Z-Man Power Finesse jig 1/4 oz + Yum Wooly Bugs 3” for that purpose. 

Should be around the sweet spot as far as weight. 

I ll let you know about it.

Merry Christmas to you all, and tight lines :))

[Maw69]

Second update:

VERY fast tip. Rather unforgiving, especially with my 1/4 oz + trailer combo which is WAY too light and turns into nothingness once immerge.

More a MH with a very fast tip.

If it was lighter, it wouldn’t be too much of a problem, but it’s definitely heavier in hand than whatever I ve used before. 

As I was told, more a summer “heavy” vegetation rod.

I’ m initially a brown trout guy (light spinning and #4-5 wt fly rod) so the whole thing really feels on the heavy side. Might be LM bass won’t be my cup of tea after all ...

 

[PhishLI]

On 1/1/2019 at 9:47 PM, Maw69 said:

Might be LM bass won’t be my cup of tea after all ...

That's until that perfectly peaceful morning right before the spawn. You cast. You're reeling in. Suddenly a largemouth hits your lure like a freight train. It makes a hard run to a pad field or a downed tree. You feel your heartbeat in your ears. Every nerve in your body is alive as you draw it away from the structure. Your heart pounds even harder the last few inches before you have it in hand. You have it! You're shaking. Every joint in your body is firing with electricity. You weigh nothing.

 

Might not be for you...

[Maw69]

Sounds like the best way to trigger a heart attack, fall into the water and drown

Most dangerous game indeed. 

[PhishLI]

On January 2, 2019 at 3:21 AM, Maw69 said:

Sounds like the best way to trigger a heart attack, fall into the water and drown

Most dangerous game indeed. 

...Uh...Hmmm?...(pondering clever retort)... I've got nuthin. You, sir, paint a truly terrifying picture! I might switch hobbies from bassin' to Macram'e. I suppose it's possible to have a heart attack whilst Macram'e-ing, but at least I won't drown. Unless I'm Macram'e-ing next to a lake watching someone else bassin' and have a heart attack. Straight into the drink!

[Maw69]

????

[Maw69]

 

“Coming from spinning gear, as my spinning casting skills improved, I was more and more able to deliver "line drive" type casts, straight to the target.

Casting with bait casters, you've got to lose that "line drive" mentality and visualize your casts in curves and arcs.  You have to learn how to feel the rod loading.”

A wonderful piece of advise, found in an old post. 

There are countless videos on the Net, but I have yet to find one that really explains the casting techniques, in details.

The right amount of line overhang, amongst other things, is rarely discussed/explained.

Hopefully there are DVDs out there that go into all that in details - the like you can find for fly fishing. 

I ll drop another post to enquire about such DVDs - or books.

??

[islandbass]

Congrats. What you’re feeling is IMHO, very normal and this is coming from someone who also prefers to use the lightest I can get away with. That same “stiff” rod won’t feel as stiff when you’re working a 3/8oz jig with a trailer. It’s going to feel like the baby bear, ie, just right. 

[Maw69]

I have come to the conclusion today that this rod is way too rigid and fast for me as a beginner.

I am probably going to get an OkumaTCS Scott Martin series and will beselling the Daiwa. The TCS have been advised to me as very beginner friendly. Either the MH 6’9 or the MH 7’ 

Thank you guys for all your advice and encouragements ????

[ThisEndUp]

I would be I interested if you end up selling on here! Just saying... ?

[Maw69]

Well, I replaced the Ardito with this 1 piece rod:

Lew’s Custom Lite Speed Stick “All Purpose”, 7’ Medium - Fast , 1/4oz-5/8oz.

I also changed the reel and went for a Daiwa Fuego. 

The reel is definitely WAY better (quality, ease of casting etc) than my previous Kastking Assassin, and the rod is perfect with a 5” Caffeine Shad or a Bitsy Bug Mini jig 1/4 oz + 2.5” to 3” trailer.

Line: Tatsu 12lb Fluorocarbon.

???

Happy, at last!