MH/F as go-to rod but for St.C would that be M/F?

[haggard]

I apologize for dwelling on gear but as a St.C fanboy with only St.C rods (excepting one Ugly Stik) and only two years of fishing experience, I have to ask.

 

Based on forum posts:

1. MH/F is a good "if you had to have only one" bass rod.

2. St.C rods are generally a step heavier than others, when comparing equal ratings (for what they're worth)

 

My Mojo Bass MH/F is great but seems a bit stout for "only one rod" role; the M/F feels better (more sensitive, more versatile). Problem is I have no experience with other brands.

 

To those who have owned/tried St.C and other brands I ask... assuming St.C, would your go-to be a M/F or a MH/F?

 

Of course this depends on conditions and techniques. I think a lot of anglers recommending MH/F are flipping, pitching and frog fishing in pads. I rarely do any of that, mostly fish open water for smallies and cast TX rigged plastics near docks and shore.

 

Thanks for any help/comments.

 

 

[GeekOutdoors]

I plan on carrying two 2-pieces rods in my sub-compact car trunk.

One Will be a 7' m/f spinning and the other one a 6'6" mh/f casting.

Both will likely be Fenwick which are close to their power rating Usually

 

I feel these two cover most of bass fishing needs out there. Would I have to select only one I'd go with a m/f

[Justin Roberts]

I just ordered the M/F Mojo Bass on eBay.  Hopefully it pairs nicely with the Curado DC, which I'm itching to test out.  This will be my first St. Croix.  I'm thinking I'll try braid on it.

[bassboy107]

Every company rates power and taper different, but they are usually within the same ballpark. That said I use the rating as an estimate of what I am looking for. I make my decisions based on how the rod feels in my hand and how I think it will handle what I intend to use it for. 

 

I have fished with the 7'1" mh Croix mojo and (for croix) I would call that my "go to". I am a power fisher so I don't mind the stiffness. For what you mentioned, I believe the medium would do well

[MIbassyaker]

Most of my rods are fenwick or St. Croix. One comparison I can make is between a 6'8" MH-F Fenwick Aetos vs. a 6'6" M-F SC Premier.  The Aetos is a little bit more stout, but they are close in power, and both are rated 1/4-3/4oz.  I would say the M premier is not quite the same as a typical MH, but more like a half-power somewhere between an M and MH. and that actually makes it an extremely versatile rod -- it can do all but the heaviest jobs of an MH, while still being able to fish lighter baits.

[bwjay]

The St. Croix 6'6" MHF Premier states it's good for 3/8-1oz baits, but it does indeed look and feel a bit heavier than what I would expect for a MH. If I stepped it down to say a 6' MF Premier (I do want a shorter rod) which says it's good for 1/4-3/4oz baits, could I stretch to 1oz baits if I'm careful with casts? I don't have any 1oz baits and don't really intend to throw any, but I do have some 3/4oz that might actually be closer to 1oz (have seen most baits weigh more than advertised). I think I would generally prefer the shorter rod in almost every instance, knowing I'd be giving up casting distance. All I'm concerned with is the lures I can feasibly use on it, really. And this does seem specific to St Croix since their ratings seem to be slightly heavier than competitors' ratings.

[fishballer06]

I own 2 Avid 7' M-Fast action and 1 LTB 7'1" M-Fast action rods from St. Croix. By no means would I consider these rods to be a MH by any other manufacturers terms. Obviously this is a blank that fits my fishing style very well, but they certainly aren't taking over any duties that my MH rods are doing. 

[ResoKP]

16 hours ago, haggard said:

I think a lot of anglers recommending MH/F are flipping, pitching and frog fishing in pads.

I'd use a proper Heavy rod for those techniques.

[jimmyjoe]

  Don't confuse stiffness and power with robust construction. I had a Premier, and now have 3 Avids and 2 Mojo rods. They're different, that's all I can say. Every one fishes up to rating. Personally, I stop there.    jj

[MIbassyaker]

2 hours ago, bwjay said:

The St. Croix 6'6" MHF Premier states it's good for 3/8-1oz baits, but it does indeed look and feel a bit heavier than what I would expect for a MH. If I stepped it down to say a 6' MF Premier (I do want a shorter rod) which says it's good for 1/4-3/4oz baits, could I stretch to 1oz baits if I'm careful with casts? I don't have any 1oz baits and don't really intend to throw any, but I do have some 3/4oz that might actually be closer to 1oz (have seen most baits weigh more than advertised). I think I would generally prefer the shorter rod in almost every instance, knowing I'd be giving up casting distance. All I'm concerned with is the lures I can feasibly use on it, really. And this does seem specific to St Croix since their ratings seem to be slightly heavier than competitors' ratings.

Just follow the weight ratings on the rods rather than getting hung up on the  "medium" vs. "medium-heavy" label. If you want to fish something 1oz, get a rod with a top rating up to, or over, 1oz (That's going to be a MH or H).  I can only say how the particular rods I mentioned compare, not whether it is general trend for SC.

[bwjay]

2 hours ago, MIbassyaker said:

Just follow the weight ratings on the rods rather than getting hung up on the  "medium" vs. "medium-heavy" label. If you want to fish something 1oz, get a rod with a top rating up to, or over, 1oz (That's going to be a MH or H).  I can only say how the particular rods I mentioned compare, not whether it is general trend for SC.

I just saw a thread about going over the stated limits on rods, though. Most people seem to think going 1/4oz over or under is generally OK. That is why I ask if going under, especially on a rod made by a manufacturer that is known for understating the power of their rods slightly, might be acceptable.

[FryDog62]

Be aware of not confusing a rod’s power rating with its weight/balance.

 

I’m a recovering fanboy of St Croix rods.  Used to have 15 assorted spinning and casting rods.  Their ML and Medium rods are good enough... but MH and Heavy are poorly balanced, heavy rods in my opinion.  

 

I am down to one 7-1 Medium Fast Mojo and like it but sold off all my MH and H Avids, AvidX’s, LTB’s.  Was in denial for years but when I picked up competitors rods in the same price range, I had to finally admit I found a big difference. Lighter, better balanced and just as powerful.

 

Sorry to be an SC basher, but I probably spent too many years using them out of stubbornness.  My best advice is to go to a store that sells a variety of rod brands, put a reel on them and feel the weight and balance.  Be honest and pick what feels best vs. exclusively one brand. 

[Revival]

Back when I had St Croix Premiers and only carried 1 Baitcasting/1 Spinning rod for bank fishing, I liked their mediums.  Purchased a medium/heavy and returned it the next day.  It wasn’t for me and wasn’t fun to use.

 

For your situation, the St Croix medium would be more than enough.

 

If it’s an option, I also recommend checking out other brands and see what feels best to you.