ML or M Spinning Rod?

[Hook2Jaw]

About to order a replacement rod for the 7'1" MF 13 Fate Chrome Spinning my S-Waver collided with and cut in half mid cast, and no, it wasn't on that rod.  It was leaned up in some dog fennels and I caught it making the cast.  Just clarifying because I had some folks thinking I was silly enough to try glide baiting on a medium powered stick.  ?

 

Anyway, I'm getting a Daiwa Tatula XT.  I'm pretty firm on that stick.  I was wanting your input on the power rating.  Here are the rods;

 

TXT701MLFS ML,F 7' 6-12# 1/8-3/8oz

TXT701MFS M,F 7' 6-14# 1/8-3/4oz

 

Either rod will be carry a Daiwa Fuego LT 2500D-XH with 15# braid to 6-12# fluorocarbon leader.  It'll be throwing from most often to least often; weightless YUM Dingers on 3/0 EWGs, weightless Flukes on 4/0 EWGs, 1/8 and 3/16oz Shakyheads with various plastics, Neko Rigged Worms and Craws, and the occasional 1/4oz hard jerkbait or crankbait.

 

This rod will see some heavy work when I travel to Santee Cooper for a KBF Open on the 29th of this month.  I'm leaning Medium, but I'd like to see if anyone had any reasons for picking up the ML.

[basscrusher]

If you plan to TX rig those dingers, go medium.  If wacky, then either will do, but I'd still lean medium based on what you described.  

[Hammer 4]

I don't have either of those XT rods, but I do have heavier XT baitcaster's, and I would say that for what you want, the Med would be what I would go with.

[Hook2Jaw]

Thanks guys.  I ordered the Medium.

[NittyGrittyBoy]

How do you like that reel? I have one in my cart at tacklewarehouse and haven't bit the bullet

[Hook2Jaw]

I have two, @NittyGrittyBoy.  They're light, well made, and durable.  I use them inshore and for bass.  They've caught redfish up to 25" and bass up to 3#.  Great drag.  The stem flexes a tad under load, which had me keeping some in my cart as well.  Eliasv on YouTube has landed nice tarpon on a 4000 without one blowing in half, so I bit the bullet and I've been glad I did.

 

They're lighter than Shimano Stradics, so there's that. 

[Glaucus]

Medium for everything you described.

 

Funny enough I had something similar happen to me 2 summers ago. I was fishing a shallow river with my buddy and my Whopper Plopper caught my Ned Rig rod on a cast and cracked it. 

[Hook2Jaw]

That was my opinion as well, I was just shooting the rating out here for some other opinions since classification of rod power varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. 

[Tizi]

I have the medium XT with Fuego LT 3000.  Fantastic combo and will do what you want.

[Hook2Jaw]

Awesome.  Did a tad bit of research and a YUM Dinger 5" is 10 grams, or 0.35oz.  That's 5/16 or 7/20oz or so.  I've been using a baitcaster for a while and would probably be comfortable fishing my stick worms on them, but I learned to fish them with a spinning rod and will continue to do so.

 

So adding a gram worth of hook brings me to 11 grams, the weight of a Yamamoto Senko.  That brings the Dinger and 3/0 to .38oz, or 19/50oz.  For simplicity, I'll round up.  20/50 becomes 4/10, down to 2/5oz.  Hitting very close to half of the sticks weight rating and it should absolutely launch the primary bait it'll be throwing.

 

Further numbers, ⅛ is 12.5% of an ounce, the lower end.  ¾ is 75% of an ounce, and well, I've already established that the worm and hook weighs 38% of an ounce.  38 is pretty well dead on half of 75.

 

I've typed a bunch of silly numbers and useless information.  Medium it is.

[Hartwood71]

Go ML, IMO.   You’ll love it.   

[Hook2Jaw]

1 hour ago, Glaucus said:

Medium for everything you described.

 

Funny enough I had something similar happen to me 2 summers ago. I was fishing a shallow river with my buddy and my Whopper Plopper caught my Ned Rig rod on a cast and cracked it. 

We should start shortening rods as a side gig.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I lean toward ML for spinning applications but in this case it looks like the M has the same tip but a little more backbone. Nothing to lose IF you can believe the specs. I’d feel good trying it since I’ve handled Steez rods in the past that were powerful with real soft tip. 

[Hook2Jaw]

@Delaware Valley Tackle, I hope so.  Years ago Ehrler said that the XT was built from the same material the Tatula is, but I think that's been debunked.  The reviews are excellent, however, so I'm hoping it's a 100 dollar gemstone.

 

A lot of people break the tips on the casting rods from boat flipping fish, would that be indicative of a soft tip?

[Born 2 fish]

I would go medium I have the regular tatula 7’ medium and love it I’m sure the xt is super nice also.