Super User DitchPanda Posted June 24, 2020 Super User Posted June 24, 2020 Well I bought a 7ft heavy aird x casting rod a while back after reading reviews about it being a great budget frog rod. Prior to this I have thrown frogs on a Berkley shock 6 ft6 medhvy and 7 ft medhvy. And tho I love the shocks for many applications I have to say the daiwa is a much better frog stick in my opinion. For $55 this thing is a steal. 3 Quote
Super User MN Fisher Posted June 24, 2020 Super User Posted June 24, 2020 Now you know why I have 4 Aird-X in my arsenal - they're much better than the price would indicate. Quote
Super User BrianMDTX Posted June 24, 2020 Super User Posted June 24, 2020 I just brought home a MHF Aird-X yesterday. $49.99. It seems like a very nice rod for the money. Hope to wet a line with it this weekend. 1 Quote
Super User Teal Posted June 24, 2020 Super User Posted June 24, 2020 I think daiwa does really good at making great rods for the money. My God son, still has both of the procyon rods I got him back in 2014. Hard to beat daiwa on performance and value. 1 Quote
BigAngus752 Posted June 24, 2020 Posted June 24, 2020 I bought a 701HFB as a second or back-up HF rod to my Powell heavy casting. I wasn’t expecting a lot from a $55 rod when I have Dobyns Fury, Champion, Duckett Triads, Fenwich Elite Tech, etc in my arsenal. But I just realized last week how much I’m pulling the Aird X out. I use spinning for all of my bottom contact stuff except heavy jigs so the Champion and Elite Tech win that, but the Aird X is just a really versatile casting rod. Especially for a “heavy fast”. I drag half ounce football head jig with it and also won’t hesitate to put a spinner bait on it. It makes a great rod for bank fishing because of its versatility. Plus I won’t carry a $250 rod when I’m bank fishing because it’s more likely to get damaged. The expensive ones stay in the boat. I’m sure I’ll get another Aird X at some point. 2 Quote
Super User BrianMDTX Posted June 24, 2020 Super User Posted June 24, 2020 One question. How does one pronounce "Aird"? Is it one syllable pronounced aired as in "I just aired up the tires"? Or like Air-Dee? Sorry. That's what 12 years of parochial school gets you! 2 1 Quote
Super User MN Fisher Posted June 24, 2020 Super User Posted June 24, 2020 59 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said: I just brought home a MHF Aird-X yesterday. $49.99. It seems like a very nice rod for the money. Hope to wet a line with it this weekend. I think you'll like it - I use my MH/F Aird for spinners/chatters/buzz, and jigs. Even though I don't palm my reel or have a finger on the line during retrieve, I can feel the blades wobble through the rod. Really sensitive and a great bargain. 22 minutes ago, BigAngus752 said: I bought a 701HFB as a second or back-up HF rod to my Powell heavy casting. My Aird 701HFB is my only Heavy - flip/pitch, frogs, larger topwaters (WP-130, Super Spook) all get tossed on it. Quote
plawren53202 Posted June 24, 2020 Posted June 24, 2020 Just got in a ML Aird-X spinning rod last week as I wanted to plug that hole in my spinning lineup (already had an UL and M/F). Paired it with a Daiwa Regal LT reel in 1000 size and Sufix 832/Sufix Advance leader. Fished it for the first time Saturday. It was perfect for the public pond I was fishing, which is filled with dink bass and big fat green sunfish. What a fun rod to fish. This was my first Daiwa purchase. Paired with the 832, it is incredibly sensitive for that price point, and it casts a country mile. To me the rod just has the feel of a more expensive product than $59. My only "hesitation" about it is that the reel seat is a little different than what I am used to, but once I got used to it I actually like it because I feel like my hand has more direct contact with the rod blank. Based on my experience with this one, I would like to try a heavier spinning option or one of the Aird casting rods. OP I think you're really going to enjoy yours. 1 Quote
Super User MN Fisher Posted June 24, 2020 Super User Posted June 24, 2020 1 minute ago, plawren53202 said: Based on my experience with this one, I would like to try a heavier spinning option or one of the Aird casting rods. OP I think you're really going to enjoy yours. I have an Aird M/F spinning that I use for jerkbaits and weightless wacky...does a good job with both Of my six remaining rods - one will probably be replaced by an Aird as well - three I'll keep as is and two I'll upgrade to something else as the power/action/length I want for those isn't available in the Aird lineup. Quote
browne762 Posted June 24, 2020 Posted June 24, 2020 I purchased a Medium Fast and a Medium-Light Fast spinning rod for my roommate to use. Both are 7 foot. They are good for the money. They are more moderate/mod-fast in my opinion, but for a $40-$50 rod I kind of expected that going in to it. Quote
Super User BrianMDTX Posted June 24, 2020 Super User Posted June 24, 2020 Also...is it Day-wah, or Die-wah? Or -way? I’ve always said Day-wah. Quote
Super User MN Fisher Posted June 24, 2020 Super User Posted June 24, 2020 Just now, BrianMDTX said: Also...is it Day-wah, or Die-wah? Or -way? I’ve always said Day-wah. I dunno - in my head it's 'Di-ah-wah'. 2 Quote
Super User BrianMDTX Posted June 24, 2020 Super User Posted June 24, 2020 I Googled it. It’s pronounced Day-wah. Quote
AmmoGuy Posted June 24, 2020 Posted June 24, 2020 I fished a little with a friends Aird X a little bit lately. If I'm honest, I had a quick "paying more for rods is silly" moment. They are really nice. Quote
Super User PhishLI Posted June 24, 2020 Super User Posted June 24, 2020 I think the 7'3"MHF casting is the sleeper in the line. Nice multipurpose rod. If you didn't know the price beforehand you'd never believe in a million years that it's $54 retail. 1 Quote
AmmoGuy Posted June 24, 2020 Posted June 24, 2020 Just now, PhishLI said: I think the 7'3"MHF casting is the sleeper in the line. Nice multipurpose rod. If you didn't know the price beforehand you'd never believe in a million years that it's $54 retail. Agreed. Even the grip and reel seat looks/feels more expensive. Quote
Bassin_Harrison Posted June 25, 2020 Posted June 25, 2020 I have a 7 ft Medium spinning Arid X and it is such a great rod for the money. I haven't heard one person say anything bad about them. Totally would buy more in the future. Quote
Super User BrianMDTX Posted June 26, 2020 Super User Posted June 26, 2020 Ok, color me impressed. Just had a lot of heavy rain so the pond flooded and the bite is off. So I can’t comment on strike sensitivity. Everything else? First off, I am a “traditionalist” in that I vastly prefer cork grips. I like the feel, they shed casual water and they just look good. But the EVA foam grips on this Aird X 701MHFB are very nice. Comfortable, but not squishy. I do not like spongy grips as far as hand feel, and I think sensitivity suffers. These are nice. Casting? Using the same weightless 5” Senko TR on a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook, it’s effortless. Far, medium and short distance casting is great. At close distances, it’s much easier than with my Fenwick HMX70MFC. The reel is spooled with 12 lb YZH. As I said, no strikes. But bottom sensitivity is good. I couldn’t compare to a high-end rod (as I have no $$$ rods), but I’m impressed with what I feel of the structure as I work the TR in slowly. All-in-all, I think it’s a steal for $49.99. I’d buy another Aird X for sure. 2 Quote
Luke Barnes Posted June 26, 2020 Posted June 26, 2020 I really debated one for a long time as a frog rod but ended up going with a Shimano SLX 7'2 H. But 2 days ago I finally got to hold an Aird-X and they felt really nice and were a great looking rod. Much better than I had anticipated and I think would have been a great rod too, but I basically got the SLX rod for free so couldnt pass it up. Quote
Super User BrianMDTX Posted June 26, 2020 Super User Posted June 26, 2020 1 hour ago, Luke Barnes said: I really debated one for a long time as a frog rod but ended up going with a Shimano SLX 7'2 H. But 2 days ago I finally got to hold an Aird-X and they felt really nice and were a great looking rod. Much better than I had anticipated and I think would have been a great rod too, but I basically got the SLX rod for free so couldnt pass it up. Unless it’s a Yugo, free is hard to beat! 1 Quote
Luke Barnes Posted June 26, 2020 Posted June 26, 2020 4 hours ago, BrianMDTX said: Unless it’s a Yugo, free is hard to beat! I agree!! I got the combo for the price of the reel with discounts and gift cards! Quote
Super User BrianMDTX Posted June 28, 2020 Super User Posted June 28, 2020 Well, it did what I wanted it to do. And then some. It was a slow morning with weightless Senko and Zoom trick worm TR, Senko WR and no topwater action. I walked to a different spot with my finesse rig (it’s very brushy with little casting room) and caught four bass on a wacky. Went back to my start point and starting working a 5” weightless watermelon Senko TR. Had a few light strikes which I could detect well. I made my “last cast” before heading home and starting reeling it in very slow with pauses. I just started the retrieve when I felt a strike. I set the hook, and I mean, I set it. It was a dink but if I had driven the hook home any deeper I probably would have decapitated it (it’s ok, but he was not jumping that hook). Just what I was looking for going from a Med to a Med Hvy. And pleased with the sensitivity. 3 Quote
Super User BrianMDTX Posted June 28, 2020 Super User Posted June 28, 2020 For $49.99, I have 0 complaints! Quote
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