Medium or medium heavy?

[BassSteve]

Most of my casting rods are medium heavy, and I have a medium spinning rod. I was thinking of getting a medium casting rod. Most of my fishing is for bass, and occasional snakeheads. Between a medium rod and medium heavy, generally speaking, can the medium power rod basically handle what the medium heavy can do? I know ratings differ between brands but what are your thoughts?

[AManWearingAHat]

If I were to get a medium bait caster I personally would be using it to throw weightless plastics and jerk baits.

 

I prefer to do that on spinning tackle so I don’t own any medium casting set ups. In a medium I really think there’s a lot of overlap between a bait caster and a spinning rod. I personally never saw the point in having a medium BC when I already have spinning set up in the same power. Just one fisherman’s opinion.

[huZZah]

27 minutes ago, BassSteve said:

can the medium power rod basically handle what the medium heavy can do?

No, that’s why they’re different. That being said, most people tend to fish them the same. I have a 7’ MF BC for Texas rig. 1/8 is lightest I’ll go with it. Weightless I go spinning. But I have to get my md heavy spinning or casting if I’m throwing into veggies. Get a big fish on there and your md rod will snap like a toothpick. At least mine did...

[Skunkmaster-k]

I use a medium for a lot of stuff, but it is miserable to try using the medium for big spinnerbaits or deep diving crankbaits , even snatching a lipless out of grass is a pain.  They just don’t have enough backbone. 

[BassSteve]

the lakes or ponds I fish at don't particularly have heavy cover, but there is cover of some kind. Some interesting points made so far. Last week I caught a 8 or 10 pound snakehead on a medium spinning rod with 10 lb mono...let me just say it was a fun fight getting him in, of course I thought the line or knot was going to give but sure enough I landed it. he was 34" long! ?

[WRB]

I sold over 20 bass. Rods last year and kept my 3 custom ALX  Jig & worms rods. Also kept 1 other rod Don Iovino Major Craft 6’8” Medium fast Splast-It  casting rod because it’s very universal for several presentations. 

Tom

[Boomstick]

1 hour ago, BassSteve said:

can the medium power rod basically handle what the medium heavy can do?

Generally speaking, no but there is some overlap. For example, a medium rod is good for weightless soft plastics, but you can also throw a 5" senko with up to a 1/8oz weight where you can throw the same thing with a medium heavy rod. The same also true with many finesse jigs, particularly 5/16 and 3/8oz. Really you would choose based on cover.

 

You can also throw a jerkbait or squarebill on a medium rod.

[redux]

One thing to consider is the action of the rod. A heavy rod with a moderate action will bend a lot more (kind of like a medium or a glass rod) than a heavy with a fast action before it hits the backbone. But you don't sacrifice the power a heavy gives you.

[Dens228]

I like a medium for a lot of treble hook baits, but like said above I can't imagine throwing a spinnerbait or dragging a 3/8 oz jig with a big hook with less than a MH.  It can be done but why?

[BrianMDTX]

13 minutes ago, Dens228 said:

I like a medium for a lot of treble hook baits, but like said above I can't imagine throwing a spinnerbait or dragging a 3/8 oz jig with a big hook with less than a MH.  It can be done but why?

Agreed. I like my MF baitcaster for treble hook baits. Especially jerkbaits and topwaters like Whopper Ploppers and Megabass Pop Max. But a spinnerbait or 3/8 oz jig with a trailer? No way. I want a MHF for that. 
 

But...it’s the question I recently asked. One rod’s M is another’s MH, or vice-versa. With no true standard, it can be a crapshoot. My Falcon Lowrider MHF is considerably more “MH” than my Daiwa Aird-X MHF. 

[PhishLI]

5 hours ago, BassSteve said:

Most of my casting rods are medium heavy, and I have a medium spinning rod. I was thinking of getting a medium casting rod. Most of my fishing is for bass, and occasional snakeheads. Between a medium rod and medium heavy, generally speaking, can the medium power rod basically handle what the medium heavy can do? I know ratings differ between brands but what are your thoughts?

If you're loaded up with MHs, then why not grab a MF? A casting rod rated at MF isn't the same as a spinning MF. Versatility is a good thing, and there's no problem catching solid fish on a decent M rod, including a bunch of 5 lb and up bass.

 

Both fish below were both caught on a Medium fast rod. The 1st in open water throwing a 1/2oz  spinner bait. The second on a Megabass Hazedong Shad 4.2" which is a light bait. No problem pulling that fish through a sparse pad field. The now discontinued 13 OB2 7'1" MF I used runs a tad stout for a Medium, but it's more effective for throwing lighter baits than a MHF rated to 1 oz. Still, I'll throw a Whopper plopper 75 all day long on it, and that bait is at the top of it's lure rating, but it loads just fine. I wouldn't be throwing this range of baits on a softer M, but you get to choose what you want. The currently available Tatula Bass rods feel quite similar to me at $159. 

[Deleted account]

I gotta have a med BC on the boat at all times, Weightless plastics, treble hooked baits, poppers, finesse spinnerbaits and jigs, and that's just off the top of my head. Of course, I also have a MH on the deck. It's not a matter of one over the other.

[livemusic]

10 hours ago, BassSteve said:

the lakes or ponds I fish at don't particularly have heavy cover, but there is cover of some kind. Some interesting points made so far. Last week I caught a 8 or 10 pound snakehead on a medium spinning rod with 10 lb mono...let me just say it was a fun fight getting him in, of course I thought the line or knot was going to give but sure enough I landed it. he was 34" long! ?

 

Holy cow, that is a big fish! I would think he would have weighed more than 10-12 lbs at 34 inches but that is just an assumption. We have "grinnel" or "bowfin" here and they look like your snakehead except they have solid color skin. Yep, puts up quite a fight.

10 hours ago, WRB said:

I sold over 20 bass. Rods last year and kept my 3 custom ALX  Jig & worms rods. Also kept 1 other rod Don Iovino Major Craft 6’8” Medium fast Splast-It  casting rod because it’s very universal for several presentations. 

Tom

 

Why did you sell so many rods, Tom? How did you sell them, did you ship, and if you did, where did you get boxes!

[Bankc]

I generally prefer a medium over medium heavy for most lures where it's acceptable to use both.  You can cast smaller lures further with them, which makes them really valuable when fishing pressured waters.  They also are a bit more forgiving, helping you keep treble hooks pinned.  

[Dens228]

15 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

Agreed. I like my MF baitcaster for treble hook baits. Especially jerkbaits and topwaters like Whopper Ploppers and Megabass Pop Max. But a spinnerbait or 3/8 oz jig with a trailer? No way. I want a MHF for that. 
 

But...it’s the question I recently asked. One rod’s M is another’s MH, or vice-versa. With no true standard, it can be a crapshoot. My Falcon Lowrider MHF is considerably more “MH” than my Daiwa Aird-X MHF. 

Those differences is exactly why once I settled on a specific brand all my rods are that brand 

 

[BassSteve]

Thanks to everyone who gave some advice/opinions. I have spent lots of money on the last 4 rods I own, so I am looking at fairly decent rods without spending much. I may be making a mistake by going cheaper, but I am looking at the "Clarus" casting rods by Shimano. They seem quality enough, and it just may meet my Medium action needs. Have any of you used this rod before or own it? What do you think of it? It is the 7 foot 2" medium fast action rod version

[Bankbeater]

If I'm fishing a lot of vegetation I want a mh/f for bottom contact baits.  I like the extra backbone when I'm snapping the bait free.  I fish moving baits with treble hooks on m/h rods since I'm not really going to run those through thick cover. 

[NOC 1]

On 5/4/2021 at 8:08 PM, huZZah said:

 Get a big fish on there and your md rod will snap like a toothpick. At least mine did...

I think that this would depend on how you do it, I've caught many a 8-10 lb Hybrid Striper on Med rods, not to mention a few 20+ lb Flathead catfish. Last year I landed an 8-10 lb striped bass on a ML with 8lb line. my son landed a 40+ lb Flathead catfish on a med rod with 10Lb line the year before last. Of course if you do unwise things like high-sticking the rod or try to boat flip a 20lb fish...yeah, the rod will snap like a toothpick.