2 MH casting rods recommendation

[ohhey]

In terms of freshwater gear, I currently have only 2 spinning setups, a 7' St Croix Premier 2-piece ultralight fast that I love and have had for a decade, and a 7'1 mojo bass 2-piece medium fast that's also great. I'm exclusively a bank fisherman and have the 2-piece rods for biking to the river, pond, brook, etc. with a small tackle backpack.

 

I have access to a few ponds and river banks by car, and would like to get a couple casting rigs during end-of-season/black friday sales to expand my available techniques.

 

I'm thinking both around 7':

• One MH power MF or M action for chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, lipless and square cranks, whopper plopper 90, some jerkbaits, etc.
• One MH power F action for mid-weight texas rigs, weighted jigs, swimbaits, etc.

 

Can anyone provide some specific rod recommendations for these applications. Looking for bang for buck, generally searching in the $100-$150 price range. Already eyeballing the 7' MHMF Mojo Bass "Spinnerbait" model for the first application, so thoughts on it or similar rods are appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[Boomstick]

The Mojo Bass rods are very solid for the price. If you can swing a little extra, the Victory rods are worth every extra penny.

 

My kid has both the 7'3" MH/F Marshall and the 7'3" H/XF "Full Contact Finesse" rods. The latter is a very good jig and texas rig rod, and the Marshall is your all purpose medium heavy (and maybe better for football jigs due to more bend). He also has the Mojo Bass spinnerbait rod.

 

Since you plan on also throwing some treble hooks, I would suggest to go with the Full Conact Finesse and the Mojo Bass Spinnerbait rod you already are considering as it has a bit of bend in the tip and will handle most moving baits well.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Did the same thing as kid, miss those days.  

If I were you I would just go with a 7'3 MH F that has some tip.  That would a do it all rod that can handle chatterbaits/spinnerbaits much better then a shallow cranking rod.  That would cover you for jig T rigs and other single hook baits.  $ for $ Ark makes a great 7'3 MH F 40T blank.  

I find a M F casting rod to be more versatile then a cranking rod, which is important when you can only bring a couple rods.  The right one will handle shallow cranks/JBs, weightless plastics, topwater, and lighter T/free rigs.  The length will determine the amount of tip.  6'10 will be more crisp where longer rods (especially M power) will have a little more tip.  I use a 7'1 Muse for this and it does very well.  SC has some great M power actions too, you just have to find one that would work with the baits you want to throw.  

[webertime]

If you're not in a hurry...  Kittery Trading Post does 25% off sales occasionally (one ended yesterday) that includes Megabass.  Levantes are 150 on sale.

Diablo Spec R. And.  Brailist are what you are looking for. 

[r83srock]

I do not have the mojo Spinnerbait rod but have heard great things. I have upgraded to Victory and legend tournament rods but the 7’1” mojo is a rod that can do alot of things well. I believe they have it in 2 piece as well.

[ohhey]

2 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

Did the same thing as kid, miss those days.  

If I were you I would just go with a 7'3 MH F that has some tip.  That would a do it all rod that can handle chatterbaits/spinnerbaits much better then a shallow cranking rod.  That would cover you for jig T rigs and other single hook baits.  $ for $ Ark makes a great 7'3 MH F 40T blank.  

I find a M F casting rod to be more versatile then a cranking rod, which is important when you can only bring a couple rods.  The right one will handle shallow cranks/JBs, weightless plastics, topwater, and lighter T/free rigs.  The length will determine the amount of tip.  6'10 will be more crisp where longer rods (especially M power) will have a little more tip.  I use a 7'1 Muse for this and it does very well.  SC has some great M power actions too, you just have to find one that would work with the baits you want to throw.  

 

A few 7'3" MHF rods were on my radar, but not the Tharp specifically, though I'm aware of Ark and the love they get from those who own them. How does that compare to, say, the 7'3" MHF Tatula or Dobyns 734C?

[ohhey]

3 hours ago, Boomstick said:

The Mojo Bass rods are very solid for the price. If you can swing a little extra, the Victory rods are worth every extra penny.

 

My kid has both the 7'3" MH/F Marshall and the 7'3" H/XF "Full Contact Finesse" rods. The latter is a very good jig and texas rig rod, and the Marshall is your all purpose medium heavy (and maybe better for football jigs due to more bend). He also has the Mojo Bass spinnerbait rod.

 

Since you plan on also throwing some treble hooks, I would suggest to go with the Full Conact Finesse and the Mojo Bass Spinnerbait rod you already are considering as it has a bit of bend in the tip and will handle most moving baits well.

 

Thanks for that input. I think I would add a 7'3-7'4" HF broomstick at some point before next summer since (as you know) we have a lot of pads in our ponds up here and frog fishing is fun. So I think something like the Marshall would better fit the bill in the long term. That said, while the Mojo Spinnerbait rod is somewhat unique and unrivaled, there are a lot of good 7'3"-ish MHF rods and I would kind of like to branch out from an all Mojo Bass lineup.

[PhishLI]

Tackle Warehouse is having a good promo from 13 Fishing. Buy one selection of certain models and get a free 7'3" MHF Blackout rod. I linked to the Meta Series priced at $149. The Blackout is solid, and the Meta is quite good.

 

13 Fishing Meta Casting Rods | Tackle Warehouse

 

13 Fishing Blackout Casting Rod | Tackle Warehouse

 

 

 

 

[LCG]

I recently picked up a two piece 7' MH-F Daiwa aird x and could not be happier. I am using it for spinnerbaits and chatterbaits mostly, rated 1/4-1oz, kind of a moderate fast tip. Cast great and has helped keep a few pike pinned so far. It makes for a nice affordable moving bait rod.

 

For texas rigs I am using a Daiwa Rebellion 6'10 MH-R casting rod, also two piece. It's lightweight but feels strong as a tank. 

[ohhey]

Dang, this is tempting, but I'd rather spend $100 more on something that I don't see mixed or bad reviews on as much as I do the 13 Fishing stuff.

[r83srock]

1 hour ago, LCG said:

I recently picked up a two piece 7' MH-F Daiwa aird x and could not be happier. I am using it for spinnerbaits and chatterbaits mostly, rated 1/4-1oz, kind of a moderate fast tip. Cast great and has helped keep a few pike pinned so far. It makes for a nice affordable moving bait rod.

 

For texas rigs I am using a Daiwa Rebellion 6'10 MH-R casting rod, also two piece. It's lightweight but feels strong as a tank. 

The 7’ mh Aird x is my favorite moving bait rod. It can do what a lot of mediums can do but still hit the upper weight range. And when you need to fish a bottom contact bait in a pinch, it’s up to the task. I’d always recommend it and it throws down with rods 2-3 times the price.

[BuzzB]

Just out of your budget are the Shimano Zodias casting rods. Perhaps you can get close to your budget on sale. I own two of the 7'2' MH and find them to be incredibly versatile and an amazing value. 

[LCG]

2 hours ago, r83srock said:

The 7’ mh Aird x is my favorite moving bait rod.

I liked it so much, I bought a second as a backup. Love the action and the trigger grip is perfect for how I like holding the rod. Most rod have a smaller trigger. It's the little things I can't believe it's so affordable for what it offers. Light, sensitive, well built.

[ohhey]

12 hours ago, LCG said:

I recently picked up a two piece 7' MH-F Daiwa aird x and could not be happier. I am using it for spinnerbaits and chatterbaits mostly, rated 1/4-1oz, kind of a moderate fast tip. Cast great and has helped keep a few pike pinned so far. It makes for a nice affordable moving bait rod.

 

For texas rigs I am using a Daiwa Rebellion 6'10 MH-R casting rod, also two piece. It's lightweight but feels strong as a tank. 

 

Nice, I will absolutely pick up that 2-piece Aird-x in addition to the rods above because why not at that price, and having another bike-to-the-bank option is nice. Thanks for the tip.

[Boomstick]

13 hours ago, ohhey said:

 

Thanks for that input. I think I would add a 7'3-7'4" HF broomstick at some point before next summer since (as you know) we have a lot of pads in our ponds up here and frog fishing is fun. So I think something like the Marshall would better fit the bill in the long term. That said, while the Mojo Spinnerbait rod is somewhat unique and unrivaled, there are a lot of good 7'3"-ish MHF rods and I would kind of like to branch out from an all Mojo Bass lineup.

The Full Contact Finesse isn't exactly a broomstick. It's kind of a MH-H that is made for fishing jigs, but not a full on frog rod by any means.

 

That said, the Marshall can handle jigs with lighter cover very well too but I would say the Full Contact Finesse is probably better for what you plan to use it for and wouldn't overlap with something like the Full Contact (frog rod).

[casts_by_fly]

20 hours ago, ohhey said:

In terms of freshwater gear, I currently have only 2 spinning setups, a 7' St Croix Premier 2-piece ultralight fast that I love and have had for a decade, and a 7'1 mojo bass 2-piece medium fast that's also great. I'm exclusively a bank fisherman and have the 2-piece rods for biking to the river, pond, brook, etc. with a small tackle backpack.

 

I have access to a few ponds and river banks by car, and would like to get a couple casting rigs during end-of-season/black friday sales to expand my available techniques.

 

I'm thinking both around 7':

• One MH power MF or M action for chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, lipless and square cranks, whopper plopper 90, some jerkbaits, etc.
• One MH power F action for mid-weight texas rigs, weighted jigs, swimbaits, etc.

 

Can anyone provide some specific rod recommendations for these applications. Looking for bang for buck, generally searching in the $100-$150 price range. Already eyeballing the 7' MHMF Mojo Bass "Spinnerbait" model for the first application, so thoughts on it or similar rods are appreciated.

 

Thanks!

 

I'm a falcon guy and love their rods (aside from 1 or 2!) so I'd go straight to the falcon lowrider series at $129 each.  If you're set on 7' then grab the all 'round and the all 'round fast, both 7' for your two applications.  Then you're have a matching pair more or less with the same handfeel and just a little different powers.

 

That said, based on the applications, I'd also consider changing the second rod to a lighter 'heavy' like the head turner or dragger 1.  You're saying mid-weight texas rigs and jigs which to me means 3/8 of lead plus skirt/plastic.  That's the right range for a lighter heavy to me, which in falcon terms is a 6-power.  The head turner is rated 1/4-3/4 still but has good backbone.  The Dragger 1 is 3/8-1 with good backbone but a touch slower action than the HT.  Either of these would give you a little more breadth/range compared to getting two MH and open up options for you later.

[ohhey]

33 minutes ago, Boomstick said:

The Full Contact Finesse isn't exactly a broomstick. It's kind of a MH-H that is made for fishing jigs, but not a full on frog rod by any means.

 

That said, the Marshall can handle jigs with lighter cover very well too but I would say the Full Contact Finesse is probably better for what you plan to use it for and wouldn't overlap with something like the Full Contact (frog rod).

 

Good to know, thanks. The Victory is still a bit outta my price range but if the right sale deal comes up in the next few months I may jump on it.

 

11 hours ago, BuzzB said:

Just out of your budget are the Shimano Zodias casting rods. Perhaps you can get close to your budget on sale. I own two of the 7'2' MH and find them to be incredibly versatile and an amazing value. 

 

I saw these as well and they seem to fit that MH/F all-around role really well. Idk how often JDM stuff goes on sale, if ever, but I'll keep an eye out.

 

28 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

I'm a falcon guy and love their rods (aside from 1 or 2!) so I'd go straight to the falcon lowrider series at $129 each.  If you're set on 7' then grab the all 'round and the all 'round fast, both 7' for your two applications.  Then you're have a matching pair more or less with the same handfeel and just a little different powers.

 

That said, based on the applications, I'd also consider changing the second rod to a lighter 'heavy' like the head turner or dragger 1.  You're saying mid-weight texas rigs and jigs which to me means 3/8 of lead plus skirt/plastic.  That's the right range for a lighter heavy to me, which in falcon terms is a 6-power.  The head turner is rated 1/4-3/4 still but has good backbone.  The Dragger 1 is 3/8-1 with good backbone but a touch slower action than the HT.  Either of these would give you a little more breadth/range compared to getting two MH and open up options for you later.

 

By "mid-weight" I really meant t-rig and jig weights that my M/F spinning rod can't handle (weightless up to 1/8oz) but not frog rod type power (>3/8oz) required either.

[ohhey]

As an update, I ordered a 7' Mojo Bass "Spinnerbait" MH/MF on sale, but am still not totally decided on a $100-150 MH/F. Thinking Dobyns Sierra 734c would be ideal if I can get any kind of deal in the next few months, or possibly a Tatula 7'3 MH/F. The equivalent Ark Tharp or maybe the Zodias 7'2 MH or the Falcon Lowrider All 'rounder fast have me interested as well. Other similar suggestions are welcome.

[MN Fisher]

12 hours ago, r83srock said:

The 7’ mh Aird x is my favorite moving bait rod.

Despite having Mojos and Victorys in my lineup - I still have my Aird-X MH/F that I use for spinners and chatters. The Aird-X isn't a true F it's more a MF-F -slower than a Fast but faster than a Mod-Fast...seems ideal for those two techniques.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

20 hours ago, webertime said:

If you're not in a hurry...  Kittery Trading Post does 25% off sales occasionally (one ended yesterday) that includes Megabass.  Levantes are 150 on sale.

Diablo Spec R. And.  Brailist are what you are looking for. 

Spec R would be great

[GetFishorDieTryin]

18 hours ago, ohhey said:

 

A few 7'3" MHF rods were on my radar, but not the Tharp specifically, though I'm aware of Ark and the love they get from those who own them. How does that compare to, say, the 7'3" MHF Tatula or Dobyns 734C?

I dont have a tharp I have an Essence, but the blank and guide layout are similar.  If  I were you I would wait until the new gen Tharps or Invokers come out in November.  Ark cut weight and improved the ergonomics, unless you like a thicker handle.   

Limited experience with Tatula 7'3 MH F, so a comparison would be pointless.  IMO I think you get more for you're money with a Tatula or Ark then a Fury at the price point.  A 734 would be the rod to compare to the Tatula or Ark.   

[Darth-Baiter]

6 hours ago, ohhey said:

 Thinking Dobyns Sierra 734c would be ideal if I can get any kind of deal in the next few months, 

fun rod!!  great choice. 

 

Dobyns offers a 30% military discount if my friend isnt lying to me.  worth exploring if this applys to you.  

[badfish79]

I am a dobyns fanboy, so take this with a grain of salt. With sale season coming up, you can probably get both of these rods for under $150.

 

Sierra 734 for moving baits and treble hook stuff

Kaden 744 for your jigs and t-rigs.

[ohhey]

4 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

I dont have a tharp I have an Essence, but the blank and guide layout are similar.  If  I were you I would wait until the new gen Tharps or Invokers come out in November.  Ark cut weight and improved the ergonomics, unless you like a thicker handle.   

Limited experience with Tatula 7'3 MH F, so a comparison would be pointless.  IMO I think you get more for you're money with a Tatula or Ark then a Fury at the price point.  A 734 would be the rod to compare to the Tatula or Ark.   

 

Good to know. I actually don't mind a thicker handle since I've got big mitts but am likely going to wait another month regardless to see what discounts are ahead. I am probably getting a Fury 735c at some point for heavier duties, but I think you're right that for this purpose a Tatula or Tharp (or Sierra 734c or Tatula elite or Essence if I'm willing to push the budget) would probably be a better choice.

 

2 hours ago, badfish79 said:

I am a dobyns fanboy, so take this with a grain of salt. With sale season coming up, you can probably get both of these rods for under $150.

 

Sierra 734 for moving baits and treble hook stuff

Kaden 744 for your jigs and t-rigs.

 

I'm surprised to see the Kaden recommended, and also that you're saying the Sierra 734 is a moving bait/treble hook choice. After reading a little, is that just because the Kaden has a slightly faster action? I was under the impression that the Sierra 734 could do all of the above tasks quite capably.

[WRB]

2 piece bass rods today limit what you find within your price point. SC Mojo Bass is being closed out and available within your budget and has 2 piece look no further.

Sales are going on now!

Tom