Looking for two casting rods - Not overly priced 2025

Nattyboh74 reply :

So I have to Avid-Xs for my spinning setups, but I bought two Tatulas recently and looking to get two rods for them. Im not after super sensitive like the Avid-Xs are but more so strength and durability. I bought one reel in 6.3 and the other in 7.3. I think Id like to use these two casting rods for frogs, jigs, spinners etc. The heavier baits, even top water etc.

So IMO, I dont need sensitivity as most hook-ups are going to be by them blowing up on it or taking it and running since I'll be pretty much cranking the whole time. I dont want to spend much, and I know that relevant to whatever I consider too much. Id say 75 a rod or so? Little cheaper would be better...

I fish from the shore and will be from the Hobie this year too. I currently have 7' Avids in M/fast and MH/fast. I dont know if I should go 6'6'' or just stay 7''... Thats why Im here, looking for your guys help.

Thanks all!

Edited: What about Power Pro line weight recommendations? I see people say 50-60# PP for froggin etc. Seems excessively high.

new2BC4bass reply :

ww2Farmer is a fan of the Lightning Shocks, but has become an even bigger fan of the Daiwa Aird X rods. $55 from TW, but maybe you could find them for less on fleabay.

Nattyboh74 reply :

On 5/28/2018 at 8:07 AM, new2BC4bass said:

ww2Farmer is a fan of the Lightning Shocks, but has become an even bigger fan of the Daiwa Aird X rods. $55 from TW, but maybe you could find them for less on fleabay.

Thanks. Any suggestion on M or MH or H and what action?

new2BC4bass reply :

The Aird X only comes in a Fast. ww2Farmer would be the guy to give you suggestions based on actual use. I have not used these rods. Going by the specs, I would opt for the 7'3" MH for several of the lures you mentioned. Especially for the frogs and jigs. I used MF for trebles for some time before buying a regular crankbait rod.

To be honest, if I were looking for a rod to throw a lot of treble lures yet still be fairly versatile, I'd look for a rod with a Med-Fast action. In all honesty I have to admit I am not familiar with rods in that price range. I have several Falcon rods. None in the HD series, but it is a possible choice. Another poster...from a few years ago...like the Berkley Cherrywood.

Hopefully someone with actual experience with rods in that price range will be along to give you a better perspective than I can. Sorry.

Nattyboh74 reply :

On 5/28/2018 at 9:09 AM, new2BC4bass said:

The Aird X only comes in a Fast. ww2Farmer would be the guy to give you suggestions based on actual use. I have not used these rods. Going by the specs, I would opt for the 7'3" MH for several of the lures you mentioned. Especially for the frogs and jigs. I used MF for trebles for some time before buying a regular crankbait rod.

To be honest, if I were looking for a rod to throw a lot of treble lures yet still be fairly versatile, I'd look for a rod with a Med-Fast action. In all honesty I have to admit I am not familiar with rods in that price range. I have several Falcon rods. None in the HD series, but it is a possible choice. Another poster...from a few years ago...like the Berkley Cherrywood.

Hopefully someone with actual experience with rods in that price range will be along to give you a better perspective than I can. Sorry.

all good thanks! So basically M and MH might be the ticket...

Largemouth21 reply :

Abu Garcia Vendetta,which is basically last years Veritas 2.0 with a different color... I have a veritas and love it

WRB reply :

Dobyns FR735, good rods and customer service.

Tom

JRingo reply :

Cabelas fish eagle 54 is good for the money. Around 70 bucks. Lifetime guarantee.

Lead Head reply :

Do you fish heavy cover? If yes you will want a heavy rod for frogs and jigs, if no MH should work just fine.

ww2farmer reply :

On 5/28/2018 at 9:09 AM, new2BC4bass said:

The Aird X only comes in a Fast. ww2Farmer would be the guy to give you suggestions based on actual use. I have not used these rods. Going by the specs, I would opt for the 7'3" MH for several of the lures you mentioned. Especially for the frogs and jigs. I used MF for trebles for some time before buying a regular crankbait rod.

To be honest, if I were looking for a rod to throw a lot of treble lures yet still be fairly versatile, I'd look for a rod with a Med-Fast action. In all honesty I have to admit I am not familiar with rods in that price range. I have several Falcon rods. None in the HD series, but it is a possible choice. Another poster...from a few years ago...like the Berkley Cherrywood.

Hopefully someone with actual experience with rods in that price range will be along to give you a better perspective than I can. Sorry.

Ok, let's talk Aird X's since my name was brought up in this thread.

I have a good selection of them now, and plenty of time on the water with them in my hands.

The best "all purpose" rod in the line is the 7'3" MH. It's labeled as a fast action, but fishes on the more moderate side of fast if this makes any sense to you. I use this rod for cranking A LOT, and it works great, with 1/4 + 1/2 oz sized Berkley, Booyah, and SK lipless baits, 1.5 + 2.5 sized SK KVD square bills, SK 3xd's + 5xd's, Berkley Diggers in the 4.5-14.5 size, Berkley Dredgers up to the 17.5 size, Berkley Wild Thangs in both sizes, and Berkley Square bulls in the 5.5 +7.5 sizes, and most every thing in the Storm Arashi series. Paired with a 6.3:1 Fuego CT it flings baits a mile, and I have landed multiple 6+ lb bass on this rod. It also doubles very nicely as a light cover pitching rod for 1/4 - 3/8's jigs and t-rigs, plus it's my go to rod for Biffle style wobble heads. I have used this rod for throwing the smaller Booyah frogs around light cover, and it works great, I opt for a the 7' H Aird X for the larger frogs.

I also have the 7'3" MH Fuego....and IMHO, this is a great jig + worm rod, not so much a "do-all" rod. It's a bit faster and more powerfull than the Aird X of the same power/length.

Nattyboh74 reply :

Thanks guys.

What about length for shore and kayak use? Maybe someone can chime in on that too?

Id also assume that I can use the H power rod in the light stuff for frogs too right? Im still confused on what a power would do/effect if I "didnt" need all the power, if that makes sense. Like why not have a more powerful rod and NOT need it, versus needed it and not having it?

Sheepdog reply :

Don't know your time line, I'm a guy who always waits for stuff to go on sale. I would look at the Powell Mistake rod. Check the Powell website. The 7'3" Heavy would be a great all around rod for frogs, jigs, t-rigs, etc. It has a fast rating, so right in between the x-fast and mod-fast. I throw so many things on that rod it's ridiculous. Small swim baits, whopper ploppers, jigs, frogs, t-rigged worms, the list goes on. I used to think the heavy rating was "over doing it", but after fishing them, I see no reason not to. They're light, sensitive, and very strong. I say watch for sales, because this rod(same blank as the $100 Inferno) has been on sale for $48 dollars on their web site a couple times. Regular price is $79. Excellent rod for the money, insanely good if you get it on sale.

Nattyboh74 reply :

On 5/29/2018 at 8:39 AM, Sheepdog said:

Don't know your time line, I'm a guy who always waits for stuff to go on sale. I would look at the Powell Mistake rod. Check the Powell website. The 7'3" Heavy would be a great all around rod for frogs, jigs, t-rigs, etc. It has a fast rating, so right in between the x-fast and mod-fast. I throw so many things on that rod it's ridiculous. Small swim baits, whopper ploppers, jigs, frogs, t-rigged worms, the list goes on. I used to think the heavy rating was "over doing it", but after fishing them, I see no reason not to. They're light, sensitive, and very strong. I say watch for sales, because this rod(same blank as the $100 Inferno) has been on sale for $48 dollars on their web site a couple times. Regular price is $79. Excellent rod for the money, insanely good if you get it on sale.

So you're saying a H and MH? I'd like something for pretty much everything other than worm use. I wanna keep worm use to the spinning setups

WRB reply :

No standard exist for rod power or action, each mfr differs.

Dobyns rod are well balanced and designed to cast easily with lures within the weight rating. 735 fits your needs.

Tom

new2BC4bass reply :

On 5/29/2018 at 7:38 AM, ww2farmer said:

Ok, let's talk Aird X's since my name was brought up in this thread.

I have a good selection of them now, and plenty of time on the water with them in my hands.

The best "all purpose" rod in the line is the 7'3" MH. It's labeled as a fast action, but fishes on the more moderate side of fast if this makes any sense to you. I use this rod for cranking A LOT, and it works great, with 1/4 + 1/2 oz sized Berkley, Booyah, and SK lipless baits, 1.5 + 2.5 sized SK KVD square bills, SK 3xd's + 5xd's, Berkley Diggers in the 4.5-14.5 size, Berkley Dredgers up to the 17.5 size, Berkley Wild Thangs in both sizes, and Berkley Square bulls in the 5.5 +7.5 sizes, and most every thing in the Storm Arashi series. Paired with a 6.3:1 Fuego CT it flings baits a mile, and I have landed multiple 6+ lb bass on this rod. It also doubles very nicely as a light cover pitching rod for 1/4 - 3/8's jigs and t-rigs, plus it's my go to rod for Biffle style wobble heads. I have used this rod for throwing the smaller Booyah frogs around light cover, and it works great, I opt for a the 7' H Aird X for the larger frogs.

I also have the 7'3" MH Fuego....and IMHO, this is a great jig + worm rod, not so much a "do-all" rod. It's a bit faster and more powerfull than the Aird X of the same power/length.

Nice! Nothing beats the opinion of someone that has used a rod. Going by the specs it is not a rod I would have thought to buy for treble lures. It just reinforces the fact that there are no standards, and you have to use a rod to determine its best uses. Thanks for the reply.

Nattyboh74 reply :

On 5/29/2018 at 10:06 AM, WRB said:

No standard exist for rod power or action, each mfr differs.

Dobyns rod are well balanced and designed to cast easily with lures within the weight rating. 735 fits your needs.

Tom

Interesting... A sport as big as fishing doesn't have true guidelines?

I will check them out. Wonder if there are any saleS

On 5/29/2018 at 10:07 AM, new2BC4bass said:

Nice! Nothing beats the opinion of someone that has used a rod. Going by the specs it is not a rod I would have thought to buy for treble lures. It just reinforces the fact that there are no standards, and you have to use a rod to determine its best uses. Thanks for the reply.

Now when you guys say you can't use this or that for trebel lures, why's that?

So I can't use a specific rod for poppers or cranks but I can for say other top water lures or jigs?

Sheepdog reply :

On 5/29/2018 at 9:18 AM, Nattyboh74 said:

So you're saying a H and MH? I'd like something for pretty much everything other than worm use. I wanna keep worm use to the spinning setups

It's the Powell Mistake 734. It's rated Heavy. They may be out of stock now, so I'd recommend the same rod in the Inferno series. It's just a little more money, but you can always wait to find the right deal. Just my two cents. You'll hear a thousand different opinions, and most will be good ones. You're just going to have to find something that looks and feels good to you. This is true with most things in fishing... rods, reels, line, boats, etc. There are a LOT of great rods out there. I would just avoid anything you are consistently hearing poor reviews on. So much is about personal preference. I wish you luck in finding what suits you. That's part of the fun btw!

Nattyboh74 reply :

True. As long as I go with one that is talked about a lot, I think Im safe.

ClackerBuzz reply :

On 5/29/2018 at 4:42 AM, WRB said:

Dobyns FR735, good rods and customer service.

Tom

maybe if you like no warranty and arrogant narcissistic customer service. i had a champion literally shatter during a forward cast and they required me to pay $30 return shipping for 'inspection' only to rule it my fault and charge me $70 for replacement. companies like Daiwa elevating their budget game so high will eventually put boutique companies out of business. when their doors close 'after 70 years in business' I'm well aware they'll blame CA, I mean TX taxes, imports, Amazon blah blah blah instead of taking responsibility for never covering warranties or acknowledging how rude they treat customers.

new2BC4bass reply :

On 5/29/2018 at 10:11 AM, Nattyboh74 said:

Interesting... A sport as big as fishing doesn't have true guidelines?

I will check them out. Wonder if there are any saleS

Now when you guys say you can't use this or that for trebel lures, why's that?

So I can't use a specific rod for poppers or cranks but I can for say other top water lures or jigs?

It isn't that you can't use a MHF, MH-XF, HF, etc. You can but should take certain steps with such rods. Personally I would never use braid on such a rod if I figured to be using it for treble hook lures. Braid has zero stretch. Everything else has some. I would also make sure I didn't over tighten the drag. I have landed bass on a true MHF with braid using a crankbait, but it would never be my first choice.

A couple reasons are the rod's power could pull the hook(s) out. Such a rod doesn't have nearly the give of a crankbait rod. A fish could break loose while fighting it. You might be setting too fast...not giving the fish a chance to get a good hold on the lure. I am sure others can give more reasons. From my reading, a lot of guys claim more hook-ups (and fewer losses) with a rod designed for treble hooks. As much as I like using a crankbait, I don't catch that many fish on one. Probably because I dislike losing lures so I don't fish them properly.

However, as ww2farmer pointed out. Not all rods labeled Fast actually have what most consider a true Fast action.

Also not all rods fish within the weights listed on the rod. There are a lot of variables that we can't (shouldn't) take for granted. I am as guilty of it as most. You have to fish a rod to know what you can do with it. Getting advice from guys like ww2farmer (and many others on here) can take a lot of guesswork out of buying a rod without ever having the chance to handle it. I'd have no problem buying that Aird X 7'3" MHF sight unseen, and using it for trebles after reading ww2farmer's comments on the rod. He is one of the guys whose opinions I trust. I've handled very few of my rods before buying. I read the opinions of those I trust on forums like this one.

A brand of rod that I have no problem using a Fast action for treble lures is Falcon. I think I could do the same with the couple Hammer rods I have as the rods bend very similar to my Falcons under load. And, yes, all my Falcon and Hammer rods have a Fast action.

Nattyboh74 reply :

Thanks New2BC. Im between the aird-x and shocks since theyre so cheap and seem to have good reviews. The shocks are 10$ cheaper and have a long standing history of being good. Aird-x are some what new but are proving good to go... My one only gripe about going to WM and getting the shock is there are many many many people that handle the rods, slap them around etc. Who knows how long it'll last, though it could last for ever. Id feel more comfortable buying someone off line from a tackle shop that at least knows what NOT to do with them.

J Francho reply :

On 5/28/2018 at 8:14 AM, Nattyboh74 said:

Thanks. Any suggestion on M or MH or H and what action?

I'd be looking at a regular or mod fast medium for cranks, and a fast med. heavy for the rest. Put some Seaguar Ripping mono in 12# on the cranking rod, and 40-50# braid on the MH/F.

Nattyboh74 reply :

On 5/30/2018 at 1:23 AM, J Francho said:

I'd be looking at a regular or mod fast medium for cranks, and a fast med. heavy for the rest. Put some Seaguar Ripping mono in 12# on the cranking rod, and 40-50# braid on the MH/F.

As far as cranks go, that would be top water included? And use the MH or H for frogs and jigs?

I know its hard to get two rods to do it all, but thats kind of where Id like to be. I dont fish enough to have several rods for each use, if that makes sense.

J Francho reply :

You could do the topwaters on either, and find whatever your preference is. I prefer a shorter fast rod for topwaters. For frogs, I like a really heavy/fast stick, but a MH will work, just don't get into the real heavy slop. Lots of good bites right at the edge of the slop.

Nattyboh74 reply :

On 5/30/2018 at 1:36 AM, J Francho said:

You could do the topwaters on either, and find whatever your preference is. I prefer a shorter fast rod for topwaters. For frogs, I like a really heavy/fast stick, but a MH will work, just don't get into the real heavy slop. Lots of good bites right at the edge of the slop.

Thanks. Ive seen people say the slop, now I dont know if Ive ever seen that thick mat slop before, so I guess around me its just lillys, maybe some thick-ish grass. When you guys say slop, you mean that thick green grassy looking stuff?

J Francho reply :

Yep.

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Looking for two casting rods - Not overly priced 2025

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