M vs. MH vs. H

[Bassh8er]

Can someone please explain the benefits of each of these rods, and what techniques they are "supposed" to be used for.  I get that the heavy action is good for heavy cover flipping and frogging with braided lines, but I don't understand the benefits of throwing spinnerbaits, topwaters, weighted plastics, unweighted plastics, etc... on either a M or a MH rod.

I understand that it also depends on a lot of other things like cover and line, but some general pointers would really help as I try to decide which line to put on what rod for Spring. Thanks guys.

[bass78]

Everyone has their own preferences.  I use a heavy for flipping, pitching, and anytime I am fishing heavy cover.  I use a MH  for Spinnerbaits,topwater, and when I fish a shaky head.  I use the med for fishing a crank baits.   

[saint romain]

I look at the M vs. MH that the M has more give and is better for setting the hook on something like a crank bait where you sort of need to let the rod do the hook set, so you don't yank/rip the bait out of its mouth. Other things like drop shot, shakey head....things I don't use much can be better used on a M power. MH, to me, is more all around, general rod power (yet usually perfect) for most applications in light cover. From general jigs, texas rig, frogs in lighter cover, spinnerbaits/buzzbaits (some prefer to throw them on a M), even flukes, rogues and traps. H is for fishing big baits, heavy weights, and thick cover.

[gillrod2728]

I use heavy for pitching flipping and frogs med heavy for weightless worms and senkos and light pitching and spinner baits  and medium for wacky rigs along with crankbaits.

it is a personal preference and ALSO a big thing to understand that each power rating veries from rod company to rod company 


For example I Use Kistler rods and my med heavy micro helium is rated at 1/8 ounce to 3/4 ounce when my old mojo bass rod was like 1/4 ounce to 1 ounce which makes it more like a heavy and unable to handle my wieghtless senkos the way I like    so my kistler med heavy may feel like a medium to some people              just figured id let you know that little bit of tips on rod companies are not all the same on there specs

[cjr4497]

Well that simple sounding question is quite difficult to answer. Like said before, it is all about personal preference and, every rod company has their own definition of a M, MH, and Heavy power. Throw in Slow, Moderate, Fast, Extra Fast rod tapers/actions into the mix and you really have a brain buster. Not bringing rod taper into it, heavy action rods seldom have the tip action required to make accurate casts so they are mainly for flipping and pitching what ever you want to tie on them. MH rods have a good bit of power and are still castable. Medium power rods are good for casting light lures and usually work well with lures that have treble hooks. This is just the way I see things.

Lots of rod companies these days will list what application each of their rods will be good for. I kind of look at that now more than anything.

[TheLastRodBender]

here is how i use them.


1st i'll tell you i dont have a H action rod.  I'm still new into punching, and assume once i get more comfortable with it, i may graduate up, but as i'm getting started i use a MH Abu Veritas for punching and am going to see how that works out.

This is a break down of all my rods on a given tourney

MH Casting - Punching/Pitching flipping jigs
MH Casting - Pitching/Flipping plastics/Frogs
MH Spinning - T-rig/Weightless stickbaits/Flukes

M Casting - Cranks/Spinnerbait/Chatterbait
M Casting - Hard jerkbait/Lipless
M Spinning - Dropshot/t-rigged small plastics
M Spinning - Weightless stickbaits


In the summer time this is PRETTY MUCH how i hit the water every weekend.  Obviously i'll throw some other stuff in there like a buzzbait/topwater plug but this is a general idea.

[revolutiontime95]

lol people make it SO complicated.  This is what you need to know:
-The 'weaker' the rod (for example, M) the lighter it will be, meaning less fatigue
-M rods are more sensitive than MH and H rods
-H rods are best for dragging out of cover and fighting bigger fish
-that's about all there is to it.  Any rod for any technique can be any power, M, MH, or H.  People have certain preferences.  I prefer a MH rod for flipping/pitching, which I guess is a little uncommon, but I like it because it's a little more sensitive and it's also lighter, but it still overall has the power to muscle fish out of heavy cover.  Even though most people use a H rod to get the most power for dragging out of heavy cover.  See?  it's all personal preference, once you understand the differences. 

[Pferox]

You really notice the difference in playing a fish vs rod power when you start talking about huge fish. Rod length gives you a mechanical advantage or leverage over the fish's strength, weight, etc. The bend in the rod shortens that length thus taking away that mechanical advantage. Tip speed effects it also, but to me that is more important in casting qualities, so I'm not going to even try to talk about that.

I have actually fought fish where I felt I was only fighting it with the front end of the reel seat because the rest of the rod was bent over. This phenomenon might not be as noticeable with lures, but after being on the water all day, you will feel it.

On the other hand, that flex works as a shock absorber to lessen the stress on the system. The flex also assists in keeping a constant pressure on the hook. When using a heavy rod and a fish jumps you have to move the rod tip more to keep the line tight, keeping pressure on the hook so it doesn't come unhooked from the fish, a big concern with trebles, not so much for short retrieves with standard hooks.

Sensitivity is basically getting the vibration back to where you can feel it, the more vibration you feel the more sensitive the system is. Any flex will slightly eliminate that ability to transmit that vibration. Which is why braid as an example is more sensitive than mono, or a stiffer rod is more sensitive than a "floppy" rod. Or 50 feet of line out is more sensitive than 150 feet.

When choosing a rod for an application, consider your quarry, larger fish with added weight of vegetation as an example vs open water, the lure size, weight, hook type, line elasticity (braid vs mono), then choose the rod power that will complete the system to give you the best advantage.

A quick example, I can throw a shallow diver with treble hooks in open water with a medium power rod and braid, or a mh rod with floro, or a heavy rod with mono, and get similar results, more or less. The amount of effort I put into it will also be different because I am part of that system too.

Sorry this is so long and late, but I feel understanding what is going on in the whole system from fish to angler is more advantageous in picking tackle, since it is such a personal choice.

[PainInTheBass]

Technically, the longer rods provide the fish with more leverage while fighting us http://www.byrdultrafly.com/fishlev.htm.

However, longer rods allow us to move more line in the same motion as compared to a shorter rod, which allows us to more quickly take up line on the rod pump and reel sequence.