medium vs medium light

[kirby]

its early in the season and in the north east they are not hitting the lure very hard yet but..
last year i used a 6ft uglystick medium light 4-10lb
this year im using a st croix avid 6 1/2ft medium 6-12lb
the bass ive caught are maybe 1 pound...
but im starting to think that i could feel the very light strikes better with the uglystick last year..
could it be
a) medium lights are more sensetive then medium, no matter the brand?
b) 6ft is more sensetive then 6 1/2, no metter the brand?
c) all in my head and st croix medium is more sensetive then uglystick medium light?

[D.R.]

C

and C again. Their is no compairison between the 2 when you talk Sensetive. The St Croix will take it hands down.

D.R.

[Mattman]

Those two rods are in totally different leagues with the St. Croix being far and away the better rod.

But for the size fish you are catching and possibly the size lures you are using, the ML Ugly Stik is SHOWING you more bites. Its a complete noodle in relation to the St. Croix and is deflected much easier, which telegraphs the strike to you.


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Matt Davis

Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

Otterods - High performance hand crafted fishing rods

[just4kix]

Stick with the St. Croix and give it some more time.

[TOPWATER]

It is in your head, you have built up confidance in the ugly stick, and are unsure about the avid. fish it ,fish it and and it will come.

[gyro]

Actually the St.Croix Avid Medium is quite stiff and is almost like a Medium heavy Gloomis. So you may be comparing a medium heavy like rod to a medium light rod. I've never used an ugly stick but I've used Avids and I always choose a Medium Avid when I want Medium heavy action, or a ML Avid when I want Medium action.

[Mattman]

Don't confuse Action and Power. Action describes HOW a blank flexes. Power describes HOW MUCH it takes to flex it. Two totally independant and unrelated terms.

You also can't compare terms like Medium and Medium Light across rod companies and expect direct correlations to power. Those terms are arbitrary at best as there is no industry standard. One company's M is anothers ML. And then even within the same company their M spinning blank may be different than their M casting blank. Look to the actual lure weight ratings on the rod for a much more direct comparison.



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Matt Davis

Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

Otterods - High performance hand crafted fishing rods

[sandman]

A, B & C.

A. Med Lights are usually a smaller diameter blank and I find them more sensitive.

B. Shorter rods have less distance to transmit vibration.

C. I've never found a Medium rod that I liked the feel of. St. Croix rods are quite a few steps above anything that has the Shakespeare name on it but Medium action rods are 'compromises'.

[derringer]

mattman said it all right. i really don't equate power with sensitivity. i equate action with sensitivity. rods with fast action tapers are more sensitive than slower action rods. i think gary loomis said it best when he said he could make an indestructable rod but you wouldn't want to fish with it. ugly sticks are nearly indestructable but the price is sensitivity. being an avid bass angler, i'd rather have a more sensitive rod and be careful not to smash it in the tailgate.

[progressive816]

got that right derringer. there's no comparison. i'd take sensitivity and take good care of the St.Croix.

[Seatrout]

Kirby!

Reading "between the lines" I would guess that you actually like your Uglystick more than the St Croix...

If that is the case, "stick with your Uglystick"...

I bought a MajorCraft rod from Japan last year and it cost me plenty before it arrived here in Sweden. It's a great rod, but it's just too "stiff" for the kind of fishing I was planning for it. I guess a bit like your medium St Croix...

I went back to my cheap "noodle-rod" (Shimano BeastMaster) simply because it's more fun to fish with! And that's what matters! If you've tried the St Croix for some time but isn't completely happy with it, just sell it!

Then use the money to try to find a rod that "feels right" (even more "right" than the Uglystick) for your kind of fishing. Problem is of course that it's hard to find "the right" rod without actually trying it out... But using this forum can surely minimize "the bad buys"...

Myself, I'm looking at G.Loomis "Panfish-rods". I think there could be a rod there that would suit my fishing perfect.
But then again, I could be wrong... As I said, it's through "trial and error" that we find the perfect rod...

/Seatrout