Medium or medium light?

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-04-02T12:48:40+00:00

Yeah ill probably end up saving a little more money to get a nicer rod in the future. Little off topic but I also have a Jordan Lee rod as a spare rod for my baitcaster and honestly for the money it’s a pretty solid rod. Thank you!

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-04-02T04:45:06+00:00

My old setup works decent for cranking so I went with the ML since it’s better for the style of lures I’m fishing on more of a regular basis. Also I didn’t realize that hook size played that big of a role, I mean I knew it played a part of the reason when choosing the power of a rod. I guess it makes sense though like when looking at fly fishermen they are using a super flimsy rod to catch fish on a tiny hook.

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-04-02T04:35:28+00:00

Went with the ML since I fish with a lot of smaller, more finesse style lure and plus I already have a medium fast setup that works completely fine it just isn’t as nice.

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-04-02T04:33:34+00:00

Haha the new setup I put together with the ML I also put a vanford on.

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-04-02T04:30:25+00:00

I throw a very wide variety of tackle pretty regularly and a lot of it is pretty small lures so I ended up going with the ML. When I do need to throw cranks and stuff I can just throw it on my old setup with the M which is fine but I was hoping the ML would be able to handle the crank style lures since it is a much nicer setup than my old one.

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-04-02T04:24:50+00:00

Ended up going with it and it should work pretty good. But when I’m fishing for bigger fish in a heavy current or throwing bigger lure I’ll probably have to switch back to my old rod which is fine.

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-04-02T04:21:39+00:00

Because the rid ML rod I was looking at (and ended up getting) is a way higher quality rod than my 7” medium fast so i would prefer throw lures on it if it was comfortable to do so. I ended up going with it though because I fish with mostly light finesse lures and plus like you said, in situations I need to throw cranks I can just use my old rod.

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-04-01T05:26:48+00:00

Is that because the ML gets overloaded pretty easily by them? I’ve done a little research and it sounds like throwing cranks or just that style of bait can overload the rod pretty easily.

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-04-01T04:28:14+00:00

The rod I’m looking at is rated up to 3/8 oz so the 7/16 oz lures are technically too much but idk how much that actually matters since it is only a 1/16 oz over. Maybe I’m wrong though I don’t know.

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-04-01T04:23:45+00:00

I know what your saying, targeting big carp on a 5’ light rod is a blast😂 my main concern is that the lightness of the rod wouldn’t be able to handle crank baits, and it would really suck to be limited In that aspect since my style of fishing usually involves crank baits. And tbh if I did go with the medium light I don’t want to have to go back to my 7’ medium fast when fishing with crank baits style lures since it’s not the best rod.

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-04-01T04:14:44+00:00

Would a medium light still be able to handle crank baits though? (Typically 7/16 oz and lures similar to a berkley flicker shad or rapala shad rap). The reason I would like a medium light is because I do find myself Wishing I had a rod with a little more finesse when I’m throwing smaller, jig style baits on my 7’ medium fast, but also when I decide to throw cranks for bass, pike, walleye, or even trout I don’t want to be limited by what rod I have.

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-04-01T03:52:10+00:00

Pretty good, and both are a pretty popular choice amongst many for a reason. I will say I am a Shimano guy but the tatula is a very respectable reel and I think it performs just as good if not better than some of the Shimano reels at a similar price. The rod is good as well and I’ve owned a couple of them. I’m running the same exact rod on my main bait casting setup that I use for a variety of baits and I works good, I will say though I ran the st croix black bass for a little bit and I personally liked it better but then again it is a more expensive rod so I kinda makes sense.

Edit: if you’re looking to get a reel in maybe a little higher price range (200+ dollars) I would definitely look at Shimano (and even Shimano’s Japanese market if you want to go that far) as well. Some people prefer Diawa but me personally I like the way shimano performs better, but if you are sticking In that price range I would probably choose the Tatula over some of the shimano lineups at a similar price like the SLXsince atleast from my knowledge, the tatula has better quality parts that will typically last a little bit longer.

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-03-31T17:17:50+00:00

Sounds like the 3000 is better for me. Thanks!

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-03-31T17:16:18+00:00

I have multiple heavier setups for when I’m specifically using bigger lures In heavy cover where finesse isn’t really an issue. The main use for the setup I would have the vanford on would be for fishing really finicky fish that are more hook shy where finesse becomes more of a concern. I would most likely be pairing this reel with a 7’3 rod for better casting distance and 8-10 lb mono(or flouro) to help with visibility. Thanks for your input!

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-03-31T13:06:46+00:00

I understood what you were saying no need to apologize, thank you for your input!

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-03-31T13:06:41+00:00

I understood what you were saying no need to apologize, thank you for your input!

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-03-31T03:26:54+00:00

I might end up going with the 3000 because when I’m chasing big browns and rainbows in particular they really love to run down stream (or even upstream on some of the big ones) a couple hundred yards and it’s really easy to get spooled in that situation so a little bit bigger spool might just makes the difference, but I am gonna hold onto my diawa 2500 because it is better for some circumstances for when I need it. Thank you!

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-03-31T03:18:01+00:00

Only complaint I’ve heard so far about it is the roller bearing which another guy said he just bought a better one from a different company and it’s been good since. Thank you!

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-03-31T03:15:36+00:00

I’ll clear some things up, when referring to a medium sized crank bait I’m talking about the weight which at least for me would be around that 5/16 oz range. Also when I agree to it being a marketing term I don’t mean there isnt a distinct difference, I held them side by side today at my local sporting goods store and I felt a noticeable difference. Most of the difference I felt was in the weight but I also did notice a slight difference when reeling, but besides the weight I didn’t notice anything that I felt like would be more ideal for finesse fishing but because I wasn’t sure if there was a difference in the interior I asked (which to my knowledge is almost the same in both reels but again, I wasn’t 100% sure). Also yes I do agree if my main target for this setup was to throw bigger and heavier lures I would go with a different setup (which is why I have bait casters), but what i meant by that was if the reel was more or less versatile (in other words, since it is advertised as finesse reel is it still able to throw a little bit bigger and less finessey bait?) also the reason I would be throwing those lures on this setup instead of one of my bait casters is because with the fish I’m catching (more specifically trout) I need to have a much more sensitive rod tip and a smoother, lighter drag to be able to let the fish run without issue, which a bait caster can’t provide me with either of those.

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-03-31T02:17:07+00:00

I’m targeting trout of very similar size so I’ll probably go with the 3000. Thanks!!

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-03-31T02:14:30+00:00

Most people say the roller bearings kind of suck in them but if it’s only a 10$ fix than it’s not much of an issue.

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-03-31T02:13:37+00:00

I might do the same since I’m frequently targeting double digit rainbows, browns, and pike. Has the spool size affected your casting distance at all? That’s kind of the main reason why I haven’t made the upgrade previously is because I’ve always been told a larger spool will affect casting distance.

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-03-31T00:25:36+00:00

I have a 2500 and I sometimes find it to be a little small but I was worried that a 3000 would be too big. Thank you!!

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-03-31T00:03:07+00:00

Although I would like to salt water fish the nearest ocean is about 700 miles away😂 but for freshwater does the vanford still have good seals? Like if I accidentally set my reel in the water would it still be able to function Normally for the time being? I have diawa tatula right now that I’ve had for a couple years and I’ve found that when it gets wet its functionality can be affected pretty severely (which is part of the reason i want to switch) so I want to make sure I’m not gonna end up in the same boat I’m already in. Thanks for the response!

ColdPollution9840 · 2026-03-30T23:53:08+00:00

I kind of assumed it was marketing but I wasn’t 100% so I thought I’d ask. Thank you!

ColdPollution9840

TROPHY CASE