XF rods are not as good with casting light baits as the rod doesn't load up on the cast. You get too much speed on the spool and not enough bait travel to pull the line out. This is not to say you can't cast light baits with a med light or medium extra fast. I use medium xf for jerk baits, but the rod is flexing in the middle. MH XF may not be as forgiving and all of my HXF are for pitching mats or throwing frogs. Which I pretty much suck at

Only XF rod I own….St Croix medium light extra fast.
Specifically designed for light lures with exposed thin wire hook presentations in open water…..for a reel and lift fish hook themselves hookset.



With thicker, larger gauge hooks….like flipping and frog hooks; I want the heavy or extra heavy rod to load up with a moderate fast action so the bigger gauge hook can penetrate deep into the tissue with a driving sustained hook set.

I like fast action for Texas rig and most jigs.

Moderate fast action for most treble lures.

I don’t like moderate action for anything in the Texas freshwater lakes I fish….too much vegetation and timber for that.

There’s no industry standard; but I really like Falcon rods more moderate actions (their fast actions are more of a moderate fast)

You are way overthinking it Jon