i have the crucial XH rod, and it's rated for a 16" swimbaits,................... but it's not strong enough for a 16" swimbaits in my opinion. i was throwing the magnum bulldawg last week with this rod and it's not srong enough.......is the okuma XH stronger?

I have no experiance with the crucial but I do know the Okumas.
I use a 10 in 9oz bait on the extra heavy and it handles it without any problems. I am gessing that your bait weighs less than 9oz so it should be no problem for the rod.

I use the Crucial for the 3:16 Wake Bait and its around 7.5-8 ounces. It works perfectly for that bait. I have less fatigue after using that rod chucking the heavy baits. I think they were using 16" soft plastic baits when the rating was given.

The 7'6" Okuma XH is stiffer than the 7'11" Crucial XH. I'm not sure about the new 7'11" Okuma XH though. The tip is a little more flexible on the XH Crucial but it still has plenty of back bone to throw the heavy baits.

I am 43 years old and use Okuma XH rods 7'6" and 7'11" and I am having no problem with any fatigue. I don't think you will have any problem with ether it is just a matter of cost.

Hope you enjoy witch ever you chose.
Best of luck.

Don