Mike - to answer your question. go with the 7 footer. It will serve your needs for multiple presentations. Most of the time around here, the flippin bite is the only bite, and it is in the heaviest of grasses. I have a 7-6 heavy and a 7 mh I use for both flippin and pitching. The extra 6 inches is nice but after 4 hours of flipping and with both forearms burning, the 7 footer is the way I wind up finishing tournaments. I don't think I have never lost a fish because of the shorter rod.