Fishing Longer Rods

[mnbassman23]

Hey everyone,

 

Just curious how many of you enjoy fishing longer rods. I for one am in that category. I've found that over the years my rods have gotten longer and longer for most applications. Not saying that it's a greater advantage in all circumstances, just personal preference is all. I have 2 rods 7ft and under and to me they almost seem short, were as 6 years ago I never use to fish a rod over 7ft. Now most of my rods are between 7'3"-7'10". 
 

What got me thinking about this is I have 2 rods laying around and one of them needs to go. This is going to be mostly a pitching jig rod and a deep football jig rod. Both are heavy action and one is 7'1" and the other is 7'9". I know the 7'1" will be a great fit for these applications, but i'm really considering keeping the longer one.  

 

Anyone else a long rod junkie?? 

 

[BrettD]

Yep most of my rods are over 7' except one and its about to be replaced. I like the extra leverage Im also 6'1 so a 7' topwater rod even works for me.

[TrapperJ]

man i use to only fish 6' rods and had one 6'6" when i got back into fishing and got a hold of my first 7' rod after watching shows and tournaments on TV and seeing this is the new norm, i havn't looked back. I have one old 6' rod left im holding on to as a backup/buddy rod man does it look dinky next to those 7' and 7'6" rods. Nothing under 7' for me anymore.

[thehooligan]

I prefer shorter rods. I like 6'3-6'6 for topwater and jerkbaits. And 6'8-6'10 for everything else. I do my share of bank fishing with small cutouts in the brush, its hard to get a 7ft+ rod in there sometimes...

[DINK WHISPERER]

Great point mnbassman23, i use to have to get use to a 6'6" due to it being so "long", lol. Now, my 8' flippin stick seems just right. I have 2 rods 7' but none under that! They feel so short and whimpy....

[Quitlimpin]

I've gone in the opposite direction. I am much more comfortable with a 6'3"-6'9" rod. I only have one 7'+ rod left in my regular rotation. Plus, the shorter rods are more easily managed when I'm in my tube.

[Teal]

Why not keep both?

I mean, you dont have to put a reel on the extra rod. Just keep it around and use it seasonally when needed. Theres a time when i like more of a certain rod/lure on the boat if nothin else just for a different color or sizr of a color bait.

If you dont need the money terribly bad, why not just keep it, ?

And yes, i used to think a 7footer was long. Now i love a 7'6-8'

[J Francho]

Why not keep both?

 

Yep.  Longer rods are great for some things, but sometimes the better leverage provided by a shorter rod trumps that.  One technique I've really taken to a shorter rod, a 6' 8" MH/F, is wrestling bass from tight cover, like docks and laydowns, on a "short leash."  The shorter rod makes accurate pitches to short range targets much more efficient.  This has all but eliminated flipping from my fishing.

[Darren.]

Not this fisherman. Longest rod I have is 6'6". Favorite to fish is my 5'9" M/XF Compre + Stradic.

Well, actually, the longest rod I have is a 20' long pole, but that's different, LOL.

Short poles are so much easier to transport, for one (for those of us who don't transport rods in a boat). Plus, in my kayak fishing style, I do a lot of fishing in tight spots in which longer rods are just a pain.

[.ghoti.]

I gradually increased the length of my rods until I hit the point at which enough was enough. That happened at a bit over seven feet. At the beginning of last season I had three 7'6" rods.

A Ducket swimbait rod got sold.

A Dobyns Champion got trimmed down to about 7'2".

A Setyr med-mod crankbait rod got retired, and will probably be offered up for sale sometime. Haven't quite been able to convince myself on that one.

I take a 6'6" and a 6'8" out on the yak.

[Teal]

I gradually increased the length of my rods until I hit the point at which enough was enough. That happened at a bit over seven feet. At the beginning of last season I had three 7'6" rods.

A Ducket swimbait rod got sold.

A Dobyns Champion got trimmed down to about 7'2".

A Setyr med-mod crankbait rod got retired, and will probably be offered up for sale sometime. Haven't quite been able to convince myself on that one.

I take a 6'6" and a 6'8" out on the yak.

Same thing happened to me. I now have 6 rods 7'6 or taller. But i still use my shorter rods too.

[jhoffman]

I prefer the shorties

[The Rooster]

Every rod I use is 6'6" regardless of technique or cover being fished. I just change power and action according to what I'm doing but the length is purely based on comfort, ease of cast ability, distance of cast, and accuracy of cast. 6'6" provides a good balance of all that for me.

[loodkop]

I have rods from 5.6 up to 7.6 and fish them all.

I like shorter rods for walking baits and jerkbaits and currently need to decide between a 7.6 and 7.11 for a deep cranking rod.

It is all just tools and while one size might be able to handle anything, why compromise if you dont need to?

[SirSnookalot]

Yep.  Longer rods are great for some things, but sometimes the better leverage provided by a shorter rod trumps that.  

 

A shorter rod does yield better leverage, but IMO leverage and backbone are different issues and I believe given identical rod stats the longer rod has has more backbone.  A very common ploy when using a longer rod to aid in leverage is moving your hand up on the foregrip or shaft itself, can be a big help in pulling fish out of cover or in my case pulling them away from pilings or offshore when they go under the boat. 

[War Eagle 44]

My shortest rods are 6'6" and the longest 7'11". I've found, like others have already pointed out, both have their place. I only use the 6'6" rods for pitching in tight quarters, because as has already been said it is more accurate. I like a 7' crankbait rod if I'm casting around cover or to the bank but when I'm in open water I prefer a 7'7" just for the added distance and hookset power. I also prefer my flipping sticks to be long, usually 7'10" but I do have one 7'6" but thats the shortest I'll go with those rods. My frog rod is 7'3" which is a great length for this technique IMO. Overall I have more 7' and up rods but I do still break out the shorter rods.

 

Oh one of my favorite spinning rods is 6'8", it works great for skipping baits under cover.   

[J Francho]

A shorter rod does yield better leverage, but IMO leverage and backbone are different issues and I believe given identical rod stats the longer rod has has more backbone.  A very common ploy when using a longer rod to aid in leverage is moving your hand up on the foregrip or shaft itself, can be a big help in pulling fish out of cover or in my case pulling them away from pilings or offshore when they go under the boat. 

 

So is that why tuna rods are like 6' long?  No backbone?  Backbone is a function of blank construction, not length.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

My jig rod is 6'8", all other "regular" bass rods are 7'

 

Swimbait rods are 8' (3 of them) and 8'6" (only one).

[mnbassman23]

Thanks for all the replies. I was not trying to say short rods are obsolete or do not have their place. I use them too for topwater, skipping docks, very tight pitching etc. I was just saying in general most of my rods have gotten longer. I also grew up casting for Muskies long before I ever grabbed a Bass rod so longer rods seemed natural for me from the get go. A 7'6"-8" bass rod is light to me lol were a lot of people complain about most being unbalanced or heavy it just doesn't effect me. Casting for muskies 10 hours a day with 10" lures and heavy long rods will make you appreciate any bass rod. 

 

Thanks again for all the replies, it's great to see everyones preferences and reasonings for using the length of rods they choose. 

[BrettD]

So is that why tuna rods are like 6' long?  No backbone?  Backbone is a function of blank construction, not length.

I know alot of stand up off shore fishing rods are short because they are used in boats with t-tops or cuddy cabins. When we fished offshore I couldnt count how many times I hit the t-top even with a 5-6 rod. Also trying to get a long rod in out of the cabin is next to impossible.

[J Francho]

Yep, my point was mainly that length does not determine backbone, blank design and construction does.  My 6'8" MH jig rod has TONS more backbone than my 13' centerpin trout rod.

[BrettD]

Your comparing to totally different rods. If you compare the same rod in a 6-6 MH -fast rod and a 7-6 MH- fast rod the 7-6 rod will usually have more back bone because the rod taper is different they start off close to the same near the tip so they have similar action. But because the rod is extended a foot the between the tip and the reel seat it gives an extra foot of blank with a stiffer taper.

[shootermcbob]

I prefer a mix...depending on what type of presentations I will be fishing with. fishing from the bank, I like my 7' and longer rods for casting distance, but over the past summer really, really found myself using a cumara 6'9" reaction MH and a 6'8" mh crucial spinning more than just about anything. both very versatile and 'middle of the road' for me in the "length" debate.

[Capt.Bob]

A shorter rod does yield better leverage, but IMO leverage and backbone are different issues and I believe given identical rod stats the longer rod has has more backbone.  A very common ploy when using a longer rod to aid in leverage is moving your hand up on the foregrip or shaft itself, can be a big help in pulling fish out of cover or in my case pulling them away from pilings or offshore when they go under the boat. 

Salt water must do something to them, I never noticed that with mine. I have heard salt water makes other rods kinda limp, that didn't used to be, sounds like it has something to do with the Ocean???? Good Point Snook but we don't have that problem in freshwater, once a stiff rod with backbone always that way. 

[J Francho]

Your comparing to totally different rods. If you compare the same rod in a 6-6 MH -fast rod and a 7-6 MH- fast rod the 7-6 rod will usually have more back bone because the rod taper is different they start off close to the same near the tip so they have similar action. But because the rod is extended a foot the between the tip and the reel seat it gives an extra foot of blank with a stiffer taper.

 

 

You are assuming both rods use the same taper.  That just isn't so.  Rods come in many different tapers.  Put my 6'8" MH XF rod next to my 7'4" MH XF rod.  There is actually more flex in the top 1/3 of the longer rod, under fish fighting load.  It doesn't have to be that way, pick two different rods, and what you state might be true.

 

The point: length does not determine backbone.  Blank wall thickness, taper/action, especially as it applies to secondary bend under fish load, have more bearing on backbone or power.