What's The Shortest Casting & Spinning Rods You Use?

[bigbill]

I have a spinning out fit for crappies and a baitcasting out fit for crappies too these are micro lites. Dang if I can work them. Then I have a 4'6" & 5' UL trout spinning setups. My bass setups start at 5'6" and go to 7'2" in freshwater bass setups they are a mix of baitcasters and spinning. I have shore fishing and boat fishing setups. Then my heavier setups for bass are inshore spinning outfits for tossing the lures like the 9" rainbow castiac trout lure. I believe my three inshore setups are 7', 7'6" & 8' rods.

[86se7en]

6'6" casting

5'6" spinning 

[Jeff H]

I have 5'6" casting and spinning rods.   They don't get much use anymore though.  So, consider my shortest in use to be 6', of which I use several. 

[Bluebasser86]

Casting-6' 2" for jerkbaits and poppers

Spinning-6' 6" 

Unless you count ice fishing rods, then it's 18" 

[Brayberry]

I'm the exception to the rule, I like smaller rods, my longest rod, other then my flipping stick is 6'2", and most are 6 ft even.  I have a few rods that are 5'6" and they work great too.  Heck I bought a 3' casting rod, to keep in my truck for when I pass a lake, it has casting distance issues but it works  

[tholmes]

Casting - 5'6".

 

Spinning 5' UL

 

Tom

[frogflogger]

5'6" pistol grips almost every day for topwaters.   Also a 5'8" St. Croix LTB " Skippin' " spinning rod.  You couldnt cast a 7ft'er in almost all the places I fish.

Yessir - that casting rod gets you into places longer rods can't - that and pinpoint accuracy keeps me using my 5'6" -

[SirSnookalot]

6'6 the shortest I only have 2, the rest are 7' 7'6 and 8.  Does an 8' rod cast longer than a 7', sure if it's the same brand, model, line and lure weight using the same line.  I have 7' rods that out casts my 8 footers, different brands.

[Fishes in trees]

I have a 5'3" Fenwick HMG Spinning rod that I use for my Ned rig.  I have a couple of 5'6" pistol grip bait casting rods that I don't use often because I don't like the grip.  I like a shorter rod for top water fishing, poppers & sammies.  Years ago I found a straight handled 5'9" Mitchell Fulcrum rod at Walmart.  It is on the medium side of MH and it works great for top water stuff.

 

Top water frogs are different.   I've got a 7'9" Fenwick AETOS heavy action rod for that.  It doubles as my A-rig rod.

[tcbass]

I have a 5'3" Fenwick HMG Spinning rod that I use for my Ned rig.  I have a couple of 5'6" pistol grip bait casting rods that I don't use often because I don't like the grip.  I like a shorter rod for top water fishing, poppers & sammies.  Years ago I found a straight handled 5'9" Mitchell Fulcrum rod at Walmart.  It is on the medium side of MH and it works great for top water stuff.

 

Top water frogs are different.   I've got a 7'9" Fenwick AETOS heavy action rod for that.  It doubles as my A-rig rod.

Why do you like shorter rods for topwater?

[Felix77]

I love using my 6' Spinning when running around the banks.  Easy to skip around and manageable when hiking into some of my spots.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

 I like a short "Shooter" rod for close accurate casting and have built a number of short "Skipping" rods for folks but I recommend a 6-6 or 7' rod and a sidearm cast to generate more lure speed. You can skip a fluke or Ika 20'+ this way

[.ghoti.]

Spinning - 6'10" Daiwa TD-X (dropshot)

Casting- 6'6" Setyr M-F (jerkbaits and small topwaters)

Casting - 6'6" Setyr MH-F (spinnerbaits)

 

On the other end of the spectrum, I used to have five 7'6" rods. I have one of those left, and don't use it. I discovered the hard way that I don't like rods much longer than 7'.

[bowjunkie76]

I run a 3' spinning rod for the kayak.  I actually like it a lot  handles well.  several 4'6" UL and L rods for wade fishing.  They are fun and easy to cast all day. 

most of the casting rods are 6'6" and up mostly river rods or large lure rods. 

 

My Favorite combo right now is a Revo SX 1000 on a Fenwick 5'6" HMG light rod.  Just an awesome little setup.     

[Deleted account]

6' casting, 5'9" spinning. I too like a short BC rod for topwater (poppers), and close quarters pitching spinnerbaits and squarebills. (different actions of course). But most of the time I have a 6'8" to 7' rod in my hand.

[John G]

Why do you like shorter rods for topwater?

 

 

A shorter rod tends to have a shorter rear grip and for me, the shorter rod translates into more control over the lure.

[Wayne P.]

4' 10" Slider rod by Skyline

[Bankbeater]

Spinning and baitcasting rods are all 6'6".  The ultra light is 7'0".

[J Francho]

Casting, 6-2

Spinning, 6-3

[bartdude186]

6'6" casting and 6' spinning,my 6' med spinning rod and 10lb braid by far cast further that anything i own.

[BrianSnat]

I have a 4' 10" UL rod I use for trout.  For a few years, when I was in my 20's, it was my only rod after my bassin' rods were stolen out of our boat. I caught some pretty big bass on that thing, including a 4 pounder.   These days for bass the smallest I use is a 5' 6" ML . I'll use it to throw spinners and Rapalas.  Nearly all of my other bassing rods are 6'6", chiefly because the hallway where I store them 6'8" floor to ceiling.  I do have one 7 footer that is a pain because I have 8 rods  stored vertically and one stored horizontally.  I usually just keep the 7 footer by the front door during non ice fishing season.