Six Foot Six Inch Rods - The Best All Around Rod Length?

[Felix77]

The way I look at this question is to answer the following ... If I were to go out with a single rod to fish anywhere what would it be.  For me it's a 6'6" MH Spinning rod.  Paired up with 15lb braid and  various size leader material I can do pretty much everything with it.  Is it "ideal" for all ... no ... but it will get the job done for me.  

[Darren.]

The way I look at this question is to answer the following ... If I were to go out with a single rod to fish anywhere what would it be.  For me it's a 6'6" MH Spinning rod.  Paired up with 15lb braid and  various size leader material I can do pretty much everything with it.  Is it "ideal" for all ... no ... but it will get the job done for me.  

 

That'll play! I'll change it up for my purposes to be a 6'6" MF spinning rod with 10 lb braid + leader.

 

Though I could probably say a 6'3" would work fine as well. But all-around 6'6" is probably good.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Seven foot for me, is cumbersome.  I fish out of a stumpknocker and I don't have a fishing platform.  The combination of the sides of the boat and my height (5'7") make using long rods awkward.  I like the 6'6" rods.  But I have a couple of pistol grip 5'6" and 6' baitcasters that really work well for me.  I found a couple of the brown fiberglass Abu rods, in yard sales, quite a few years ago that are my favorites.

Rambler,

 

I'm sitting on an older but unused quantum pistol grip rod. If it might be anything you're interested in let me know.

[J Francho]

I've got rods from 6' all the way up to 15'.

[Raul]

I'm not that tall, maybe 5'8". So maby 6'6" rods are right rods for me. Maybe the next rod I get will be in the 6'8" range. Next time I visit the local gander mountain store I'll see if they have any 6' rods and 6'8" rods and try them out.

 

It has nothing to do with your height, it´s with what you feel comfortable.

 

When I´m limited to one rod, like when I go fishing from the bank, then "the best all around rod length" is a 6 ft spinning rod, I´m 5´10", do I feel comfortable with a 7 ft ? yes I do, do I feel comfortable with a 5´6" ? yes I do.

 

Most of my rods are 6´ for many reasons, one of those reasons is that more than 6´ is more inches closer to the largest animal in the lake, my 200 lb compadre which fishes with me from the same boat. If I fush from shore, then more than 6´ is more inches closer to every single branch and weed growing on the bank.

[Fisher-O-men]

It has nothing to do with your height, it´s with what you feel comfortable.

 

I would have to disagree with this.   Like Delaware said, for tip down applications, you don't want to be slaping the water.  I fish with as long a rod as I can get away with, within reason.  The main advantage to a long rod is that it takes up more line on the hook set. Casting distance would be second. Amount of line out for flipping or pitching would be third.

[J Francho]

Yes and no for tip down presentations.  While I prefer my 6'2" rod for topwaters and jerkbaits, I don't have any issue walking an 8" Punker with my 8' swimbait rod.  You're just moving the rod from 3 to 5 o'clock, instead of 4 to 6 o'clock.  For reference, I'm around 5'7".  I know plenty of guys that use a side stroke twitch with longer rods for topwaters as well.  There's plenty of kayakers that have learned this as well. 

 

It really does come down to comfort, and whether you can learn to be comfortable doing something slightly different.

[Raul]

Yes and no for tip down presentations.  While I prefer my 6'2" rod for topwaters and jerkbaits, I don't have any issue walking an 8" Punker with my 8' swimbait rod.  You're just moving the rod from 3 to 5 o'clock, instead of 4 to 6 o'clock.  For reference, I'm around 5'7".  I know plenty of guys that use a side stroke twitch with longer rods for topwaters as well.  There's plenty of kayakers that have learned this as well. 

 

It really does come down to comfort, and whether you can learn to be comfortable doing something slightly different.

That's exactly what I do, side strokes, no need to lower more the rod.

[Josh Smith]

4'6" to 6', depending on action and construction.

 

Short and/or pistol grips are best.

 

I prefer accuracy and precision.  I might get five more yards out of a 7' rod, but I don't think so.  I've been fishing since I was 2 and casting since I was 3, and I learned on pistol grips.

 

I recall my tendons being sore at the end of practice or after a fishing trip.  No longer.  Five hours with a 5'6" MH/F rod and a 1oz lure is nothing.

 

It's what you're used to, not what's "best."

 

Regards,

 

Josh

[SirSnookalot]

It isn't just overall length, the distance from reel seat to tip and whether the rod has a fore grip or not may have bearing on preference.  Additionally some prefer longer or shorter butts.  The situation dictates the rod for me, at 5'4 I could use an 8' rod and a top water lure for bass, but I would prefer a 6'6 or 7'.  That 8 footer using a top water lure off the beach or jettie is a rod I really like to use in that situation.  

 

As far as distance goes with a longer rod, that has to be judged by ones own personal arsenal.  I have 7' rods brand A that cast as far or farther than an 8' brand B rods.  Backbone is another variable that has to be judged by your own rods, I have 7' rods that don't handle the fish quite as well as the same exact rod but in a 7'6 length.

[tracker01]

6'3" is my preference. I am a spinning guy. I feel so alone.

[J Francho]

Don't feel alone, lol. I have four 6-3 spinners. Three are the same rod, lol.

[Darren.]

6'3" is my preference. I am a spinning guy. I feel so alone.

 

LOL. I have a formerly 6'3" Avid (now ~5'9")

a 5'9" Compre, and a 6'3" Compre.

 

Also have a 6' Field & Stream casting rod that

is awesome.

 

But my *current* preference, as stated earlier,

is/are my two 6'6" Carbonlites simply because 

they are so light. If BPS made a 6' M CL rod, I'd 

have been all over it -- they do make  a 6' L

spinning rod, but I'd rather a M power.

 

I find shorter rods -- for me -- are so much more 

manageable when kayaking. But again, the sheer 

lightness of the Carbonlites have made them my 

current favorites.

[Raul]

6'3" is my preference. I am a spinning guy. I feel so alone.

 

Why feel lonely, two of my favorite rods are spinning, both are GraphiteLeader Bosco and Veloce, as crazy as it may sound to you I use them a lot more than my other rods, they are the "foot patrol" rods and I do more foot patrol than boat fishing.

[gramps50]

6'3" is my preference. I am a spinning guy. I feel so alone.

 

I actually have more spinning than I do casting. I have a 6'4" St Croix but it was born as a 6'6"

[I.rar]

One of my favorite rods was a 6' shimano compre. I was crazy accurate and did all of my fishing with it at the time. I've owned a Fenwick eagle gt 7' and found it heavy and awkward.

I prefer 6'-6'9 rods for fresh and 7' for salt fishing.

[hatrix]

I guess I would say a good overall length I like would be 7'2". My favorite of all my rods is a 7'2"  M/H X/F Crucial that unfortunately I don't use very much anymore. That was my do it all rod that I fished the crap out of and loved everything about it. I use that as a guide on what I want a rod to be like even though it is not my best rod. I just really loved that rod and find my self thinking about it even when looking at a rod that is nothing like it. I have rods I use anywhere from 6-8". If I am looking at a new rod now a days I want it to be a 7" or more. 

[mjseverson24]

I have casting rods from 6'6"-7'11", and my preferred length in there is 7'2".

I have spinning rods from 6'-7', and my favorite length for them is 7'. 

I like the longer rods for leverage when fighting fish, hooksets, and for the angle of the line when in cover(grass). 

 

Mitch

[Eric Czerwinski]

All I really ever use is 6'6". Best all around rod for me. And ive gotten good at it throwing baits accurately with it too. the only thing i would like is a 6'6" med/heavy rod if i could find one

[Dan_the_fisher]

My 7'5" emtf feels amazing to me in the Rod length category, plus it's lighter than a lot of 6'6" rods and extremely well balanced. I feel like with this Rod I can flip pinpointly, it's my favorite rod for throwing my gunfish, medium Texas rigs, and magnum 110s. It's all personal preference and how you feel with a Rod, I think you can make any Rod "your perfect Rod" by just putting in hours and hours to get the feel of it 

[tander]

6'6'' is the perfect length for me. All of mine except one pitching/frog rod is 6'6' spinning and casting. I was brought up using 5'6" so I guess that length is long to me.

[bigfruits]

I wonder if anyone's preferences have changed since the thread was created in 2014.

I only like 6'6" for short accurate casts, my favorite spinnerbait rod is 6'6".

About 7' is perfect for me for most applications.

[thehooligan]

On 10/9/2014 at 9:11 AM, thehooligan said:

6'8 is my favorite rod length for most applications. When im bank fishing i prefer 6-6'6 for for easier casting in tight places.

Two years later i stiill pretty much agree. I typically carry three combos. 

BFS - 6ft-6'4

all around setup - 6'8-6'10

Frogs - 7ft-7'2

 

[timsford]

I use all kinds of lengths from a 6' ultralight for casting accuracy around trees while stream fishing all the way up to 7'6" swimbait and deep cranking rods. Longer rods give more casting distance and move more line on Hooksets on long casts or in deep water. Shorter rods are more accurate, easier to skip and roll cast with, and can make a big difference on tip down presentations like jeep baits and walking the dog. I've grown to really like what some probably think of as odd lengths in rods. 6'3" is probably my most used length, and I have several brands and models this length with varying powers. It is the perfect length for me for skipping docks and trees, working poppers, spooks and other walking baits, and for working both hard and soft jerkbaits. I prefer a fast or ex fast rod for this and work jerkbaits with the tip straight down and with harder snaps and jeans instead of pulling it or ripping in sweeping motions to the side. I also really like 6'8" -6'10" rods for target casting with plastics and about any reaction bait. I only use 7ft+ rods when fishing on bottom in deep water to assist with hooksets,  for heavier stuff like deep cranks and swimbait that need to be casted as far as possible, and when fishing local tail races for longer casts and more power when fighting stripers. 

[fishwizzard]

On 10/8/2014 at 8:26 PM, Raul said:

I can whup lots of butts when it comes to pinpoint accuracy with a 5'6" pistol grip rod.

Who currently makes a good one of these?  I held an old junker in those exact specs at an antique store and man did it feel right somehow.