Why So Many Longer Fishing Rods? Why Med/hvy Action. 1Pc Or 2Pc Rod?

[bigbill]

I see spinning rods from 5', 5'6", 6', 6'6", 7', 7'2" etc.

I don't see the baitcasters in 6' lengths?

Why do we see so many MED/HVY action rods and no separate heavy action rods?

Do you prefer a one piece rod or two piece rod?

In shore fishing a longer rod can be impossible to use casting from heavy cover on land. Most of the time a 5'6" or 6' rod is much easier to use.

The med action and med/hvy action rods confuse me. Is there really that much difference between them?

I always been a two piece rod guy. But lately after owning a one piece rod the taper feels much smoother on the bending.

[Big Bait Fishing]

you mean power not action . i prefer longer rods . once you use 7'6'' or longer rods , a shorter rod even a 7 ft. rod seems short , my casting rod is 7'11'' and my swimbait rod is 9 ft. my spinning rod is 7'8'' . two peice rods are cool for ultra lights but not for anything else in my opinion .

[Catt]

Well I don't know where you live but I was at Academy today looking at rods & they have plenty 5' 6", 6', & 6' 6" rods.

As for med/heavy or heavy actions they confuse every one because there are no standards. Ones med/heavy is anothers heavy & one heavy is anothers med/heavy?

I was looking for a jig rod so I brought my reel, a 1/2 oz jig, strung it up & was flipping in the isle...that's how I pick rods.

One piece only!

[papajoe222]

The trend in rods has been to longer ones. Although they can be a problem when bank fishing, they offer longer casts and more leverage when control of the fish is a concern.  The difference between Med. and M/H power within the same series of rods can be a big one.  It has more to do with what the rod can reasonably handle as far as baits, line, and size of fish than the action which is what the fast, ex-fast, moderate refer to.  Older two piece rods had much more of a dead or flat spot at the junction. Those on the market today transition much better at the junction.

[jbarnard]

i love to fish shallow structure by flipping and pitching thats how i spend a good 85% percent of my time fishing and i have found that a longer rod gives me more accuracy

[Catt]

I think Bill is talking about the "heavy cover" on the bank not in the water!

I bank fish some rivers & bayous where the bank is heavily wooded & any rod over 6' is useless.

[buzzed bait]

all personal preference bill.  i fish from a kayak and find that anything over 7' just presents a real problem for me.  also, i have all one piece rods.

[poisonokie]

I don't know, I'm getting into some light baitcasting rods, I just ordered one that's ML and 6'5" which is plenty long enough for that application. I've found I like them for their leverage and casting accuracy. Now, if I'm pitching jigs, the accuracy is there by default and if I'm casting heavier rigs or plugs, accuracy takes a back seat to distance, anyway, so over 7 is the way to go.

[S. Sass]

1 Piece for me 2pc just never feels the same to me. Also 7' length has been a nice happy medium, easily fits in the bed of my truck as well. Just guessing but I dont see the average guy having 10 to 20 different rods for every particular application. This means you go with the most versitile. I dont have 20 rods to pic the one for that spot. I think this is why you see M/H so much.

 

The way I see it if you can cast a 6'6"  rod at some place 6" inches longer is not going to keep me from fishing that same place. And the same the other way a 7'6" might be a little better but my 7' will fish plenty good. People fished for a long long time with way more primitive rods reels and baits and caught plenty of fish.

[Rob96]

I fish from shore or from a canoe. My 6'6" spinning and casting rods seem like the best balance for my applications. The spinning rod is a medium action for plastics and the casting is a MH used as a general purpose crank/spinner Bait rod.

[monkeyman3dee]

For the longest time all I knew were two piece med action spinning rods. I like my new rage m/h, used for jigs mainly along with the other standards spinnerbait/chatterbait/t-rig. I chose 6'8'' because it seemed like the perfect balance to fit in my car, yet still have some length for casting and leverage. I am mostly on the bank as well. 

[Bass newb]

I have 6'6" a 7' and a 7'6". I like them all but my long rod casts way farther than the other two. The long rod feels better for my tall self as well.

[the reel ess]

If I had only one BC combo it would be 7' MH Fast. More to the heavy side. I do like 7 footers partly because I usually kayak fish and it helps fight a good fish around the bow of the boat. In all, I have these combos for bass:

 

1 7' BC MH-Frogs, T-rigs

1 7' Spinning MH-T-rigs

1-7' Spinning M-light trebles & wacky rigs

1-6.5' BC MH-Spinnerbaits, single hook

1-6.5' BC M-heavier trebles, cranks, topwaters

[Cmiller]

Just ordered a 7'11 *** 2, the longer the better for better hooksets on long casts, and controlling the fish around the boat.

[WRB]

Back in the dark ages before trigger stick handle rods we used pistol grip handle rods in 5'3", 5'6" and the long rod 6'. Keep in mind the handle length was about 6" to 8" shorter than today's trigger or split grip type handles, so the rod length from the reel forward reel seat or fore grip was nearly equal to today's 6"6" or 7' rods, the butt end is shorter.

If you want a heavy 5'6" casting rod, look for pistol grip style handle.

Tom

[einscodek]

imo pistol grips dont cast well and thusly are hard on the elbows

[edfitzvb]

I like pistol grip rods in a 6 foot length for walking baits. Much more comfortable the way I fish. Other than that, I prefer 6'6" to 7'. The longest rod I own is a 7'10" G Loomis frog rod.... unless you're talking about fly rods. And I own way more than I NEED....

[the reel ess]

imo pistol grips dont cast well and thusly are hard on the elbows

I had one and wanted to put a longer trigger stick handle on it. I tore the cork pistol grip off but couldn't figure out how I could increase the blank length to accomplish my goal. I yard sold it and another for $4. They were both Shakespeare 96% graphite rods from about '90. They served me well in their day though.

[WRB]

Bill,

You are fishing from the shoreline on the bank, a longer rod can be an advantage if you can cast effectively without tangling the trees etc.

2 piece rods loose strength and some bending do to the ferrule joint, if transporting a one piece rod isn't a problem, it's a better choice.

Power ratings are not standardized, different for each mfr and can be different for application specific rods by the same mfr...confusing. Spinning rods have about 1/2 less power than casting rods as a rule, most spinning rods are used with lighter test or smaller diameter line than casting rods. The numerical power rating at one time ment the dead weight in pounds a rod could lift before bending fully or bottoming out. As a guideline only;

2 power = medium light.

3 power = medium.

4 power = medium heavy.

5 power = heavy.

Each power number represents 1 lb of weight.

Action denoted how the upper rod section bends;

Moderate = 1/2 of the upper section bends under load of nominal lure weight during the cast.

Fast = 1/3 upper section bends.

Extra fast or Xfast = 1/4 of the upper section bends.

Today there isn't a standard, so pick up a rod and test it with reel line and casting you intend to use.

Tom

[flyfisher]

i see a good amount of those lengths and powers available.  I prefer a rod in the 7' range for the most part both for casting and spinning.  I fish from a kayak and it feels like the 7' length is the sweet spot for me.  As far as 2 piece rods go, to me it is just one more thing to have to set up when i get to the water so I will stick to one piece rods.  I can't tell the difference between them.  I know fly rods i use 2 piece and 4 piece and 7 piece rods without an issue

[Jaw1]

Most of my rods run 7" plus with a 7"4` being the length I use the most lately. They are usually mh fast and are very versatile. If I'm parallel ing the shoreline with a spinnerbait it's a6`6" rod that gets the call because my casting distance to the target is shorter. Crankbait rod length depends on the cover I'm fishing with a 7` rod doing the majority of the work. I just don't have a need for 6 foot or less rods so l am not that familiar with what's offered in those lengths. If I am bank fishing I can pitch just about anything with a 7 foot rod and avoid overhand casting so thus avoiding most overhanging tree limbs,but this is on smaller ponds where distance is not an issue.

[68camaro]

once you use 7'6'' or longer rods , a shorter rod even a 7 ft. rod seems short , my casting rod is 7'11'' 

 

I just received a 7'3" MH (more like heavy) rod for frogs/pitchin.  After using this for a little while I went to my 6'6" med heavy and it seemed so small and light. They I threw my 7'1" med mod-fast crank rod and it seemed like a feather.

 

Being new it was interesting to see how different each was. I will say the 7'3 extra fast threw the bait a mile, since I pond fish this extra distance allows me to hit the bank or edges on other side. I use muck boots to get out in the soft marshy ground or into the water which allows me to better chance to avoid back cast hitting trees/bushes etc.

 

Prior to my entry into bass fishing all my previous was bobber/worm with kids or trout, mostly ultralight and some fly. The poles are all two or three pice and I feel a lot more confident with the one-piece bass especially since I fish a lot of weeds.