Looking for a short spinning rod with a short butt

[fishwizzard]

Hi,

I have only been fishing for a year or two now and am looking to expand my arsenal of rod/reels.  I currently do most of my fishing on L and UL spinning rigs and a single M-F casting rig I picked up last spring to see how I liked them.  Short answer, is I don't, so I am looking to expand my spinning collection.  I have a smattering of low end M  and ML spinning rods, but I want something a bit better.  

I want a 6' rod for two reasons.  First, 6' is the longest I can fit in my car without bending the rod.  I tend to keep a few in my car at all times as I take a lot of impromptu outings.  Second, I do a fair amount of bushwhacking to get to shore spots and hate fighting a long rod in the greenbrier thorns that plague this area.  

I want a short butt because the other half of my fishing is done from my kayak and the longer butt of my casting rod is constantly getting in the way.  My L and UL rods have very short butts and are a dream to cast while sitting.  

Lure-wise, I fish a lot of finesse plastics (ned rigs, slider rigs, very small craws on 1/16-1/8 jigs), small spinnerbaits/inlines, and micro cranks.  My L rod handles them fine so far, but I want a slightly more powerful rod to fish small plastic swimbaits on and some larger (1/4oz) spinners.  I had a ton of success with the 4.3" and 3.8" Keitech Fats this summer but my L rod will only cast them weightless and my casting rod doesn't work well with them on anything lighter then a 1/8oz head.  I have a pile of 1/16oz underspin swimbait hooks I want to use with them so I am thinking a ML rod will fit.  

I have an Okuma Citrix ML 6'6" travel rod that I take on work trips and I am very happy with it.  I am considering picking up it's 1-piece brother but it is longer in both OAL and butt length then my ideal so I would love some more options.  I really like the split grip and lack of a forgrip on the Okuma and would like a a rod with those features.  

Budget-wise, I would like something in the $100 range.  I can push that a bit but, if I spend over $150 I might as well get a custom rod from Smallie Stixs or somewhere like that.    I know I am asking for a pretty niche rod but figured that if such a rod exists, someone here must have heard of it.  

Thanks!

[EvanT123]

I'd poke around St.Croix's  Website. A 6 or 6'6 medium light might be what your looking for.

[Loomis13]

check out a st. croix premier ML 6'. handle should be like 5" of handle sticking out past the reel?

[fishwizzard]

Thanks for the responses guys.   My current L rod is a premier, I have only had a out a few times but it casts so much better then the rod it replaced.  However, other then their high end lines, none of the St Croix rods have a split grip or exposed blank above the reel seat.  That being said it and the Okuma I mentioned are neck and neck for me right now, assuming I cant find my dream rod.  

[Loomis13]

10 minutes ago, Bunnielab said:

Thanks for the responses guys.   My current L rod is a premier, I have only had a out a few times but it casts so much better then the rod it replaced.  However, other then their high end lines, none of the St Croix rods have a split grip or exposed blank above the reel seat.  That being said it and the Okuma I mentioned are neck and neck for me right now, assuming I cant find my dream rod.  

Are you looking for a split grip? The triumph X has a split grip but i did not mention it because it has a longer handle butt.

[fishwizzard]

Yes, I my idea rod has both a split grip and an exposed blank above the reel seat.  The split grip will allow me to add a section of foam float back there without adding much bulk.  I don't like rod leashes but want some protection against an accident.   I would like an exposed blank due to my experiences with my travel rod with this feature.   Several times I have had a plastic sitting on the bottom while I am distracted by something and by having my thumb on the blank I have detected very soft hits and made catches.  

I have found a few rods that are almost what I am looking for but still not "perfect".   

Plus a split grip means less absorbent stuff to soak up spilled Gulp juice.  My UL rod still stinks months later after the "incident".  

[EvanT123]

43 minutes ago, Bunnielab said:

  

I have found a few rods that are almost what I am looking for but still not "perfect".   

 

Only one thing to do then, learn to build them yourself!!

[shackman]

Modify the rods you have. 

[WRB]

Contact DVT for a custom rod made to your specs 

Tom

[Fishes in trees]

I'm certain that there are a few fishing tackle stores in Maryland.   Make the rounds until you find one you like.  A couple of posts up, the one about modifying rods you currently own is a good idea.   The handle of any rod that you currently own can be made shorter by using a hack saw - or a Dremel or a Sawzall.   

[fishwizzard]

Huh, I didn't realize that it was that simple of a matter to shorten a rod.  I have never worked with graphite and hade no idea. 

If I go this route, I would likely buy the Okuma Citrix rod and remove 2-3" from the butt, giving me a rod with an OAL close to 6'3" or 4", which should be workable in my car without having to store the rod bent.  Can anyone speak to Okuma's general quality and warranty and/or the Citrix line in specific?

I think I am still going to reach out to Smallie Stix and discuss a custom rod.  I did some reading about rod making last night and I am starting to get an itch in that direction. 

[RB 77]

Another vote for custom.

[WRB]

2 piece rods are made to solve your situation.

Tom

[Deleted account]

All that is required for a shorter butt is a hacksaw, making them longer is a little more involved, but still easy. Oh, and unless you own a Smart Car, a 7 foot rod will fit in there.

[fishwizzard]

Well, a 7' rod will fit, but not while keeping the passenger seat usable and the rod unbent.  Like I said, I tend to keep 2-3 rods in my car most of the year but space is tight due to all the other crap I "need" to keep with me. 

I have a few 2-part rods as I though they would be better for hiking but soon found out that a 3' long, fragile stick strapped to my pack is more cumbersome then a 6' long one carried in my hand.  So I stopped buying them and went to 1 piece rods. 

I have a cheap Shakespeare M-F rod that the reel seat has come loose on.  I think this weekend I am going to try and remove the grips and seat, shorten the butt, and put them back together.  If that goes well I might just take my new rod money and invest in the beginnings of a rod building set up.  Or get a Smallie Stix as "research" then buy the rod building suff this summer.

Thanks for the advice guys!