9-10 foot Flippin' rods

[FryDog62]

Anyone using the longer rods for Flippin?  I ordered a Skeet Reese 9'-2" flippin' stick - didn't even use it before sending back.  Obviously weight and balance are critical in something that size.  I thought it was quite heavy and would be a huge fatigue factor.  Liked the telescopic feature though for storage.  

 

Are there any other good good options out there without breaking the bank?  How about a salmon/steelhead rod - I have a credit from St. Croix, maybe could have a dual use for flippin' too ??

[j bab]

I don't see the need for anything over 8' MAX. Mine's a 7'9" and it's plenty long, but it's super high end so it's not real heavy. I don't think you're gonna find a super long, heavy action rod that's not gonna weigh a ton unless it's high end and not telescopic

 

 

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, FryDog62 said:

Anyone using the longer rods for Flippin?  I ordered a Skeet Reese 9'-2" flippin' stick - didn't even use it before sending back.  Obviously weight and balance are critical in something that size.  I thought it was quite heavy and would be a huge fatigue factor.  Liked the telescopic feature though for storage.  

 

Are there any other good good options out there without breaking the bank?  How about a salmon/steelhead rod - I have a credit from St. Croix, maybe could have a dual use for flippin' too ??

 

You may find that most of the 'trout' specific sticks are going to be pretty 'soft'  might even approach 'noodle' compared to what you may be used to or looking for flipping heavy cover. 

What is it 'problem' you're hoping to solve with a stick that long ?

I have some surf casting rods I'll sell you - they'll definitely improve your 'distance'.

A-Jay

[kadas]

I am pretty sure there are no 9-10 foot rods in my future. I have a couple 7'11" X-heavy rods that I use to punch and flip the mats and I think they are the max length that I want to handle. I have several 7'6" heavy that I really would rather use if I can get away with it but that is JMO on the longer rod issue

[Dtrombly]

No need. 7'6" H will get fish out of pretty much anything. 

[Kevinator1]

Here are a few reasons for those extremely long rods:

 

1. To sell more rods....there will be a couple of pros who will be using them and will say "without having that 9.5 ft rod there is no way i would have caught those fish" 

 

2. To bring in more patients for physical therapy.....a.k.a. fisherman's elbow / chiropractor / etc....

 

3. To increase boat sales...longer boats with longer rod lockers

 

4. Can also be used as push poles in shallow water

 

I can pitch and flip with a 7'3" or a 7'6" all day...anything longer and heavier....not for me. 

 

 

[WRB]

If you are going to pitch, not flip, then you don't need a longer rod. If you are actually flipping then a longer rod is a real advantage. Dee Thomas who introduced flipping to professional bass fishing started out using 14' long rods, the 8' length rod with a reel rule came about because of Dee's advantage using the long flipping rods. 

Fenwick made the 1st 8' telescoping flipping rods for Dee back in the late 70's.

Tom

[Darren.]

I suppose longer is better ... for some. Oh geez, I'm sorry, that

statement can be misinterpreted badly...

 

Surf rods, as @A-Jay mentioned, I can easily see it. Even long

pole fishing w/o reels. Some like trucks jacked up so far they need

a ladder to get in the driver's seat. Not practical, but some do it.

 

I'm the wrong guy to even respond. I don't see the requirement for

rods over 6'6", LOL. Whatevs! Go for it!  

[FryDog62]

3 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

You may find that most of the 'trout' specific sticks are going to be pretty 'soft'  might even approach 'noodle' compared to what you may be used to or looking for flipping heavy cover. 

What is it 'problem' you're hoping to solve with a stick that long ?

I have some surf casting rods I'll sell you - they'll definitely improve your 'distance'.

A-Jay

The reason I'm interested is that there are certain places I fish in the milfoil here in Minnesota - where I drift the boat quietly along a weed edge.  If I had - for instance, a 10 foot rod with 10 feet  of line out - I could drop a jig or Texas rig into 3-4 different openings within reach and get a reaction bite.  Or, drift along a little further and repeat - without ever really casting, plopping, making noise, etc.  Would be a stealthy way of covering some high percentage spots.  Wouldn't plan to cover a lengthy shoreline this way necessarily, I have a 7'-6" rod for that...

[WRB]

You should go online search "Dee Thomas, Flippin". There is a interview with Dee and a Utube vedio. 

Tom

[Jeff H]

27 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

The reason I'm interested is that there are certain places I fish in the milfoil here in Minnesota - where I drift the boat quietly along a weed edge.  If I had - for instance, a 10 foot rod with 10 feet  of line out - I could drop a jig or Texas rig into 3-4 different openings within reach and get a reaction bite.  Or, drift along a little further and repeat - without ever really casting, plopping, making noise, etc.  Would be a stealthy way of covering some high percentage spots.  Wouldn't plan to cover a lengthy shoreline this way necessarily, I have a 7'-6" rod for that...

I've considered this myself.  There could be use for one but I think you just found out what you're up against to do this.  An excessively heavy and poorly balanced rig could just make for a long, tiring day.

[A-Jay]

26 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

The reason I'm interested is that there are certain places I fish in the milfoil here in Minnesota - where I drift the boat quietly along a weed edge.  If I had - for instance, a 10 foot rod with 10 feet  of line out - I could drop a jig or Texas rig into 3-4 different openings within reach and get a reaction bite.  Or, drift along a little further and repeat - without ever really casting, plopping, making noise, etc.  Would be a stealthy way of covering some high percentage spots.  Wouldn't plan to cover a lengthy shoreline this way necessarily, I have a 7'-6" rod for that...

Sounds pretty much like how Dee Thomas did it when he started the whole Flipping deal.

A-Jay

[FryDog62]

15 minutes ago, Jeff H said:

I've considered this myself.  There could be use for one but I think you just found out what you're up against to do this.  An excessively heavy and poorly balanced rig could just make for a long, tiring day.

That's where I thought a long but lighter salmon/steelhead rod might be a possible option - if not too "noodly."

[FryDog62]

What about something like this.... 

 

St. Croix Avid Steelhead/Salmon casting rod - 

9'-6" Heavy, Fast action, 1/2 to 2 ounce lure weight, 2 pieces, weighs 6.7 ounces

$270

 

 

[hawgenvy]

Bamboo cane pole. Ten feet for ten bucks.

[Catt]

Here we go again

 

The problem for Dee was not rod length but the fact he had no reel attached, he was in his own words a "Tule Dipper".

Thomas started out as what he refers to as a “tule dipper.”

“I started tule dipping in California in the 50s,” he said. “In that technique, you have a 12- to 18-foot rod. There’s no reel so you either attach a length of line to the tip or you run a length of line down through the rod tip and affix it at the butt-end of the rod. Either way, you have a length of line, about as long as the rod, and that’s what you use to present your lure.”

Dee Thomas’ early tournament endeavors were met with mixed results and mixed reviews. Most tournament bass anglers at the time considered his use of 12-foot rods as ‘unsportsmanlike’ and ‘something only a meat hunter would use.’ The 12-foot rod wasn’t something ‘a serious tournament angler would even consider.’

 

http://bassfishingarchives.com/features/the-birth-of-the-flippin-stik-part-one

 

[FryDog62]

15 minutes ago, Catt said:

Here we go again

 

The problem for Dee was not rod length but the fact he had no reel attached, he was in his own words a "Tule Dipper".

Thomas started out as what he refers to as a “tule dipper.”

“I started tule dipping in California in the 50s,” he said. “In that technique, you have a 12- to 18-foot rod. There’s no reel so you either attach a length of line to the tip or you run a length of line down through the rod tip and affix it at the butt-end of the rod. Either way, you have a length of line, about as long as the rod, and that’s what you use to present your lure.”

Dee Thomas’ early tournament endeavors were met with mixed results and mixed reviews. Most tournament bass anglers at the time considered his use of 12-foot rods as ‘unsportsmanlike’ and ‘something only a meat hunter would use.’ The 12-foot rod wasn’t something ‘a serious tournament angler would even consider.’

 

http://bassfishingarchives.com/features/the-birth-of-the-flippin-stik-part-one

 

Ok, now a 10 foot rod is 'legal' although I'm really not a tournament angler myself.  So is it sportsmanlike to use a 9-10 foot rod (with a reel) in today's world...?

[A-Jay]

19 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

Ok, now a 10 foot rod is 'legal' although I'm really not a tournament angler myself.  So is it sportsmanlike to use a 9-10 foot rod (with a reel) in today's world...?

In a non-competitive atmosphere - that may be up to you.

Personally, I'd say it's no less 'sporting' than throwing an A-Rig for instance.

If it's legal, puts fish in the boat & a smile on your face - Go For It.

Might not exactly be my cup of tea but that has nothing to do with you.

Btw ~ I'd be terribly disappointed if you didn't get some video of you Pole Vaulting & Tarzan swinging pot-belly bass into that Pro-V !

A-Jay

 

[Big-Bass]

Wait a minute...is it the length of the rod or the action?    Just kidding...but I have contemplated a steelhead rod for spinning techniques and river fishing for both bass and trout.

[FryDog62]

23 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

In a non-competitive atmosphere - that may be up to you.

Personally, I'd say it's no less 'sporting' than throwing an A-Rig for instance.

If it's legal, puts fish in the boat & a smile on your face - Go For It.

Might not exactly be my cup of tea but that has nothing to do with you.

Btw ~ I'd be terribly disappointed if you didn't get some video of you Pole Vaulting & Tarzan swinging pot-belly bass into that Pro-V !

A-Jay

 

I am dusting off the old loin cloth and ready for some pot-belly bass catching action as long as my side-kick Cheetah doesn't bring any bananas into the boat!!

[j bab]

11 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

What about something like this.... 

 

St. Croix Avid Steelhead/Salmon casting rod - 

9'-6" Heavy, Fast action, 1/2 to 2 ounce lure weight, 2 pieces, weighs 6.7 ounces

$270

 

 

It's gonna be heavy 

[FryDog62]

3 minutes ago, j bab said:

It's gonna be heavy 

Could be, but I actually thought 6.7 ounces was pretty good.  I think my 7'-6" is 5.2 ounces and I'm sure the Skeet Reese telescopic rod had to be way over 10 ounces although I didn't weigh it.

[RichF]

18 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

Anyone using the longer rods for Flippin?  I ordered a Skeet Reese 9'-2" flippin' stick - didn't even use it before sending back.  Obviously weight and balance are critical in something that size.  I thought it was quite heavy and would be a huge fatigue factor.  Liked the telescopic feature though for storage.  

 

Are there any other good good options out there without breaking the bank?  How about a salmon/steelhead rod - I have a credit from St. Croix, maybe could have a dual use for flippin' too ??

 

Though I personally wouldn't want a flipping stick that long, St. Croix has a couple new ones coming out this fall (Nov. 11 according to TW) in the Legend Tournament line.  8'8 to 9'11 ranging from $300 up to $400.  They will obviously be loads better than the Reese rods but I can't imagine they'll be "light" by any means.

[FryDog62]

13 minutes ago, RichF said:

 

Though I personally wouldn't want a flipping stick that long, St. Croix has a couple new ones coming out this fall (Nov. 11 according to TW) in the Legend Tournament line.  8'8 to 9'11 ranging from $300 up to $400.  They will obviously be loads better than the Reese rods but I can't imagine they'll be "light" by any means.

Thanks Rich, any idea on how much those rods weigh?  I think that and balance will be the biggest issues in these longer rods...

[WRB]

A true Flippin presentation the line is pulled away from the rod between the reel and 1st guide to shorten the line length, the lure flipped underhand while the line is released, the rod is simply an extension to get the lure close to the target. A good flipper can drop a lure into a tea cup. The rod tip is lowered to allow the lure to fall to the bottom. When a bass strikes the rod now comes into use by lifting the fish straight up out of the water and into the boat. Lifting 5 lb to 10 lb bass out of the water is all about power and leverage lifting. Why would you want a long light weight flippin rod?

Tom