6’0” vs 6’6”

[superbass301]

Right now I have a six foot baitcaster. Would there be much difference in casting or control if I upgraded to a six foot and a half rod? Or is my six footer just fine?

[MN Fisher]

With a longer rod you don't need to put as much wrist power into your casts to make them go the same distance...the sweep of the rod tip acts like a lever in that aspect.

 

Fighting the fish is much the same...more of the rod acts as a 'buffer' and results in less line snaps or hook throws.

 

I'm looking at upgrading the rod my Ambassdeur is on to at LEAST a 6'6 if not a 6'10 - the rod I just ordered for the reel also just ordered is a 7'

[kenmitch]

Depends on the rods. You didn't provide any information other than length. Not enough data to compute the outcome.

[superbass301]

30 minutes ago, kenmitch said:

Depends on the rods. You didn't provide any information other than length. Not enough data to compute the outcome.

The 6 footer I have is a medium power fast action. 

[LCG]

Rod length is a personal thing. 

 

I'm general terms a shorter rod gives you more accurate cast and a bit more power over the fish. Some will argue this but from my research and experience this is true. 

 

Longer rod gives you more distance in your cast and more line pick up when you set the hook, but less accuracy. There is more rod to absorb the shock of fighting a fish. 

 

There is a definite trend towards longer rods. I personally find 6'6"-6'10" to be the sweet spot for me. I also fish from the bank, so that has a lot to do with it. 

 

My go to baitcaster is a 6'6" mh-f with an 8:1 reel. Good distance on the cast, strong backbone to fight the fish but enough length to absorb some of the fight and the high gear ratio helps pick up line pretty fast. 

[Darren.]

It's all up to you. I'm a 6' and under guy with 6'6" being the

max for me... 

[GReb]

I don’t think you lose much control going to a 6’6” rod. It’s still fairly short and controllable. From my experience accuracy doesn’t take a dip until you hit the 7 foot mark and even then with enough casting it is still very accurate. I have all different lengths and my 6’10” is the most accurate. 6’8” is up there too. 

[Mobasser]

Most guys would go with 6'6 as longer rods are popular these days. Use whatever your most comfortable with

[Boogey Man]

I think it depends on the handle length. If you put a 6ft rod next to a 6'6" rod and hold them trigger to trigger, I've noticed there may only be an inch or 2 of the actual length from the reel seat to the rod tip. A lot of rods nowadays have such a long handle it makes the rod seem shorter. 

[Joshua van Wyk]

Personally I dislike shorter rods, 6'6 is the shortest I'll use. The only rod I have under 7'3 is my spinner I bought 4 years ago when I was 10. Back then it felt big, but now I hardly every use it.

[Dwight Hottle]

Since you have only experienced a 6' rod give a 6'6" a try. You might like the longer rod better & even try a 6' 8" or 7'. I have always preferred the longer rod for distance & control when fighting a fish. It's just personal preference after sampling what is available.   

[kenmitch]

5 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Since you have only experienced a 6' rod give a 6'6" a try. You might like the longer rod better & even try a 6' 8" or 7'. I have always preferred the longer rod for distance & control when fighting a fish. It's just personal preference after sampling what is available.   

Yep. It's one of those you gotta try it too see if you like it things. I know for me at least whenever I switch to a new combo or rod my accuracy is somewhat in the dump for a little while. All rods have their own personalities as I call them. It doesn't really take too long to adjust but those 1st few casts can leave a lot too be desired. I fish from a kayak and mainly used a 6'6" rod and picked up a 7' Carbonlite 2.0 combo when on sale for $120. I kind of cast sidearm style and would dip the tip or lure in the water at times. My accuracy was all over the place and my 1st impression was the rod sucked. I pretty much took it with me and didn't really use it all that much. One outing I decided I'd give the combo a really good workout. I found that I just need to make a little adjustment in my casting and it worked out really good. 

[Log Catcher]

Like LCG says rod length is a personal thing. I am like Darren. A 6'6" is the longest I will use. The only ones I have experience with are the BPS bionic blades. I have some 6' ones. Bought one in 6'6". Like Boogey Man says the handle makes a difference. Since the handle is longer I only gained about 3 1/2" in castable rod length. The rod you have I would use for crank baits, some top waters, spinner baits.

[FishTank]

I like 6' for rod for fishing in tight places and fishing from the bank.  6'6'' is great for jerk baits and dragging stuff along the bottom when I am standing up in a boat. 7' and longer for long casts and quick hook sets (sort of). 

[Russ E]

Like most have already said it is personal preference. I am 6  foot 2 inches tall.

I do not personally own a rod under 6 foot 6 inches or over 7 foot 3 inches.

most of mine are 6 foot 10 inches or 7 foot. That seems to be my sweet spot.

 

[Catt]

The issue with a 6' rod is setting hook on a "long" cast. 

 

Missed a Hawg because of playing around with a 6' rod, that picture is ingrained in my memory. She was so fat her head bearly broke the surface as she shook the spinnerbait!

[kenmitch]

44 minutes ago, Catt said:

The issue with a 6' rod is setting hook on a "long" cast. 

 

Missed a Hawg because of playing around with a 6' rod, that picture is ingrained in my memory. She was so fat her head bearly broke the surface as she shook the spinnerbait!

The visual will be embedded in your memory for life. I have one from the late 80's that I can see like it was yesterday.

 

You gave me a flashback!

[Bankbeater]

All of my rods are 6’6” except two. My crankbait rod and drop shot rod are both 7’0”. 

[new2BC4bass]

Back in the day a 6' rod was a long rod (spinning only) for me.  Still have it and like it.  I bought a few 6'6" rods when I first got into baitcast reels.  It wasn't long before I came to prefer 7' or longer.  I still prefer shorter rods for spinning although I used a 7 footer this year and it didn't bother me.  Guess I am making progress.    I did pick up a 6'6" casting rod a few years ago that I really enjoy using....a MLM Aetos.  I don't care for 6'6" MH rods.

 

As far as accuracy is concerned, I think it can be conquered with most rod lengths if you put in enough practice.

 

I will say that for me some rods (of the same length) seem to be easier to make accurate casts with than others.

[MN Fisher]

10 minutes ago, new2BC4bass said:

Back in the day a 6' rod was a long rod (spinning only) for me.  Still have it and like it.  I bought a few 6'6" rods when I first got into baitcast reels.

I'm the same, 6' was the 'long option'. My current rod selection includes a 5'6 UL, a 6' M-casting, 2 6' M-spinning and a 6'6 ML-spinning. New purchase - arriving any day now - is a 7' H-casting...it'll take me a while to get use to such a 'long' rod.

[new2BC4bass]

7 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

I'm the same, 6' was the 'long option'. My current rod selection includes a 5'6 UL, a 6' M-casting, 2 6' M-spinning and a 6'6 ML-spinning. New purchase - arriving any day now - is a 7' H-casting...it'll take me a while to get use to such a 'long' rod.

Here's hoping it doesn't take long for you to adjust to the longer rod.  I have a 7'6" HF that I like a lot.  Will put a 3/4 oz. spinnerbait waaaay out there.  Although I prefer 7' or longer casting rods, I have an older Quantum 6'10" HF Tour Edition that is a joy to use.  Guess what I am trying to say is what a high school English teacher always told us, "There are always exceptions to the rule."

 

[bayvalle]

Rod length for me depends on the situation. When fishing out of the center console on with a T Top in open water I prefer the 6' rod. It keeps me from tying up with my other rods in the rocket launchers or my fellow fisherman rods when casting. When fishing off the bass boat I use the 7' rod since there are no obstructions to casting plus it allows for pitching and flipping. On the Kayak I prefer the 6'6" rod as a compromise for casting distance and ease of handling when making line adjustments and lure changes. As far as hook set I really don't see much difference from rod length but there is definitely better accuracy with a shorter rod and more distance with a longer rod. Having said that casting distance is affected even more by rod action than length.

[deadadrift89]

On ‎12‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 3:42 PM, superbass301 said:

The 6 footer I have is a medium power fast action. 

A 6'6" MH/fast would open up to a wider choice of lures. Length for me personally I'd consider 7' for more distance. If your up close and throwing to target small areas a 6'6" would give you better accuracy. Whatever length you choose a MediumHeavy/Fast opens up a lot of lure options  

[Hulkster]

I recently upgraded to a 7'6 baitcasting rod and love it. I would never go back to a short rod. 

[Koz]

My primary rod is a 7' MH and since I fish from the bank it does allow me to cast further than my 6'6" MH, but it did take some getting used to. I also have a 7'6" heavy rod that I use for swimbaits and heavier top water (like a Whopper Plopper) and every time I cast it I feel like I'm string to swing a tree.

 

I used to have a 6' rod but after moving to a 6'6" rod I would never consider a smaller bass fishing rod again.

 

I'm most comfortable with the 6'6" rod but for my purposes I need the extra distance garnered with the 7' rod.