Do folks still use this pistol grip style rod?

[wasabi_VA]

I have a habit of holding on to my gear a long time, and since I only recently returned to bass fishing I'm trying to decide where to upgrade certain equipment or just make do. This older Daiwa Magforce reel seems to be casting great after recently servicing it but I'm wondering if I should put it back on this equally old Berkley Lightening Rod. I don't recall seeing pics of anybody using this older pistol grip style.

 

Compared to my new Dobyns Fury 703C this rod feels pretty short at 5' 6" and the light action seems overwhelmed when throwing spinnerbaits or cranks. I'm not sure I would bother reaching for it for finesse fishing since I now have the new Daiwa/Dobyns rig.

 

 

If I don't put the reel on a rod it will wind up at the back of a drawer and not get used. I like the idea of using it this year. I'd like to have 3 rods and this is what I already have plans to use this year:

 

1. Daiwa Fuego/Dobyns Fury 703C

2. older Bass Pro Tourney Special reel/Bass Pro IM6 7' Heavy power rod (thinking frogs, cranks, heavy cover)

 

What's a good all-around rod to complement the above 2? I'm hoping the Fuego/Dobyns will be my main go-to combo so will keep this one rigged to grab when the time is right.

 

Thanks for any inout!

 

 

[redmeansdistortion]

I see pistol grip rods on the shelves at the usual stores, but they aren't nearly as common as they were in the past.  Give it a shot, it's definitely worth trying.  I haven't used a pistol grip rod in probably 25 years, but I can imagine it working well with a lighter reel. 

[LionHeart]

Now you just need a 7 ft or so med heavy with a fast-ish tip.  Put a 7 speed reel on it, and that setup can do just about anything.  

 

As far as the old rod goes, either keep it in the garage till the end of time, or get rid of it.  

 

Door #3

 

Shallow cranking rod maybe? Or top water treble hook lures like a popper.

[KDW96]

That old lighting rod will catch fish just as good today,as it did yesterday

[greentrout]

got 2 of them ... use them in tight quarters when need to flick and skip the lures ... spincast ... 5'6" & 6' ...

 

good fishing ...

[Russ E]

30 years ago I used pistol grip BPS tourney special rods for spinnerbaits and crankbaits. they have been in storage for 25 years.

got one out last year to try out. Not sure how I ever fished with them. fat handle feels weird to hold onto.

gave them to a neighbor that liked them.

[Log Catcher]

I still use several 5'6" and 6'BPS Crankin Stick and Bionic Blade rods. Don' know if they still have them since they have been changed over to a split grip handle. The 5'6" rod is great for top water poppers and walking baits especially if you sit down to fish.

[Jrob78]

You could try it out for small poppers or jerkbaits, if you like it and want to use it, use it.

[Brad Reid]

Fishing legend, Hank Parker, has a relatively new video out where he fishes with a close friend on a private lake built primarily for irrigation. Parker had input regarding its design. They caught 400 bass as I recall, more than the 300 caught the year before.

 

So, sort of toward the end of the video, Hank promotes a pistol grip rod, a Berkley Lightning Rod as I recall. One of his sponsors. It is a 6 footer and medium powered. He talks about being able to make casts to spots tough to hit with longer rods. Also, some casting techniques that are easier with that grip.

 

I believe he caught an 8 or 9 pounder on this rod in the video.

 

I have a St. Croix casting rod with a pistol grip, PC56MF. 5'6" Medium power. Love it.

 

Not many quality pistol grips around these days but several to choose from if you add to your collection.

 

Brad

[FishTank]

I still have one with a Zebco bullet.  It's still great for crappie and bluegill. 

[drew4779]

They have their place.  I know guys who prefer them when fishing from the bank.  It's easier to manage the back swing when dealing with trees and brush behind you.  Also, when using a "walk the dog" technique from shore, it nice when you're not smacking your rod tip in the water with every twich.

 

I recently inherited a couple 5'-6" pistol grips.  I think I'm going to give them a try this spring on the kayak.  I'm new to kayak fishing, and the few times I got out on it last year, the 7'-3" flipping stick just felt weird to me while sitting so low on the water. With casting distance being much less of an issue on a kayak, something shorter may feel more manageable. 

[Bluebasser86]

I have one I use in my kayak. It's pretty nice for small poppers/walkers and smaller spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. I also have a 6' Lightning Rod with a really short handle that might as well be a pistol grip that I also use in my kayak. 

[J.Vincent]

I've never owned a pistol grip rod......but one of my uncles used them for pitching worms and casting spinnerbaits shallow. They aren't popular anymore, but my motto is, do what works for you !

[junyer357]

They make great rods for shooting docks. 

[NYWayfarer]

I always associated pistol grips with spincast reels. 

 

If I purchased one, being right handed, I would have to buy a left handed baitcaster to go with it. That would bring back memories of my spincast days as I didn’t switch hands after making a cast with those combos.

 

I like the idea of a shorter rod on a kayak but I don’t think the pistol grip would fit in my rod holders.

[Brad Reid]

10 hours ago, drew4779 said:

They have their place.  I know guys who prefer them when fishing from the bank.  It's easier to manage the back swing when dealing with trees and brush behind you.  Also, when using a "walk the dog" technique from shore, it nice when you're not smacking your rod tip in the water with every twich.

 

I recently inherited a couple 5'-6" pistol grips.  I think I'm going to give them a try this spring on the kayak.  I'm new to kayak fishing, and the few times I got out on it last year, the 7'-3" flipping stick just felt weird to me while sitting so low on the water. With casting distance being much less of an issue on a kayak, something shorter may feel more manageable. 

 

8 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I have one I use in my kayak. It's pretty nice for small poppers/walkers and smaller spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. I also have a 6' Lightning Rod with a really short handle that might as well be a pistol grip that I also use in my kayak. 

Guys, in a kayak a short rod is a godsend. So correct that long casting isn't our issue nor our advantage. Where we excel is floating in tight to places boat anglers can't go.

 

Technique-wise, I wanted to share a tip for tossing deep under boathouses. I reel the lure I am tossing really close to the tip of my 5'6" rods, maybe an inch of slack line, if that, then I drop the rod tip down to a few inches above the water and make a casting "swipe" parallel to the water. It allows the lure to get under even very low gaps and way back up under these structures. This is a bit different from the typical skipping an angler does standing higher on the deck of a boat. 

 

The great thing about doing this from a kayak is we can be just a few feet away to begin with. I've had many occasions where I have slung a lure all the way out the other side of a wide boathouse, farther than I really intended.

 

Brad

[crypt]

still use em when casting under branches, underhand casting around docks etc. with spinnerbaits, cranks,jigs. both 6 footers that I built about ten years ago.

[Mobasser]

This style of handle is harder to find these days. Many Ozark area bass fisherman still like to use them for topwater fishing, especially with a spook or other walking baits. Look up Charlie Cambell. His preferred rod for this