Height and rod length?

[mrpao]

I'm always been curious why people choose a rod length based on their height?

To me it seems to that it should make no difference what my height is. Since my rod is up in the air, what does my height have to do with it?

Even when working a jerkbait, my rod tip never hits the water. I have smacked the trolling motor quite a few times though, but not usually with the tip.

For boat fishing most of my rods are 6'10" to 7'2" - my longest at 7'3"

For bank/river fishing I prefer 6' to 6'6" to clear the brush and trees.

I have never considered my height to determine my rod length- I'm a short Asian male.

Am I missing something?

[dodgeguy]

For pitching and flipping it can be critical if you're height challenged. Other than that it doesn't matter. Rod length should be a mix of what technique and how much accuracy you need. Shorter rods are easier to cast accurately.Shorter rods are. Lighter and generally better balanced.

[roadwarrior]

20 minutes ago, mrpao said:

Am I missing something?

 

No, a person's height has nothing to do with rod length.

[dodgeguy]

1 minute ago, roadwarrior said:

 

No, a person's height has nothing to do with rod length.

Unless ur 5 ft tall.

[MIbassyaker]

I'm short, not particularly limber or athletic, and I fish from a kayak, mostly in a seated position. I own rods between 5'6" and 7'5" and prefer my shorter rods most of the time for a few reasons that are at least partly related to height:

 

1) Limited armspan. Seated in a kayak, I find it awkward at times to land fish, or thread line through the guides, as I occasionally have to do on the water, with rods over about 6'8".

 

2) One of the main things I need a rod to have is a short handle so I can use it without my PFD constantly getting in the way.  Long rods tend to have have long handles, whereas I do not have long arms.

3) While short rods aren't strictly necessary for jerkbaits and topwaters, they are much easier to work and control than longer rods when in a seated position low to the water.  If your torso is short, you're even lower.

 

4) And not related to height, but in tight quarters on skinny water (especially moving water), when trying to dodge overhanging trees and other obstructions, long rods can be a major burden. They stick up or out too far, bump into things, get caught on branches, etc.

 

 

 

 

[Catt]

1 hour ago, roadwarrior said:

 

No, a person's height has nothing to do with rod length.

 

58 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

Unless ur 5 ft tall.

 

Absolutely doesn't matter ?

 

 

[dodgeguy]

So he has no problem pitching with a rod that long ?

[Catt]

10 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

So he has no problem pitching with a rod that long ?

 

Whose he?

[dodgeguy]

38 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Whose he?

The kid in the picture with the long rod and the fish.

[00bullitt]

Does height matter? Not at all. But people ask all the time what length rod; length of rod does matter to some extent. There is a counter argument for every point. All in all, at the end of the day, do what you like, feel comfortable with and have confidence in. I've been fishing for 40 years. When I started...5'6" pistol grips were the norm and everyone was catching fish. Materials were fiberglass, graphite and boron. Over the years, techniques evolved and longer rods became more popular as did advanced materials to be lighter and more sensitive. Longer rods provide benefit but there is always a cost associated and its often weight and agility. Longer rods are heavier because they have more material and the extra length can make them less agile.

 

When standing on the deck of a bass boat. I often fish with my rod tip down for reaction baits and slightly up for bottom contact baits. The deck of my boat is about 16" off the water. I typically take my height and add a foot as a guideline. By no means is that a requirement. Rod weight, action and tip mean far more to me than overall length. If I find a 6'10" rod that provides a better feel to me for a given technique than a 7'2", I will go with what feels better as often the net gain is minimal as half of that increased length is in the handle. If casting farther is a requirement, I go with a longer rod. I have crankbait and swim bait rods that are 8'. The rod is your "LEVER". Longer rods provide more leverage. Leverage is important when fishing bigger hooks, heavier cover, deeper water, etc. Longer rods have a benefit. I've witnessed the natural progression in 40 years time.

 

Using a persons height is nothing hard and fast, just a guideline for people of average height. There will always be shorter and taller folk that will toss that guideline out the window. I still use all of my 6'6" rods from 20 years ago. They have their place and still work just fine.

 

 

[BrianMDTX]

17 hours ago, MIbassyaker said:

Limited armspan. Seated in a kayak, I find it awkward at times to land fish, or thread line through the guides, as I occasionally have to do on the water, with rods over about 6'8".

Ain’t that the truth. 7’ is about my limit. I have one HF rod that is 7’ 6” and it is a bear at times if I have to do what you described. 

[OkobojiEagle]

11 minutes ago, 00bullitt said:

Longer rods provide more leverage.

The angler is on the wrong side of the fulcrum to achieve more leverage with additional length to the lever.

[S Hovanec]

Never understood it either.  I'm 6' and my rods range from 6'8" to 13'.

[Catt]

53 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

The kid in the picture with the long rod and the fish.

 

His Pawpaw has taught him proper form & technique at early age. He's been using a 7' rod & baitcaster since age 8 or 9.

 

The fact the Aiden is consumed with fishing helped tremendously. He can roll cast, backhand cast, overhead cast, 2 handed cast (Carolina Rig), Filp, pitch, you name it.

 

[00bullitt]

1 hour ago, OkobojiEagle said:

The angler is on the wrong side of the fulcrum to achieve more leverage with additional length to the lever.

 

This is a good point, in the true sense of a LEVER, fulcrum dictates the advantage point. If the angler were the fulcrum, this would be very true.

 

Help me explain better what I am saying; the length of the rod is directly related to the power of the hookset due to line position. In my explanation, the tip of the rod is the advantage and the increased length gives advantage to a hookset or power to the bait.

 

Does that describe it more accurately?

[Spankey]

Longer rod only get more line off the water faster. 

[Deleted account]

3 hours ago, OkobojiEagle said:

The angler is on the wrong side of the fulcrum to achieve more leverage with additional length to the lever.

Like the fat kid on the see saw...

[OkobojiEagle]

4 hours ago, 00bullitt said:

 

This is a good point, in the true sense of a LEVER, fulcrum dictates the advantage point. If the angler were the fulcrum, this would be very true.

 

Help me explain better what I am saying; the length of the rod is directly related to the power of the hookset due to line position. In my explanation, the tip of the rod is the advantage and the increased length gives advantage to a hookset or power to the bait.

 

Does that describe it more accurately?

Longer rods can generate more tip speed and aid in the hook set.  Also, a longer rod may cushion the line from hard runs of the bass.  A  longer rod will also transmit less of the bait vibration than similar rod of shorter length because of more distance of material.  Definitely both pros and cons.

 

I prefer to choose rods by what "feels" most comfortable while fishing a particular bait/technique.  I have more rods in my "cast off" corner than in my boat...

 

oe

[Bass Rutten]

8 hours ago, OkobojiEagle said:

The angler is on the wrong side of the fulcrum to achieve more leverage with additional length to the lever.

Thanks for calling out the oft parroted "leverage" myth, the longer the rod the more leverage goes to the fish.

[michaelb]

As noted, this does matter on a kayak. More when sitting than standing and more related to reach, than to overall height. So it is nice to have a rod where you can reach the tip while still holding the reel when seated. Also, when landing a fish, you need to able to get the fish to the side of the boat so you can lip it, net it or grab it, and that means you are probably holding your reel hand off to the other side of the boat.

[Hammer 4]

Ya'll know what a float tube is ? I'm a tad over 6' and sitting in a float tube I learned how to pitch a 7' and a 7'6" rod while sitting in that thing, which was fatcat with fairly high pontoons. I've also casted my old 8' swimbait rod while float tubing. 

 

Height imho has nada to do with rod length. Having the correct technique conquers all.  

[Darren.]

I've written before that I am a fan of shorter rods. Fishing from

a kayak shorter is essential where I like to fish (near overhangs,

etc.) which longer rods can get entangled in more easily when

the wind is gusting and pushing me into things. My favs are 

in the 5'9" to 6' range. Even cut the butt end of some of my 

6'6" rods making them 6'3".

 

It's all personal preference. I can see the advantage of longer 

rods when fishing in salt water from shore when you want to

get the bait out further.

 

For my long poles (no reel, fixed line length), I go from 10 to 20

feet poles. Rarely do the 20 footer, but it's fun when I'm in a

simple fishing mood.

[J Francho]

I use a shorter rod for baits that need a downward twitch.  I also prefer a shorter rod for vertical presentations, since you gain nothing with length.  Otherwise, I'm 5-7 and most of my rods are at least 7', if not closer to 8'.  I could be 4' tall, and fish with the same rods.  I might need a bit shorter rod for the downward twitch presentation, though.

[Deleted account]

On 3/15/2021 at 9:17 AM, 00bullitt said:

Does that describe it more accurately?

NO!

[soflabasser]

A persons height does not matter when it comes to choosing a fishing rod. What matters most is a person's skill in casting. For example a person of average height can out cast and out fish a tall person who does not know how to fish well. Another example is surf fishing where rods 10 feet and longer are often used.