Shorter Rods

[Mobasser]

Looking at rods at two local sporting goods stores recently, I found very few rods shorter than 6ft. Most all( casting and spinning) are 6'6 to 71/2 ft long.               Like all of us, I've seen rods get longer and lighter over the past 30yrs. Lighter has been good. But longer, maybe not always.                                                        Years ago, some very well known bass anglers liked and preferred shorter sticks for bass fishing.This may have been to cut down on weight, but not always. A shorter fast stick can be good for many things. Vertical jigging, close in accurate casting, some topwater styles involving slack line( spooks) and bank fishing certain areas etc.                            Shorter Rods of 5'6 to 6' are not in vogue now. Most anglers I know go with longer rods, and it's all individual opinion what feels and works best for you.                                                  Many of the older members here can easily remember when rods were not quite so long. Some may still use a shorter rod for certain things.                   If you've never tried a good quality rod of 5'6 to 6ft, they can still have a place in your rod lineup. Made with a good blank, guides, and handle style they feel like nothing in the hand, and casting distance can still be very good.                                                      I'm wishing some of the better rod companies would bring back some shorter rods in they're lineups, especially fast action rods, with a choice of handle styles, both casting and spinning. Anyone else think this way? Are you happy with the current" longer is always better"  trends in bass rods?

[waymont]

G Loomis has the IMX-Pro 6' classic casting rods available.

I have an older IMX version, and it's excellent.

[scaleface]

I still have some original Lightning rods 5'6" and 6' mh's. I like the shorter handles but longer rods have more advantages that I dont use short sticks anymore . I keep one in my boat for spook fishing but I havent done that for a number of years . Walking the dog is much easier with a shorter rod , at least for me it is . I think I read Charlie Campbell used a five foot rod for spooks .

[PourMyOwn]

I've got an old Falcon and a couple original Speed Sticks, all 5'6".

 

They all have their place-as does my 7'10" fiberglass cranking rod. I do like the short ones best for working topwater baits, it's just easier for me.

 

 

[T-Billy]

7' is short for me these days, 6'6" used to be long. 7'3 - 7'6" is kind of the sweet spot for me, but I keep finding more uses for my 7'11"s.

[MickD]

1 hour ago, Mobasser said:

Are you happy with the current" longer is always better"  trends in bass rods?

Yes.  I like longer rods for a number of reasons, but since I build my own, a longer blank allows me to shorten it from the butt if I have to to get the rod I want.

[FrankN209]

I like the "shorter" rods. I have one 6'8" and two 7'1". When I fish from the bank, it's good for around trees and such tight places. 

[DaubsNU1]

My favorite rod is an old Cabela's C44x, CDH 602, 6' casting rod.  It has the spiral-guides. 

 

Great for texas-rigged soft plastics. Super sensitive. 

[Catt]

I've lived through all phases of rod lengths & heard all the explanations for each.

 

For me its what I'm comfortable with, for bottom contact I prefer 6'10" - 7'1'. 

 

My favorite rod was a Shimano Crucial 6'10" Medium Heavy X-Fast, had two, one was my Worm Rod & one Jig-n-Craw.

[soflabasser]

I like to fish with shorter rods when I am bank fishing in a place with lots of trees and other plants.

[Mike L]

20 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

My favorite rod was a Shimano Crucial 6'10" Medium Heavy X-Fast, had two, one was my Worm Rod & one Jig-n-Craw.

Both the Crucial and Cumara are 2 of the most underrated rods ever made by anyone. 
 

 

 

Mike

[Mobasser]

7 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Both the Crucial and Cumara are 2 of the most underrated rods ever made by anyone. 
 

 

 

Mike

Agree Mike. My old Crucial is around ten years old, and it's still one of my favourites. If I break.it, I'll have a hard time replacing it.

[WRB]

The deck and rod locker were shorter when longer rods 1st became popular in the late 70’s when 6’6” was considered a long casting rod.

I made a crank bait rod from Fenwick Popping rod blank in the 70’s that was 7’ and it didn’t fit the rod locker and the handle would over hang the deck on the passenger side.

I had Lamiglas custom make 6’10” casting rods jigs and worms that fit the lockers down rod tips stayed out of trouble around the TM. It’s been 45 years using 6’10” casting rods that are perfect for my style of fishing.

Also had 3 Swimbait rods ranging 7’10” to 8’ and the newer boats locker accommodated them.

The shorter rods with pistol grips are a thing of the past.

Tom

[Catt]

38 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Both the Crucial and Cumara are 2 of the most underrated rods ever made by anyone. 
 

 

 

Mike

 

I went from G Loomis to Crucial & never felt I lost sensitivity. The Loomis was 6'6 while the Crucial was 6'10". 

 

I remember going from 6' to 6'6" with my Worm/Jig rod, I was like yes! That's comfortable! But with 6'10" it was like I'm home!

[Darth-Baiter]

I have a six foot rod. It feels so weird. 
 

im giving it to my brother.  It’s a tiny gloomis   I like how much line a move when I set the hook with a longer rod 

[Spy]

There's still love for pistol grip rods of good quality if the bids on eBay are any indication. Shimano bull whips and fighting sticks bring premium money and St. Croix as well, in fact St. Croix still offers a 5 1/2 pistol grip in their Premier line. I really like using the short sticks and recently picked up another 30 year old Diawa Samuri to match the one I already have just in case!

[Log Catcher]

Every rod I am using right now is either 6' or 6'6". I don't have anything longer than 6'6" and won't but one any longer. I still have some 5'6" rods. It wouldn't bother me to get them out and use them again.

[Catt]

My first Crucial was purchased more by accident than on purpose!

 

I was browsing the aisles at our local K-Mart back when they had a decent tackle section. I noticed a little sales girl grab 4-5 rods & start marking them down. The last rod was a 5' 6" medium heavy fast Shimano Crucial & marked it $24.99! 

 

I picked it up walked to the register & paid for it!

 

That was 35 yrs ago ?

[LrgmouthShad]

Which is better for pitching? Short or long? Was watching a video one day and the angler claimed that longer rods make more accurate pitches and flips(?). Thought that shorter rods were more accurate regardless. What say you BR?

[NoShoes]

I think it was Wheeler that said he prefers to keep all his rods the same length to not effect his casting, I do the same. 
 

if they’re all the same lengths and I move up and down rod powers based off lure weight, i can stay accurate while switching rods. 

[jimmyjoe]

   I just sold my last pistol-grip rod 2 or 3 years ago. It was a 5'-06" Mitchell Classic. Man, was that thing ever accurate!

   Then I was seduced by the Dark Side, and I no longer have anything shorter than 7'.  ?    jj

[the reel ess]

I still have some 5-6 and 6' rods. The problem with the old pistol grip rods is when they got longer than 5-6 they were pretty tip-heavy. I like the longer rods today. Two-handed casting saves a good bit of fatigue and gets you better distance, I still use a couple 6-6 rods. But when I replace them they'll probably be 7 footers, except for the pitching rod I bought specifically because it's 6-10.

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Which is better for pitching? Short or long? Was watching a video one day and the angler claimed that longer rods make more accurate pitches and flips(?). Thought that shorter rods were more accurate regardless. What say you BR?

I say intermediate size rods are most accurate for pitching. But the leverage of a longer rod is nice when you need to get a bass out of heavy cover. My pitching rod is a compromise at 6'10". 

[GreenPig]

 $25 Berkley Cherrywood 5'6" Medium. I like it, it works.

[Mobasser]

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Which is better for pitching? Short or long? Was watching a video one day and the angler claimed that longer rods make more accurate pitches and flips(?). Thought that shorter rods were more accurate regardless. What say you BR?

Shorter Rods can be very accurate at casting, but a longer one is probably better for pitching. 

23 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

 $25 Berkley Cherrywood 5'6" Medium. I like it, it works.

Nice. That Berkley is 5'6 long, but with a straight handle, not a pistol grip.

[Mobasser]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

My first Crucial was purchased more by accident than on purpose!

 

I was browsing the aisles at our local K-Mart back when they had a decent tackle section. I noticed a little sales girl grab 4-5 rods & start marking them down. The last rod was a 5' 6" medium heavy fast Shimano Crucial & marked it $24.99! 

 

I picked it up walked to the register & paid for it!

 

That was 35 yrs ago ?

Catt, 

 

2 hours ago, Catt said:

My first Crucial was purchased more by accident than on purpose!

 

I was browsing the aisles at our local K-Mart back when they had a decent tackle section. I noticed a little sales girl grab 4-5 rods & start marking them down. The last rod was a 5' 6" medium heavy fast Shimano Crucial & marked it $24.99! 

 

I picked it up walked to the register & paid for it!

 

That was 35 yrs ago ?

Catt, the guy who taught me how to fish plastic worms was absolute deadly with a 5'6 straight grip casting rod. He probably never thought about moving more line on his hookset, longer cast, or anything else. That was all he ever used, so, that's all he knew. But, he was good. Of course, that was over thirty years ago, now everything's changed. Sometimes, I get stuck in the past...