7' vs 7'3 vs 7'6

[1984isNOW]

What are your thoughts on the difference the length makes on sensitivity and application? I'm looking at a MH XF for bottom contact fishing and not sure which length would carry what implications. 

 

I've heard the longer rod with an XF tip has a little more give to it so its not so pool sticky - agree? Disagree? I have a 6'10 M XF which is super crisp, but IDK if its the length, it being a medium, or it being an XF that makes it feel so good - its the only rod like that I've used.

 

Thanks

[Hulkster]

Over the last few years I have slowly been changing out all my rods to longer rods.

 

I now have a 7'6 MH fast action baitcasting rod, a 7'5 XF medium spinning rod and an 8 foot muskie rod (all one peice)

 

I love the longer rods for the extra casting distance. I notice a difference between the 7 foot rods and the 7'5 and 7'6. definitely casts farther. I am a bank fisherman so the extra distance really helps. 

[dodgeguy]

theroretically the extra fast tip should be slightly more sensitive. i personally feel rods are getting to long. accuracy suffers but distance goes up. we fished with pistol grips that were 5-6 when i started. 6-6 rods are getting hard to find.

[1984isNOW]

2 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

theroretically the extra fast tip should be slightly more sensitive. i personally feel rods are getting to long. accuracy suffers but distance goes up. we fished with pistol grips that were 5-6 when i started. 6-6 rods are getting hard to find.

I almost grabbed a lews American hero 6 ft pistol grip, like 38 bucks now on TW down from 80. But I'm going another direction for my arsenal.

 

@Hulkster which rods are those? And I'm thinking I'll go longer, I have a couple shorter mhf rods already - gonna give the 7'3 or 7'6 mhxf a go.

[WRB]

My custom jig and worm rods for jigs 3/8 to 3/4 oz and worms 7” to 8” w/ bullet weight 3/16- 3/8 oz is 5 power 6’10” fast action rod. For heavier jigs 3/4 to 1 oz and worm 9” to 14” w/ bullet sinker 1/4 to 1/2 oz was the same 6’10” rod with 6 power fast action. Used both with 10# to 14# FC line, no braid. Average cast about 40 to 50 yards. I don’t use the rod to hook set, it’s a combination of a reel and rod sweep hook set at over 100’ away. IMO you loose lure feed back with longer rods, only advantage is ease of longer casts. Any longer cast then 150’ strike detection is impossible for me with jigs.

Average depth is about 17’ deep (3’ to 30’).

Tom

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

One good thing about longer rod is the small fish I always catch feel bigger than with shorter rod.

[Mike L]

My longest rod is a 7’3 and don’t miss my 7’6” at all for any presentation 
I’m more concerned with the quality of the build, power and action for what I want to use it for. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike
 

 

[FrnkNsteen]

My rod lockers are too short to fit 7'6" rods, so my longest rods are 7'3" or a couple 7'4". I only use the longer rods for techniques where I'm fancasting areas and accuracy doesn't matter much. 

 

Closer work around cover when I need more accuracy is usually done by 6'8" - 7' rods, with my few 6' - 6'6" rods reserved for actions like poppers and jerkbaits where I don't want to slap the water as I'm workibg the bait. 

 

My most common length is 7' on casting rods and 6'6" - 6'10" on spinning rods.

[Deleted account]

I always start on the low side and move up as necessary in all aspects of a rod, so shorter, less power, slower, and work each up as required. Most of my rods are shorter than 7'. 

[1984isNOW]

55 minutes ago, WRB said:

My custom jig and worm rods for jigs 3/8 to 3/4 oz and worms 7” to 8” w/ bullet weight 3/16- 3/8 oz is 5 power 6’10” fast action rod. For heavier jigs 3/4 to 1 oz and worm 9” to 14” w/ bullet sinker 1/4 to 1/2 oz was the same 6’10” rod with 6 power fast action. Used both with 10# to 14# FC line, no braid. Average cast about 40 to 50 yards. I don’t use the rod to hook set, it’s a combination of a reel and rod sweep hook set at over 100’ away. IMO you loose lure feed back with longer rods, only advantage is ease of longer casts. Any longer cast then 150’ strike detection is impossible for me with jigs.

Average depth is about 17’ deep (3’ to 30’).

Tom

I mentioned having a 6'10 mxf and wondering if part of the sensitivity was it's shortness. Maybe I'll go with the 7' mhxf. I have a 6'9 mhf which I also like, but wanna try a more powerful xf.

 

I also have a st. Croix Victory 72MHMF coming, I'm curious to try the moderate fast for jigs and tries. I've heard some people really like that action for those techniques.

 

@ALLAYALL who are using shorter rods - you don't feel like the shorter rod messes with your hook sets or ability to maneuver the fish? Even when casting into vegetation?

[Choporoz]

I love my 7'6"(1) and 7'4" (2) rods.  Especially in summer.  And fishing from shore.  But if the question is 7' OR 7'+, I would choose 7'.  But the correct answer is 'Both'

[1984isNOW]

11 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

I love my 7'6"(1) and 7'4" (2) rods.  Especially in summer.  And fishing from shore.  But if the question is 7' OR 7'+, I would choose 7'.  But the correct answer is 'Both'

I think when it comes to light,  ML and medium for finesse that longer has more advantages than shorter. And I feel ya on both being necessary - time and a place for everything.

[Deleted account]

40 minutes ago, PUTitinYOURmouthFISH said:

I mentioned having a 6'10 mxf and wondering if part of the sensitivity was it's shortness. 

Maybe, maybe not. All else being equal, a shorter rod will be more sensitive, but even with rods of the same manufacturer and model, all else isn't usually equal.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

I really like a 7'3 as a do it all length.  I use quite a few 7'6 for inshore.  Theyre long enough to get good distance but they are still short enough to balance with a light reel.  I like shorter rods if Im vertical fishing, making really short casts, or working a JB. 

A longer rod will give you a longer tip section which really helps if you don't want that pool cue feel.  As for losing sensitivity relative to length, I'm sure there's something to it especially with heavier power rods, but Ive got a 9ft Dailuna sea bass rod and even though its softer then I would like it to be its really sensitive.

[Big Hands]

My two favorite rods are my 7'6" St. Croix Mojo ML/XF hair jig spinning rod and my 7'3" Daiwa Tatula MH/F casting rod. I fish from my boat and love the extra casting distance. I do feel like the hair jig rod is not my most sensitive spinning rod as that would be the Expride 7' L/F, but the extra casting distance using a 4" or 5" Senko trumps the difference in sensitivity for me. I'm often line watching for those strikes when possible and it does a fantastic job of keeping fish pinned once I set the hook.

 

The 7'3" Tatula casting rod is as sensitive as any other casting rod I own. I love it for carolina rig fishing. If I'm anchored up, I will literally sit with it the 10-11 o'clock position with my eyes closed as I turn the crank as slowly as humanly possible and wait for even a small tick of a bite. It's amazing how far they will run with a bait, and even play tug-of-war when they don't suspect that they are on the end of a string. I feel like I know they are there way before have a clue.

 

All but one of the other rods in my 'starting lineup' range from 6'10" to 7'1".

 

All that said, I don't claim to know that longer rods are better for everyone.  But I certainly do prefer them. YMMV.

[Aaron_H]

3 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

theroretically the extra fast tip should be slightly more sensitive. i personally feel rods are getting to long. accuracy suffers but distance goes up. we fished with pistol grips that were 5-6 when i started. 6-6 rods are getting hard to find.

 

You can have my dad's 5'6" pistol grip trap rod when you can pry it out of his cold, dead hands. ?

 

For comparison's sake to the OP, I have a 6'10" M/XF and a 7'2" M/XF, both from the SLX lineup so all other things should be equal aside from length. The longer rod is more stout between the two. It's rated to 1/2 oz but I can easily throw a 1oz Whopper Plopper 110 on it without it feeling overloaded. The 6'10" feels like it has more give in the backbone.

[1984isNOW]

Awesome feedback guys, thanks. Anybody have experience with mhxf rods?

 

Now I'm torn between 7ft and 7'3 mhxf

[Aaron_H]

20 minutes ago, PUTitinYOURmouthFISH said:

Awesome feedback guys, thanks. Anybody have experience with mhxf rods?

 

Now I'm torn between 7ft and 7'3 mhxf

 

I use a 7'2" MH/XF rod for jigs and weighted Texas rigs. I like it very much for those techniques. It sticks them fast and hard.

[Hulkster]

@PUTitinYOURmouthFISH

 

the rods are a 7'6 IMX Pro MBR903C baitcasting

 

7'5 E6X JWR 892S 7'5 spinning rod

 

8 foot St. Croix Premier Musky rod MH 

[Big Hands]

3 hours ago, PUTitinYOURmouthFISH said:

Awesome feedback guys, thanks. Anybody have experience with mhxf rods?

I'm curious to know what it is about extra fast actions that intrigues you? 

 

Are you wanting to lock the drag down with heavy line, jack it out of heavy cover and grind the fish to the boat? I know that in some places if you give them any line, there's a good chance you'll get wrapped in a tree. Been there and lost some of those battles because the fish was allowed to turn and head in a direction more of it's choosing.

 

But if I was going to battle a fish on lighter line and on more equal terms, I wouldn't want a MH/XF rod for that fight. JMHO.

======================

I did once water-ski a 12-4 lb largemouth to the boat and straight into the net in relatively open water. Without question my least favorite great catch. Watching a magnificent fish like that sliding across the surface still sets poorly with me many years later.

[1984isNOW]

It all started when I got that 6'10 medium extra fast and thought dang this feels good. I put some yozuri hybrid on it and it killed light Texas rigs and super flukes. Thought a MH would bump it up a notch, plus it makes the hook set a bit smoother since you don't have to try to hit a home run backwards. 

 

Honestly I've learned if it's not finesse or treble hooks then get'em to the boat/shore as quick as possible- they're smart, especially when they're big, and know how to break you off or spit a hook.

 

And if you didn't ski her she very well may have gotten off and it wouldn't set well even worse.

[Catt]

10 hours ago, PUTitinYOURmouthFISH said:

Anybody have experience with mhxf rods?

 

Medium Heavy X-Fast is all I've used for worms/jigs since 2005.

 

My perfered length is 6' 10" but currently my worm rod is 7' & my jig rod is 7' 1".

[Deleted account]

6 hours ago, PUTitinYOURmouthFISH said:

they're smart, especially when they're big, and know how to break you off or spit a hook.

No.

[T-Billy]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

 

Medium Heavy X-Fast is all I've used for worms/jigs since 2005.

 

My perfered length is 6' 10" but currently my worm rod is 7' & my jig rod is 7' 1".

I bought a 7' MH XF for skipping, and based on Catt's recommendation I gave it a try for Trig's and jigs. I ended up buying a second. It's all I use for light trigs in moderate cover and jigs on structure these days. It casts light baits a long way on 20# braid, is super sensitive, and has enough power to suit me in light to moderate cover. I move up to a H F rod, and 40# 832 for thick stuff. 

[ChrisD46]

Hard Jerk Bait rod ? ... 6'6" ~ 6'10" range best for working the bait , so longer may not be better .