6' MH vs 7' M?

[jajafofo]

I have two berkley cherrywood rods, one is 6' MH and the other is a 7' M.  I havent really fished the 7' yet, but i cant help but wondering if i am losing distance and feel with the 6' MH one.  I am using a Pflueger Element reel.  Id like to make this my all purpose rod, so which would you guys recommend?

[jm529]

a 6'6" would be a great all purpose rod but its not one of your choices. most of the pros nowadays use a 7' or longer for the distance and hook setting power but go to shorter rods for accurate casting around docks and trees.

[flechero]

I havent really fished the 7' yet

Try the 7' rod for a day... you'll never know which works better for you, regardless of what we say.  

[islandbass]

You might lose some distance, but not really that much. I bought my 7 year old daughter a 6' Daiwa rod for $12 and although it did take a little more umph, I was pretty much able to toss lures about the same distance as a 6'6" rod.

So the other advantage of a longer rod is making a cast as that with a shorter rod but with less effort. Leverage and line control are other advantages, but if a mega long distance cast is not needed, shorter rods are slightly lighter and therefore should be less fatiguing to use for a long period of time.

Bottomline, go with what is comfortable. Length is also a relative thing. 7' is "long" for a bass rod, but compared to a steelhead rod, they are short. Even at 5'5", I use 8'6" and 9'6" rods when salmon fishing. ;D And there are folks in Canada who make those rods seem short by fishing with 12-14' rods!

[jajafofo]

Thanks for the replies.  I got the 7' out yesterday to put my reel on to go test it out, but the handle was broken (just bought it Sunday).  Took it back, and since they didnt have any more like it, I upgraded to a Team Daiwa V 6'6" Medium casting rod.   Hadnt planned on upgrading, but it felt so good that I had to have it...

[Redlinerobert]

Distance, go with the 7 foot rod.  More accurate casts, the 6 footer.