Thread: Long Rods vs Short Rods

Prepare to fall in love my friend...Bass Pro Tourney Special 6'6" med lite action with a Shimano Solstace 1000RH and 4lb Berkley Sensation line. I have used this combo for a little over a year now, it is better than American Express, I never leave home without it. Quikfire on the reel makes for easy casts all day long, the rod has plenty of backbone, but is still very sensitive. I am an avid fishing rod fanatic, they are just like tools, you need the right one for each different type of job, but this one is forcing several other rods to just collect dust.

Shimano Reel
Tourney Special Rod

Originally Posted by Fishin Ky

I'm getting mixed opinions on this subject, so I wanted to see what you guys think about it. I currently use a 5' ultralight rod for casting jigs (I mostly use jigs to cast across the front of 3 or 4 docks and work the jig back), but I've been considering trying an 8' or 9' one because a couple of my friends say you can get more distance out of them. For casting light jigs, is a short rod or long rod better?

I'm comfortable with pretty much anything up to 9' already (I'm a recovering catfish addict that found a new addiction :D ). I've got my eye on the 9' WM universal crappie rod, but I don't want to buy one that short if it won't cast a jig well (I prefer 12' or 14' for spider rigging, so a 9' one would just gather dust in the garage).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Well I dont have a 9 foot rod but I do have an 11 foot BnM. I found that I mostly use this fishing a 30' drop off at my lake or when I want to under hand cast or pitch a minnow and cork under a dock. I've used it on shore and can cast pretty far but I have to have so much more room around, above and behind me to do so. I like using the UL and just fish the front and sides of the cover then work my way in so I dont spook all the fish. I try to keep my boat noise to a minimum as well, like putting oil on my swivel seat.

I use both short (4.5' and 5.5') UL rigs and the longer poles 8, 9 and 10 footers (UL). It all depends where I'm fishing (cover, etc.) If I really need to make an accurate cast to avoid trees, brush or somebody's head I use the shorter UL poles. I just sort of have a feeling which I need to be using based on where I am and I continue to experiment until I get it right!

7-9 ft for casting. I admit I hardly ever cast, but when I do it is with an 8 fter...

I can definitely say my 9 footer casts longer than my 5-6 footers. But I think it would be even better if it had more backbone. Casting it is like casting a wet noodle. It can be done, but it's not very accurate. And I don't think it's as efficient either (as far as distance goes), compared in theory to one somewhat stiffer. But the flexibility is actually what attracted me to this one originally, so I'm not going to give it up. The long rod I had before that broke on the first decent fish (the bottom section at that!)! So I'll keep the wet noodle around, and hopefully add one that's more stout in the near future. I don't have any "tweener" rods (7-8 ft), at least not light action rods. Sorry I can't help you there.

I start losing accuracy when the casting rod gets over 7'.

I like my 6' Microlite from Bass Pro.

But it's all about what you are comfortable with.

G.

funny DC


"tweener" rods

A fourteen foot (14') crappie rod!? LOL geez... I can hardly imagine. Seems like you'd be fishing with a telephone pole!