Bigger better for dock shooting?????

[FishnFed]

I'm looking at a BnM Sharpshooter to add to my arsenal. What are the advantages/disadvantages of the 5'6" vs 4'6" rod?

Thanks for any advice.

Regards, Wally "FishnFed"

[Jameslin]

To be honest I really like bnm I have 20 pro-staff rods and I have 3 bnm sharp shooters and broke two of them first time I used them I use a 5ft ugly stick that's been modified to make it stiffer and it works great they run around 35.00 if your interested send me a pm and I will give you the number to the bait shop that makes them.

[crappiencali]

I've used those sharp shooters and like them. But I use a berkley lighting rod 5'6" and it works just as good and they aren't exspenive either. The berkley cherrywood rods are good too.

[bugman]

You can get in closer with a short rod but get more distance with a longer rod,i have a 6' cherrywood med light action that has become my favorite,it started off as 6'6" but i got in too close one too many times.

[Mike Andrews]

I've always used the 5.5' Wally Marshall rod. It's not available as a Wally Marshall anymore but Bass Pro is showing what looks to be the same rod in their "new" line of crappie rods. I tried the 4.5' version a couple of years ago and couldn't hit squat with it. Seemed that every time I tried to go under a dock the shot would go high. I'm sure some time spent with it would have cured the issue but since I had a pair of 5.5'ers I didn't work at it for very long.

[barrelslime]

Try to find a 5 foot or 5.5 foot 1 piece ugly stick. Iv found the 1 piece rods tend to shoot better than a 2 piece. The 5.5 foot rod will load a little better that the shorter one. But the shorter one may be more comfortable for you. I to have broken a B&M sharp shooter.

[CrappiePappy]

... from 5' to 8' rods, and successfully shot docks with all of them. I don't, however, recommend the 8' ones :p

In all seriousness, my favorite dock shooting rods are 5' & 5' 6" ... an old 5' Quantum rod, & a 5' 6" ESP rod (prototype rod that I fieldtested). I try and make sure I have at least 4ft of distance, between the straitened rod & the dock, before making my cast (shot).

Understand that the BnM Sharpshooter is an UL rod ... with a parabolic bend. My Quantum & ESP rods are UL rods, but with fast action tips (bend mostly towards the tip). Fast action rods seem to "shoot" the jig with more speed, whereas the parabolic bend rods seem to catapult the jig (with not so much speed). If you're shooting wide open docks (those with a couple of feet of clearance between dock & water surface), it doesn't seem to make as much difference as when you're shooting a jig through a more narrow opening. Timing your release is a bit different between the two actions, too ... with the fast action rods requiring a slightly quicker release (due to the faster reflex speed of the rod).

Parabolic bend rods also require a heavier hand when setting the hook .. due to the greater overall bend of the rod length. They also don't create as much hooksetting power, due to the lessened backbone power of a parabolic bend.

A wide spool or longcast type of reel will be of great benefit to you, as it will allow for longer casting distances. Matching the reel size/weight to the rod, for a proper balance point, is also an important factor to consider.

Not trying to talk you into, or out of, any particular rod length/brand/action ....I am just relating my experiences/opinion. The person that introduced dock shooting, to me, uses a 6' 6" med action (brand unknown) ... and my fishing partner uses a 6' lite action (Berkley Cherrywood). They seem to work well enough for them, that they haven't changed their preferences.

.. cp

[skeetbum]

I agree that a one piece rod does the job better than a two piece. In tight quarters a smaller rod will get around easier. I have shot docks with some very unconventional rods, completely off the mark from all we discuss here, simply because I had them in my hand and I needed to make a shooting presentation. Find a rod that's comfortable to do most of what you need when it comes to shooting docks, and once you learn and become more comfortable with it, one or two of the rods you've been working with will become your favorite. A lightweight one piece rod will get you started and you will go from there. Spending good money isn't needed in the beginning. One of my club Brothers uses an $8 rod from Wally and does fine with it.

[jeepguyjames]

I'm very much a rookie at dock/toon shooting, but I been using a 4'6 ugly stick and it does well......that being said I am a big fan of BnM.....