Hello Twofish, I've read a lot of threads and articles lately about which rods are best for shooting docks. The possibilities seem to be endless. This can be a deep subject and it appears personal preference plays a big role in it as well. I've been shooting docks a few years now and actually started with the 4'-6" Wally Marshall Signature rod, like you have ordered, when Bass Pro Shop carried it. Since then, I have purchased a couple Wally Marshall Signature Series rod in 5'-6" (made by Lew's) and really like them. I have one in 4'-6" as well and am ordering one in 6'-6" for longer casting applications. As you fish with different length rods, you will zero in on what suits you the best for your particular style of fishing & boat positioning. Some position their boat close to docks and prefer a shorter rod and some position farther away and prefer longer rods for longer shooting distance. I also use the Wally Marshall hi-vis line in 4# test as it really helps with strike detection. Don't be scared of this line as my son and I have caught 15# blue cats and several 3#-5# largemouth while crappie fishing. My reels are probably overkill, but I really enjoy the Shimano 1000FE spinning reels as they are very smooth for casting & retrieving which is my primary fishing style over shooting docks. Shimano Sedonas or Pfleuger Presidents are great reels as well. It just depends on what you want to spend. Overall I think you will enjoy your purchase and may want to graduate in lengths until you find the length that suits your style. Additionally, reels with larger spools don't cause as much line twist/memory as smaller spools. I started out with 500 series reels and learned the hard way. I made it through the spring/summer/fall with them, but it got tough in the winter. I now use 1000 series reels and some people even go with the 2000+ series.
Last edited by Jig'n4Crappie; 01-04-2014 at 08:14 PM.
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