14 foot rod

[pop]

Going to purchase a new boat this year and want to try spider rigging. I live in Pennsylvania and have never seen anyone in the area doing this kind of fishing so local resources are non existent. All my information is from the internet. I Purchased a 14ft rod from Pro Angler Tackle to see what it was like handling such a long rod. I think I might have bitten off more than I can chew. Seems it might be a bit difficult handling one let alone handling the 3 allowed by the state and 6 if I can get my wife to go along with me. Some feed back will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Pop

[Gobob]

I am no expert by any stretch , but from what I have observed and learned from the MS members is the shallower the water the longer the rods. A lot of people including myself use 12' rods, I have 2-10' 6-12' and 1-14 ' . The more you get into this the more options you'll come up with. Pulling cranks (my favorite) pushing cranks, long lining , spider rigging.
water clarity also adds to the length of the rods The idea is the clearer the the water the further out you want your bait. I highly recommend you go to the MS page and read the pulling cranks article, Use the google search on the site to find the answers to just about every question you could think of about crappie fishing. Personal preference will also way in , I like 12' rods, I just got 4 BnM pro staff trolling rods, these rods can be used for spider rigging the lightest jig/minnow or used to push crank baits with 4 oz weight, very tuff yet sensitive rod. All the MS members I have met or talked with are great people and will help you anyway they can. The crappie camps are a great way to make new friends and learn new tricks .

[monkscrappie]

I have been "Spider Rigging" since 1964 or 50 years. The more you use long rods, the easier it becomes. Remember, most of the time the rod is in the rod holder. Transporting and storage is more of an issue than fishing with a long pole.

I have a 15ft boat that "fishes" 22 poles with out issues. I also have a Triton 196 TA that 'fishes" 22 poles with out isses. There are a number of photos on my web site that may help.

Monk

[Brian Stucker]

I started out using 16' rods. Then went to 14' rods and now I'm back to 16' rods. I personally love the 16' rod. I think that extra 2 foot puts the bait in the strike zone a little longer before the fish spooks.

[Boa3]

I have only been spider rigging for 3 years but I started with 12 footers. I almost immediately went to 14 and haven't looked back. Doesn't take long to get used to them. I fish Southern Pro rods.