Thread: 10 ft or 11ft?

I use 11ft mostly but also use 12ft on specific needs! !!! have no use for 10ft.

I do just as much Vertical jig fishing as anybody, and I can tell you that I enjoy fishing the 10 foot Ozark for it's lightness, just the right bend and backbone and it's give when setting the hook in shallow water. The 11 footer is too stiff in my opinion when fishing shallow or dipping shallow water cover, when setting the hook it tears too big of a hole and you will lose more big fish. For me in general it is just a funnier rod to catch and fight a crappie with. The 11 footer while heavier has a place in bigger boats and in open deeper water brush piles. If I was you I would buy two 10's and 2 11's and forget about a 12 footer. If you hold that arm out there all day your going to feel that 12 footer allot sooner as you get older. What ever you do get a small quality spinning reel to put on the end. The spinning reel is just a smoother reel to fight crappie with and to fish deep water more effectively by letting line coming off the spool more freely. The small level winds you see some people have on these poles is like cranking a jack in the box handle and don't take up line quick enuff especially in deep water. I guess they are alright in shallow water but would'nt you rather have an outfit that can function well both in deep and shallow water. My 2 cents.

Have to call bull on 11' Ozark being too stiff . I jig fish more than anyone cause I don't drag minnows , ever! If your tearing lips you set the hook too hard . I use forward seat 11' and those guys fishing with me can't swing in slabs on those 10' rods. I seldom use a net and loose very few fish either. The 10' too light , 12 ' too heavy and the 11 ' is just right!

I feel that people are waiting for me to weigh in on this. When 2 poling, to be really good at it, you need a 11ft for the left hand and a pink 10ft for the right hand. I would explain why, but it would use up too much bandwidth on Slabs site.

Keep in mind that some folks have no experience fishing pads and heavy shallow cover with two feet of line hanging off the end of a 11 foot Ozark and trying to lift a 2lber out. When you use too stiff of rod that shallow I don't care how hard you set the hook the 11 footer is way too much leverage and power with a short amount of line trying to land a big...un. Trust me I have put this too the test many times you need a rod that will give to the fish. The 10 footer serves this purpose well. No bull about it.

the ozarks all feel flimsy whippy to me for some reason. The need a stiffer rod cause i sweat these bnm tips are weak sauce.

I like the 11 ft. rear seat jig poles

I don't think either of my Ozarks are whippy in a 10' or 11'. I don't know what action they are. I know they make a light and a heavy action. I think both rods that I use are heavies. It doesn't say on the site what action the rear seat rod is.