Thread: Opinios on long rods vs short rods on boats.

Personally, I prefer a shorter rod below the boat jigging not really caring about the depth, but longer to reach into brush piles.

The shortest jigging rod I own is 10'. I like the long rods no matter the depth of water. I'd try an 11' outlaw crappie/walleye rod matched with a phluger 3620 or 3625 spinning reel with 12# power pro line.

i try to carry both if your dippin a tree line the tree might only be 2 or 3 ft away from boat pretty hard to dip that tree with that outlaw which by thge way is a great rod for that tree that is 10 ft away imo

I did jig exclusively with long rods for a long time. The past few years I've started doing more winter/deep water brush pile fishing (20-30'). I started out the first year or 2 using a long rod because I only jigged with long rods. I recently switch to an ESP 5'6" ultra light with 10# braid it is NIGHT and DAY difference. The long rod always seemed to be a pain trying to fish vertically when using a graph or with 2 people on the bow. You can't see your jig unless you stand 10' away from the screen. I was stubborn to switch to the short rod but it made my life a lot easier and my catch rate went up! The ESP has tremendous feel perfect for that application.

Now I still use a long rod in the spring and summer dipping trees and shoreline brush. I've owned about 8 different ones. All around best IMO is Ozark Crappie Rod 11' rear reel seat. A buddy has a couple Outlaw rods and he complains constantly about them. He would always borrow one of my Ozarks when we went now he owns 2 Ozarks. The Ozark rods are light and have a very strong backbone for pulling big slabs out of brush. I've landed many large catfish, LM bass, and wipers on them as well. There was times I thought I was surely going to break a rod on one of those big cats going under the boat but have yet to break one. They also have a solid stainless tip which is real nice to reach down and pop a snagged jig off with. Other rods with inserts the inserts will pop out when doing that.

You can order both ESP and Ozark from grizzlyjig.com

You can always move the boAt further away if your to close, but you can't always reach into the middle with a short rod. I much prefer long rods. 9-12ft long. Plus I don't have to push my partner out of the way to reach what's he is fishing. If I'm to close I can walk to the back of the boat and still jig it. I won't say you feel it any better with a long rod but I don't have to throw my shoulder out on the hook set either. Just wrist it and the tip moves a long ways. Personnel choice only of course. Fish what you have faith in and it makes a huge difference. But never be afraid to try something different no matter what Anybody else thinks

For fishing standing timber, dipping trees fishing in skinny water I use a long rod. I have a number of these from outlaw to ozark. I really have no preference both fish well. For fishing below the boat vertical jigging I us G lomis rods light action one is 7 ft the other 6'6' do know the numbers but just great rods strong, sensitive, I also use these when casting to the banks hunting fish in the spring and summer. Yes expensive but well worth the money.

if i am going to stick a rod 5 or 6 ft back in a gnarly old laydown then i get out 1 of my 10 ft cherokee's know i might need some backbone there hopefully??

What no buddy using cane poles.