Why are crappie poles so long?

[jigflinger]

I have what I think is a pretty good crappie rig. A St Croix Premier 6'6" light rod and a Pflueger President with Berkley 8 lb Superline.

Yes I could go lighter but I wanted something that would cover either side of crappie fishing. Haven't had the uber fish bite yet but I know that's coming. At least I want a chance to land that one.

This St Croix rod is infuriating in that I can feel every nibble but can't set that hook. I chalk that up to my inexperience as a fisherman.

But my question is why are crappie rods so long?

As far as not being able to set the hook is concerned, you don't "set the hook" with superline. Just keep reeling and maybe raise the rod tip a little.

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[BULLFROG-1]

Rofl

[jigflinger]

HAHAHAHAHA. You're a riot, man.

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[CrappiePappy]

Jigflinger has a point !! In regards to using braids, I also had to learn to not "set the hook" ... at least not in the same way as with mono. I use a 7' Bionic Blade IM8 rod, Shimano Spirex 2000, and 10/2 PowerPro ... primarily for casting Roadrunners & Whirley Bees. I don't jerk the rod backward/upward when the bite occurs ... I simply continue to reel, while sweeping the rod away from the direction of the fish. You see, I don't hold the rod in the upright 10 o:clock position, like I do when using my outfits with mono. I hold it pointing towards the water. I'm not really looking at the line, watching for the little movements that indicate a strike ... I'm waiting for the feeling of weight, or a telltale "thump", thru the rod. The no stretch factor of braid allows for less power/speed in your hookset, while maintaining the penetration power of the hookset.

Now, should I happen to use this particular outfit to cast & swim a jig, in place of an outfit with mono, I simply back off the drag just a touch & lighten up on my hookset speed ... sweeping the rod "upward", rather than "jerking" the rod upward.

The shortest rod I use is 5' long ... basically used for dock shooting w/jigs. The longest rod I have is 10' ... and I have it rigged for tightlining or slow trolling with live bait. My main jig casting rod is 6'6" ... and I have several 7' & 8' rods, and a 9' rod, all with their own primary methods of use, along with the capability of being used in multiple methods/scenarios.

As a shore fisherman, unless conditions dictate that a short rod is necessary to keep from striking obstacles in your immediate vicinity .... you might be shortchanging yourself by not having a longer rod. A longer rod will cast farther, pick up more slack line upon hookset, and afford you more control of a hooked fish; as well as work as a shock absorber during the runs of bigger fish, as it helps compliment the reel's drag. Longer rods are a definate plus when using floats, especially when fishing deep. Again, it's the extra length that helps take up the line ... AND helps overcome the drag of the float & the angle the float places the line in, when setting the hook.

But ... as the old saying goes "if it ain't broken, don't fix it" ... and if you're successful with the equipment you have, under the conditions/scenarios that you fish ... that saying may well fit the situation.

... cp

[jigflinger]

You have some good set ups, CP. My cast and retrieve rigs are 6 foot, light action Bionic Blades with Shimano reels. Love em. I did fail to mention about backing off the drag. That's what causes most break offs during hook-up.

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[gone fission]

1- so you can clean cobwebs and bird nests from underside of bridges and railroad tressels

2- poke your fishin buddy in the eye without leaving your seat

3- retrieving snagged lures from great depths

like duct tape there are many many, more uses you will find. that reminds me, duct tape may come in handy (after cleaning cobwebs/unsnagging jigs ) to re-affix rod tips.

[Corker]

What is a spider rig?

Some guys also call a fixed-line "cane pole" setup a spider rig.

[keeferfish]

1- so you can clean cobwebs and bird nests from underside of bridges and railroad tressels

2- poke your fishin buddy in the eye without leaving your seat

3- retrieving snagged lures from great depths

4- Twirl a fish around the boat like a cheerleader until you learn to use it.

[Danny W]

I like my 12fter too because you find alot fish at that depth in the summer and winter months on my reservoir. Helps keep the jig in the proper depth / strike zone.

[inkminers]

But my question is why are crappie rods so long?[/QUOTE]

I'm not dead sure why long poles got to be associated so much with just Crappie because they're pretty useful for quite a range of fish. Maybe evolved to be able to lift Crappie straight up out of the middle of a brush pile without having to drag them through all the branches and risk a hang up?

A long cane pole was all we had as 8 yr olds. We graduated to spincasting and left the cane pole behind for quite a while, but over time we discovered that there were both advantages and disadvantages to the shorter rigs and the ability to cast.

You can actually cover more water relatively close to the boat or float/dock more efficiently with a long rod (I carry a 13 footer for this job). If you think about it, just having 13 foot of rod and 13 foot of line (more or less) gives you about a 26 foot reach without having to reel in and cast out again. You can change depths at 13 feet out without bringing the bait any closer to you. Whether bait or lure (mostly jig or small streamers for me) I can swing that business end from one location to another with speed and ease. You can even swim a bait out away from you for a considerable distance.

Slow drifting along creeks or any shoreline can be dynamite, bait just dipped and dabbled in any likely looking hole between lilly pads, brush piles or along the drop offs, under overhanging trees, behind logs, etc., and it can be done without a splash or hooks flying overhead which can be a consideration with munchkins involved.

Obviously, it's not the rig of choice for probing 40 yards out with a deep runner, but you can make lures like a small rapala do things that are near impossible when casting. Of course the long rod dictates stealth mode though. Banging against the boat hull, bouncing the anchor off the rock ledge, or slamming the tackle box lid open against the seat, etc. will usually kill any advantages getting in close provided..... The big plus will come the day that a 4 lb bucketmouth decides to give that long rod a bit of exercise. It kind of makes ya wonder why you ever fished with anything else.