LAST EDITED ON Sep-19-00 AT 03:30 PM (PST)

First off, GREAT FISH Rob!!! I read your report on catching the monster and i noticed you used a 9 foot rod. You told me that your idea of a perfect trout rod would be an 8 footer. I'm not saying you're a liar, I just wanted to know if a 850 or 900 calstar blank would be better. I mostly fish from shore and i'd feel more secure making LOOOOONG casts. Also, i'm getting a float tube soon and I was wondering if i could fish a trout from it. People tell me its hard to set the hook on a fish. WOuld I have trouble fishing big wood? I'd love to hear all your opinions on rods, reels, and float tube stuff.
Thanx for all the help-Vince

Vincent,
I can't answer anything regarding trout rods as rob's the expert, but as for setting the hook in a float tube, it's not too tough. If you can set the hook sitting on a bass boat pedestal seat, you can do it in a float tube. Probably easier in a float tube cause in the boat, you still gotta balance yourself on the seat, but in the tube, you don't have to worry about that (although it would be funny to see somebody flip themself over in a float tube on the hookset...).
-Brian

I haven't found a problem with the longer rods in my tube. At least as far as hooksets go. They are just a pain to thread the guides if you bust off or something. But, my experience is with the salty type fish so I don't know if this translates over. In fact I made a new post after thinking about it.

Amish Ed

Vincent
I was using the long rod because that's what I got. I still don't have the "perfect" 8 footer I have been looking for although yesterday I did pick up a Yamamoto Mod VI XHeavy rod to use in tournaments. It's a 7-6 one piece and seems good but I haven't taken it on the water yet. If you are mostly shore fishing and not in tourneys I would check out the Calstar 900XL as a big wood rod. The difference is going to be casting distance and maybe a little more control over the fish but you are going to lose some accuracy with the long rod. Mike Shaw, who makes the MS Slammer and has been doing this a whole lot longer than I have uses only 8 foot rods. So those are some toughts and I think anything between 7-6 and 9 foot is going to work, it's mostly a matter of personal preference.

-Rob