freshwater bass rods are so short, except for fishing the trout plugs? Everyone I've tubed with uses typical 5'6"- 6'6" rods for both fresh and salt. I have a 6'6", but haven't used it since I got my new rods. I fish a 7'6", 7'9", and 8'. With the longer rods I like the added casting distance. Also I feel like I can put more pressure on bigger fish with the light line. What are you guys using and why?

Amish Ed

Ed,
There are probably a few reasons why bass rods are relatively short. I think the primary reason is that they're made for specific uses. Flippin sticks are longer cause you need to whip the lure out there with little effort. Saltwater rods are mostly designed for fish fighting (tuna sticks, trolling rods etc. not counting jigsticks and some plastics rods) while bass rods are designed to pick up on slight taps and being able to feel what the lure's doing all the time. Shorter rods are probably more sensitive for that kinda stuff. That's an interesting question though, maybe I'll post it on ncbf.com and see what some guys have to say. I know there's a couple saltwater guys that can compare.
-Brian

The reason bass rods are short is mostly for casting accuracy. You'll see guys using 6 foot and 6.5 foot rods for throwing spinnerbaits tight to cover. It's tough to throw a spinnerbait 6 inches from the bank and quietly on an 8 foot rod.
But I hear what you are saying Ed, and I don't fish any freshwater bass rods under 6' 10". That's just my style and it comes from being a saltwater fisherman too.
Talk to Matt Peters though, his sticks are mostly 6 to 7 foot for bass-n' and he can tell you more about the advantages of this.

Thanks guys. I figured acuracy might be a reason, but didn't figure on the sensitivity factor. Guess I'll find out about it sunday.

Hey Brian what is tha website to which you refer? I won't have any free time to browse for a while.

Thanks again guys,
Amish Ed

http://www.ncbf.com

It's a site for northern california bass fishing. They've got a really active forum so it's really cool. If you ever have any questions, you can get some answers directly from the pros. It's pretty sweet.
-Brian

Rod Length,

Another fantastic forum question! Although my all my rods except one are from 6ft to 7.5 ft, I am serious about changing my arsenal to favor rods closer to 7 ft. Worm shaking rods, made popular by Don Iovino, manufactured by Phenix, known as doodle rods were from 5.5 to 6 feet long. Relatively short, but these rods were designed for deep water, vertical fishing. Shaking a worm, moving it slowly along the bottom can be done best with a short rod. It's all about presentation for highly pressured S. Cal/desert bass. Yes a 7ft rod would work, but you tend to fish a little faster(you move the worm too far on a single lift). That was the old tyme philosophy behind the short doodle sticks.

Today, I don't even bring my 55M2 Phenix rod out with me. It's a wall hanger...Excalibur handle, and old school. Very cool. However, as my fishing's changed, I'm learning to fish longer rods more effectively in deep water worming and jig situations.

There are literally 30 rods I'd like to custom create, all with weird odd lengths. Like 6'4", 6'9", 7'2", and every inch increments in between! Bass rods are very specialized. Basically certain baits require a certain rod and reel set up to be fished to their full potential. Longer rods are great for long casts, and the superior leverage in hooking and fighting fish. Think about the different rod it would take to effectively fish a the walk the dog type topwater baits. A Zara Spook is bulky and weighs maybe 3/4-1oz. depending on changed hooks and added split rings. Then look at a Sammy or Megabass bait...they've got plenty of weight to cast, but are a more compact, high performance bait. I'd fish a Spook on a rod with a little more guts than the high performance baits.

I could have 8 rods for just fishing jigs! Pitching, open water casting, flipping, swimming, Yamamoto Jigs, and some as back ups!

I think there is a general trend for bass anglers to take advantage of longer rods these days. You'll never see one with a rod over 8'. Universal tournament rule across the country!

I think 7ft rods in medium to the light side for cranking (graphite) are a wonderful choice. I'm not really into fiberglass, but I'm will to remain open minded!

Bottom line is: Yes you can get by with shorter rods, some prefer the accuracy. I know a longer rod can be just as accurate, combined with the right line size, lure weight, and presentation! If you want to be the best, longer rods are where its at (in my opinion!)

matt

southernswimbait.com
BigBait Fishing in the South

LAST EDITED ON Sep-21-00 AT 09:26 AM (PST)

LAST EDITED ON Sep-21-00 AT 09:21 AM (PST)

I've been freshwater bass fishing primarily in small bodies of water (streams, ponds, etc.) for nearly 20 years. I primarily use 5 - 6 ft. rods.

I feel the main reason I use the shorter rods is because of casting accuracy. Because I primarily fish these small bodies of water I'm usually close to cover making relatively short casts. With a 5.5 or 6' rod I can usually drop the bait on a dime.

Sensitivity may be another issue but my 8' 2" Loomis HS983 that I use for halibut is very sensitive so who knows.

It is also easier to control the fish once it's close to the tube with a shorter rod.

My typical setup for tubing small bodies of water for bass are (I typically bring three rods):

Loomis SJ721 (6 ft.) or SJ641 (5.33 ft.) - Shimano 1000 reel - 8 lb. test - I use this for fishing small plastics (under 6 inches) with 1/16 - 1/4 oz. weight. I use R & R Strokers 3 inch Beavertail grubs in the amber color probably 95% of the time.

Loomis C723 (6 ft.) or Loomis C663 (5.5 ft.) - Quantum E600ti - 12 lb. test - I use this mainly for throwing buzzbaits and spinnerbaits but will use it for crankbaits if I'm in tight.

Loomis P843 (7 ft.) or Loomis C662 (5.5 ft.) - Calcutta 150 - 10 lb. test - I just started using the P843 over the C662 for throwing cranks such as Rat-L-Traps and Rebel Crawfish. I built it for light halibut fishing but it has turned out to be one of the best rods for fishing cranks for largemouth because of the "not-so-fast" action.

It does feel a little strange when I'm fishing halibut and seabass one day and largemouth the next going from 8' to 6' foot rods but after a few casts I'm used to it.

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You can't catch tomorrow what you kill today - please practice catch and release.

Thanks Guys, I think the shorter stuff when you are in tight sounds good. Since 7'6" is the shortest rod I've fished in my tube, I'm used to it. But, I'll keep the short one around just in case.

Amish Ed