So, thinking of getting into the Crappie thing more and thinking about a pole. I see 10' to 15' or so pole and wondering the advantages of the various lengths. Are there times you use shorter/longer. I'd like to fish from both boat and shore.

for all around use i would say between a 7 footer to a 9 footer IMO. but for walking a creek bank a 12 footer can be an advantage. but the 7 to 9 foot can be used to cast a jig and bobber in a creek as well.. kinda just a personal preference.

B & M 8' and 10' are my favorites. Anything longer is a pain, unless Spider Rigging. IMO....


keith

Eric51 IMO you can`t go wrong if you have three types.(1) a 5 footer for shooting docks from your boat,(2) a 7 footer for casting bobbers from the bank & (3) a 12 to 14 footer for extended reach while walking the banks.just what works for me.

I like the 5' for docks and marinas. I like a 9' for bridges (if there is room) and brush piles. And 12' for creek fishing.

I use a 7' and a 10' in the creeks or boat. Might have to go to something smaller for Marinas. Haven't fished them much, but if I had to chose only 1 rod it would be 8'-9'.

Thanks guys. I was speaking mostly about the long pole type, but also curious about the other. I have a 8 1/2' UL that I've used for the little bit that I've done in the past and I also have a 6'9" ML that I've used for bass for drop shotting and shaky head fishing. I have an extra spool for the ML and think that will get me going until I'm hopelessly hooked the whole crappie thing.

As far as a long pole meaning anything 7ft or more they are pointless for shooting docks or fishing on a crappie dock or barge, for a dock you want something 5ft to 6ft, ideal in my opinion as far as dock fishing

As Keith said, anything beyond 10' is a pain most of the time, except spider riggin in shallow water and creek fishin. And that long pole can be a pain on the creek if you have to walk past much brush. I use a 10' from the boat in spring cause I don't want to get on top of the shallow fish. Otherwise it's 8' or shorter.

8ft is my standared athough i carry a 10ft too

5-5 1/2' for shooting docks (if we ever get enough water back under em. 6 1/2' to 7 1/2' for brush pile summer and winter also used for slow retrieving a roadrunner or jig. 10-12' for spider rigging. I prefer about a 10' rod for spring time spawn fishing. Now during the spawn I will also use my 7 1/2' and throw a road runner under a cork, small crank bait or even a tiny spinner bait to hit spawning fish and cover alot of water.

yeah it's all preference.. i seen some ol boys last year when we were white perch fishin in some trees using 12 ft fly poles.. can't go wrong with a 7 though

Could someone explain what UL and ML stand for? I'm sure once someone points it out I'll go "oh yeah!"

All I had to do was read a few more posts and "ding" the light came on at home. UL= ultralight, UM = medium?

ML I believe is medium light, but some rods have ML on them that stand for micro-light being brand specific. I'm not a 100% sure though

Rods' length for crappie fishing?...it can varies quite a bit.

But here is my humble 2 cents....Since there are so many length for so many different application, it's best to see what you would use the rod for.

From short to long:

Dock Shooter 4'-6 to 5'-6", this depends on how tall you are and how long is your reach. It is best to get the proper length so that when you are holding the reel on one hand, and with about 12" line from the tip, you can easily reach and grab the jig. If you are a tall person with long reach, a 4'-6" would be like a kid's rod, and if you are a short person with shorter reach, a 5'-6" may be harder to operate. Dock shooter should be a bit stiffer so it would give you more spring. If you can shoot a 1/32 oz jig using 6# test for 20', chances are that's a good proper dock shooter for you. Exception: If you are the type who stage your boat a good 10' away from the dock rather than right next to it, then you can use a 6'-6" or 7'-0" (watch Mr. Rollins at CC) You just have to get the jig hang a bit longer for the reach of the jig, thus, you would still want a stiffer rod to have good spring.

Slips and barge: a 5'-6" to 6'-6". The best and most common distant you would want the tip of your rod from the water is about 6" or less. Once again, your height plays a role on choosing the proper length. One thing to note, however, is the clearance height of where you are fishing. If the ceiling is high and clear, there's nothing to worry about. Often times, many slips and marinas have very low ceiling, a 6'-6" is asking for a broken tip when a fish comes off during the hookset.

Brushpiles, timbers, and bridge collumns: 7'-6" to 9'-0" . The longer the rod, the better the reach (but not too long where it would become a hassle to handle in the wind. Not to forget that the bridge clearance play a role on this as well. For example: Most bridges have good clearance, but CC 198 bridge is one of those you should use a shorter rod if you plan to have your boat situate under the bridge... Longer rod will also a plus when you are fishing timbers. Some hot spot timbers have many branches sticking out. Your boat can only be so close, if you have a short rod where you can't reach the trunk, you are missing out. By reaching a bit further to the trunk pocket is a life saver for some folks who are articulate with their newer boat. One scratch on that shinny new boat can ruin a day for some people. Luckily, I am not one of them...

Creek Bank and Spring Time Spawn Wading: 10'-0" to 15'-0" More reach (safe distance from those water mocs) equals less spook of fish when wading. One of the most difficult rod to purchase is a long rod with good stiff backbone. Most long rods are noodles. Most stiff long rods are as heavy as a telephone pole and with a tip as big as a broom stick...

Action of the rod: This can varies per personal liking, but here is my view... The only time I like to use and UL rod is when fishing slips or barge where I have so much control due to being stationary and standing over right on top of the spot. Most of times, however, a light action rod is better. A medium light is used when you are going after some hogs or a dock shooter. A good crappie rod should have fast to extra fast tip. This means the tip is small and sensitive, yet plenty of backbone to get the fish out of the brush or timber branch quickly. An extra fast tip rod will only bend about 1/4 of the total length, but with a small tip (my kind of rod). Exception: there are days when the tug war is won by crappie (You know, the finic tugging kind of day where a thump is rare, and many times, you feel heavy when lift up and there's a crappie kind of day...), it's best to use an ultra light tip. Trust me, just by switching from a fast tip to an UL tip on those occasions will determine a good day or bad day.

To sum it up....it's hard to own every kind of rod for every situation, and most of the time, we don't carry all them rods when needed. Therefore, determine what kind of fishing you do most to own the proper rod for such application...

Hope it helps from my humble 2 cents!

Well said Slabmesilly.

+1 nicely put Slabmesilly a lot of good info right there

I prefer a pole long enough to "reach out" and smack someone off their Boat when they try to ease into my "spot".....long enough to leave welps on them and keep their paint of yours, as I've always said

8ft. Pro Angler has been the best crappie pole I've used.

.....Six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
Daylight come and me wan' go home

Day, me say day-ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan' go home....

Thanks all, especially SlabmeSilly with a very thorough sumation.

CV could write a book

I'd read it!