Note From An Old Guy

Been under the weather last few days and have been looking again in the web at rods, after a long hiatus, and it's unbelieable. You can't find a rod shorter then 6' 6" and few that short.

I make my own rods, and use nothing but St Croix LE Blanks, and the longest rod I have is 5' 11", a MH rod with turn under guides, which I can cast 50 yards easily. But this is only in the field behind my house that I cast 50 yards. When fishing I very rarely cast over 50 feet, mostly 30 feet.

Too close to fish, you say. Sixty years ago, when we fishecd with cane poles and then fiberglass long poles with minnows, we never fisher farther than 12 feet from boat, and we caught bunches of fish.

Who started all this long pole business. Was it John "The Wad" Holmes?

I used to have a fishing partner years ago who would cast 100 feet, work his lure a couple feet, reel like crazy to get in and do it again.

I guess it's like the ol saying: Different strokes for different folks.

Got the ol cancer nnow and wonder how I'll sell all these 5' rods.

Good fishing to you long rod fellows.

First, I hope you beat the cancer and get to feeling better. I've never been a fan of the long rods. Mine are 6'-0" to 6'-6" long and suit me fine. For 25 years I used only 6' medium action All Stars and fished all over in tournaments. It's what I felt comfortable with and they worked for me. I like simple!

Sorry to hear the health issues are slowing you down. It will get better. God loves fishermen and worked with several of them teaching them not to just fish on one side of the boat. Hang in their bud.

I still have my 5 ft. Finwick Gold Wings hanging in the shop. They were my spinner bait kings back in the day. Still have a few 6 footers as I moved to straight short handles. Now I have to throw with both hands for just that 30 ft. you are talking about. Guess that would change if I would give up the 5500c's. All those are good rods to raise the great grandkids on. I wouldn't even consider selling them.

RipX21,

You bring up a great point that even though you can cast 50 yards, you don't, especially true for many of us floating in the water (boat or kayak) for most presentations.

An NBA basketball court is 94 feet from baseline to baseline, 86' from backboard to backboard. That seems like a reasonable cast distance parameter for most finesse applications, others too, where you need pinpoint accuracy. There are exceptions where long casts are better: casting crankbaits, etc. There are many others as short, of course, as dropping your lure over the gunwale, what . . . a 12" cast?

But, a short rod sure gives the fisherman a lot more power, more control over the fish in quite a few circumstances.

You mention St. Croix and they have a panfish spinning rod that is 5'4" and rated to throw down to a 1/32 lure. I need one.

Funny, that for panfish, you see both extremes with short rods preferred for some techniques, really really long ones for a different sort of presentation. Go figure.

I'm with you!

Get better!

Brad

I realized the same thing a couple of years ago when I was looking for a shorter rod to fish jerkbaits & top waters with. Nobody makes them anymore.

I'm having a hard time finding a short, but good rod for my son as well!

Sent ya a pm. that's all dad used was 6ft rods. got 8-10 Loomis collecting dust.

I feel for you....I'm a coach for a high school team.....one of my guy's boat captain is going through the same thing.....VERY tough.....something that you might think of, concerning the rods.....give them to a local high school bass club.....My guys come from a lesser affluent area of our city, and can not afford fishing tackle....any high school student would be extremely grateful....and It'll make you feel better.....good luck....

Best of luck with the cancer treatments, Rip.

I know what you mean about rods. I don't own a rod that is longer than 7 feet, and the only ones I regularly use that are that long are my Carolina rig and weightless soft plastics setups. When my partner and I started fishing together in the 90s he had to cut a hole in the end of the rod box in his Ranger to accommodate my new 6'6" rods. We both still used some 5'6" rods back then.

I'm 6'5" so maybe my long arms help with a hookset and mean I don't need as long a rod to move line. But...I think it was easier to put a lure into a tight space, especially when in cramped quarters such as around boat docks, with a shorter rod.

I have just gotten back into fishing after a long hiatus for 20 years. These days you cannot find a rod without an extra extension behind the reel. What ever happened to a short handle with a trigger grip? Now there is an extra foot long piece poking me in the gut.

remember the old pistol grip rods, I do not own any shorter than 7 foot anymore.

I have had a special talent over the years for "customizing" those 7 foot rods into many different variations under 6 foot.

Hope you whoop cancers @$$! Positive energy to you sir!