What would you say are the pros and cons of rod length. I am specifically speaking to the heavy fast rods. I obviously get that a shorter rod for jerkbaits or walking topwater makes more sense so you are not slapping the water when working the bait and what not, but those are more in the medium power class.

So pros and cons of say a 6'8" heavy fast versus the pros and cons of a 7'3" heavy fast.

Interested to hear back from you all.

I'm short and have the accompanying short arms(army joke). I paddle a 13-1/2 foot Viking Profish 400, and in order to be able to get my line around the bow, I use 7-foot rods. My baitcasters are: a light St. Croix, a medium Falcon, a Powell medium heavy, and a custom light/fast rod I traded for with Pat Goff. I just bought a 13 Fishing 7-foot UltraLight spincast rod. All five of my rods are different, but they all work well from my kayak. I also have a 14-foot flats skiff, and they all work well from that platform, plus, I'm trying to learn to flyfish from both boats.

Since I'm fishing salt, I don't know much about the bass-type fishing/casting techniques. I'm fishing shallow for Reds, Specks, Flounder, and, the occasional Ladyfish for excitement. I'm hoping to someday catch a few Snook. Probably in Port Mansfield or SPI. IslandJim

7' 0 for all the rods I carry these days, baitcasters and spinning. Several of my older retired 7 + rods seemed to end up right at 7' 0 after a trip thru the overhead ceiling fan or trimmed in the car's electric window.

6’4”to 6’7” graphite baitcasting rods medium to medium light, walk the dog tops and tails in saltwater or texas rigged worms in freshwater. 7’6” to 8’ fiberglass or graphite fly rods. 14’ kayak. Not much of a spinning rod user. But, I prefer to fish while standing in the Commander so that might color my choices. If I choose to get out and wade fish, I might chose a 9’ fly rod, but the baitcasting rods will be the same no matter the platform, kayak, boat, or wade.

I think whatever you are comfortable using should work fine. Most of my fishing I’m trying to hit a target rather than necessarily trying to cast as far as possible. Target could be a sighted fish, fish sign or some particular structure. Aren’t longer rods sometimes chosen to generate extra speed and leverage for a little longer cast?

People get comfortable fishing in their own ways and none of us are built exactly the same. I sort of rejected much of what gets written about how to go about, fly fishing would be an example, selecting rods for redfish or LMB. Most of the fly fishing world embraces 9’ fly rods for inshore saltwater action, but my experience with those rods in the kayak they are more of a liability than an asset, when compared to a 7’6” to 8’ model.

One thing I’ve noticed during 100s of trips on the water. People fish in different ways and it’s rare to see people fish identical to another person. This is evident even when people are in the same boat throwing lures to the same structure and the same fish. If you have ever experienced this phenomenon, it’s pretty eye opening because a lot of little subtle differences can add up to differential results.

I normally have three rods on my yak, 7' and 7'6'. These long rods help me cast along way. I do a lot of wade fishing but when in the kayak; I have to remind myself of the rods behind me because I do not want to break a rod tip. FYI, I did break one of my 7'6" rods when I turtled while reaching for my net with a pulling speck in west bay. I now own a 6'8'' rod.

Yes, you will get tackled in your lures when you turtle.