Anyone? I'm starting to wonder because I always see or hear roland Martin using 5.5 foot graphite bait casting rods with either 14 or 20 pound test for worm fishing. It just seems like all the rods he uses are like 6 foot rods for some techniques, but for example he likes a 5-foot graphite spinning rod for worm fishing, but one thing he says that I do kind of disagree with is that a graphite rod lets you cast farther

5' rods are for Crappie fishing!

Still have a few 5 1/2 footers in the rack. Haven't used them for years. Going to start my youngest grandson on one pretty soon.

There are only a few times in the book where he talks about using a 5 foot rod to fish around stick ups or when he talks about grubbing with a 5.5 foot rod with 6 pound test or when he talks about frogging with a 5.5 fenwick muskie rod or how he fishes a 6 inch plastic worm on 25 pound test on a 5.5 foot bait caster

It has been a LONGGG time. I think I still have a few out in the shed.

Would you get better hook sets with baits like plastic worms with a shorter rod?

Yep I have 2 pistole grip 5 ft 6 loomis rods and they work great for flipping tight boat stalls

5 1/2' pistol grip rods used to be the norm. I may be wrong, but the first flippin' stiks I remember were 7' and we had hell finding a place for them in the boat. That book has to be from in the mid 70's as well. Man, how times have changed. I had some 'Ugly Sticks' and upgraded to some Fenwick 'Lunker Stiks'..
Not real light, but you could land an anvil with both. Graphite was the cat's meow, and so sensitive, Boron came along...and left the scene. Now, the choices we have are off the chart. While we were busy pursuing the bass, the industry was busy pursuing 'Us'...with bigger and better stuff. Thank God, the
fish are the same....I hope. Merry X-mas and Happy 12.
Jim

12 Foot rods will be the deal in 2012

That's what I learned to fish with. Like Snickers said they were great for casting into boat slips & under docks. I still have 3 or 4 of them but haven't used them in many years. They'd still make a decent spinnerbait rod but I wouldn't recommend them for worm fishing.

I use a 5'6 pistol grip for spinner baits. I can cast it better around docks.

I keep a 5.5' pistol grip always rigged with a spook or sammy, exclusively.

i love my old castaway 5'2" blade rod for accurately roll casting tight to cover, docks and boat slips etc.

That's it..pullin' mine out of the shed..

I use a 5'5" for drop shots when sight fishing on the graph. It allows me to be directly over the graph and the bait under the transducer. Im sure if I had a good graph with a large screen this wouldnt be an issue...I use a 6' for stick baits and spooks