6' and 6'6". Longer rods are useless in the backwaters I fish. Ive got a two 7'2" Cumara's I will never use. Cant stand long rods, everybody thinks there is more length but its all in the rear grip. Place a 6'6" and a 7' next to each other and theres only a 1" difference between the rod tip and reel seat.

Every bass rod I use is 7'-7'7" I do not use anything shorter. I even use a 7' rod for jerkbaits.

Short rods and long rods both have pros and cons, but with experience, you'll end up with more pros than cons with a long rod. My opinion is that a person will never be able to cast as far with a short rod, but they're more accurate. With a long rod and some practice, you'll be able to cast just as accurately as you would with a short rod, and you'll have that extra distance and the ability to pick up more line on hooksets. I like the 7'-7'4" range personally. I see no advantage of rods under 7' for bass fishing, even for skipping.

My shortest rod is 6'10", my longest is 7'11".

Mostly 7'ers. One 6'9" spinnerbait and a 7'4" swimbait.

I use to only use 6' 6" but after doing some heavy crappie fishing this year with 9'+ rods I've begun to hate my 6' 6" bass rods. Will be getting at least a 7' bass rod next time. Probably more along the lines of 7' 4".

Shortest is 5'6" and the longest is 7'6". The remainder are split 50/50 6'6" and 7'. The 5'6" is used to pitch spinnerbaits in the spring. I can get into places with it that nobody else can go.

Preference and what/where your fishing. Most my fishing is from shore either smaller pan fish up to trout or catfish. If it's smaller ponds or technical areas as well as smaller fish i use 6'6". If its a big pond or in a boat where i need to do deep casts, while going for bigger trout or catfish then it's 7'. I do flyrod and thats a bigger pole for a different purpose, then there's surf fishing where i bring out big betty my 11', but thats a total different fishing.

 

My suggestion, buy either a pole with 2 tips so you can switch out length. Otherwise 2 poles, one in each size. We are fisherman and love gear.

6'8" to 7'10". favorite length and most used is the 7'2" / 7'3" length. Like most, i use the 6'8" for topwater/jerkbait usage. 

My most used spinning rods are 7'6" and my longestand most used baitcasters are 7' to 7'1"

 

 

A-Jay

20 hours ago, One-eye fisherman said:

Preference and what/where your fishing. Most my fishing is from shore either smaller pan fish up to trout or catfish. If it's smaller ponds or technical areas as well as smaller fish i use 6'6". If its a big pond or in a boat where i need to do deep casts, while going for bigger trout or catfish then it's 7'. I do flyrod and thats a bigger pole for a different purpose, then there's surf fishing where i bring out big betty my 11', but thats a total different fishing.

 

My suggestion, buy either a pole with 2 tips so you can switch out length. Otherwise 2 poles, one in each size. We are fisherman and love gear.

Welcome. We joke about new guys digging up old threads but it shows you're doing a lot of research. There's stuff buried in here that I never see. Might be a nugget that I missed. Thanks.

6’6” has been my most purchased rod. I went back and forth with 7’ rods for a long time. They used to seem huge, and heavy! When split grips came out, again, it seemed even worse, tip heaviness at least. I think rods have gotten lighter and better balanced in recent years. 7’ish rods seem pretty normal for me now. I do have a 7’4” heavy frog rod that I like too, but I wouldn’t want that length in every rod. It barely fits on the front deck of my little ranger. It’s a tool I’m glad I have though. So, my preference now is 7’, 7’1” same difference for me. I still use 6’6” for a lot of top water, close quarter casts, etc. 

shortest is 7'6" and just had an 11'6" custom made that I am dying to try out!

The longest rod that I can most effectively apply to the technique i'm fishing.

I will use a 6'10", but prefer 7' to 8'. 7" is the shortest rod I currently have.

6'6" or 7' are my preferred lengths. I have one 6' now, but it's being replaced this winter with a 7'.

All my rods, with the exception of a jerkbait rod and smaller squarebill rod, are over 7'2. Most of my rods fall in between the 7'3 to 7'5 range with a few in the 7'11 and 8ft. This is most likely dependent on the bodies of waters I fish most and some the type of bait I'm throwing. Out here in California deep reservoirs, we're fishing deep with little cover and no docks. The extra length helps with longer casts and sweeping hook sets. If I had to choose 1 rod, it would have to be in the 7'3 to 7'4 range. 

18 hours ago, A-Jay said:

A-Jay

^^^^2012^^^

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My tastes haven't changed, but the ratio is no longer about 50/50 for 6'6" vs longer than that.  I had just gotten back into fishing a little over 2 years before the original post.  I have added many rods since then.  My rods over 6'6" now constitute about 92% of the total.

 

It is kind of funny to see such older posts brought to the top again, but it doesn't bother me.  Often some good reading, and new information sometimes gets added. 

For bass I like to use a 6' to 7'6".  For the chrome bullets I run an 8'6" to 11' depending on technique.

7 foot 2 inches MH, Its not too long and not too short. You can throw just about whatever you want on it. If you are like me and can't afford every length and power of a rod and paying for school, you just meet your needs in the middle ?