I wanna what everyone thinks the most versatile rod length is and if a 6’11” rod is noticeably inferior to that rod length. Thanks in advance. 

6'10" to 7'2" seems to be the median length range for 'versatile' rods...that one's right in the range.

6'9"

Id say right in the middle between 6'6" and 7'6"

When I got back into this stuff after many years I was surprised people were using 7 foot rods.  I think they were all around 5 to 5 1/2 feet way back when.

Now my rods range from 6-10 to 7-4,,,,,,,,,,most are 7 feet even. 

I might be sticking my neck out here, but when I compare rods (by hand off the water) it looks like action suffers a bit on short lengths - 6'6" range. And this is comparing rods that are identical - except the length.

 

I guess what I'm seeing is simply the larger flexible area with the longer rod.

 

Karl

7ft...so yes 6ft 11 is inferior..but barely?

This is going to vary for each angler......for me its 6'-10" - 7'-0". 

Always been a fan of the oddball lengths, say 6’8” to 6’11”. Seems like once you get to 7 ft and slightly above, you don’t actually gain much usable rod length. Instead, I frequently see extended rod butts that just always get in my way or somewhat infringe upon my casting style.

   I've seen 6'-06" rods that can cast every bit as far as a 7' rod.

   I've seen 6'-06"  rods that set the hook with the same authority as a 7' rod.

   I've never seen a 6'-06" rod that can do both.

 

    jj

2 hours ago, QUAKEnSHAKE said:

Id say right in the middle between 6'6" and 7'6"

So you mean exactly 7'? lol

7 foot 1.23 inches.

With the exception of my musky rods all of my spinning and baitcasting rods are from 6'6" - 7'2".  If I'm shore fishing I like 6'6"-6'10".  In a boat it doesn't really matter.  For transportation purposes (I drive a GMC Terrain) anything over 6'10" has to go in the front seat.  My favorite "all around" length is 6'6"-6'10". 

It’s not the length of your rod that matters, it’s how you use it...

Maybe the ideal length is the same as your height. ?

6' 11" is a good length. Long enough to get good casting distance, short enough to not sacrifice accuracy. Youll be alright. 

Versitilty is subjective to say the least.   I think it depends on the fisherman, how they fish, their style, and how they are fishing whether it's from a kayak or on a small job boat, canoe, from an open bank, from under trees and limbs in tight quarters, or from a bass boat.  As bass fishing has evolved we have seen 7 foot become the norm rather than the 6'0 footers from 40 years ago.   Obviously if you are bank fisherman and stay in tight quarters or even a small guy in a kayak, a shorter rod may become more versatile for you.  But in a bass boat, a 7footer is about my starting point and I may go up or down from there depending on what I want from the rod.

 

 

But as an overall for most types of bass fishing i think the the sweet spot for most anglers is 6'8 to 7'2.  In a MH.   

And length is not what makes the rod versatile, I beleive it's that power and action combined with length to achieve what you want out of it.  

I like 7’ even.  Fits in my truck and I can work a fish around the nose of my kayak. 

9 hours ago, Team9nine said:

Always been a fan of the oddball lengths, say 6’8” to 6’11”. Seems like once you get to 7 ft and slightly above, you don’t actually gain much usable rod length. Instead, I frequently see extended rod butts that just always get in my way or somewhat infringe upon my casting style.

This x2. You can get decent distance plus good accuracy with say a 6'9" rod, and I dislike those long handles too.

6'6"-7'0 for me. With 6'8-6'9" being the sweet spot. I fish from the bank and kayak, occasionally a buddy's boat. I think that's a big factor for some. I am in the process of setting up a new combo 6'6" Medium power fast action casting rod, 2 piece for maximum versatility. Paired with a SLX MGL for plastic, squarebills, light spinnerbaits, etc. Something I can use for serious trips and family trips, without worrying about the full length of the rod. 

 

Had one a few years back, forgot how versatile that combo was. Now if I could just find somewhere that actually has stock on the shelves

6'6'' to 7' .  So I guess 6'9'' might be perfect. 

7'

I have 6' 6" thru 7". I find switching from one to the other of different lengths really doesn't matter to me. Of course I grew up in the era when you only had one rod and used it for everything.

For search baits I had my rods built to 7'10" and outside of my dedicated jerkbait rod and close quarter rods the rest are 7'-7'4".

 

I chose 7'10" back when my rod lockers were only 8' long.  Today I would go a bit longer if redoing them, but not a ton more.

19 hours ago, gimruis said:

Maye the ideal length is the same as your height. ?

Height + (freeboard-2) in inches. Of course there is the casting deck to cap coefficient adjustment, but that will get you close enough.