Short rods - when do you use them?

[Ol'Kev]

I have some old-school Berkeley 5.5 to 6 foot Bionix and Lightning Rods graphite rods with the pistol grips along with some of the newer, 7 foot rods but, I’m curious as to what the best lures to use with those short rods? I’ve got two medium heavies and one medium and I don’t know if those shorter rods would be better suited for spinnerbaits or jigs or worms or what, so any insight you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

[Functional]

I've got one short rod at 6'6 or 6'8. I use it for topwater and jerkbaits. Easier to do quick snaps to get the action I want out of them. 

[Bird]

I like a shorter rod for skipping flukes under docks.

My dropshot rod is a 6' med light.

 

Look at the rods rating.

Growing up we threw everything in our tackle bag on 1 or 2 rods and caught fish.

May not be ideal but possible.

[bulldog1935]

FW kayak fishing, specifically TX hill country limestone rivers.  

These aren't for everybody, but just right for me.  Noteworthy, these combos skip-cast under cypress overhang better than any others I know.  The reels are custom, and raced to fish threadline braid.  

Top is Ambassadeur 4600 Express on Smith 6' MH graphite SS-60GMH (Reservoir Magnum), which is my frogger, rated 1/2 to 1 oz.  

4500C on Bright River 5' glass MM Concorde, rated 1/4 to 3/4 oz.

Smith Plugger baitcaster on Smith 5-1/2' glass ML FO56 (Top Water Light), rated 5 to 18 g, and stated to be optimized for 3/8 oz, but it fishes down to 1/8 oz for me - caught that bass I'm showing to Josh above, and had the backbone to keep it from going under my kayak.  

Though the reels and offset handles are on the heavy side, the short rod blades are progressive taper are anything but tip-heavy.  

[Mobasser]

Last summer I ordered a Charlie Brewer 50th Anniversary glass rod. It only 4'9 in length. It's perfect for close in casting small baits. Like others have said, I grew up fishing with rods no longer than 6 ft. They still can have a place from my canoe.

[a1712]

Mowing banks down target casting with Spinnerbaits, Bladed Jigs, Squarebills, Etc.. I always have 2-6'10" Zodias's on the ready to power fish away. 

[Alpster]

I built a med heavy rod from a Lamiglas 5' 6" graphite blank with a pistol grip for pitching dense cover.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

In close, accurate target casting is where they shine. 

[Jar11591]

My shortest rods are 6’6”-6’8”, and I use them for topwaters and jerkbaits.

[GPtimes2]

In the summer when it is hot and I troll for walleye/saugeye with my Bimini top up to shade from the sun, the short pistol grip rods maneuver and fit under it very well.

[dave]

Always...

[Texas Flood]

Flipping around docks. I use a 6’8 H/F with #20 Invizx. 

[WRB]

Pistol grip handle is under 8” long, today’s handles average 14” long, the rod length of a pistol 6’ foot is equal to today’s 6’8” rods.

Casting 1 handed is all in your wrist, rod length isn’t the major factor imo.

Tom 

[Hytekrednek]

I have a 5'6'' hvy fast pistol grip Fenwick I throw spinnerbaits and buzzbaits on when around lots of limbs and overhanging stuff.

I wish there were still some good pistol grip rods on the market. All I ever see anymore are cheap imports. Getting a nice vintage rod from ebay is always an option too. Lots of wonderful top shelf pistol grip rods were made several years ago.

[Dye99]

I pitch flukes with a Megabass destroyer Kirisame. Short and stout. Great for accurate casts under cover.

For Jerkbaits I use another Megabass Ronin. Short and perfect for jerk baits.

[gimruis]

The only 6 foot rods I have are for bobber fishing. Cast it out, stick it in the rod holder, kick my feet up, drink some beer, and wait. Then wait some more.

[WRB]

On 5/24/2023 at 5:03 PM, Hytekrednek said:

I have a 5'6'' hvy fast pistol grip Fenwick I throw spinnerbaits and buzzbaits on when around lots of limbs and overhanging stuff.

I wish there were still some good pistol grip rods on the market. All I ever see anymore are cheap imports. Getting a nice vintage rod from ebay is always an option too. Lots of wonderful top shelf pistol grip rods were made several years ago.

St Croix Premier offers a cork pistol grip series made in USA.

Tom 

[TLHSS]

I’m a bank fisherman, and I never know what the shore cover will look like.  I also use just ultralight gear. My everyday rod is 5’4” (Uni E glass), and I use it to throw all my baits (all less than 1/4 oz). 

[GRiver]

I like using shorter rods when creek and wade fishing, where casting room is an issue. 

[Dan N]

Shortest I use is 6’ 8”.

used to be a 6’ 6” was long🤣

I think the shorter rods little more accurate for short casting around docks and such

[Darren.]

Welcome aboard, @Ol'Kev!

I happen to be a big fan of shorter rods...for about everything.

5'9 - 6'3". Wacky, TX, spinnerbaits, cranks, etc. I prefer to use 

them over longer rods. Just my preference.

[Dinger0306]

I use a 5’6” medium power casting rod for wade fishing creeks for smallmouth. It’s the perfect rod for roll casting 1/4oz jigs, spinnerbaits, and 3/8-1/2oz topwaters. Almost always has a SK Bitsy Bug tied on though. 
 

I think the things they excel at most in like a lake/open water casting scenario are close casting scenarios especially spinnerbaits around cover. But any lure really where you’re not trying to make a bomb cast. Accuracy is second to none with them IMO. 

 

It’s funny to think a 6’6-6’8” rod nowadays is considered short. I hate to see the 5’6-6’ ers dying out. 

[Alex from GA]

I built a 5 1/2' rod to fish small rivers in a kayak with bushes on both sides.  

[LrgmouthShad]

Short for me is under 7'. I'm a young angler who has grown into the sport with 7' rods being called all-purpose. Nowadays it seems that the "standard" length is increasing even beyond 7'.

 

So, I have two baitcasting rods under 7'. Spinnerbait and t-rig. The reason for the spinnerbait rod being short is simply for accuracy. The t-rig rod I like short because I want to help prevent myself from overworking the bait, and because the light, short rod is extremely comfortable to fish with all day long - much like I did today.

[PourMyOwn]

On 5/24/2023 at 8:03 PM, Hytekrednek said:

 

I wish there were still some good pistol grip rods on the market. All I ever see anymore are cheap imports. Getting a nice vintage rod from ebay is always an option too. Lots of wonderful top shelf pistol grip rods were made several years ago.

Couldn't agree more with this. I scored a 5'6" Falcon on ebay that I could never have afforded when it was new. It is absolutely perfect for finesse squarebills. It's a joy to use.