Are there any? 

 

I have a few that I've collected/been gifted over the years and they don't see much use- outside of using my regular "sit in" kayak a few times a year just because it's easier to manage than a 6 1/2 or 7 footer. 

 

But for guys that fish in a boat or even from the bank, are there times you would choose a shorter 5.5 rod for certain applications? 

There are several places I bank fish where I'm standing under trees casting.

 

I fish a few docks I fish that are high enough to get under them.

 

I fish Buck Brush on Toledo Bend where we actually stand on the front deck & pull the boat into the Brush. 

 

All require short rods

Own: 5'6" medium casting and spinning rods. Use: when bank fishing around trees and walking through woods to get to site, when in a john boat sitting down casting to docks and piers, fishing brackish water going down canals where boats are docked and overhanging tree limbs a few feet from the water. 

 

Good Fishing

All things being equal, they're lighter.

 

Walking through thick woods, brush and vines is much easier. Casting along the banks of a creek or river where you've barely got room to cast through all the growth.

 

I like walking baits with my rod pointed down, and shorter rods make that less awkward. Actually, popping too, and flukes sometimes. I keep my rod tip down a lot.

 

We all want maximum casting distance though. We've got to reach that magic spot that's just out of our reach. The fact is, you're probably better off not casting so far. You're wasting a lot of time.

 

All that said, I haven't fished with something under 6-6 for a few months, nothing under 6 in probably over 10 years. But it's because I don't have a good quality short rod.

Certain places one bank fishes and are casting in tight quarters.

 

Walking through brush and trees it is easier to navigate. 

 

Othere than that I have nothing. The shortest rods I use are 6'9" for jerkbaits and an old spinnerbait pistolgrip - the rest are all at least 7'.

I use a 6 foot medium action for slip bobber walleye fishing.  Its a cheap fish eagle combo.  But all I do is toss it in the rod holder and wait, so its not like I need something ultra sensitive.  When the bobber goes down, you set the hook and reel.  Easy peasy

My river kayak niche is entirely round reels and short rods.  

The shorter, progressive rods let me fish down to 4 g, and have the butt power to turn a big bass trying to go under the kayak.  Nothing compares to S-glass for skip-casting overhang.  

Longest rod on this boat is 6' MH graphite frogger.  Shortest rod is 5', composite graphite-butt/S-glass-tip, just for skip casting.  

Here fishing 5'6" S-glass.  

The bass took me from the overhang on the right bank to the watercress, where the rod kept her out of the stalks.  

The Japanese, btw, continue to make these new, and every new batch has different qualities. 

Shorter rods are more accurate.

I'm 59 so I remember when shorter rods were all that people used!

My absolute favorite fishing rod is a 6' Medium-Light Cabela's branded casting rod...I think purchased in 1992. 8-17lb test, 1-4 to 5/8 oz lures.

 

It has a spiral-guide set up...guides spiral around blank and get line to bottom. They literally do not make them like this any more (and I have two...the other is a 7' medium-heavy casting rod).

 

Light and sensitive, length was great in my belly-boat or a canoe. Great for t-rigs, rattle-traps, cranks, spinner baits, c-rig, etc. I've landed walleye, smallies, LM-bass, Pike and Musky with this rod.

 

These days it almost always has a spinner-bait attached, and I run 20lb PowerPro green straight with no leader.

 

I can stand on front of my boat, cast overhand, underhand, flip, pitch, side-arm, etc., and place that spinner-bait about anywhere I want. Light enough rod I can cast all day.  Stout enough to horse big-uns out of timber.

 

It's a great rod, and I hope to continue using it for years to come.

14 minutes ago, Randy Price said:

I'm 59 so I remember when shorter rods were all that people used!

 

I'm 73 so I remember that's all we had!

I like shorter rods for bank fishing, and if someone else is in the canoe with me. No problem with casting distance, and easier to move around.

1 hour ago, Randy Price said:

I'm 59 so I remember when shorter rods were all that people used!

 

In the late 1960's a friend recommended I buy a particular rod from Bass Pro. It was a 5'6" spinning rod advertised as a "worm rod". It was very stiff and had no reel seat. I taped the reel on. 

 

I still use that rod today. I keep it at my mountain house and it is the first rod I grab when heading out. I have caught everything on it from bluegills to big pike, musky, and lakers and I fish all kinds of lures on it from bait to big plugs. It is versatile!!

 

I probably have 50-plus rods now but that is one of my favorites. 

 

 

1 hour ago, DaubsNU1 said:

It has a spiral-guide set up...guides spiral around blank and get line to bottom.

 

Cool! But ...why?

Yep -

 

rollcasts, casting accuracy, portability, but the big one for me is better control of certain presentations.

4 minutes ago, fin said:

 

Cool! But ...why?

Verticle jigging, perhaps.

FM

7 minutes ago, fin said:

 

Cool! But ...why?

Fewer guides,  no torsion on the blank

1 minute ago, bulldog1935 said:

Fewer guides,  no torsion on the blank

Ah yeah, I guess that would reduce the torsion, but would it really be less guides?

Distributing Torsion strain is the reason for more guides in the tip third of casting rods

From what I have read, the spiral guided rods were originally designed for heavy lure applications while trolling so it doesnt keep wanting to torque the rod around when pulling at the guides.

You move your bait less with bottom contact.

One thing folks might not be aware of, is how far you pull your bait forward with a seven foot rod as opposed to a 5'6 or 6' rod.

I fish a 6'8" all the time for topwaters and jerkbaits.  I have a pair of 6'6" downstairs that i built ages ago.  One has a BFS reel on it now (it's a 1/8-1/2 ML casting rod), the other is a St Croix 'crankbait' rod in medium/moderate that's a great light cranking rod (and which I just realized I should pull out because I was considering buying a new medium).  I have a 6' with a pistol grip that I keep for taking kids fishing (it has a zebco 33 on it).  And, I have a 5'6" Fenwick Boron that was going to have a go with for topwaters.  I fish walking baits and jerkbaits tip down so the shorter rod is really nice for that.  They are also nice for close in roll casting.  At times its almost like you're underhand tossing a baseball they seem so short.

 

2 hours ago, fin said:

 

Cool! But ...why?

 

1 hour ago, FrnkNsteen said:

From what I have read, the spiral guided rods were originally designed for heavy lure applications while trolling so it doesnt keep wanting to torque the rod around when pulling at the guides.

 

This is correct.  The first spiral wrapped rods were saltwater for that purpose.  Under heavy load, the guides give the line a level arm effectively.  The line uses that to twist the blank.  The most stable place to have a load on a bent rod is the inside of the curve.  When you're talking about a 130# class rod that's pulling on 1000# tuna, you need it to be as stable as possible.

 

I think Rich forhan was the first to popularize it on bass rods with the "Revolver" series (late 90's maybe).  Same general idea- when the rod is under load fighting a fish the blank is in the most stable position.  Sometimes you can get away with fewer guides (depends on the blank and the action).  You can certainly get away with smaller guides as you aren't trying to hold the line off the blank under load.  Both of the 6'6" rods I mentioned above are 'revolver' rods.  

My shorter rods (mid to upper 6' range) I use for topwater and jerkbait work. One of the 6'10 rods I own is also used for lighter jigs and bottom contact but other than that everything is about 7'- 7'4. 

2 hours ago, KP Duty said:

You move your bait less with bottom contact.

Great point and I never thought of that. I'm usually a split shot fisherman and drag the baits. I may have to get these shorter ones out more often, now. 

 

Thank you all for the great replies!