For quite a while now I have had an old 5'6" Berkley rod with a Mitchell Spidercast 3000 on it. I got the setup about 12 years ago in a trade. The rod has mostly sat in the closet but I got it out the other day, cleaned the reel up and found that it still casts well and is in really good shape.

So, to my question, what would be a good use for this thing?

It's an IM6 blank, medium action 1/4 - 5/8 oz lure. I figure there's gotta be a good application for it, seems better than it just collecting dust. Any ideas are appreciated.

Thanks

Not that particular combo but a "short" psitol grip rod like that is the weapon of choice for many when walking a spook type bait.  Also very good when target casting close with a spinner bait. Wasn't that long ago that the shorter rods were the norm. There are good reason for that.  Most fishing was a target game. Accuracy mattered. Not how far you could cast. But can you put it where you need too.  These rods did just that.

Was watching a video of Kevin Van Dam fishing docks of a marina. He pulls out a similar set-up to yours with a shallow diving (1-3) crankbait and he stated that the rod was perfect for making short acuurate cast between boats and that many times fish can't resist the crankbaits.

I have two 5'6" baitcasting set-ups.  One I like to use for casting spinnerbaits into what I call tight quarters and the other 5'6" baitcaster I use for casting plastics in tight quarters.  I seem to be a lot more accurate with those shorter rods, which is why I like casting lures into tight spots with them.  I don't use them that much, but they are fun to fish with.  Every once-in-a-while I like to just take one of those set-ups and fish from shore hitting all the docks along the lake.  An 18-incher Largemouth on one of those set-ups feels like a monster.

I like a short rod for working x-raps. 

Not that particular combo but a "short" psitol grip rod like that is the weapon of choice for many when walking a spook type bait. Also very good when target casting close with a spinner bait. Wasn't that long ago that the shorter rods were the norm. There are good reason for that. Most fishing was a target game. Accuracy mattered. Not how far you could cast. But can you put it where you need too. These rods did just that.

Could not have said it better! I like short rods for skippin docks.

I have a 6' 3" BPS JM Elite baitcast rod with a Shimano Chronarch 50MG on it that I lOVE to fish with.  That thing is so light it is crazy.  I fish weightless plastics such as senkos and trickworms on it in ponds and small rivers.  It is my favorite set up.  I don't get my some people buy the 7 foot plus rods.