Printable View
Looking for the best dock shooting rod for distance. Seen video of Wally Marshall using 7' rod, 4lb mono, 1/16 oz jig that he could shoot 60 to 65'. Best I can do is around 43' with my 6' rods. Looking for info on what distance anyone on here can shoot and what model rod, also what model rod Wally was using. Thanks!
Roy, I just want to ask you 1 thing. If you shoot a deer, what is most important? I think accuracy is and distance is second. Not that distance isn't a consideration, but I think hitting a 4 inch square hole is my first concern. Some of the things that contribute to that are larger eyes and the right line. I use several rods of different length but the favorite is a rod that says medium but has a light tip and it's 2 piece. The 6'6" older lightning rod does everything I ask of it with a 2000 series reel and 4 lb hi vis line from BPS, offshore angler store brand. I also have a 5' UL that also does a good job in tighter quarters. The best I can tell you is to try what catches your eye, never know what might be the best ever. I also have a 7' Shakespeare Micro light (18$) and another 2000 series reel with 6lb line that does well with 1/16 but is a bit short with a 1/32.
Never tested the distance of any rod I've used for shooting docks, but if I had to shoot a jig over 40' then I'd be shooting from some different angles or from a different place on the dock to get my jig where I wanted it to be.
You got good soft/limp line and a long or wide spool reel, then just about any 5-7' rod of med to med light power and a very fast action tip, and you're gonna shoot about as far as possible with that size line and jig weight.
And I'll go Skeetbum one further ... not only is accuracy imperative for narrow/small openings, but also in order for your shot to cause the jig to skip across the water quite a ways.
I've used rods from 5' to 8' long, UL to MH power, and Slow to Very Fast action tips for dock shooting. They've all been made to work, but I've settled on my 6'6" ESP PowerLite rod & Okuma Stratus STX20 reel, spooled with 6# Vicious Panfish hi-viz copoly line .... the same outfit I use for most of my "jig casting" purposes.
Thanks guys for the responses. I agree with the accuracy part as well but have a couple of unique situations where I really need as much distance as possible. In most cases my 6' rods serve me well, just looking for some input if a longer rods could get me a little extra distance.
Roy I do feel like you get a longer reach with a longer rod. I agree being able to hit the mark is just part of the deal. Sometimes you need that jig to travel to the entire opposite side of a dock wen there aren't other gaps. Best thing I know to tell you is get down real low, pull the jig straight back under the rod to about the 2nd guide so that the rod and line are more or less parallel to the water and try and get that thing to sail above the water instead of skip. Seems to be how I get the most distance.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
ROY IS MY PARTNER IN TOURNAMENT AND IT IS NOT THAT WE NEED MORE ACCURACY,CAN SHOOT UNDER DOCKS THAT IS ONLY ONE INCH ABOVE WATER BUT WE HAVE A PLACE THAT IS OVER 80 FEET WIDE AND SOMETIMES THE FISH WILL GET FAR BACK UNDER IT AND CAN NOT SHOOT FROM OTHER SIDE,NOR FROM FRONT OR BACK,I HAVE A DI WITH DUCER TURN SIDE WAYS AND CAN SEE THEM BACK THERE,AT TIMES THEY WILL BE AT EDGE WHICH IS NO PROBLEM,MY 5 1/2 FOOT SHOOTING ROD GETS ME ABOUT 45 FEET ,FOUND A 6 1/2 THAT I CAN GET 51 FEET BUT SEEKING ONE THAT WILL DO BETTER WITHOUT BUYING OUT THE STORE ,SO WE ARE TURNING TO YOU GUYS THAT HAVE GOT GOOD RODS TO TEST THEM FOR DISTANT AND LET US KNOW,TRY THEM IN YOUR YARD AND MEASURE DISTANT ,THANK YOU
Gene explained our situation better than I did. We appreciate any feedback.
Thanks,
Roy
6'6" Duckett micro magic paired with a Shimano stradic CI4 2500 6lb test MR. Crappie or Bass pro line . A little pricey for most ~$150, but the best I've used..
kel,but how far can you shoot,that's our big question,not looking for just a good rod
I use a 5'6 lighting rod and a zebco delta reel. I can shoot further than most. It's more technique that the length of the rod in my opinion. A short stiff rod will give you distance and accuracy.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk