What is the advantage to using longer rods for livescoping and what is a good recommendation for a rod for a newbie at this.
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What is the advantage to using longer rods for livescoping and what is a good recommendation for a rod for a newbie at this.
When Livescope got started 10 to 12 foot rods were the norm. Then the 13's came along. 14's were next but just for a short while. Now 18 footers are what most of the top anglers are using in the tournament trails. Everyone wants to be able to reach shallow fish before they spook.
I started out with 10' rods, then went to a 12' BGJP (which I found to be a bit on the heavy side), then I got a 12' BnM Diamond Series rod and have been using it since. It's much lighter in hand, even with the same reel on it that I had on the BGJP.
I flip double jig rigs when LS fishing (two 1/16oz jigs) and find the longer rod to help in several ways. Besides being able to take up any slack quickly on a long range hookset ( a little more so & quicker than a 10' rod), it also helps to allow me to sit and still be able to flip the jigs over top of the raised platform that my Garmin unit is on. The lighter weight means I can comfortably fish with it all day.
Since I'm just fishing for fun and a few meals now & then, and not for "fame/profit" ... the 12' rod does me proud.
https://www.crappie.com/crappie/atta...6d32e9403-jpeg
Many guys like the longer rods because it keeps the fish from being spooked by the trolling motor. The longer reach really helps.
:hesaid
The other reason is the closer to the transducer the narrower the cone / beam is. Get your jig farther away and it is easier to see / get in the cone of the transducer.
I've heard good things about this rod and I've been kicking around the idea of getting one. But I'm fearful a 12' rod would be to much to handle easily in my 10' kayak. The price also is a deterrent since I'd hate to pay around $100 for a rod I possibly couldn't use.Quote:
Originally Posted by CrappiePappy
Spooky fish as mentioned, plus the ability to hold it on their nose and aggravate them into biting when they're being disagreeable.
The long rods are more of a specialty thing for shallower water as mentioned, not really necessary depending on where and how you fish. I personally seldom fish shallower than 15ft of water and have tried about all of them from 13-16’ in length and noticed no benefit over the 10-12’ rods I have always fished before LS. To me the 11-12’ length is the sweet spot unless you are worried about spooking shallow fish. Another option that is popular with LS is using a regular 5-6’ spinning rod and staying back off the fish and pitching or casting to the fish.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bert
If you are set on trying one of the longer specialty rods the B and M Diamond series, Jenko X series, H and H Warpig and various Huckabee 13-16’ models are all popular.
My "backup" rod, for those casting instances, is a 8' BnM Diamond Series rod paired with a Shimano Spirex 1000RE reel.Quote:
Originally Posted by pab1981