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i would like a little input please. i am getting a st. croix (avid or premier) ultra-lite soon and am not sure about the length. they make them from 4.5 feet up to 7 feet. i primarily wade, fishing bays on a few bigger lakes with lots of overhang, or some small ponds. i appreciate any help.
I fish 5' and less almost exclusively. My 5' St Croix Triumph is a fantastic rod. I fish almost completely on foot, too. It is easier to get under and around overhangs with the shorter stick IMO, and you can shoot in under just like shooting docks with the shorter stick, especially if you are already wading.
you can cast farther with a 7'
I like a 7' but if you're standing under those overhangs I would go with 5' or under.
it's kind of a mix. sometimes i will cast into the open bays, other times i will shoot by bait under overhangs.
Sounds like you need two!
I prefer long rods 6'9" and up . As far as a Premier or Avid , Avid will be a lighter rod .
actually, there is minute weight difference between the avid and premier. the avid has a more comfortable grip, and better components, from what the catalog depicts.
sure would like to have two, but i don't want to get into too much trouble, too quickly.........lol
I find that I don't need extreme casting distance. Most of my crappies come within 25 or 30 feet, in fact most of my crappies actually come from directly below me or just a bit of a flip out and I actually see maybe 30% of the takes. Love that flash! One has to balance one's line to the rod and the jig, of course; so the line can't be too heavy or you can't follow the little jigs anyway. I seldom fish over 4# copolymer (.008"), and will go down to 2# ice line (.004) at times. That requires a reel with a very smooth dependable drag and a landing net. There are going to be some bigger bonus fish even on the tiny ice jigs. Last spring my fishing partner landed a 21" largemouth on the little stick and ice line, and I have landed muskies of 32", 38" and 40" on my 5' crappie rod and 4# test one each in the past three years. You have to be able to trust your drag! I will frequently fish a 4' ultra ultralight when I can get directly over the school; I have three of them and one is nearly always with me. That definitely takes a certain amount of stalking, of course, and/or a very quiet boat. A lot of my fish come from in the dock shadow (when you get the right dock and the right part of it) which is more difficult to get into with the longer rods. There are a number of fast tipped 4' ice rods aimed at stand up panfishing on the ice that would work just fine for this. They also cast passably with the right line/jig combination.
My opinion is that if you need extreme casting distance, you are running too loud a boat, or just maybe too big a one. Crappies are easily startled, sometimes by as little as heavy steps sounding along a dock. Some brat racing around on a dock will definitely put them down. This works for me for an average year around of something like 3 or 4 crappies an hour when I am fishing for them, but then I know my home waters real well and they are not all that big in the first place, either the waters or the crappies, but on the little tackle they are all fun, and I release them all anyway.
If you're shooting under the overhang you need a short rod.Quote:
Originally Posted by rapman1
I love your quote! BOCEPHUS FOR PRESIDENT!!Quote:
Originally Posted by river slabs are better
I like this pole but I tried several befor I found this one.
BNM Fishing
hey guys, i do appreciate you all taking the time to respond to this. i think i will end up with a 5 or 5.6 footer.
Longer rods make the fish feel bigger. I have rods from 4.5' to 14'. For playing fish, there's no comparison: the longer rods are more fun. (The fish have more leverage.)
I don't think a 14-footer would be appropriate for you, but I'd get the longest rod that will work in your cramped conditions.
If you can only get one, I'd personally go straight up the middle and get a 6' Avid. 6' almost never feels too long to me when I'm fishing in tight quarters and don't have much room to cast, and it gives you more casting distance than a 5'. And it just feels more comfortable overall than 7' rods.
Personally my favorite length is about 6'8", but I fish mostly open areas 95% of the time. My dad fishes nothing but 6' St. Croix rods for crappie and bream though, and I barely have the edge over him in casting distance. However, any time I take a 5' rod with me, he kills me on distance even though I use smaller diameter line than he does.
If there is a shop that sells these rods anywhere near you, your best bet would be to handle some of them in person and see for yourself how each one feels in hand. If your only option is ordering one, I'd personally go with the 6'.
thanks guys. i have handled the premiers and i currently own an avid ml, so i have a general idea about both.
A shrot rod is a must for wading or yer butt will stay wet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ya want a dry butt just ask mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A good cheap jig pole will work for the bigger lakesk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BIGUN IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wade a small creek alot with alot of over hanging limbs. I like a 5'6" rod for that cause you can cast it good on open water and i will sidearm it or shoot with it in the tight areas. I have a 4'6" rod and dont like it at all. I have a 5' rod I like alot but the 5'6" is the best for me. I also have some 7 and 8 foot rods but for both situations I like the 5'6" the best. Plus if you use a long rod in open water you cast so far you cant see your tinny bobber. if you use one.
I have a 5'6" rod that I use for UL fishing. I use that rod more than any other I own. I don't usually cast too far out with it anyway. I use it more to pitch and flip the lures where I want them to go. If I'm going to fish where I really need to cast a long distance, then I use my 6'6" medium action rod.
A lot of it depends on the type of fishing you plan to do.
I have a Premier 5' UL and 7'ML, wish the 7' was a L but its not. I take both with me when I go out (usually a pond). The 5' is in my hands 75% of the time. They both have a great feel to them. Both are paired with a Pflugger President, the 5'UL with a UL reel and the 7'ML with the reel size just above the UL.
I use a 5ft UL Avid for shooting docks in particular and also for panfishing. Really great rod.
That's how I have mine set up as well. Mine are Ugly Stik's with Okuma Avenger reels, though. Very well balanced and a delight to use.Quote:
Originally Posted by ILpanfish
Great minds think alike!Quote:
Originally Posted by flyboy2610
I use 4-1/2', 5, 5-1/2', 6-1/2', 7' and 9' rods at the most. It's the conditions that dictate which rod is the best.
I use 4' and 5' rods for an additional reason. I have fishing water all around me here in Minneapolis with easily half a dozen different waters capable of producing 12 and 13 inch fish although they usually don't... I keep between 2 and maybe up to half a dozen of the short sticks rigged in the back seat and use only plastics; so I can fish almost at whim, and I will do just that. My trips may be just 15 minutes and a few casts or may be several hours long depending on the time available or who all I run into on the shoreline. Virtually any errand I run either takes me right past fishable water or just a few blocks out of the way and that includes coming home from work. I don't harvest any fish here in the Metro either, and that makes spur of the moment fishing even easier. You can add in stopping to chat with any one of quite a number of regulars around here. All the waters around here are street accessible with handy parking, too, some of it so close you can almost cast to the water from the car seat. The shorter sticks are just so much handier for that kind of fishing. Every body of water around here that doesn't winter kill has crappies, and some of those that used to winter kill are now aerated.
This time of year is a bit more hassle than during open water, since more preparation is necessary before leaving the house. Nearly all the local water for ice around here is walk on; so I don't have to load up an ATV or sled around here in the winter any more than having to launch a boat in the summer; so I can still pretty much fish when I feel like it now, too.
I have a st croix legend elite 6ft , 10in lite .. I have caught everything from 20 lb northerns to 6 in. bluegill. great rod you can,t go wrong with a st. croix rod no matter the lenght.:biggrin