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I’ve always used light and ultra light rods for trout,crappie ,and gills,coupled with 4lb test,mostly 4.5’ rods .Im interested in dropping down to 2lb test,is there any noticeable advantage / disadvantage in 4.5’ ultralight rods vs longer ultilights with 2lb test ?
You will get more casting distance with a longer rod. You are subject to have more fun with the longer rod as the fish will seem bigger. Short rods will give you better accuracy and there will be times when a short rod is needed....on creek banks and so on. A longer UL rod will help ease line pressure better than a short rod.....and extra drag if you will. Of course all of this depends on what type UL rod one is using. Most US market rods are very soft all the way through the rod....where the Japanese rods tend to be more rigid in the lower and mid section and have soft tips....but are very fast. My shortest is a 6 footer. Most of my rods are in the 6’ 7”-6’9” range.
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To me, this is the biggest advantage. My favorite rods for playing bluegills are my 12-14' float rods. They're not practical for casting UL baits, but they are fun!Quote:
Originally Posted by Alphahawk
JDM rods are fun, too. ;)
Yeah the most fun I ever had was fishing 12 foot float rods below Pickwick Dam in early spring catching big black bluegill on crickets.
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Do you own one of Jeff’s Trinity series? I use that rod a lot tightlining deep brush, casting jigs, etc. It’s a ton of fun to fight a crappie on, trout as well. Biggest fish I’ve caught on it was an 11 pound flathead with 2 lb SOS. That was fun.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alphahawk
Yes I did own two of them for a lot of years. I sold them to my nephew when I acquired a JDM float rod. The Trinity is excellent for float fishing and does a superb job of taking the pressure off the line. My nephew is having a Trinity made with Fuji titanium guide frames with Torzite inserts.....that will be one sweet float rod.Quote:
Originally Posted by DHC
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I boat fish and like longer rods mostly for the distance - line recovery - and need the leverage to get fish up fast. For dock fishing - prefer shorter rods.
I prefer the 7-7.6ft range for my style fishing. Casting small jigs and shallow float fishing, both mainly from the front deck of the boat. Sometimes accuracy is key when our lakes fill up as the little rascals get around the wood structure( Willow Trees and Buck Bushes) and the 7ft length is good for precise casting then keeping them out of the snags when hooked.
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Ask a few questions and let the equipment answer them:
1. how far do you want to cast a 1/16 oz jig and lure? You might find the shorter rod doesn't cast as far especially using mono.
2. does 2# test allow for better lure action than 4 or 6# test ? Depends on the line used. 4-6# test fluorocarbon leaders do great
3. how does rod lengths compare for setting the hook and keeping fish hooked at long distance casts?
Rod action differs depending on length and manufacturer. Check where each one bends when pressure is put on the rod tip. This isn't to say
you can't catch fish on whatever rod you chose, but that the ease of catching fish varies per rod same as it does for certain reels, line diameters/types.
Ok, I'm not sure what you guys are calling a float rod??? Please explain. My favorite method is using a 7.5 ft Ultra lite and 4lb test for casting small jig heads tipped with live bait under corks. The second method is using an 11' Sam Heaton signature series with a Thill mini-shy bite cork and crickets.
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Mine are English and Italian float rods. They are designed for casting Euro style floats.Quote:
Originally Posted by feeshrman
I call rods over 8 feet float rods. I use an 83 when fishing the TM under a float for trout.....and also doing the Float’N Fly for smallmouth. But it doesn’t matter what you’re fishing for the longer rods help you to keep your line off the water. To use a Fly term.....mend your line. Plus the longer the rod the deeper you can set the float. Kind of hard to cast if your float is set at 6.5 feet and your rod is only 7.5 feet long....of course I’m talking fixed float. I would say many consider float rods to start at 9 feet. So your 11 footer certainly qualifies as a float rod.Quote:
Originally Posted by feeshrman
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Alpha hawk and deathb4disco, Thanks for the info guys! I kinda thought I knew what you were talking about but now I know for sure. I'm very interested in the Euro style floats. I'm assuming they are the waggler style. I find it difficult to find floats which perform like I want.
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Funny you say that, because I often use the 11' much like a fly rod.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alphahawk
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All mine are wagglers.Quote:
Originally Posted by feeshrman