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
They also come in 8' & 10' ... and I have the 8' rod, which I use as a backup to the 12' rod.Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave336
Not tournament fishing, just for fun. It seems to me the whole purpose of live scope is to find the fish before spooking them. This will require me casting and bringing the bait back past the fish which seems like the best way to me. If you want to put it on their nose and leave it, then a slip bobber set up would be my 1st choice. Doesn't seem like rod length would matter too much for what I want to do.
Like stated and longer rod really shines when your fishing shallow water. With livescope and you see the fish take off due to prop wash from your trolling motor. Sometimes you can't cast to those fish because you have to dangle the bait right in front of their face for 30 seconds or more. A longer rods allows to put the bait right in their face without spooking them. I use a 12 foot rod but I seldom use the sniping method when fishing for crappie. Most the time you find me with a 10 footer and I will be pitching my baits to fish. Livescope will quickly tell you how finicky a crappie can be.
Also when pitching or casting the fish will spook from the splash of the bait hitting the water. They can be really spooky sometimes.
Just listened to an interview on youtube with the guy that won the crappie masters tournament last week on Grenada. He was using a 16' rod and it was very informative as to his reasoning. His name was Hayden Jefferies, only 22 years old.
Hayden is the man… been smoking those guys this year winning almost everything
Before livescope I pretty much never use a pole less than 16'. After livescope I hardly use any longer than 10'. The lake I fish mostly the water is clear and the fish are super spooky most of the time. Fishing vertically doesn't work to good for me. Most days if I get closer than 30 feet they spook. If I use a long pole to flip that far and then throw a little wind into the mix, a long pole kills me.. Not to mention if I am using a small jig head. all the times the line twist around the tip...Plus, the jig is a lot easier to control with a shorter pole fishing that far away, for me anyway. Saying that if it wasn't fishing that lake I prolly would be using 16' and longer poles.
I know where you was at in the picture......lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by slabeye
Well, you should know ... you were the one that TOOK the picture. :Rofl
Also ... I thought your rear seat LS flippin rod was a 12' rod, not a 10' rod. :dono Or did it just look longer than my 10' rod because it's a rear seat rod ??
I 2nd pole is a 12fter. Green is a lot and cland. But I just got in 3 more 10 fters so I got back up for my back up and a back up for my backs up.......lol
after playing some with longer rods and going out with some LS fellas it does seem to have its advantages , big crappie do spook off easily in some spots .
and in many cases you can see big crappie out about 15 or 20 foot in front of the boat ,looking pretty darn vulnerable to a long rod presentation