using a float rod for spinning

[argyll]

Trev just rang me to say that he was meandering through the Huntingdon countryside around St Neots with blue skies and wispy clouds. Not a lot of good when you're stuck in an office in London. The lad hasnt got anything up on ebay at the moment. But you might mail him and express an interest in whatever he has coming in from the USA soon. I'm sure...as Andy suggests, he'll sort you out with something nice (and cheap)

 

[ 16. August 2005, 12:59 PM: Message edited by: argyll ]

[fantasticfisherman]

what is the ideal length of rod to use with spinners and small to medium sized plugs?

[GlennB]

fantasticfisherman:

what is the ideal length of rod to use with spinners and small to medium sized plugs?

There's no quick answer to that.

From a boat or a lovely open lake with no weed in front of you a 6' ultralight rod might be great for the lighter end of the lure range.

With the usual dose of lillies and weed then you will need more length and grunt to manoeuvre any fish around (or through) the vegetation.

Also it will depend on how big a fish you might expect to catch

I bought a 6' Rapala Huntsman, lovely rod, which got used once and now lives in the garage - simply because I don't often fish waters where I can reasonably use it (I lure fish on rivers).

Horses for courses, basically.

 

Cheers

 

[ 16. August 2005, 11:31 PM: Message edited by: GlennB ]

[Andy Macfarlane]

fantasticfisherman:

what is the ideal length of rod to use with spinners and small to medium sized plugs?

Most of my lure rods are 6 - 6.5 foot long, regardless of the action but I'll use a 9 foot spinning rod for working round weeds etc. I find I use the longer rods less and less these days though.

I just find the shorter rods easier, lighter, comfier and generally more pleasurable to use.

[jeepster]

glenn, you can land big fish on short rods, so that isn't really a consideration. i seldom use a rod longer than 6.5 feet, i usually take two with me, a lightish one for smaller plugs and spinners, and a mini jerkbait rod for the bigger stuff, both are more than capable of landing any fish i might encounter.

 

if you're lure fishing all day you'll quickly see why we prefer shorter rods

[Tony U]

If I am going for the big chuck then I prefer rods around 9-10ft otherwise I use the shorter rods around 5-7ft.

I also prefer the longer rod when spinning in the sea as it allows you to manouvre your lure around rocks and weed etc as well as chucking it a long way.

 

[ 17. August 2005, 12:32 PM: Message edited by: Tony U ]

[Steve Burke]

fantasticfisherman:

what is the ideal length of rod to use with spinners and small to medium sized plugs?

The short answer is that it depends! Having used rods from 5 to 11½ft for lure fishing over the last 30 years, I've realised that there's no "best" length.

 

Additionally you'll have to consider the action of the rod (different actions suit different types of lures), and also balance it to the weight of the lures that you'll be casting.

 

However, you specifically asked about length. Ignoring specialist rods for jerkbaits etc, what's most important here is the type of water you'll be fishing, and whether you bank fish it or use a boat.

 

For bank fishing when long casting is required you'll do better with a long rod. These enable you to cast further with less effort. In fact I find that they're actually less tiring to use than a short rod in these circumstances as you don't need to put as much effort in. This is especially so at the end of a long session!

 

The other advantages of a long rod are that you can often stand further back and so spook less fish. They also enable you to reach over marginal vegetation and fish parallel to the bank. Both the near bank itself, and as it drops away into deep water, are often really hot areas.

 

On the other hand if you're fishing from an overgrown bankside where long casts aren't needed, then a short rod is much to be preferred. You can poke it through smaller gaps in the trees, and it'll also cast more accurately.

 

Likewise on a boat, long casts won't normally be needed. Again a shorter rod is then usually preferable. Unless you're trying to get maximum distance it'll be less tiring to use. And once again, it'll be more accutate.

 

So, as with any rod purchase, consider the type of waters you'll be fishing first. Then choose a rod or rods accordingly.

 

For instance, most of my fishing at the moment is done from the bank on a big gravel pit with lots of reedbeds, with occasional trips to the beach. So the rod that gets the most use is a 10 footer. If I could afford only 1 lure rod this is therefore the one I'd choose. It would be right for me, but it may not be right for you.

 

Eventually, if you really get into lure fishing, you'll end up with a selection of different rods for different jobs. If you really get hooked, you may end up with as many rods as a golfer has clubs!

 

[ 17. August 2005, 01:37 PM: Message edited by: Steve Burke ]