[Ben Field]

While we're all just getting in to this and using our experience of other finesse fishing techniques in the UK with the comparison with the of the Injection (etc) to decide our light tackle purchases, has anybody played about much with varying rod lengths?

I know we don't have much in the way of longer, lighter rods over here at the moment but personally I see big advantages in using slightly longer rods on occasion - especially when standing high up on a harbour wall or rocky outcrop. Personally I have selected a solid tipped rod of 7'6" and a hollow tip 7'9". It'll be an experiment if nothing else... Those who have watched the Japanese LRF videos may have noticed that their rod lengths vary according to technique and fish size. Longer rods generally get used for slightly larger lures, slightly bigger fish and when they are casting (rather than just flicking things out or down). Its rare that I've seen 7'3" rods being used for anything but close in stuff.

7'3" or less will obvously do the job admirably (as it has been), but my question is really just about whether anybody has tried anyting longer?

We're obviously in very early days and eventually we'll talk about rod length being important I'm sure. But for now, how far does people's experience travel?

 

[Keith White]

I'm liking 7 ft through 7' 6"

Some rods are still cool at 8'

As long as it is balanced 8' is ok for LRF.

The cormoran ULX we 'know' is great at this length.

I think you'll be bang on with those selected length's Ben.

What I am learning is how we now have 3 rods inside LRF should you so desire it.

I still firmly believe a rod under 10g, tubular tipped, under 8ft, lightweight, 6 or 8lb braid is the best start LRF.

I've expanded into 5 rods though already !!! Crazy but true. That is the cost of experimentation.

 

[Ben Field]

I can believe it mate (5 rods). Takes me back to the days of having multiple match rods, feeder rods and pole rigs set up, all for just 5 hours fishing!

I'm also already in to the realms of ready made rod holdalls etc, before my rods have even arrived! (Ben Field is extremely sad). Picked up a new Cormoran one locally that will take 3 rods (or so they say. I reckon it'll be better with 2 in it). I swear I'll cry if I bust either of tghese rods!

I'm interested in getting to the point where we've REALLY figured out what length rods are best for what. i.e. I can imagine Carolina rigs being better fished on a rod of 7'9" while a small jighead being better fished on a rod of 7'3" (for example).

Saying that, I do understand that it's only likely to be the insane matchmen that really go as far as buying multiple rods...

 

[Keith White]

We will nail it down Ben.
Way too new to have all the answers yet though..

Just picked up a 2 rod tube today and ordered another one, a 3 I think. Mick would know..
All you get is a flash of colour and the till rings...LOL

I heard on the grapevine that the fish family are LRF'ing over the coming weekend.

 

[Ben Field]

Just picked up a 2 rod tube today and ordered another one, a 3 I think. Mick would know..
All you get is a flash of colour and the till rings...LOL.

Any idea which ones? I got one of these badboys. (http://www.cormoran.de/co/en/produc...n_holdall_2/5,1,62,63,1,1__products-model.htm) There are quite a few decent ones available now though. Companies like Garbolino probably do the best, cheapest ones (about £30 for the 2 rod version). Lots of them these days are aimed at the 2 piece, 12' waggler rods though, so they're too long for what we need. Still, quite a few decent shorter ones still around.

 

[Keith White]

Actually Ben, this rings a bell...

http://www.cormoran.de/co/en/produc...ran_holdall/5,1,62,63,1,1__products-model.htm

 

[Ben Field]

Very nice! Saw them in France! Proper quality! The external pockets will be useful too. I considered one originally but was held back by the price.

Saw one of these at the show as well: http://www.mustad.no/catalog/emea/product.php?id=2611 and have one on order, again locally (which makes a change). External pockets on the holdall combined with something like this would be ideal. I reckon so anyway.

 

[Mark Sleep]

Very nice! Saw them in France! Proper quality! The external pockets will be useful too. I considered one originally but was held back by the price.

Saw one of these at the show as well: http://www.mustad.no/catalog/emea/product.php?id=2611 and have one on order, again locally (which makes a change). External pockets on the holdall combined with something like this would be ideal. I reckon so anyway.

That lifejacket would make me feel more comfortable when hanging over the edge of a 30ft drop at Takeshis Castle trying to handline up fish!

I am also on the lookout for something to hold 2/3 rods with reels on

 

[Retired]

Great ideas chaps. I can see a need for a rod bag when fishing multiple choice rods more than a quick walk away from the car.

I am till trying to stick to one rod but it is hard work.

 

[Ben Field]

They're good value as well Mark! They do blue and grey versions as well. About £80 or something like that I think. Not 100% sure until I go and pick it up though. Blimmin good value I reckon.

 

[Mark Sleep]

Some nice ones on here. Good thing is a lot of them are made for shorter made up rods!
Keith, there is even a bamboo one on there for when you get your cane!

 

[Andrew Walker]

While we are talking rod lengths, Henry Gilbey was advising 10 ft in one of his bass plugging videos but a lot of the posts indicate 7 - 9 ft lengths are favoured. What is the 'right' length to go for for my first (and only for some time!) plugging rod? My aim is mainly shallowish hard and soft plugs over rocky ground with the occasional deeper estuary thrown in. Mick at mrfish is obviously very knowledgeable (and helpful!) and suggested the 2.7 metre cormoran as I was after a 10 foot rod but now I am wondering if a shorter rod would be better? I know I am after the one rod to do anything which will always give compromises somewhere but any suggestions?

 

[Mick Ward]

That video of Henrys was made a good 4 or 5 years ago and opinions and tackle have changed. Although many lure anglers kicked and screamed when it was first said that 9ft and 8ft rods are generally better for "plugging" than 10ft and 11ft it is more generally excepted now that shorter rods are lighter, better ballanced and make working lures easier. When I speak with anglers in the shop or on the phone that are after a new rod I always ask what length they use at the moment, if its still 10ft or even 11ft I tend to try to get them to move down to a 9ft or 8ft 6in, pushing them staight down to 8ft can sometimes just be too much of a shock. Long rods dont always mean longer casts as many modern rods are now disigned to chuck plastic lures. My sales of 10ft rods have stopped completely, and 9ft were popular for the last 2 years but now it is the time of the 8ft 6in and 8ft rod. More interest is now beeing paid in even 7ft and down to 6ft rods, especially for soft lures or as a second rod in general. The scandal of it all I tell ya!! It was only two or three years ago that we were called idiots to even mention it.

 

[Andrew Walker]

Many thanks for that. i sometimes think i research these things too much and end up more confused than if i bought the first one I saw! I will place an order with you later for a rod and some lures (I cant promise I wont phone first and waste more of your time on daft questions though!). Cheers

 

[Mike Kennard]

On the rod length subject, I think when we start looking at longer rods, two of the important factors are control and range (anybody think of any others? Prey size?). Do we need to the extra length to control our rig/lure and how far out do we want to fish?
I think the control part is down to where we fish largely and conditions at the time. Not used my new rod much yet but I get the impression it should do most of what I need/expect of an LRF rod. If I need longer, I would likely need more powerful too.
For range, how far do we expect to fish we LRF kit? There will again come a point where the range of LRF lures dictates that we need bigger lures to fish further out, again necessitating a more powerful rod?
If we want longer rods, then the choice becomes more limited I think. Japanese bream rods are slightly longer is some cases (Smith?) and maybe there is a crossover for the lighter EGI rods (Keith, how would yours fish?). I have never used an EGI rod so no idea how it would fish lures.
Maybe we need to go back to the idea raised before about cut down match rods for longer LRF rods? the top 8 or 9ft of a Microlite 2000 would make a very good rod......

 

[Andrew Walker]

Thanks Mike. Ultimately I took Micks advice at MrFish and went for a 2.4 m rod. I may well end up with several (just like my fly rods) and can get more specialised as the number of rods increase but as a first bass plugging rod, this seemed the best all round choice. I guess all things change as rod technology advances!

 

[Keith White]

maybe there is a crossover for the lighter EGI rods (Keith, how would yours fish?). I have never used an EGI rod so no idea how it would fish lures.

Mine fishes hard lures very well indeed.