8ft vs. 7ft6in Rod....Does the 6 inches make that big of a difference?

[Mike Stark]

so i was trying to get the shimano compre 8ft Heavy rod but NO ONE has it...they all have the 7ft6in rod. should i wait it out and get the 8ft or just get the 7ft6in?

[goblueM]

I dunno, I have a 7'2 rod and an 8 foot and the difference is massive. I'd hold out for the 8 footer myself, might as well get the right rod the first time out than get one you are going to upgrade next year

[mainbutter]

Well 7ft vs 8 ft, the biggest (and probably most obvious) difference for me is figure eighting. I don't have and haven't used 7 1/2 footers but I have to imagine that the difference between that and an 8er is noticeable, but not necessarily big enough to put off buying a new rod.

[Mike Stark]

well the other issue is that im fishing vermilion next week and need the rod asap...might go with a st. croix 8ftMH

[RuKiddingMe]

if you go with the st.croix do your self a favor and skip the MH and go to a H.... IMHO...

RU

[hanson]

Did you try Thorne's?? Can they ship you one in your timeframe?

I've got an 8' XH which works great for Mag Dawgs and an 8' H which is what I toss Cowgirls on. These rods match up with those baits pretty well.

Guess IMO... I'd get an 8'.

[Silver Scale]

Check out Lucky 7 in Virginia. They might have what you want. They also might have the 8 1/2 foot Okuma XH which is a really nice affordable rod that will handle any size lure.

[Mike Stark]

yeah thorne's is out....everyone is out....i called places all over the US trying to find an 8ft compre...nothing...the st. croix MH rod has the same lure weight rating as the compre 8ft heavy...thats why i was going to go with that.

[JRedig]

Absolutely get the 8...and then don't use a 9 because an 8 will feel silly and short...

Okuma has a telescoping rod for about $120 that carries an XH 2-10oz rating and extends to 9'3". A friend just got his, for the price it's a pretty decent stick!

Rollie and helens has them in stock...shipping takes 1 day.

[10,000 Casts]

I would get along with a 7'6" just fine if I only had 1 rod and thats all I had.. With that said, I have an 8'6"XH, 8' MH and a 7'2"H.

That 8' compre is a great rod. Another good rod in that $$$ is the 8' heavy Courtland Endurance or some of the Ganger Guide Series Rods.

[Mike Stark]

the st. croix 8'H has a rating of 2-6oz. would this rod be able to throw stuff lighter than 2oz? is this a good rod for double cowgirls?

[MikeEiden]

That rod will throw the lighter stuff for you and will work ok for DCG but you will notice figure-8'ing will be a little more fatigueing than a stiffer rod for the big blades. I would hold out for at least an 8' rod. I just picked up a Gander Guide Series 8'6" XH rod rated for 2-6oz and love it. Just enough action to throw the light stuff but strong enough to throw mag dawgs, twitch cranks, or large wtd lures. It was only $80 with a 2 year warranty. I have two 8'6" and one 8' and I like the longer 8'6" much better. Before that I had only a 7' before going longer.. man was I missing out!

[Mike Stark]

well i was on my way to duluth to get the st. croix 8'H rod when i realized i had not called vermilion food & fuel to see what they had in stock. so i called them up while driving...the lady said they had two 8footers shimano Heavy rods but she said they were both $240. so i detoured and made my way to tower. get to vermilion fuel/food and sure as sh*t they had the 8'H Shimano Compre rod for $120. i looked from the east coast to the west coast for that rod and no one had one and had not had one for weeks except for good ol' vermilion fuel and food right in my back yard. it was my first time in there and i was impressed with the selection of muskie gear.

thanks vermilion fuel/food!!!

[hunter991]

DO NOT get the MH St Croix 7'6".. I would say get HEAVY if you have the choice. i have a few MH SC rods and with the baits i throw today, they are just too soft and you work alot harder. I would get the 7'6" BTW if you can't get the 8' depending on how fast you need it. I have a few 7'6" and an 8' and really there isn't much difference to me. When i cast my Okuma 8'6", then there is a huge difference. I would just stick with a Heavy with fast action.

I have been gravitating towards the longer rods, but i catch fish even with my 6'6". The longer rod thing is nice for the bigger baits, figure 8's etc.. but i think alot of people are way overestimating the benefits. A good 7'6" rod or an 8' rod will do everything you want it too. Personally i have 5 different rods in my boat, but could probably get away with just 2 if i wanted. the 8'6" XXH Okuma (large blades, bulldawgs) and my 7'6" black river rod Hvy Fast for everything else.