UL rod length?

[mainbutter]

I'm pondering trying out UL fishing to toss tiny panfish spinners and crankbaits. I've found UL rods in my price range that go anywhere from 7' to 12'.

Will I get as much extra casting 'umph' from having an exceptionally long UL rod as I think I might? I have to imagine that those small lures really can't have much momentum behind them without serious velocity, and a long rod surely helps with that, right?

What length UL rods do you guys use?

[Schollmeier]

My current one is beater I built from spare parts at 8'6" - my next one will be 9' for sure (I have the blank sitting in the corner...

The length helps for sure with casting and hooking - plus I have mine built as a spin/fly rig so that is nice. Longer rods also help keep fish from shaking the hook and protect light lines better if you happen to hook something big incidentally.

[ozzie]

if it were me i would go with a light action instead of the ultra lite because of the hooking factor.....I have been trying to use a couple ul that I have but the hooking of the fish goes down compared to a light action rod and the fight is fun on both rods....I like to use the 6'6" or a 7' for the pannies casting baits.....you can cast plenty far if you use the right lbs line i like to use 4lbs....good luck

[Elia]

I prefer a 6 and a half footer for throwing small stuff for panskis. I've found seven footers (and beyond) to be too "mushy" to feel light pickups. Essentially, I'm seeking the same feel/sensitivity in this rod that I would in a walleye jig rod, or a bass rod for outside weededge work, but I gear downward a good bit.

I stay away from "buggy whips", and tend to use light actions as opposed to ultralight actions. Be warned that rod action descriptions are very subjective, so you're better off focusing on lure weight recommendations. Personally, my panfish rods top out at 1/16 oz lures, but if you fish in the nasty stuff you should beef up.

My panfish bobber rods are 7and a half footers. These have much greater, deeper. flex to them. These rods are very kind to live bait during the cast, and they can throw it a mile. They're great shock absorbers, and they're fabulous for long distance hook sets.

Four pound mono is all I use for panfish, and it works beautifully with these rods.

[Schollmeier]

I should add that my favorite ultra lights (8.5'-9' 4wt blank)are perfect bobber or spinner rods (IMHO). I haven't tried cranks on them but I'm sure they'd work great.

They are NOT very good jigging rods, however - something shorter is much better there.

[ozzie]

I should also mention that I mainly use jig and plastics with cast and retrieve methods on spinning gear

[slipperybob]

If you're working cranks and pitching jigs I'd say a 6' rod will be better to work those lures. Longer rods for bobbers, but depends on how much finessing the bobbers you want. Shorter rods can manipulate the lures with more finness.

[half-dutch]

Shorter rods give more finesse IMO, too. Mine are all 5' and with high quality limp 4# lines casting distance is fine. Also good for dipping and flipping from over the top and for shooting docks. The longer the rod the higher the grade of the blank, it takes to maintain enough feel and sensitivity to detect the softest crappie bite that most guys miss, and that can be 1/4 to 1/2 of crappie catching opportunity on some outings. Mostly I use 32nd oz and smaller jigs and plastic tails.

[palisade1kid]

Rods aside line diameter is a killer in trying to get distance with light tackle.

You really need to get small in your thinking or maybe a better word is thinner.

A great drag is also key with the thinner line for when you tie into bigger non target species.

Point being it's not just the rod length to think about.

[StillwaterAaron]

Rods aside line diameter is a killer in trying to get distance with light tackle.

You really need to get small in your thinking or maybe a better word is thinner.

A great drag is also key with the thinner line for when you tie into bigger non target species.

Point being it's not just the rod length to think about.

Right on!

For jigs I like 7-8 foot UL gives the extra leverage needed to fight. Like CrappieKieth said the reel is a very important factor. Everyone has their opinion on rods and only experience will tell you what you are looking for. Schollmeier builds beautiful rods and knows what he likes in a rod and I have seen them in person and like his style.

[fisherdog19]

I personally do not care for UL rods, reason being the moderate, flimsy action they provide. You will not be able to get as much distance with the same length rod that is maybe a L/ML action with an fast to xfast tip. That being said, rod length in conjunction with thinner line will give you longer, more accurate casts along with the leverage to fight fish and get good hooksets without having to make the rod travel a long distance. In my experience, 3-4lb Fireline has given me the best casting distance with light jigs, better than 2 or 4lb Gamma, which is what I use if I use mono type line at all. Pair it with a reel with good drag, and you'll have a great panfish rod. My two top ones are a 1 piece St. Croix 7'6" Avid ML XF action, and the 1 piece Fenwick Elite Tech 7'2" ML Walleye rigging rod which doubles as a great fast/moderate fast action crappie rod as well (I use it for crappies 90% of the time).

[Northlander]

My favorite crappie jig casting rod is a 6'6" light with a fast tip St. Croix Avid. My all around crappie rod is a 7'6" medium light Rapala sportsman rod. No longer made I dont think. I have tried to replace it but I just like the way it performs.

The Limit Creek Smoothie is also a good versatile rod for casting and vertical jigging. Also can troll beetle spins, spinners etc. with it. I always have that rod in the boat just because it is so versatile. None of these rods break the bank either.

For line on my jigging rods I like 4# Power pro with a 4 # mono leader of a thin limp line when needed otherwise straight PP.On my bobber rods I like 6# XT with a 3 or 4# leader.

[hydro]

Here’s a totally different viewpoint to ponder.

I have a 5’ UL rod that I built on a Cabelas moderate action blank that I’ve had for probably 15 years now. It’s my “go-to” rod for crappies and sunfish and I prefer it over the longer blanks mainly due to its extremely light weight and quick response speed. IMO, a short rod will take less time to move the tip once my hand reacts, and that speed has paid off over time in lots of fish. Combine that strike speed with light line in the 1 to 2 lb class and I can get casting distance and the all important drop rate that a light jig gives. When fishing crappies, controlling the speed that the jig drops is the most critical factor for me. I do not use this rod to fish under a bobber or to pull rigs, both techniques where I would use a longer rod.

I have tried the longer rods with jigs and they have just not worked as well. I guess it’s all a matter of personal preference and what works best for each of us.

[fisherdog19]

I hear you hydro, but even thought rod is shorter and lighter, the longer rod will set the hook faster due to the top of the rod moving a greater distance based on degree of movement the rod makes, pure geometry there. Also, if you put weight at the butt of your rod to balance it out, it will feel lighter than most shorter rods or make shorter rods feel even lighter. I balance all my rods by putting weight on the butt of the rod. I started doing it about 10 years ago with thick lead disks about as big around as a quarter, just stack them up and use some electrical tape to secure them to the end of the handle. I just comes down to preference, some like em longer than others no pun intended.

[hydro]

Fisherdog, I have to disagree with your physics in that one. Your theory would work out nicely if the rod had no mass, but that is not the case. With a shorter rod, the lower mass at distance from the pivot point takes less power to initiate movement out at the tip. The additional energy required to start the tip moving on a longer rod is a function of multiplying the square of the increase in radius distance from the center point (hand) times the weight hanging out there at the tip. Also, the smaller overall mass of a short rod allows balance with much less weight at the handle (no lead needed). A nice thing after a long day on the water.

Anyway, as I said above, its all a matter of what you like to use and there is no right or wrong choice. Sounds like a good discussion to have over a cold one after a day on the water

[pushbutton]

I hear you hydro, but even thought rod is shorter and lighter, the longer rod will set the hook faster due to the top of the rod moving a greater distance based on degree of movement the rod makes, pure geometry there.

[Jim Uran]

Mass x Velocity = Power.... If your a little dude, than use a shorter lighter rod..

I prefer a longer rod as well, I made a 6'10" ML fast action crappie rod, love it. It's a nice light blank and it doesn't take much of a movement at all to get that tip back up in a hurry. I set the hook on quite a few crappies this year.

I also have a 7' UL in the works, figure I'll finish that this winter when I get cabin fever. I'll be able to report on that this spring obviously.

[fisherdog19]

Hydro, talking apples and oranges, I'm talking geometry, you're getting into physics; either way it's all comes down to preference. I too, like longer rods but for vertical jigging I'll take a shorter one.

[palisade1kid]

I understand why people like different rods for different types of fishing pannies and the mods done.

For me there is no other choice than Grandt rods. I will use a 5'6" or a 6'6" xlh70 series. 70 Million modulous of high strain graphite is what the blanks are made of with fast tips. They also have titanium oxide guides that are silky smoooth for further distances in casting and the way the rods load up realy give me all of the distance I'm ever needing. They also have a ton of backbone for power in the fight....yes they set fast too.

No other rod co. makes a blank with that much graphite per inch.

Here's a video with a few nice battles where you can see the rod loaded up.

I'm a little wordy to start...sorry about that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfTniQpsCIo

[upnorth]

Typically UL rods over 6' will be more of a buggy whip than anything. I have a St Croix 6' SCIII and it reasonably fast for an UL. Past that point I would step up to a L or ML.