Rod Length

[IowaBasser]

I grew up fishing relatively short rods - 6 ft and even a 5-1/2 foot rod. Maybe this was due to the fact I was young and a shorter rod was more manageable for a kid. Maybe it was because I fished from a river bank and often was contending with tree limbs overhanging the water. Not only was a shorter rod less likely to get hung up in a tree while trying to wade around it, a shorter rod was useful for pitching underhand or side-arm when standing knee-deep in water.

Now that most of my fishing is done from a boat, I tend to like a 7 foot rod. With a longer rod there's a little extra casting distance: whether pitching, flipping or traditional casting. Longer rods also offer more line control when fighting a fish: to either steer a fish or give the fish some extra line by lowering the rod tip. There is also more rod to take up slack line when presenting a bait or setting a hook.

There seems to be a lot of advantages for a longer rod, but I can't think of many advantages for a shorter rod. Do you find that you have a preference for a certain length rod, regardless of lure or presentations? ...Or do you like different length rods for different situations.