Bigger Isn't Always Bigger - Your Favorite "Short" Rod 2025

LAO162 reply :

What's your favorite rod that is 6 feet or less in length? What situations and techniques do you use it for?

I'm thinking it might be good to have a shorter rod to fish from shore in areas surrounded by brush.

Thanks

Tin reply :

A 6' Castaway for skipping tubes and finesse worms under boat docks.

LAO162 reply :

Thanks Tin, is your Castaway the MM Casting Model (MB60) and what are you using for a reel on it.

Alpster reply :

I have a 5'6" Lamiglas spiral wrapped custom. I call it the "Pistol" It's for high accuracy pitching & casting. I also have a 6' Loomis IMX 724 spiral wrapped with a Shimano 50Mg. At Guntersville the boys were taking turns holding this combo and all said "the lightest rig I've ever held". I have an 8' swimbait rod, a 7 1/2' flippin stick and several 7' rods, but sometimes you just can't beat a short stick. JMHO

Ronnie

LAO162 reply :

Thanks Ronnie, For kicks I was checking out the 724 on-line today... Sounds like I would have trout stream flashbacks if I went with the spinning version

Wayne P. reply :

My 20 year old Bass Pro Shops medium heavy, 5' 6", non blank-thru pistol grip casting rod for spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits.

cart7t reply :

I have a old Bionic Blade IM6 pistol grip that Stacey King used to own. Med action. I throw topwaters with it most of the time. I also have a All star BCM6, 6' med action I use with small crankbaits and other lighter lures.

I've also got a pair of original 6' Berkley Lightning Rods, both over 20 years old. I gave them to my wife but sneak them out every once in awhile. They're fun to fish with and amazingly light and sensitive. Those rods were way ahead of their time back then.

skillet reply :

All my rods are 6' or under ;D! Do a lot of fishing from the bank and that sure cuts down on the aggravation factor .

6' MH Berkley Bionix, Symetre 2500

6' M Bionic Blade pistol grip, Citica 200D

5'6" M Bionic Blade pistol grip, Citica 200D

As Ever,

skillet

LakeAnnaBasser reply :

5'6" All Star american classic. Use it at pond and for roll casting. I love it though.

Jeff H reply :

I have an old Berkley Pulse 6' MH that I still love to use. It is my favorite for fishing worms (t-rig).

RoLo reply :

Quote
What's your favorite rod that is 6 feet or less in length?

Team Daiwa Light-and-Tough 6-ft - MH - $120

Incredible latitude - Very sensitive - Great backbone - Attractive

(True casting range: 1/8 to 1 oz - Finesse fishing to Stump-rocking)

Quote
What situations and techniques do you use it for?

Everything.

Quote
I'm thinking it might be good to have a shorter rod to fish from shore in areas surrounded by brush.

I prefer short rods in general, as they offer more advantages than a long rod.

However, I'm afraid that bank-fishing is not one of the advantages of a short rod.

With a longer rod you can retrieve the lure more parallel to the vegee line (for example, black willows overhanging the water).

Roger

LAO162 reply :

Thanks everyone. RoLo, the L&T is one of the other rods that looks to have great features. For one rod, it does seem to have a lot of latitude which would be great when traveling light. Great point about the advantage of a longer rod from shore. Cheers

Leon

XbassmasterX reply :

4'8" UL ugly stick for blue gill and small bass

5'10" muskie small swimbait rod

and of course all those old spincast rods

bigbill reply :

I always liked my rods at 5' or 5'6". I switched to using 6' and 6'6" rods lately and noticed my back hurts right away after making many casts with the larger rods. I like the longer rods for making long casts from shore. In the tight areas the 5' rods rule. I purchased some new old stock metal eye 5' rods for $5 and they work great.

oldschoolbasser reply :

Don Iovino model Phenix 5"6" for worms

Tin reply :

Quote
Thanks Tin, is your Castaway the MM Casting Model (MB60) and what are you using for a reel on it.

Just a cheap Pro Sport series. I have an Abu Garcia Cardinal 704 on it.

Laurentino reply :

I use a St Croix Avid spinning rod (AVS59MXF) for skipping baits under docks or bushes. It's only 5'9" but really well suited for this application. I highly recommend it!

Ballpark Frank reply :

I fished a 5'6" Pistol Grip Lightning rod for a long time, until my daughter took it over. Now my favorite short rod is a G.Loomis GL3 CR723(6' MH) with a Quantum Energy PT. I liked the pistol grip, but have figured out that the straight grip is alot less stressful on the hand and forearm. I fish alot from the bank and this rod is perfect for it. I like the accuracy that the short rod has, and the ability to avoid trees and brush from the bank. It has become my car rod for pull-over fishing and when I get off work on midnights. I also have a 6' St.Croix Premier spinning with a Symetre 2500 that is a great little rod for light lures.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

5'6" Shimano beast master circa 1988

It is retired and mounted on the wall. It has earned it's place in my list of "most valued possessions"

Many, many, many awesome memories in that rod.

LAO162 reply :

Looks like we covered the entire value spectrum of rods. If I had the green light I'd be considering (so far) these 6' spinning rods:

Daiwa Light & Tough 6'0" MH (1/8 - 1 oz)

Cabela's XMLTi S60VJ (1/8 - 5/8 oz)

Powell 604MHEF (1/4 - 3/4 oz)

G Loomis IMX 723 (3/16 - 5/8 oz)

For now, I'm still using a 6'6" Browning Midas MF (1/8 - 1/2 oz).

LOW7681 reply :

Six foot length rods now on my casting deck are:

Shimano Compre MH Extra Fast

St Croix Avid MH

Rapala Tournament MH

Rapala Tournament M

Rapala Tournament ML

Except for the St. Croix all are inexpensive.

I've owned over 20 G Loomis rods from 6 1/2 to 7' in length (still own some) in GL2, GL3, IMX and GLX. Have sold most. Fish close 90% of the time and 6' rods get the job done. Much more comfortable to use.

In addition a 6' rod is only between 3-4" shorter measured from the reel seat than a 6 1/2' rod.

Catt reply :

One of the most sensitive rods I've even used is a Shimano Crucial CU-56D-T 5'6 which I have donated to my 7 year old grandson for Texas Rigging.

hammer84 reply :

Cabelas XML 5'6" Med baitcaster. I use this rod the most of any I have. I'm a bank fisherman so the short rod works well for me.

Red reply :

well i only have two rods, so this one is easy. my 6' MH custom from ronnie. i use it for everything, except now that i have another(6'6" Heavy for jigs and pitchin creatures etc etc) but as my rod collection grows i can see this 6' rod becoming my rod for throwing buzzbaits and spinnerbaits, in my opinion it excels with these baits, very accurate casting.

Cliff

Gone_Phishin reply :

Does anyone have any experience with the topwater specific rod in Loomis's Bronzeback series? It's 5'10, MH, Fast, 1/4-3/4, and 10-17lb. It looks like a sweet little rod.

.ghoti. reply :

My favorite short rod is an old Team Daiwa, George Cochran, topwater / twitchin model, made in the early 90's. 6', EVA pistol grip, medium power, fast action, with a very, very light tip. A great rod for original floating Rapalas and small poppers.

I've semi retired it because the finish has started coming off the blank. I like it enough that I intend to strip it down, and re-wrap it over the next winter.

Cheers,

Siebert Outdoors reply :

Quote
What's your favorite rod that is 6 feet or less in length? What situations and techniques do you use it for?
I'm thinking it might be good to have a shorter rod to fish from shore in areas surrounded by brush.

Thanks

I guess this excludes me. 6'6" is the shortest I own unless you are talking about crappie/bluegill rod. Then its my 5'4" imx mag lite. Great rod for panfish and trout too.

5316

Bigger Isn't Always Bigger - Your Favorite "Short" Rod 2025

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