Bass Fishing Aug - Sept 2017 | Page 52

Fair for Flipping Kenney says he doesn’t see much of an advantage to a super-long rod for flipping, mainly because there isn’t a lot of true flipping that goes on anymore. “You just don’t see a lot of people flipping like they used to,” he says. “Why is that? I think the fish have become so smart from being pressured that you can’t get on top of them like we used to. There’s a lot more pitching going on because it allows you to stay 20 to 30 feet back. Plus, when you start building a flipping rod that big it’s going to get heavier, which is naturally going to wear you down quicker because of the upward position you have to hold it.” Andy Morgan, who is known for flip- ping and pitching a jig, hasn’t had a chance to experiment with any of the crop of new super rods, but he believes there are some specialty flipping and pitching scenarios where they might benefit anglers. “I definitely think it will be a plus in situations when you are dropping a bait with a big hook – like an Oldam Jig – in deep grass like they do in Texas,” he says. “In that situation I see the extra length giving you the ability to reach farther away from the boat and still have the horsepower and upper lever- age that will make it easier to get a fish up and out of the grass. It could also help if you’re dropping in deep trees or willows in, say, 12 to 20 feet of water. I think you’ll see better bite-to-catch ratios, too, especially with big hooks.” More to Handle There are some obvious drawbacks to the extra length. For instance, with an extra foot or two of rod blank, addi- tional guides and longer handles to deal with, the rods will be heavy by some anglers’ standards. There also will be a learning curve involved when it comes to casting, say, a 9-footer, especially for a guy who has never han- dled a stick longer than about 7 1/2 feet or when other anglers are fishing in close proximity in a bass boat. Storage is another potential con- cern. Most boat rod lockers won’t accommodate much over 8 1/2 feet, and long rods will extend into the con- sole area of some boats when strapped to the front deck. Most manufacturers will likely address these issues, as well as shipping concerns, with telescoping rods or two-piece construction, which have been around for a while but have some drawbacks for techniques that require maximum sensitivity. Kenney says another disadvantage of using a long rod surfaces when trying One hurdle that anglers might face when upsizing rods is learning to handle the extra length within the confines of a bass boat. 50 to grab a fish to land it without a net. More rod in your hands means more hardware in the way when trying to get your hands on the fish. “It’s only a problem when you’re by yourself,” he says. “If the fish is under 4 pounds I’m going to boat flip it or net it if I’m in a tournament situation.” Height Matters It’s logical to assume that an angler’s physical size might be somewhat of a barrier in being able to utilize a long rod effectively, but Kenney and Fritts aren’t sure exactly where the line is drawn. “As a rule, shorter people tend to prefer a little shorter rod,” Kenney says. “Then again, I run with Bryan Thrift [about 5 feet, 7 inches tall] a lot, and he can handle a long rod extremely well. But he’s probably an exception to the rule.” “It’s probably not going to be the deal for a short guy unless he’s got really fast wrists and arms when he snaps the rod,” adds Fritts. “It’ll be a handful for a guy who is 5 feet, 2 inches tall.” Dobyns Disagrees Veteran rod builder and Costa FLW Series Western Division pro Gary Dobyns offered a somewhat different perspective on what many manufactur- ers are hoping will turn into in a long- rod craze. Dobyns says he already builds swimbait rods longer than 9 feet and a premium 8-foot cranking rod that will launch a big-billed plug plenty far enough. He sees zero advantage in adding more long rods to his stable. “When B.A.S.S. changed the rule and all the hoopla started, I built a 9-3 and a 9-6 crankbait rod just to see,” Dobyns says. “The whole key behind going to a longer rod is to get more distance, but I just didn’t see enough improvement with the longer rods over my 8-footer to even talk about – maybe 3 to 4 feet. The longer rods are heavier, more cumbersome, harder to carry and store. Plus, the shipping charges are outrageous once you break that 9-foot barrier. To me, it’s just not worth it.” In the end, it’ll be up to anglers to decide whether the extra length in the rod equates to higher performance on the water, which is the litmus test for every new idea that comes to the fish- ing tackle industry. FLWFISHING.COM I AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2017