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