Does Fishing Rod Length Really Matter To Ultralight Bass Fishing

I get asked this quite a bit actually. How does rod length really effect casting distance, and specifically ultralight bass fishing? I don't always have an answer, it depends on the time of the day really. But there are a few key items you should think about when you are on the market for a new rod.

Most anglers feel that you should go to a shorter rod around 4.5 feet, or 5 feet long or so. A common occurring thing that I see is people thinking that these rods have more flex and whip to them, allowing you to cast farther.

The shorter fishing rods are great for fishing in areas that are heavily covered by overhanging trees, or other debris that you could easily get your lures into. The short fishing rod provides great accuracy once you practice enough with it, to get the hang of it. Shorter rods do decrease your casting distance, however, as they will throw a bait the shortest distance out of all of the rods.

When you go with a ultralight fishing pole around 5'6" to 6'0," you are going to get a good bargain for your money. These rods, specifically the 5'6" rods, will have nice accuracy, with only a limited cut in casting distance. The 6'0" will give you a little less accuracy, with a lot more distance.

You don't sacrifice much accuracy with this length, you can still use it as a light action flipping stick, or pitching stick for 1/4oz jigs in tight places. This is a technique for smaller fish on ultralight gear, however, use bigger gear for the bigger fish locked into the muck!

These rods fall into the general use category, because of the accuracy and casting distance, along with the strength in the backbone of the rod. Only experienced fishermen will be able to notice the difference between the different lengths of rods, however, so choose the one that suits your fishing areas best.

Long rods, or rods over 6feet 5inches are great for topwater ultralight bass fishing. If you haven't ever tried it, the next time you are out on the water and it is windy, grab the long rod, and tie on a topwater. Spook, buzz, frog, something. Sling it as far as you can get it, it will start to go out of sight. Work it back to you, and enjoy the fun!

Since we talk about distance, we have to talk about accuracy. These rods major downfall is casting accuracy, but when you can unload a 100 yard spool, how accurate can you really be?