Do short rods give less control over a hooked fish

[rich66]

As per my title, do people think short rods give less control over a hooked fish.?

Case in point I hooked a small common carp (around 3lb) on my 9’ ledger rod last night. It managed to do nearly a full circuit of my swim ploughed itself through my float and tangled all that tackle to itself. Pretty sure if I’d have caught it on my lighter float set up with a 13’ rod I would have had more control.

 

[David Rogers 3]

This has been a long-standing debate, with devotees on both sides. Famously, **** Walker favoured rods no longer than 10' for controlling bigger fish, whilst his old friend Peter Stone preferred rods of 11'-12', even for pike fishing - a view that was unusual at that time. Even though both had convincing arguments for their respective points of view, neither ever persuaded the other that they were correct!

 

[Keith M]

In my opinion; especially at mid to close range and with larger fish; the ability to increase the angle and amount of side strain very quickly to keep it away from snags, plus more overhead control as the fish comes closer amongst near bank snags makes a 12ft plus rod a real asset over a shorter rod for me.

(Plus all the extra advantages that a longer rod sometimes gives me when I'm trotting floats on moving waters.)

Theres a lot more to bringing a big fish in than just applying brute force and winching it in otherwise a short rod would easily suffice me. Pure winching power isn’t what I need in a rod on the waters that I fish.

The only time I prefer a shorter rod is when Im fishing a tight swim with overhanging branches so that I can cast and not get caught up in undergrowth when I’m casting and when I’m playing a fish, but even then a short stiff broomstick is the last thing that I would want.

Keith

 

[John Keane]

I think general principles of leverage mean you can exert more force on a fish with a shorter rod. Not radically short but I’ve always preferred 11ft rods to 12ft for barbel, pike, etc.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

With the advent of the ever-popular Carp commercial match fisheries manufaturers, like Preston, brought out the shorter, 9' and 10' model rods that have been very successful for handling larger fish.

Personally, I think the more important criteria is the action of the rod rather than its length . . . . . although I'd agree generally on the point that JK makes above.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Duplicate post

 

[john step]

I am undecided about length of rod for control but I do favour longer rods for pike on the places I fish as there has been a lack of maintenance to the banks and margins on most drains/rivers hereabouts and the longer rod is better to reach over reads and brambles.

 

[108831]

Imo for big fish an 11ft rod gives more control,on the float I prefer 12ft if possible for the same reason,in the op's case I've always found having a float rod out whilst having a lead out(basic sleeper rod)leaves you in a situation where your not in control quick enough after hooking,then the fish can go crazy,thus I'm a one for man.

 

[Stalker]

As someone who regularly uses a short (9ft) rod for stalking carp, and spinning for pike, in my experience you can give more direct heft with a shorter rod, but have much more control with a longer rod. Longer rods are also a much better option overall if you're using a centrepin - catching carp close-in with a short rod and centrepin is GREAT fun, but you do risk overplaying larger fish.

Apologies for throwing centrepins into the mix...

 

[nottskev]

Is there one answer to this question? I think it depends what fish and where you're fishing. On a water with all the bankside features of a swimming pool, I can see why commie carp anglers favour short rods. But I use a long rod -12' - on one of the smallest rivers I fish as the chub will bury themselves in near bank snags if you can't hold them away. And two species can share the same swim and fight very differently. In snaggy or overgrown big-river swims, I'd happily use a short rod for barbel, which are strong and test your tackle, but will swim obligingly past or away from snags. But if you hook a decent chub, you'll wish it was longer as you're trying to keep it off your own bank.

 

[barbelboi]

Personally, I think the more important criteria is the action of the rod rather than its length . . . . . although I'd agree generally on the point that JK makes above.

Me too...............

 

[valetudoguy]

I think general principles of leverage mean you can exert more force on a fish with a shorter rod. Not radically short but I’ve always preferred 11ft rods to 12ft for barbel, pike, etc.

Longer levers tend to exert more force all else being as equal as possible.

Fishing rods are not a simple lever though as they aren't rigid and have differing tapers and overall strengths in compression and tension. So in some situations your assertion may be correct. However I would suggest that general principles of leverage would normally suggest that all else being equal, you can exert less leverage with a shorter lever.

On the original question, I suppose it relies on far too many factors to give a direct answer. When I bought my first carp rods at 13, I found my Grandads's 12' Rod Hutchinson 2 1/4 TC rods with long handles far too unweildy to have mutch control over a fish, I consequently bought some 10'6" Sportex rods in 1 3/4 TC with short handles, I couldn't cast them as far due to reduced force transmission (worse levers) but I was in much more control of fish as the rods actually fit me correctly.

There is also the matter of "feel" or sensitivity. I personally find that all else being close to equal, a shorter rod transmits more of the feel of a fight which allows me to react accordingly with finess rather than force.

Finally there's the matter of location, if you are in a fairly enclosed area a long rod can be an absolute liability which will decrease your ability to controll a fish as you won't actually be able to manoeuvre it in the required way.

Ultimately fishing rods are tools and they all have a time and place to be used, so I would say think about the situation at hand and use the correct tool accordingly.

 

[wetthrough]

Longer levers tend to exert more force all else being as equal as possible.

Depends wether you've got hold of the short end or long end!

 

[Keith M]

I was bought up using 10ft Carp rods, both split cane and fibreglass and I caught many large Barbel and Carp on these shorter rods back in those days.
Both Walker and Yates caught their record Carp using the same 10ft rods that I used, and I loved using these 10ft rods. I even used a 9ft rod on occasion.

However as rods got longer I started to appreciate the extra control that 11 and 12ft Barbel and Carp rods gave me. I could now steer a fish to one side and around a Lilly bed a lot easier than I could with a shorter rod; and I could keep a fish a little further away from under my feet when I was netting it, and the rod could have a more sweeter action along its length when a fish decided to speed off during netting.

For me there is much more to playing a fish in than just using pure brute force and listening to arguments about leverage; and a longer rod (within reason) gives me exactly what I want in bundles.
But that’s not to say that I would never use a shorter rod in certain situations if it’s needed.

Keith

 

[108831]

Imo rods are not levers,they are shock absorbers,the longer a rod is,the softer it is(this is based on each individual rod,ie Harrison torrix),match rods are a fine example,a 12ft titan 2000 is a different rod entirely to a 14ft titan,the 12 being a stiffer,more responsive tool altogether,thus more powerful,as has been said a poker actioned rod doesn't necessarily equate to having more control,in fact often it's the opposite,I've found if i want control of a fish,it needs to happen the instant it's hooked,else the fish has the upper hand as will do as it wants until you tire it out.

 

[valetudoguy]

Depends wether you've got hold of the short end or long end!

Absolutely correct, a fishing rod is a Class 3 Lever. The fulcrum is closer to the angler than the fish.

A longer rod can potentially allow more variational controll of moving that fulcrum further away from the angler by utilising a longer handle and wider hand spacing while still retaining a useable amount of rod beyond the angler. It's why long casting rods tend to be long with long handles and a reel seating which is moveable to tailor fulcrum point to the appropriate distance that is needed for the force a given caster is capable of expending.

 

[theartist]

I have a theory that fish don't always head for snags rather they head for areas they are familiar with that they visit frequently whilst doing their thing, hence carp seem to always try to get under your feet on pools yet on big pits they don't so often.Why? because on the pools they are often in those margins much of the time. Chub will go for rushes and roots because they go there anyway yet barbel in the same swim will often not go to places you'd expect them too, I mean how many times have you landed big fish on light line and think why didn't they just go there and snap me?

I think a longer rod in the case of the OP wouldn't have helped much with the carp getting under the feet, I'd go with the shorter rod being better for that scenario, either that or step back get the tip low and give it some welly with short line so that your using the rods maximum power

 

[108831]

Along with the scenario of a float being in the swim and a normally crazy three pound carp flying around,it's not quite a normal fish playing situation,not for me anyway,I would only have to worry about the fish on the line,not a second set of gear.

 

[rayner]

I don't go in for anything technical, I just fish. The ins and outs of how a certain piece of tackle works or which is better doesn't bother me.
Over the years I've settled on shorter rods, for no other reason than they suit how I fish.

 

[108831]

Over time I've had rods,then replaced them as a more suitable one becomes available,I'm afraid my Harrison Avon and torrix,both eleven feet in length are brilliant for playing/holding big fish,my float rods are all slightly different and take big fish on variable line strengths.