7' vs 7'6 - Distance Difference?

[Afrayedknot]

I am thinking about getting a longer rod for my replacement crankbait rod (upgrading from old rod), and I am trying to decide between a 7' and a 7'6 cranking rod. It will be used for squarebills (3/8-1/2 oz) and lipless cranks (1/4-3/4 oz, mostly 1/4-1/2).

Is there actually a substantial casting difference between a 7' and a 7'6 rod?

[Mattman]

There is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to wind resistant baits. So much of your cast relies on the lures ability to travel unimpeded.

Yes, you'll notice a difference IF your crank bait has the potential to be cast further.

The other plus with a longer rod is it is a bigger shock absorber. Keeping fish buttoned and protecting lines.

[Revofisher]

yeah i agree with mattman on the wind and lure that is being thrown. say you were thowing a bandit that is unweighted for the most part compared to a megabass bait or something that has a better casting system you will see the difference. i had a dobyns 705 and a 764 rm cranking rods last year with strike king red eye shads tied to them 1/2 oz and the 764 will send them into orbit the 705 will get them out there but the 7'6 rod def had more casting distance in that situation

[dragon1]

I have found with lures that have some wind resistance...a 7'0" rod will control the cast throughout better than a 7'6".

BTW, the 7'6" will move more line during hookset and allow for more control of the fish at distance.

[njbasscat]

If you were throwing deep divers than I would say 7'6" for sure. That is the one crank that you need as much distance as possible in order to achieve maximum depth. I personally like 7' rods for every other cranking technique as they are more comfortable to use for long periods. It's going to be a personal preference deal for the most part. Are you fishing open water grass or will you also be throwing that square bill into shoreline cover? What line will you be using? A 7'6" rod usually requires a heavier reel to balance the setup unless your going custom. Do you need to bomb them out on every cast to be effective? These are just some questions you should ask yourself.

[dragon1]

A rod that is crankbait specific, or moving power tech specific, that is longer - say 7'3" - 8'0"...very rarely is a "tip up" application rod. So the overall balance to the center point of the seat is not always as vital as when fishing plastics, jigs, frogs, etc. More often, the tip will be slightly down from mid level to tip down. If you tend to fish the rod mid-level, then with these longer rods often having longer rear handles, you will be better served cradling the rod/reel.

I agree that while a heavier reel will help balance towards the reel seat overall, a lighter weight reel on these rods will be more than fine for tip down techs.

IMO.

[G3Steve]

A difference in action between the two lengths can affect distance, but all things equal (except for length), you will get greater distance. I moved from a 7'0 to a 7'6" and can definitely cast further. It helps especially for bank beaters.

[cumara]

Yes, there is a substantial casting difference between a 7' and a 7'6 rod. More distance with less effort. Also as someone mentioned, there is a big improvement in longer distance hooksets. The difference between 7'6" and 7'11" is not as pronounced, but also noticeable.