Rod length??

So dad and I will be heading to Ontario in 2017 for a trophy pike trip. 40″-45″ pike are the goal. Obviously a new trip requires a new rod. I want to stick with a spinning rod, Medium-Heavy power and Fast action. My question is length. I keep feeling I want/need an 8′ rod for better casting and control. But most rods that fit my criteria are 7’6″ rods. An 8′ rod raises the price. Thoughts?

I have a pair of 8′-6 rods that I wouldn’t go without. They are older IM6 blanks, but they suit the needs perfectly. My opinion is that as long as they are light enough in physical weight to cast with so that you don’t get fatigued and sensitive enough to know when you have weeds or a lure is fouled up, good enough.

I only target musky/pike for about 12-15 days a year, so I had a hard time justifying almost $200 each on rods.

Another option, which many may laugh at, is to buy the Rippin Lips Catfish rods. They are S-Glass and very light for what they are. I rep them for the upper-midwest and ironically a lot of musky guys have been buying them as an alternative trolling rod. Many of the hard core musky guys don’t like trolling with their $200+ rods, and like the idea of the glass. My daughters use them for pike/musky each year and they perform well for an inexpensive solution

Why only spinning?

What do you think your lure choices will be? Lure weights?

I do a couple weeks a year just past you on the north arm of Rainy. Haven’t cleared the 40″ mark yet but have some good mid 30’s on spinning.

10+ years running a St. Croix Premier 6’6″ medium heavy fast and very happy.

Pros – able to handle crankbaits like husky jerks, especially casting in wind. This is my primary use as 1oz spoons and heavier bucktails go on my baitcaster. Plenty of backbone to handle whatever hits but flexible enough tip to throw the 5/8 oz baits.

Cons – not many. If I had to do it again I might get the 7 footer in mhf. Little more distance on the cast. I’m not a long rod guy at heart though.

Randy’s glass suggestion is an interesting one and worth doing some research. Long story short – I got stuck fishing silver salmon in AK without a rod. Bought a 7′ Ugly Stik and worked really well. The extra durability was a plus. Lures were lighter but once hooked up the fights were similar to Canadian pike.

I don’t like baitcasters and don’t want to mess with learning (relearning) how to handle them.

The way I look at it, if saltwater fisherman can catch monster fish whose fight and weight eclipse our freshwater stuff on spinning gear. No reason a pike or musky can’t be managed on spinning gear.

Since you are set on spinning gear I can’t help you.

Any rod from 7′-8’6″ will work fine I have caught some very large tarpon on my 7′ med St Croix. As long as rod you use handles the lure fine it will be just fine. I caught a dozen pike over 10lbs fishing the MTT on winnie this year with a 6’8″ MXF tournament series so that proves it can handle. Also some of the salmon jiggers use that rod and 7″ and 7’6″ mf for salmon over 20lbs and they will destroy and fight from a pike.

I must just like to talk and think fishing. I agree. This guy came on a 6’6″ Medium Fast with 8# mono.

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Wade, I put a size 40 Quantum reel w/50# braid on one of those 8′ cat rods for Olivia. small to medium bucktails, medium top water, and most large “pike” baits work perfect.

Why the length requirement? I have med-heavy to heavy spinning rods from 7 1/2′ to 8′ specifically for pike , tigers and regular musky. You’ll do fine with 7 1/2′ or 8′. And don’t waste $200, unless you got money to burn.

Caught some of my better pike on a 7′-2″ Daiwa Tatula MH spinning rod. Nothing 40 inch, if that’s the case longer could help. But at some point the rod can get so long that it becomes cumbersome as you get the fish near the boat – sometimes a longer rod is harder to steer to grab or net the fish too.

We have been using Fenwick HMX. 2 piece to make packing easier. 6’6″. Fast action. Med-heavy. 1/4-1oz lures. 8-17lb line. We use slightly heavier spoons. We’ve caught lots of 40″+ pike on these rods. About $80.

The rod, reel, and line need to match the lures and technique more so than the size of the fish.
For casting 1/2 to 1+ oz. pike lures I’d use a 7′-7-1/2′ medium heavy fast or moderate-fast spinning rod with 20 lb Sufix 832. If I had to use spinning rods. For me spinning rods over 7-1/2′ don’t balance right.

I will add that the newer baitcasting reels with the magnetic controls are really easy to use.

pale ryder wrote:

The rod, reel, and line need to match the lures and technique more so than the size of the fish.
For casting 1/2 to 1+ oz. pike lures I’d use a 7′-7-1/2′ medium heavy fast or moderate-fast spinning rod with 20 lb Sufix 832. If I had to use spinning rods. For me spinning rods over 7-1/2′ don’t balance right.

I agree but 1 oz. baits are often insufficient for larger pike (at least where I fish). Heavier rods tend to run a bit longer say 8′ or longer and are needed to toss (3 to 4+) oz. baits. If you google Musky rods you’ll find very few under 8′ (although quite a few at 8′), regardless of manufacturer. This is true of both spinning and bait casting rods.