Anyone use micro-length fishing rods

[Glocktogo]

Man a lot of god responses. Let me first say I am aware of the telescopic "travel" rods; my dad always had one of those Daiwa ones in the black leather case he kept in his vehicle. I do wish I knew what happened to it. BUT, when I was mulling it over, and experimenting with some of the telescopic ones in the store, I decided it was too much trouble unless I was needing something I could fit in a suitcase. I like the idea of not having to assemble the thing to use it and these micros are small enough you could keep in the truck and carry on a backpack without the telescopic being necessary. But there are some really cool telescopics on the market none the less and I'm sure they serve their intended purposes.

Since I posted this thread, I've now been back and bought a closed-face spin-cast version of the dock demon for my wife to use. I also picked up an Ugly Stick "dock runner" which is a nicer slightly longer rig than the original zebco dock demon and has a cork handle, etc. This is becoming a "bug" like firearms only cheaper LOL. I am now also aware that Zebco makes a dock demon deluxe that is a direct competitor and size as the Ugly Stick dock runner. I can't find one locally but I may order one. Finally, I saw Shakespeare also makes a "flippin' stick" micro rod that I might also add to the collection. They are all basically cheap enough for me to try out and decide what I like best for what. I am not going to mess with them and change the line or reels right off the bat...I intend to use them in their stock form so-as to get an accurate comparison.

The interesting thing to note is the ONLY reason I began to wonder about this was the fact I was using the kids pole and the other older shorty I mentioned before. BUT when I went into walmart, the guy commented when I was checking out at how they used to not sell very well and now he sees a lot of people buying these micro poles...There are also multiple online video reviews that mention how they are becoming popular. From my brief analysis, it seems that some ice rods are micros and in about 2012, someone began using them for regular fishing and dock fishing and the dock demon was born, and others followed in the market.

Sounds like I may have accidentally stumbled into a new fad. But for the novice, especially fishing w/ kids, you can't say that 4-6lb line and a 3ft pole wouldn't do the job in most cases...I got tired of lugging the 6.5ft rods down to the pond for a couple hrs of fishing...now I have a whole new perspective (that I can't seem to stop talking about can you tell?). Thanks fellas, keep the info flowing.

Yep, they're just a lot of fun! This is the rig I have. Pflueger P-flex Micro Spinning Rod/Reel Kit. What I like about it is the reel seems to be of better quality than most of the micros I've handled and that wooden handle is a lot more comfortable than the hard paddles the others seem to come with.

 

[sh00ter]

Yep, they're just a lot of fun! This is the rig I have. Pflueger P-flex Micro Spinning Rod/Reel Kit. What I like about it is the reel seems to be of better quality than most of the micros I've handled and that wooden handle is a lot more comfortable than the hard paddles the others seem to come with.

Yeah that seems to be a higher quality one. The Ugly Stick 3ft rod I just bought does have the cork handle as does the dock demon DELUXE (which I do not yet own). But you're right, these cheap reels are just a get-me-by so they can sell it as a combo for a cheap price. The reels are very cheap and I expect I'll replace them at some point.

 

[caojyn]

One word for ya
"Emmrod"
Keep mine in the truck all the time

 

[sh00ter]

very cool, what kinda reel do you use for it?

 

[sh00ter]

Here's what I learned so far.

- NONE of these small rod/reel combos are good for casting
- The best combination for casting was the dock demon spinning version w/ a 1/4oz lure; anything smaller on any of them was too light (especially if there was any wind)
- The dock demon spinning version has a better reel than the ugly stick dock runner, but they are both very cheap. I think the ugly stick would be a whole different experience with a better reel which I may add later
- These seem to be much better suited for static fishing (such as w/ a bobber) than casting except as a travel/emergency caster.
- I might change my mind once I invest in a better reel but after trying out these micro rods, I am not yet convinced to throw out my 5ft light action spinning rods in favor of the micros and will still choose the longer rods for casting lures when they can be brung along

 

[deerwhacker444]

One word for ya
"Emmrod"
Keep mine in the truck all the time

Were those originally made for ice fishing?

 

[sh00ter]

Were those originally made for ice fishing?

Not sure but seems plausible since some of the online video reviews of the doc demon refer to it being an "ice fishing rod". I guess when you are ice fishing you'd need to be close to the hole in the ice to easily retrieve the fish?

 

[caojyn]

Were those originally made for ice fishing?

I don’t know aboutnoriginally, but there definitely is an ice fishing version

 

[Glocktogo]

You can usually tell which ones are designed for ice fishing because the butt section behind the reel is extremely short.