The most obvious place to use a long rod is when trolling. Trolling is simply running a bait past scattered fish. The object of trolling is to present a bait to as many fish as possible. Many times I'll see anglers trolling with two rods over the transom and a rod over each side. These fishermen will only cover an area of about 12-feet wide behind the boat. By using a long rod set out on each side of the transom, you can cut a swath about 25-feet wide and cover twice the area.

If you put your bait past twice as many aggressive fish, it is just logical that your chances of catching more fish will increase dramatically. Trolling is a numbers game, the angler who places his bait in the strike zone in front of more fish is going to catch more. Long rods spread baits allowing twice the coverage and twice the fish.

Another place where long rods can make a difference is while drifting. The same principle still applies as in trolling. While wind drifting or controlled drifting on structure, don't set four rods over the side of the boat and settle for covering an area of 15 feet wide with your drift. Put a long rod out off the bow and another out the stern. This will allow you to cover over twice the water, or over 30 feet. By using old math or a calculator, it all computes the same; cover twice the area and catch twice the fish.

You should also use a long rod as your second rod. In most states, two rods are allowed. Some states may permit three while some allow an unlimited number. Minnesota only allows the use of one.

When you have the opportunity to use two rods, you'll quickly realize that two rods are harder to handle than one. Many fishermen are much better off fishing with one and concentrating on that one rod. My suggestion is to learn to use a primary rod which is the rod in your hand. Give it 95 percent of your attention. Whether rigging, jigging or using a bottom bouncer, your primary rod deserves all your attention. If you choose to use a second rod, use a long rod and rig it safe.

What I call "rigging safe," is very simply rigging your second rod so it doesn't cause problems. In other words, rig it so it doesn't snag. When I'm using a long rod as a second or dead rod, here's how I rig it. I tie on a Lite Bite bottom bouncer, which is a wire weight system that's almost snag free because only the wire touches the bottom. Attached to the bottom bouncer is a four or five-foot leader with a plain hook or a floating jig head. A floating jig head will keep the bait off the bottom and allow you to keep bait in the fish zone without becoming snagged.

Because your second or dead rod is in a rod holder and not in your hand, it must be visually fished. The big advantage of long rods for walleyes is that they are forgiving and easy to read. You'll learn very quickly that if you snag, long rods will gently bend at a constant speed. This generally allows plenty of time to swing the rod back behind the snag and free it. In shallow water you can actually reach the length of the rod into the water and most times work your bait out of the rocks or off a branch.

With an eight or nine-foot rod, you can also read when a fish is on. The rod is very soft and gentle, and the fish won't find stiff resistance as the rod slowly bends. When this happens, the angler has time to reach the rod and set the hook. You'll be amazed as how many fish you can catch with the long rod in a holder!

Long rods will put the walleye odds in your favor. Even though an eight or nine-foot rod may not fit the image of what most fishermen want to purchase, it is by all means a "good" walleye rod. If you happen to have a chance to check out a professional walleye tournament anglers' boat, I'd be willing to bet every one has at least one long rod.

Long rods for kids
The bonus of long rods will be realized whenever the kids go fishing with you (I hope this occurs frequently in your boat). Kids have a terrible habit of quickly becoming preoccupied with "things." They'll put their rod down, lean them against the boat or sometimes place them in a rod holder.

Subconsciously when fishing with kids, you may end up fishing their rods too. You're watching their rod to see if it's on the bottom, how much line is out, and most importantly, did a fish hit? Longer rods are easier to read and they permit more reaction time from the initial bite to setting the hook. A long rod is also much more forgiving if it snags or a fish makes a run. Long rods can make a kid look like a pro when it comes to handling fish. It also makes Dad's life much easier!

Rod selection is often confusing for all fishermen including mewith all the high-tech terminology like IM-6's, IM-7's, HSX's 40-50-60 million modulus of graphite and so on. There are so many rod choices that trying to select one can be overwhelming without applying a little common sense. When selecting a rod, the most important thing is to realize you're not just buying a fishing rod, you're selecting an instrument to perform a particular function.

Selecting the appropriate fishing rod is no different from selecting the proper tool to repair your car. You must first identify the basic functions you expect your rod to perform for a particular fishing technique. To recognize these basics is not always easy. Choice is often clouded with sales hype, price, promises to catch more fish and "what kind of rod your buddies use."

My personal choices
My formula for rod selection is simple. Choose rods one at a time for a particular technique. Only then can you identify the characteristics you need for a rod - design, length and action. When these key parts are addressed with common sense, rod selection becomes easy.

Let me list, by fishing techniques, my five picks for walleye rods. I think you'll agree that choosing rods for a specific reason greatly simplifies rod selection.

Rods for jigging
My choice for a jigging rod is a 5'6" medium action spinning rod. There are no options here. Because of light line requirements, an open face spinning reel is a must. Add this to the comfort and balance you get from spinning reels and a spinning rod becomes an easy choice.

Since jig fishing is 90 percent eye contact with your fishing line, a short rod will not only move your focal point (the tip) closer, but also allows for quick and exact rod tip placement avoiding wind and glare off the water for easier reading. Control is another key factor to jig fishing. A short rod offers more tip control not only for vertical jigging, but also for casting light line and baits less than a quarter ounce.

Medium action is perfect for a jigging rod. It has enough stiffness to detect the slightest "tick," but yet is soft enough not to break light line on the hook-set. It also has the backbone (the rod bends to a certain point) to control a "frisky" fish with light line. The Quantum Tour Edition TS565FW is my favorite rod for jigging.

Rods for rigging
When it comes to fishing with a rigging rod, a seven-foot spinning rod gets my nod. The balance and comfort of an open face reel are the keys to this technique. Add this to the physical demand of releasing line to let a fish run and again a spinning rod and reel is the only choice.

A rigging rod should be long yet comfortable and controllable. Length is the key factor with this presentation giving you the ability to take up slack line, absorb line stretch, and still deliver hook-setting power. A seven-foot one-piece is just right for this purpose.

A medium action rod has plenty of hook-setting power, but yet a fast tip for easy reading. It allows you to distinguish the bottom from a fish. Add the fast tip to its length, and you have the maximum reaction time needed before the fish feels enough pressure to become alarmed. My personal choice for rigging rods are the Quantum Tour Edition TS704FW.

Rods for bottom bouncers
If you want to select the perfect bottom bouncer rod choose a 5'6" pistol-grip baitcaster. The short length keeps the rod tip close to the boat and allows you to keep your bait closer to what you are seeing on your electronics. The pistol-grip design is more comfortable if you like to hold your bottom bouncer rod.

In more open water situations with fewer snags or if you prefer to use a rod holder consider a medium action 6'6" baitcasting rod. Quantum makes an excellent pistol-grip bottom bouncer rod in the 5'6" Tour Edition TC565SF rod. For a 6'6" rod try the Quantum TC665FW.

Rods for trolling
When selecting a trolling rod a baitcasting rod is an obvious choice. Choose a medium heavy rod that can handle a husky bait-casting reel and is stiff enough to handle all the trolling paraphernalia including Off-Shore planer boards drop weights, lead-core line and deep-diving lures. Yet, it is very important that the rod tip has plenty of action when a fish hits, allowing for an automatic hook-set even while the rod is still in the rod holder.

A long rod is the real key when trolling. The length not only allows you to spread rods out to cover more water, but also lets you elevate the rod's tip as high as possible, which is a major advantage with trolling techniques that deal with planer boards and skis. Another consideration is that you visually fish these rods; in other words, the rods will be in rod holders and not in your hands. The longer the rod, the easier it is to read and the more time you have to react.

Don't forget how you're going to be using this rod and all the equipment it could be towing. A medium heavy trolling rod offers a uniform bend from tip to handle. This allows the entire rod to respond once a fish hits and offers maximum hooking ability while still in the rod holder. My personal choice is the 7'9" Quantum Tour Edition TC796FW.

Selecting a "dead" rod
Selecting how you're going to rig a dead rod dictates this rod selection. My dead rod fishing is with bottom bouncers and rigs with live bait snells. This makes selecting the right rod more specific. In the past, the design of a dead or bottom bouncer rod was simple. The only requirement needed then as well as today was a long rod from eight to nine-feet long. It was a matter of preference with no demonstrated advantages for either spinning or bait-casting. The design has changed with the refinement of the technique. Now, with the Lite-Bite system of bottom bouncers (Lite Bite is a system of bottom bouncers that slips and allows you to feed line to a finicky walleye) you have the ability to open the bail and release free-flowing line. This is a must! It also makes a spinning rod the only choice possible when using a dead rod for rigging.

Most dead rod fishing is done with the rod in a holder, so again it is a technique that has to be visually fished. Long rods give you more time to react and can be easy to read. Couple this with their ability to spread your lines out when trolling or drifting, and you'll agree that longer is better. Remember that a two piece rod is the key - an eight to nine-foot one-piece rod don't like rod boxes or vehicles very much.

A lighter action will react to light biting fish or snags quicker which gives extra time to respond. Be sure the you you select offers a uniform bend with a long, soft sweep that allows you to take up slack, a major problem with dead rod rigging which helps a solid hook-set. The dead rod in my boat is the 8'6" two-piece Quantum Tour Edition TS864FW.

Editors note: Be sure to check out Mike's book "Walleye Trouble-Shooting" available right here on Walleye Central.