[Mike P]

One all-around canal stick is a difficult order. After 30 years of trial and error, I've decided that the optimum length for versatility in a Canal stick is 9-1/2 feet. I have an 11' Ron Arra plugging rod--it's great for tossing plugs on the low slacks, when you can stand on an exposed mussel bed and have nothing behind you. At high tide, with brush behind you--fugeddaboudit<img src="/Images/Happy_Face.gif"><!--e1-->. I also have an original (plum) Sabre 1088, cut back about 2" from the tip, for an overall length of 8'10". It's only marginal, however, for the Canal--I'd hate to have to wrestle with a 30#+ fish on it. Between these two extremes, I've tried many rods. Right now, my current favorite is a Fisher 8720, originally 10', shortened to my ideal length of 9'6" from the butt. However, that rod blank has been out of production for a few years.

Many of the 9' rods lack the power to lift a heavy fish off the bottom, or even to keep one from heading there after it crashes a plug. Those that have the beef often cast plugs poorly. My suggestion would be to talk to Mike T or another competent rod builder, one who knows the Ditch, about shortening some 10' blanks. I suspect that if you took an All-Star 1208 blank, trimmed the tip back to a size #10, and took the balance of 6" from the butt, you'd have a nice 9-1/2' that'll do most of what you want, and do it better than many of the existing 9' models.