Telescopes Like a Flipping Stick…

Most of us are probably familiar with the telescoping flipping stick.  For the rest… no not like a multi section telescoping rod.  Just one where main body of the rod can be pushed back into the butt section of the rod.  This is fairly typical of 7’6″ to 8′ med-hvy to x-heavy fast to x-fast action rods.  This allows a long rod to be stored in most rod lockers.

Side Note:  Bass Pro shops used to charge people extra to ship rods over a certain length including their store brand flipping stick, which when collapsed was much shorter than that maximum length.

Anyway, at one time there was a manufacturer who made a range of rods with this feature.  Not just flipping sticks.  I forget who it was for sure.  Maybe Falcon Rods.  I’m not sure.  I always thought it was a great idea.  It would be really handy for people with smaller boats, people traveling, and certainly for the professional amateur fishing out of other people’s boats quite often.  They were not cheap, but they were not expensive either.  Maybe a little more than the minimum average price for a quality rod, but nowhere near the price of a premium “name” rod.

I would love to have a set (two of each, more of some) of rods like this.  All 7′ except the flipping sticks.  I already have some of those aforementioned Bass Pro flipping sticks, and the med-hvy is quite good for the price.  I have some of the heavy version also, but I do not like them quite as much… still if you want a heavy they make one.

A set like I describe would be awesome for the reasons described.  Store in a smaller rod locker, and quite likely suffer from fewer broken rod tips.

My rod selection would be much the same as I like now.

Spinning – All 7′
ML XF –  4″ stick worms
MH F – 5″ and larger stick worms
M – MF – Smaller poppers
ML M – Tiny cranks

Casting – All 7′
M M – Average crankbaits
M MF – Mid size jerk baits, and mid to larger topwater
MH M – Large cranks, swimbaits, buzz baits, and buzz frogs,
MH F – Average and larger spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, 5″ stick worms, and bass jigs

Casting – 7’6″ to 8′
MH to XH – Fast to X-Fast – Flipping and floating frogs.

I might use a stubby pistol grip rod in close quarters cypress forests, but I really don’t fish that type of area.