A balanced rig provided good casting and fighting characteristics.

Years ago I conducted an experiment with a flyrod, affixing a spinning reel to the foregrip with electrical tape to see how the small guides would affect casting. I was surprised to find that it cast pretty well. Extra rod length enhanced the cast more than small strip guides restricted it. This was the beginning of my taste for long rods with small guides, and nothing since has altered my preference.

One of the most effective snook lures is the leadhead jig, and a jig matched to the right rod and a reel spooled with 8-pound-test line is perhaps the most potent artificial array for linesiders.

Rod length is pivotal in a jig rod, and thanks to innovations in rod-making materials, long, light, powerful rods are now available. By long, I mean between 8 and 8 1/2 feet.

The primary advantage of a longer-than-normal rod is extra casting distance. In snook fishing from shore or boat, the farther the angler can throw the jig, the more fish he is apt to catch. Shore fishermen benefit from longer rods by reaching fish normally out of range, while boat anglers can fish farther away from the hull--as many of us know, snook are well aware of the simple equation: boat = danger.

At a glance, an 8-foot rod might seem cumbersome, but when you first handle a high-quality graphite rod, its light weight is usually a surprise. Rod-building technology has trimmed most of the fat away. Long gone are metal ferrules and metal reel seats, replaced with lighter, space-age graphite that enhances rod sensitivity as much as it reduces weight.

Graphite makes for a stiffer, slimmer rod than was ever possible with fiberglass. Stiffness is a good thing because it gives the rod its action. Action is the way the rod flexes. A very stiff rod with little flex, save at the tip, would have an extra-fast action. One that flexes easily from tip to butt is said to have a slow action. In a snook rod, I like a fast-action blank rated for line testing between 8 and 12 pounds, medium power, and designed to cast lures between 3/8- and 3/4-ounce.

Fiberglass is said to be more forgiving than graphite, which means that it's harder to break. Unbreakable fishing rods are not very sensitive and do not fish as well, so my recommendation for a jig rod for snook should be graphite, or a fiberglass/graphite composite. The longer flex patterns of some composite rods actually make for smooth casting, without sacrificing much in the way of power or stiffness, and composites are generally less expensive even when the percentage of graphite is high.

Rod stiffness is great for hooksetting, but it can be overdone. Too much rigidity in the tip makes for clunky casting with the lighter lures in a rod's range. To get lots of distance out of a cast, the rod flex has to be matched to the weight of the lure. Without enough flex, the cast will feel stiff and forced. Too much flex, and the rod feels weak, the cast hard to control. When you have the right combination of rod, lure and line weight, casting becomes effortless joy.

In snook fishing, an 8-foot rod that likes to throw 3/8-ounce jigs on 8-pound-test monofilament is about perfect. This rod will cover most of the bases for most snook, excelling in potholes, channels, and on and around the flats. Around mangrove roots and pilings, however, this rig is not very forgiving--even small snook will run with 8-pound test.

If a situation calls for 1/4-ounce jigs, for example, I spool down to 6-pound test. The difference in control and distance is immediately noticeable. Once you begin to get the idea of matching the rod, line and lure, efficient casting becomes simple. This is never more important than in snook fishing with jigs, where lots of casting is the norm.

Light lines require leaders for snook, no matter what you throw at them. However, most people overdo it with too long a leader and it makes it nigh impossible to toss a small jig any distance. Three feet of 25-pound test suits me, connected with a Uni-knot that can be reeled and cast through the guides. Another problem I see with snook jiggers is a penchant for using too short a leader so they don't have to reel the knot past the rodtip. This shortsighted habit often results in a big snook's tail beating the dickens out of the line during a hard, straight-away run, and you know what that usually means on light line.

Long rods rule because hundreds of casts are made for every hookup with snook. A lead-headed jig casts inherently well; it's easy to throw with most average spinning rods. But matched with 8-pound monofilament to a long rod with just the right number of properly sized guides, and the outfit becomes a well-tuned casting machine.

Speaking of guides, the size and number can vary, but in general seven to nine guides work well on 8- or 8 1/2-foot rods. As critical as the number of guides is the size. Many guides are too large, and the first guide is often too far from the reel. Guides are sized in millimeters, and most saltwater spinning rods start with a size 25 guide (half-dollar-size diameter) ahead of the reel. I like a number 16 in front of my reel, which is roughly the diameter of a pickle. If the rod's first guide is too large and too far ahead of the spool, the line is apt to slap the blank during the cast as it peels off the spool. This inefficiency costs casting distance, and can be identified by the whirring sound the line makes as the lure flies to its target. A smaller guide placed closer to the reel makes for longer, smoother casts in my opinion. A good snook jig rod must be able to withstand the rigors imposed by stubborn fish in a harsh environment. High-quality, double-braced saltwater guides wound onto an underwrap of winding thread is a more durable arrangement than a single-foot guide wrapped directly onto the blank. The latter, however, are easier to replace. I began to employ aluminum oxide guides 15 years ago when a guy told me he could not scratch one with a file. The first set I bought years ago are still fishing.

Another important component of the prototype snook jig rod is the handle. Many rods have long handles where the distance from the butt cap to the reel seat is 10 inches or longer. This is undoubtedly handy for rod holders and you can rest it on the underside of your forearm when playing a fish, but for lots of casting, the long handle is clumsy and gets in the way. It is constantly jabbing me in the ribs, or getting caught in my shirtsleeve.

I much prefer a short handle when constantly casting a jig. My favorite long rod is fitted with a 5-inch butt, even though the rod is eight feet long. It will throw a 3/8-ounce jig across plenty of water. The radically short handle evolved around a broken flyrod that made an effective transition to spinning--I fixed a short piece of cork to the end of the reel seat and retied it with small spinning guides. I instantly appreciated the enhanced maneuverability of the short butt. By having the reel seat closer to the butt, more of the rod's length is used in the cast and in playing a linesider. With the hands positioned closer to the end of a lever--in our case a rod--more pressure is exerted toward the hands rather than nearer the rodtip. Since the rod is beefier nearer the handle than the tip, you are using the rod better to help land the snook faster.

The disadvantages of the short butt are comparatively few. They are not secure in many rod holders, and while you're pulling from the extreme end of the rod to try and tire the snook, it can put more pressure on you, too. But hey--no one said catching a big snook should be a walk in the park.

Long rods do have a few disadvantages. In tight places on shore, under bridges or in mangroves, you have to be extra careful when loading the rod behind you. I once broke a new rod by snagging a handrail on a pier. I have also lost a few rods by closing doors on them.

Any negative events have been outclassed a number of times when I hooked rising fish that other anglers couldn't reach, and by the sheer pleasure of casting a jig with a well-matched rod and reel. But where the long rod truly excels is with a snook on the line. Playing a gamefish of the snook's stature on super-sensitive light tackle is one of the great experiences in angling--well worth the effort of the countless casts you make for every fish.