I fish a lot and only use one length rod a 9' 8 to 12#. It serves me well for both floats and drifting, as I do both on most outings. When im bank fishing it would be a pain in the ass to bring two rods and would probally end up breaking one. Havent had any problems fishing floats with the 9', even on the bigger rivers like the Hoh. Cant say the shorter rod has hindered my float fishing either. Long rods just have no place in the boat. Other people have brought them along and they are always in the way.