with the extensions you have to reach out 4ft to put or take off ball and grab clip, with 2 ft its all right there to grab, I have 2 penns on my 14ft aluminum and regurly fish on the bottom and have never had a tangle, maybe I just hate 4ft booms, I had cannons on my 14 ft until I got the penns, they were good but I ;\like the penns better