Stake out pole - what do you use and when?

Have not used a stake out pole.  Can yall help me know:
When one is useful?
Does it make any difference whether it is metal or fiberglass? 
What length is most practical?
What do you use?
Thank you, holt

Used for flats fishing to hold you kayak in place.  Not much flats fishing in the NW.   

-Allen

I know one lake in the the Portland area that you could use a stakeout pole on... otherwise pretty useless up here.

Think of them as an alternative to an anchor, usually where water is ~4' or less in depth..

oh, and occasionally useful if you're in deep water too

I picked up a nice set of ski poles at Goodwill for $3 and knocked the snowflake off the tip so it would slip through the scupper hole easily.  I only needed one, but got a spare out of the deal.   

The tip has a 4 way hardened steel or carbide tip that will probably serve useful against mean things in the ocean, but so far I have only used it in Netarts bay at night at low (minus) tide while crabbing.  Works awesome!

pretty rocky down this way as well...I use a climbers "cam" and a carpenters plastic clamp. Between the two, I can hold up most anywhere along the river. I use an old bait bag for a rock anchor when needing to hold in the middle of the stream.
for a stake out pole, I would think a titanium shaft tipped with carbide and a 10# hammer might do it.

Insayn's ski pole idea is a good one. I converted the stripped down lower half of an old salmon rod to a wading staff/stakeout pole combo by epoxying a stainless lag bolt into the tip. End result is not much different than a ski pole with the basket removed.

I use mine here in the shallower estuaries, as staking in the mud is easier than setting out an anchor. Also good for lower rivers to stake into the high mud banks. I stick the pole horizontally thru the ring on my anchor trolley into the mud bank, and it holds my yak there nicely.