Rod/Reel for surf and pier fishing?

Marvin Murphy wrote:
The original question was about Surf FISHING not distance casting. Almost
all beaches I fish are relatively flat. Any rod under 10' when placed in the
average sand spike in my MHO is a pain in the butt if you have any wave
action going on. They generally aren't tall enough to get your line above
the waves breaking over the first bar. As far as weight of the rod I agree
that a heavy rod is a pain in the butt but if you buy a quality rod this
isn't a problem. I cast lures (hopkins) with a 10'6" rod all day without any
fatigue. My bait caster is 12'.


The original poster never supplied info on the area he fished. I know this post
is about fishing and not distance but did you read all the threads? Where you fish
may not be like the place the OP fishes. I agree on the sand spike but mainly, I
was referring to casting plugs. The fact that you fish during the day suggests that
you are in an entirely different place than me. Here, daytime fishing is for neophytes
and googans but it's obviously not that way everywhere. In New England all
serious surf fishing for big fish is done at night where the fish are much closer.

When opting for a longer rod, more things than weight come into play, such as:
balance, wind resistance etc. If the fishing requires hundreds of casts to find the
action - and sometimes it does -a 12 footer is NOT the way to go, unless I'm
to Clark Kent.

Nonetheless, we ended up discussing distance because, as always, so many
people think a pole vault is necessary to get it. I was pointing out that efficient
casting, lure choice, proper trail on the end of the line etc can be more important
than the length of the rod. I know guys who use 9 footers and can cast farther
than you and me (seriously) and they are not athletes either. The longer rod
can have it's advantages under certain conditions but it is way over-emphasized
in most surf casting situations.

--
Sphynx