I'm finding myself spending a lot of time at a site called Gowge's message board. It is absolutely fascinating to read and has contributors from all over the world at any given time. The water's too warm to fish so I'm just trying to catch up from my long absence. I notice that at that board there's a LOT of talk about rods and reels and long rods seem to be the preferred kind: we're talking 12-131/2 -14 ft. Uk style rods that really require a "power casting" style to be used to get these very powerful rods to "work".
I'm not accustomed to using rods that long ,111/2 is the max I've ever used.
I've taught myself to cast using a Uni Tech style that I picked up from the subject board and my casting distances are up by about 40% or so but its not the kind of cast one can do cast after cast when slinging lures in the surf or at least I can't. I'm an old mossy back with a bad ticker and an arthritic back,hands and shoulders.
I'm having to go to a conventional with a leveline because my hands just don't work well enough anymore when laying line for extended times.
Are you builders and fisherman/builders getting requests/inquiries about these longer "high perf" rods and blanks?
I'm looking still at Lamiglas Ron Arra( Todd at Lamiglas assures me that they will perform well with a "power cast" or a more convntional over the shoulder), Breakaway 10ft, 1 piece rated for 1-3 oz lures and 15 - 40 lb line, also a St.Croix 10ft,1piece rated up to 30z and10-20lb line. Have no experience with Breakaway but have read many good things about the blanks and rods. Haven't heard/read anything about St.Croix surf rods/blanks except I remember some years ago they had a series of surf rods named Ben something or other and "heard that there were problems with broken guides and tip breakage and cork tape coming loose." Course this was from shops that didn't carry St Croix so..............
Didn't mean for this to be so lengthy but just trying to get some more info before I jump from the pan to the fire. Warren.

A longer rod will typically cast farther if everything else is equal and you can move it just as fast and as well as a shorter one. The downside that I see is that some people can't handle a longer rod either in the cast or just while fishing. Even a small fish has a ton of leverage on you with a rod that long. Seems to me that a rod in the neighborhood of 11 to 12 feet is reaching the practical limit for the average guy. If you can handle a longer one then go for it. I'll stick to my 11'6" stick.

What is Gewge's email address

[floridasurffishing.com]