Many of us have long rods in our catfishing arsenals. Some are pool cues for manhandling giant blue catfish or flatheads, others are soft-tipped steelhead-type sticks to reach into logjams and hoist smaller channel cats from pockets of open water. Most longer rods toss baits substantially farther than traditional 6- or 7-foot spinning or baitcasting versions because of the added leverage provided by their length.

For lofting heavy baits 150 to 200 yards offshore, nothing compares to surfcasting rods. “I regularly cast more than 200 yards when I’m fishing below Keystone Dam on the Arkansas River,” says Tim “Tiny” Smith.  Smith is an Oklahoma catfish guide and record-setting longcaster. His record in competition is 258 yards—more than 1/8 mile. “I can cast twice as far and catch three times as many fish using surf rods,” he says. “It’s the way to catfish below big dams.”

Design and Construction

Brandon Cotton, Product and Development representative with Okuma Fishing, says catfish anglers should consider blank construction, line guides, ferrule design, and action when selecting a surfcasting rod. “Look for a graphite-based rod with modulus (resistance to bending) in the range of IM-6 to IM-8, probably more toward IM-6,” he says. “It usually costs more to get higher modulus, if everything else is comparable.

“I like double-foot guides because braced guides offer better stability. The guide inserts need to be at least stainless steel, ceramic is better, and zirconium is best, especially if you’re going to use braided line. You want medium action at a minimum, and maybe medium-heavy or heavy depending on your application.”

The length of surfcasting rods, usually from 8 to 12 feet, makes 2-piece construction popular for ease of transport. Cotton prefers tip-over-butt ferrule design, where the male ferrule on the butt section locks into the female ferrule on the tip section. “Tip-over-butt tends to be more rigid than butt-over-tip,” he says. “If you get a chance to test a 2-piece surf rod, slide the sections together, seat them firmly, then shake the rod. You shouldn’t feel or hear any clicking or ticking sounds from the ferrules.”

John Posey, national sales manager for Lamiglas Rods, notes that pure graphite surf rods require gentler handling than composite rods made with graphite and reinforced with fiberglass. “Composite rods were designed for fishing on rock jetties on the East Coast,” he says, “where they get jammed in the rocks instead of using rod holders, and get dropped on the rocks after they land a fish. Fiberglass in the rod blank helps make rods more durable.”

While construction materials and components influence a rod’s price and performance, each rod’s rating, which details recommended line-weight as well as optimal bait-weights, determines casting distance. “Manufacturers print on the rod the optimal line weight and casting weight,” says Jeff Schlueter of St. Croix Rods. “For example, our 10½-foot Mojo Surf rod is rated for 10- to 20-pound-test line and 1 to 4 ounces of total weight (bait plus sinker). You can go outside those recommendations, but you get maximum performance if you stay within the rod’s ratings.” Although a rod’s rating gives a range of casting weights, rods have a “sweet spot”—the most effective casting weight. Experiment with your rod-reel-line combo to find the ideal casting weight.

Reels must be matched with surf rods to maximize performance. Smith uses baitcasting reels adjusted to the fringe of “birdnest hell.” “I adjust them so you can feel just a little bit of fluff when you first release,” he says. “For maximum distance you have to set the drag on the ragged edge of disaster. I use an Abu Garcia 7000 baitcasting reel, and I’ve had good luck with Penn spinning reels. The thing with spinning reels is that if the line is too thick, or the guides aren’t spaced correctly and the right diameter, the line hits the guides when you cast. I’ve heard rods that sounded like a weedeater hitting a fencepost when cast because of the line slapping the guides.”

Surfcasting connoisseurs can spend more than $600 on a custom-built rod, even before they select a reel matched to their prize. Beginners can purchase pre-packaged surfcasting rod-and-reel combos designed to optimize performance without maximizing cost. “You can get a decent surfcasting combo for $50 to $75 and be casting 80 to 100 yards after a few practice casts,” says Randy Meyer, surfcasting expert. “On my website I’ve got a link (surf-fishanybeach.com/surf-casting-150-yards-the-easy-way) to a YouTube video that shows how to do it. Watching a video is the next best thing to taking actual lessons. Long-distance casting can be easy and effective if you practice just a bit and have a rod and reel designed specifically for slinging baits a long way.”

Long-Distance Options

St. Croix—St. Croix’s Legend Series surfcasting rods come in spinning and baitcasting models. Their all-graphite blanks feature Fuji reel seats and Fuji guides with Alconite rings. Spinning models range from a 7-foot model rated for baits 5/8 to 2 ounces, to a 10½-foot model that slings 2 to 6 ounces. A 10-foot baitcaster is rated for 1 to 4 ounces while the 10½-footer handles 2 to 6 ounces: $330 to $450.

The new Mojo Surf Series combines quality and economy. The 7-foot Mojo Surf graphite spinning model handles 3/8- to 1-ounce weights. The 10½-foot spinning rod is rated for 2 to 6 ounces. Baitcasting versions range from 10 to 12 feet in length, 10-footers handling 1 to 4 ounces and 12-footers 6 to 16 ounces: $140 to $280—stcroixrods.com