N ot all surf rods appear the same. Many inexperienced surfcasters just think that bigger is better, and this is not so when it comes to looking for a quality surf rod that will deliver longer casts, hook fish and serve the angler well over time. I can remember the old one-piece fibreglass rods from the seventies and eighties that my grandad and uncles used, which were then passed onto me in my teens. They were usually 12ft long and heavy, they were built to last and you could get a decent cast on them, but they were light years behind the latest surf rods we have available now. Most of the surfcasters available now are either two or three-piece models and built on slim line blanks, which are very lightweight and so much easier to cast and fish with all day long. The latest rods also have low rider guides which are suited for reels spooled with braid, this means you get even more distance over heavier mono lines. TWO-PIECE OR THREE-PIECE The surf rods sold in the tackle shops are typically offered as either two-piece or three-piece rods, and it is rare to find a one-piece surf rod these days. Travelling with long 14ft+ rods is difficult so breaking down a surfcaster is best and it doesn’t really affect your casting as some may think. The writer readies to cast with his 4.5m Tica Kazumi surf rod, a slim line blank designed rod featuring low rider guides suited for braid. /FISHINGINGODZONE 55
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