Casting vs. Spinning Rods/Reels??

[EJH]

Hello all,

I am not that new to fishing as I have gone plenty of times in my life, but am new to the purchasing of rods and reels. I was hoping someone could explain the difference between casting and spinning rods & reels.

I have been looking into purchasing a rod and reel for surf fishing in NJ. I come across some good models, but one I recently checked out at a local store was the Penn Prevail. I am a tall guy, so I was thinking about a 12 foot casting rod. Will I have trouble with this? From things I find online, it seems like spinning rods/reels make it easier for beginners, but if you feel comfortable and have fished before, casting rods/reels are the way to go for surf fishing.

Also, if anyone could provide a reel that would work in combination with this it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time.
[signature]

[albinotrout]

Welcome the BFT EJH, sorry I don't know much about saltwater and surf fishing. Now if it was fresh water, thats a different story. Have you seen our saltwater boards yet? Here is a link to them, they might be able to answer your question as well.

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/gforum.cgi?category=71"]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/gforum.cgi?category=71[/url]
[signature]

[gdn443]

A 12ft rod will get the bait out farther for you. That's why it is so long. Spinning reels rule the day for a surf caster as again you can get further out quicker and easier for a beginner.
Penn is no longer made in America, and the newer one I own, I'm not happy with. Go with a Cabalas or Bass Pro combo if you can. Good warranty on these.
I use braided line for my saltwater rigs and it will get the line out further. 20lb works well for me.
[signature]

[WillCFish]

A good medium surf rod 10 foot will do nicely. As much as the rod the motion you go through is what loads the rod for distance casting. I use the following method.
Make sure no one is behind you.
Place yourself where it is about two steps to the water edge.
With the rig baited put your intuitive hand on the upper grip. That's right handed for me so the left hand will be low on the rod butt.
Face the water -Start with the rod up at 45 degrees and lower behind you until you feel it load. Just try it a time or two without casting. You're going to want to start walking forward two steps when it loads and follow over the top with the cast.
Draw back with the butt end as you thrust with your stronger arm. this will give you the best distance. Never side arm with a rod like this, just straight over the shoulder. With a little practice you'll be pitching a long ways.
One more thing. Depending on the wind, if it's calm you can allow some loft and get a little more distance. If the wind is strong you will need to hold the release just a little longer to throw a low fast ball to put it in baseball terms.
[signature]