Hello All

I was wondering if noodle rods might be the ticket for some fun surf fishing on the Jersey shore. Specifically, I would like to know if noodle rods would work to toss very light (1/2-ounce range) metal lures like Kastmasters, very long distances. Or, does the slow action just wobble after the cast and eat up your distance? I would of course equip it with suitably light line. I want to target the ever-finicky albacore in the late summer along the beach. Distance is the key, and the albies spook easily with heavy line. I see the noodles seem to be great for light line and big fish, so my key question is casting distance with very light lures.

Thanks!

I used to fish the Salmon River with a 10.5' St. Croix noodle rod. I remember it being very sensitive during the drift in the river, and forgiving once a fish has been hooked. I also remember it being pretty heavy and not what I would call a crisp casting rod. A great rod for what it is designed for - drifting bait and flies along the stream bed with a light line, relatively light weight, and not too far casting distance requirements.

A half ounce? That might be the upper limit. Hopefully someone will chime in with more experience. I was fishing with a couple small split shot, but I can't off the top of my head equate that to ounces. However, my gut feel is that trying to cast a 1/2 ounce lure long distances on a noodle rod is pushing things a bit. I've known a couple guys who've snapped the tips of their rods trying to fling slinkies across the river with a great heave.

Maybe Jason or Todd will chime in with the design points for those rods.

Now, I just built a 9' lighter line rod for steelhead which I find a much better fishing rod than the long noodles. It casts well and doesn't feel terribly tip heavy. It's rate for 1/8 to 3/8 oz, so even that's a little light for what you're asking.

Dunno if this helped, but I thought I'd pass it along.

I wonder if a spey rod blank would work for what you want?

Bob

I have found that fly blanks matched to the weight you wish to cast work much better than the "noodle blanks" that are designed for drift fishing. I have built a few 10' 6 wt diamondbacks into spinning rods that would suit your needs. I built them to cast eggs and slinkies long distances into the current below the water release at my local Res. They handle the 6-10lb brown trout nicely on 6lb line with 4lb leaders.

I own a noodle rod and use it on the brine for bluefish and stripers in
Raritan bay..I have also used it on Shad on the delaware....
I feel its a little to whippy kind of hard to set the hook.
i like the idea of using fly rod blanks for spin tackle, i snaped my 1st
fly rod by the handle 2 years ago and converted it to spinning...works
great