I recently purchased a Penn Fathom conventional reel.  I plan on using this to surf fish.  I'm having a hard time determining which rod to put it on.  My plan is to be able to cast about a 3 ounce weight plus a piece of cut bait out.  Anybody have any suggestions?

What size Fathom?
I would suggest either the OceanMaster rod by Bass Bro Shops or the Tsunami Airwave. Look at the weight ratings of the rods to determine which to buy. The trick to getting good distance is to match the rod to the weight being cast. Too much weight and you'll over load the rod. Too little weight and the rod wont load up enough to cast efficiently.

Have you evr casted a conventional reel before?
One of the best forums for surf fishing is www.pierandsurf.com

I would use no less than a 9' medium heavy. Lots of surf fishers use 12' rods. They want to be able to get it out there.

As already stated, get a rod that matches what you're throwing, otherwise it won't cast right. Also, having a long base is a must in my opinion, as it gives you that leverage when you're heaving the shit out of it.

Figure out what brand you want to buy. Personally, I'm a St. Croix whore. Personal preference. Once you narrow down on a brand or set of brands, look at the lure weight ratings for the rods. Then look at the line rating and length. As stated earlier, the longer the rod, the farther you are likely to cast (think trebuchet). I use a St. Croix Mojo Surf at 11' paired with an Avet SX for surf casting with a lever drag.

St Croix Mojo rods are nice, but theres no way I'm paying $300 for a purple rod. LOL

 

Thank you for all of the help.  I ended up going with a 12' Ocean Master with the ability to throw 6-12 ounces.




I have not.  I plan on taking it to the river sometime and just practicing my casting from the bank.

Good choice. You'll be happy with it.  My conventionals are loaded with 17lb Suffix Tritanium with a 50lb shock leader.

Some tips
When you start practicing, set the mags at full and work down from there.
Ease yourself into it before trying to launch it hard.
Make sure you always lay the line evenly across the spool. You will get better distance and minimize the chances of a blow up
Make sure your shock leader knot is not on the same side you place your thumb! Trust me you will only make that mistake once! LOL
Practice with a minimum of a 6oz weight. Since the rod is rated 6-12oz, you need to be within that range to properly "load" the rod during the cast.
Stop the spool with your thumb the moment your weight/bait hits the water, even if you are only a split second late on this you'll have a blow up
Do not try to stop the spool during the cast for any reason. Many times it will look like a blow up is eminent but it works itself out before the cast is complete.
Trying to stop the spool mid cast without a thumb guard is another painfull mistake you will only make once.

Thats all i can think of for now. Dont forget to register on pierandsurf.com

Great information, thank you!  I just signed up on PierandSurf.com.  Looks like a lot of good information on that site.

I'm 1badf350 over there too.

 

I'll be test driving my Legend Surf tonight....local reports say the bluefish and stripers are in the wash....will see for myself in a few hours

Report?