After fishing tarpon in Florida, I drove up to Buxton, NC to meet our field tester Blake Hayden to take video and pictures of 12' and 13' Black Hole Surf II action for big drum.
I heard drum fishing from the beach in NC, but it was my first experience to see my own eyes.
It was amazing, but it is not for any anglers. To cast farther, most anglers use 12' and 13' surf rod with conventional reel filled with 20 lb mono.
I arrived at the motel around 4 pm yesterday and we went to beach at 5 pm.
While I was checking emails, Blake already had a drum and I couldn't take video.
He dropped a massive drum and it got dark. After dark, he had 40 lb, but the video was not clear.
We fished until mid night. I woke up around 10 pm next day as I was tired from sleepless nights before.
As fishing was slow daytime, we rested in a car.
By 4 pm, the bites were on.
On his first cast, he got a nice drum using 12' Black Hole Surf II Heavy rod. He could cast farther than anybody there.
It was a solid 50 pounder. I thought I recorded video, but I did not !! I wish I could show the fight with big drum.
Soon, he got another one with the 12' rod. I made sure I recorded correctly. It was not as big as the previous one, but it is decent 40 plus lb drum.
My mission is accomplished and I left for NJ.
https://youtu.be/GIBflgd9OgU
You need longer cast using conventional 12' or 13' rods. Some use spinning rods, but they rarely catch drum because the casting is limited.
As you see in the video, current is strong and they move together from right to left. ( they use 7 - 8 oz sinker).
https://youtu.be/1IxHNp1YYg0
Thanks for showing us!
Great videos...
Best,
Fred
Looks like a productive fishery! I'd like to be out there with a built Surfmaster 100.
Ron Jones
Great videos, thanks for sharing!
Thanks for taking us along !
Nice!!!
Great day at the NC coast, nice action. Good video.
Joe/Off the Hook Rod & Reel
Limited distance with a short light rod - powerful longer rods are required for long distance casting. In the UK surf fishing is done with rods as long as 15 or even 16ft. Conventional reels are generally used all though not exclusively, I have used spinning reels for surfcasting but it can take its toll on your finger.
This is something that I have wondered about repeatedly, why US surf rods limit out at about 12', when the rest of the surf fishing world recognise that 14', 15' and in the hands of giants - 16' rods offer more distance - with ease.
Currently, the two shortest rods that we have in our display area are 12', the rest at least 14'+; our customers just wouldn't look at anything shorter. The 2 12' models are light weights for surf spinning with artificials and small baits on light sinkers - rather specialist for some light weight, but tasty species we get down here. But, even 'entry level' equipment is 14'.
Just curious???
I use a 10"suzuki on the river,,,,, ;) just for distance,,,,,,,, ;D