Overhead Rods

Overhead rods, as the name suggests, are fishing rods that have the reel seated on the top side of the rod blank. As opposed to conventional spinning or threadline rods that have the reel seated on the underside of the rod. As you can then correctly assume, overhead rods are designed to be matched and used with overhead reels.

This type of rod is the number one choice when game fishing, deep water bottom fishing, and general trolling applications. While this type of outfit can certainly be cast, the technique required is a little more complex to master, and generally doesn’t suit lightly weighted offerings that threadline spinning outfits are capable of.

Overhead rods are easily distinguished by utilising as smaller guide train on the blank as they do not require “choking” the fishing line like when using a threadline reel. Nearly every game fishing rod that you will see stocked will be designed to be paired with an overhead game reel, often built on short, powerful blanks these rods are designed to give you the leverage advantage required to lift stubborn game species such as tuna and marlin.

Many of the major brands such as Daiwa, Shimano, Wilson and Penn will offer overhead versions in their production ranges, particularly once you start getting into the Bluewater line classes. Game fishing ranges carried such as Millerods Custom Game Series, Ultimate Rods Pelagic and Guide series, Shimano Backbone, Tcurve Tiagra, Tiagra Ultra, Tiagra Hyper, and SpeedMaster Series, and the Daiwa Tournament Game Series are all examples of great overhead game rods.

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