Samson Long Cast Expanse LS 15–60g – My Big-Water Lure Rod

If there’s one rod that just screams “right, we’re going long today”, it’s the 12ft Samson Long Cast Expanse LS 15–60g.

This is my go-to any time I’m heading for big open marks or surf beaches, or anywhere I know I’ll want to absolutely launch lures and have the power to lean into fish around rough ground. It’s not a dainty little all-rounder – it’s an absolute beast of a rod – but it’s clever with it.

On paper, the specs look like this: SamsonFishing

• Length: 12ft (3.65m)
• Action: Fast
• Casting weight: 15–60g
• Blank: 30T Toray Japanese carbon fibre
• Line rating: 15–30lb
• Sections: 2 equal sections
• Guides: Long Cast Micro Guide System
• Weight: 270g
• Deadlift: 3kg (6lb)

That’s the technical side. But the real story is what it actually feels like when you’re standing in the wind, waves crashing around you, and you send that first cast.

Big Open Marks & Surf Work

On open surf beaches, this rod just makes sense. The 12ft length lets you keep more line off the water and deal with waves and chop, and when you hit a cast properly it absolutely launches lures out there.

This is the rod I reach for when I want to:

• Punch metals and heavier hard plastics into a cross or onshore wind
• Work big, chunky lures in bouncy water
• Cover ground from high rock marks where reach and control really matter

You can feel that 30T Toray blank load right down the rod and then spring back – it’s built to cast long, and it does. It was developed on the rough, rocky Portuguese shoreline specifically for long-distance shore lure fishing, which tells you the kind of work it’s meant for. SamsonFishing

Launching lures into the horizon with the Long Cast Expanse

Estuary Work & SPs – More Sensitive Than It Looks

On paper, a 12ft, 15–60g fast rod sounds like a pure big-lure stick, but it’s not a clumsy broom handle. I’ve spent plenty of time with it in the estuaries, working soft plastics through weed beds, and this is where it surprised me.

I regularly fish a 15cm weightless Pirate Lures Teaser on it, and it’ll cast that a country mile along the weeds. You’d expect to lose feel with that much rod and not much weight, but it’s sensitive enough that you can really “tune in” to what’s happening under the water:

• You feel the lure brush past the weeds
• You feel it drop into a little pocket or gully
• You can tell when the lure is swimming clean versus fouled

It’s one of those rods where you can see the lure in your head just from what the blank is telling you. For a long, powerful rod, that’s a big deal.

Now, some might argue that this rod is way overkill for estuary work. They’d be right in general. Still, I wanted to see what it could do and truth be told, there have been times when there’s been nothing happening in close and I’ve been happy to have the added distance when I see a blow up further out.

Bass caught on a 15g Pirate Lures Teaser and Samson Long Cast Expanse in Wexford, Ireland.

Controlling Fish Around Rocks

The other thing I love about the Expanse is how much control you have over fish once they’re hooked.

With 12ft of rod and a genuinely powerful lower section, you can:

• Guide fish safely around awkward rock formations
• Lift smaller fish when you’re a bit higher up and the swell is making things sketchy
• Turn a strong bass before it snaps you off on the rocks or takes off in the flow

The rated 3kg deadlift isn’t just some marketing number – it genuinely has that backbone built in for awkward landings and rough conditions.

Although I’m mostly bass-focused, I’ve happily used it to bully 80cm+ pollock up from depths, and it took that in its stride. No hassle, just solid, confident power.

Not Just for Bass – Pollock, Mackerel & Whatever Else Turns Up

While this rod lives most of its life chasing bass, it’s not picky.

I’ve used it to:

• Bully big pollock up from the depths off The Hook
• Chuck feathers and a 2oz weight to the horizon for a bit of mackerel bashing
• Swap between hard plastics, metals, and SPs without ever feeling under- or over-gunned

It fits that “grab one rod and go” role when you’re fishing a venue where anything from schoolies to proper lumps and even other species might show up, and you need both distance and muscle in reserve.

Mackerel on feathers launched with the Samson Long Cast Expanse

Real-World Sweet Spot

For me, the Long Cast Expanse sits in a lovely sweet spot:

• Long enough to control line, lures and fish in surf and off rocks
• Light and sensitive enough that you’re not just dragging gear blindly through the water
• Genuinely capable of serious lifting in rough or awkward landing situations
• Happy casting everything from a weightless Teaser to proper heavy metals and hard plastics within its range

If I’m heading to big, open, windswept ground or anywhere I know I’ll want proper reach and authority over the lure and the fish, this is the first rod I pick up.

It’s not a rod for really light finesse work – it’s built for angry seas, long casts, rocks and powerful fish. Exactly what I want on the wild open coast when it’s all guns blazing.