i've tried using the rod without any success...

i have very little experience, and i have tried using a paternoster rig i.e. a weight (1.5-2) and a size 6 hook, with a rag worm or shrimp as bait....could it be that i am using the wrong tackle?
are there any rules on the length of the line from the swivel to the weight, and from the swivel to the hook?
my impression is that the rod does not reach out far enough to catch decent size fished...only tiny ones seem to swim close to the shore, like cawl etc....on the other hand, people do catch fish from the shore, so i must be doing it wrong.