When fly fishing fast sink lines, a higher angle from rod tip to water, allows your line to travel through the "zone" at a steeper angle.
The same holds true with a drift rod. In fact you should use smaller, lighter, weights which will also mean less fatgue for your back and shoulders.
If you use a 10ft 6in rod, or longer, and still use the same amount of weight as you would with a shorter rod then you may not be holding your rod-tip high enough, in-fact you'll be holding it rather flat out in front of you because the heaver weight will sink too fast any other way, and be grabbing bottom. That means you'll be replacing a lot of terminal gear too.
As far as the "balance" thing, the best way to get good balance is to match your reel to the rod so that it's weight, will offset the length/weight of the rod. Don't put a tiny little reel on a great long rod! then add a bunch of quarters?
Hey Thumper, I've never seen a bus stop at any of the places I fish Where are you fishin'? haha!
Well anyway that's my story an' I'm stickin' to it!