Surf Fishing Rods

What I look for in a surf fishing rod depends on what I am going to target with it. Outside of targeting sharks and big bull redfish, the majority of the surf fishing that I do requires a rod that has a soft tip. The reason the soft tip is important is so that you can see the small things pecking at your bait. I don’t typically use lures in the surf, which means I have no need for a highly sensitive graphite blank. In fact, graphite is not as durable as other components such as fiberglass and carbon. If your rod is going to sit in a sand spike, don’t overpay for a fancy graphite rod, it’s a waste of money. The two rod components that I pay attention to are the ring insert and the guide material. I don’t buy rods with metal inserts, I only use ceramic or zirconium and I prefer a rod that has stainless steel guides. Other than the Okuma Rockaway, this usually puts the rods in the $150+ price range but they will last a lot longer. The lower quality inserts will rust and braided line will carve out grooves in them.

The best all around surf fishing rod is the Okuma Rockaway. I like it in the 10 foot Medium version. The rod is durable and can be allowed to bounce around in the back of my truck. It can absolutely bomb a bait and it has enough backbone to bring in a 4 foot shark without feeling like you are underpowered. It is also light enough that things like whiting and pompano are a lot of fun to catch on it. It has a zirconium insert which is less expensive than the ceramic (most common is Fuji) but tests have shown it to actually be more durable. The main thing that I like about this rod is that it has a soft tip and is easy to hold bottom and see the little bites with.

For the little stuff I run a Steelhead rod; the Okuma SST Cork Grip. This rod has high quality components like stainless steel guide frames and Zirconium inserts but at a reasonable price. The IM-8 graphite blank is lightweight and somewhat flimsy which makes fighting a whiting a lot of fun but if you hook into a big stingray with it you will feel outgunned. It’s a technique specific rod that makes catching the little things more exciting and I highly recommend it if that’s what you are targeting.

My go-to surf rod for throwing plugs, popping corks and targeting big redfish or sharks in the 4-6 foot class is the St. Croix Triumph Surf 10’ 2-piece. This rod is just plain awesome. It does not have as soft of a tip as the Rockaway so it is not as good of a rod when targeting the smaller species. However, it is an excellent rod to fish lures in the surf - plugs, poppers, spoons and corks. It is also excellent for tossing out medium-sized live baits.

There are a lot of opinions out there about the gear you should use when shark fishing. I will run both spinning and conventional set ups. Longer rods are better for casting and keeping your line out of the waves but due to physics they actually give the shark more leverage against you and so when targeting sharks that are 5+ feet, I like to run shorter rods.

For spinning rods, I highly suggest the Fitzgerald Fishing Stunner HD in the 8’ XX-Heavy. This is a boat rod, not a surf rod, but it’s my favorite heavy rod. It could be used to target sharks, tarpon, cobia, and big snook. It is a very well made rod that provides a lot of backbone for brining in those hard-fighting fish. For a longer rod, I really like the Shimano Speedmaster in the 12’ Heavy. It’s a rod that never really caught on but I like it a lot as a traditional heavy surf rod. Tons of backbone and great a slinging heavy baits.

For traditional set ups, I like to run shorter tuna rods like the Penn Ally Straight Butt 80-130 line rating. Sorry, no amazon link for this one. If you are looking for a cheaper option you can go with the Rampage. For a longer rod, I again suggest the Shimano Speedmaster.

I have had a couple of rods disappoint. I have a TICA rod that is fine but I was expecting it to be nicer for what I paid for it. I also have used a Penn Squadron Surf rod that I just don’t like that much. It’s so stiff that it’s hard to hold the bottom even with a 4oz weight and it is rusting in places.

Surf Fishing Reels

Fishing reels take a beating when used for surf fishing. The salt, the sand, getting yanked out of a sand spike by a stingray or kids dropping it in the sand. Properly caring for your reels by rinsing them down with fresh water after every trip and regreasing them periodically will go a long way in extending their life. Outside of specifications like line capacity and max drag, the main thing I look for in a surf fishing reel is how well it is sealed against saltwater intrusion and how well the parts hold up to the abuse of surf fishing. Kastking does a good job of advertising themselves as a saltwater brand but I have not had good experiences with Kastking. I advise anyone reading this to stay away from Kastking reels when buying a reel that will be primarily used in saltwater settings.

The best overall surf fishing reel is the Penn Battle. Penn has been making saltwater gear for a long time and it shows. They make a tough, dependable reel. The Battle is a step up from their inexpensive offerings and is well worth the extra money. I still have my first ever Penn Battle that I bought years ago. It has literal dents in the body, but the drag and its overall functionality are still just as good as new. I suggest getting it in a 4000 series for surf fishing, the extra line capacity is nice for those situation where a big stingray doubles your rod over and takes a long run off a bait that was already way out there.

If you are looking for a step up from the Battle, the Penn Clash II is my favorite all-around reel that I use inshore, in the surf, and bass fishing. I take it everywhere. The 3000 series is light, durable and stiff enough for the bigger redfish in saltwater or catfish in freshwater. It never really caught on in the inshore scene, and I am not sure why as it is a really nice reel.

Shark fishing is not a cheap sport. There are a few shark species that are susceptible to the stress of the fight and will die if you fight them for too long. You therefore need to make sure you are running gear that has higher drag settings to be able to get the fish in and released quickly. For spinning reels, I suggest the Diawa BG MQ 14000. I also really like the Penn Spinfisher Live Liner 8500. For a smaller conventional reel I recommend the Penn Fathom II Two Speed 80. This reel puts out 50lbs of drag which is plenty for a 6-7 foot shark but anything larger than that you are really going to want a reel that puts out 100lbs of drag at which point you are committing to $1000 investment for a new one. The Okuma Makaira is one of the more popular choices.

Hooks

I use circle hooks in the surf. When you leave your rod in a sand spike, there is a good chance that a fish will pick up your bait and swim towards the beach and you will not notice that your line went slack right away, leaving a high probability of gut hooking them if you are not using a circle hook.

The majority of the fish in the surf are not very big. They tend to be in the 10-15 inch range. If you are using shrimp, sand fleas, cut squid or anything of that nature, I suggest a size #4 circle hook. My preference is the Owner Mutu Light in size #4 (not 4/0).

When targeting medium-sized fish like redfish, flounder and bluefish, I use a 3/0 hook. I use a lot of live bait and so I like the Owner Mutu Light circle hooks. I get a better hook up ratio with the offset hooks when fishing live bait.

For the bigger live baits or larger chunks of cut bait, I run a VMC Nemesis Circle Hook in a 10/0. These are very strong, very sharp hooks.

Accessories

I have gone through quite a few polarized sunglasses from them going overboard, getting stolen out of my truck or me dropping them on the pavement, I have spent way too much money on sunglasses. The best glasses that I have used to date are the Smith’s Guide’s Choice. I like brown glass with a green mirror as that gives me the best visibility in the water that I fish.

The best sand spike for surf fishing is the Angler’s Choice Anodized Aluminum, this is frequently sold out on Amazon, I also suggest this one: The Beast Sand Spike. You can easily get it deep in the sand with the foot push bar, I have never had it come loose from the sand. I have also never seen any rust on any of mine. That said, grabbing some PVC and cutting an angle in the end works just fine as long as you are getting it deep into the sand when you set up.

A good set of pliers is a must. I have picked up pliers from Walmart that have rusted out. The best pliers that I have used are made by Danco. They don’t rust, and I like the belt clip. Without it I have a tendency to put them down in my chair or on the wheel of my cart and then they slide off and I end up leaving without them.

I prefer to use shears over a bait knife. My favorite shears aren’t on Amazon, they are the Danco Bait Shears - but I sometimes am partial to Prime so if you are like me and want something within 2 days, these Cuda Shears are pretty nice as well. When I have a bait that is too big for shears I break out this knife : Danco 7” Serrated.

I am currently using the Fish-N-Mate cart and I love it. I had been using the Sea Striker cart that you probably see on sale on Amazon. Don’t fall for it, it will fall apart and start rusting in less than a year. The Fish-N-Mate cart is big, durable and I can pull a heavy load across soft sand very easily.

Hands down the single best surf fishing cooler is the IceMule. I have the Xtra Large One. It keeps things cold all day, and the majority of the volume that it takes up is vertical as opposed to horizontal. The reason this is important is that it allows you to fit more on your cart. Also the ability to throw it over your shoulder is super nice.

If you are going to be using a lot of live bait, investing in a nice live bait cooler is worth the money. On summer days, you bait will stay alive a lot longer in a bait cooler than a bucket because the cooler will help keep the water from getting too hot. This is the one I use.

Lines, Leaders, Weights and Wire

I use braid on all my reels. The best braid that I have used is the Sufix 832. I use 20lb test on most of my set-ups, except the ones that are exclusively for sharks where I use 65-130lb hollow core braid.

I tie my own rigs and I use Berkley Trilene Big Game mono exclusively. I use 20lb test on my smaller set ups and 60lb on my bigger set ups. It is super cheap and has yet to disappoint me.

If I am casting lures, I use the Ande Mono Leader. Don’t let the marketing fool you, mono is superior to fluorocarbon. It is more durable, has a much higher abrasion tolerance, and the difference in the clarity is not noticeable to a fish.

I use two types of wire leader. For smaller toothy things like bluefish and small sharks, I love this 7x7 wire. You can tie knots in it which means less hardware and it lasts a long time because it is so flexible. Because sharks don’t care that the wire is there, when I target sharks I run 600lb wire that I get in bulk from Catch All, you will need crimps to use this wire.

These swivels are the only ones I use because they work well, don’t rust, are cheap, and I can get them on Prime.

I usually use a pyramid weight; for casting I use a 3oz and for deploying large baits for sharks, I use an 8oz. I don’t find the old adage: “Use as light of weight as possible” to be relevant in the surf. Holding bottom and not having a weight that is rolling around causing your line to go slack is paramount so I just go ahead and ensure that I am holding bottom. If there is heavy current and the pyramid weights are not holding bottom, I use a sputnik weight and my go to is 3 oz.

Surf Fishing Lures

The best surf fishing lures are lures that will catch a wide variety of fish and ones that can cover a lot of ground. You can’t go wrong with a spoon simply because it mimics a baitfish and the predatory fish in the surf are there to eat baitfish. I have two favorites: The Johnson Silver Minnow and the Clarkspoon Stick Jig. When I fish the silver minnow, my retrieve is reel for 3-4 seconds, pause and let it flutter, reel for 3-4 seconds, pause. When I am fishing the Clarkspoon, I am usually targeting pods of baitfish that are getting worked by blues or spanish mackerel and I have a fast straight retrieve.

Another great option for the surf is a bucktail jig. My favorite is the Spro Jig. I add a Gulp Swimming Mullet trailer to add scent to the water and it works amazingly well. Simply bounce it off the bottom.

The most versatile saltwater lure is the paddletail. If you are going to fish it in the surf, I suggest using the Z-Man otherwise the bluefish will constantly bite off the tail. You can do a straight retrieve, bounce it along the bottom, some combination of both, put it under a popping cork. There are so many different ways to fish a paddletail. I like having two colors, one dark, one light. In the Z-man that would be Goldrush and Pearl.