Thread: Surf fishing, between beach and first sandbar?

Sorry to hijack an old thread, but I'm looking to buy a longer surf rod. Have 2 battle II 5000's with 6.5' rods and another walmart special that's lasted surprisingly well (maybe 10 years and that includes being immersed in surf and using on my kayak!). Was considering a Hurricane Bluefin 10'. Found someone selling a brand new combo for only about $5 more than the rod alone, although I've read the reels are crap, but hey for $5... I'm just wondering if 10' is overkill? I like to fish in front of our condo at OB and have been going down to the east jetty at Perdido Pass. I understand that you usually don't need to cast that far, but I can still use my shorter rods for fishing close in when the fish are there. But it would be nice to have for when you do need some distance and also would help to keep out of the waves and above walkers. Thanks for any advice. I'm headed down next week and also plan to be out on the pier a couple mornings.

It will feel like a flyrod! From what I've watched and heard, Ten foot is a good fighting and casting rod, but will wear your arm out. My least favorite thing about surf fishing are the walkers and the swimmers. ugghhh That can "trigger" me! Especially the combo ones when they walk right into your line and then swim right underneath it! I just holler "Hooook!!" And it point at the line and it does the trick.

I have a variety of sizes, but I mainly use my 10 and 12' surf rods for the beach, I love them. But I also like a good old 7-8' rod for king fishing.

Considering an 11' or 9' now... was thinking maybe 9' if it's plenty off the beach but could also work off the pier. I've seen some guys say they wouldn't do more than 8 for the pier, my others are 6.5', which I think are probably better for the pier than a 9'. Is that a general consensus? Just don't want to get the 9 as a dual purpose when it may not serve either task especially well. Thanks-

I really like longer rods but don't like the extra heavy actions normally found on longer rods. So it's "steelhead/salmon" type to get what I like. Medium action, with good length. But this is for surf and from un-crowded boat conditions. Piers and tight spots and I'm good with 8'.

A professional angler I've seen (on youtube) has some beautiful 14'-ers of medium action he surf fishes with (for Pompano). They are obviously custom and he "gets my drift".

I was wrong, they are 13's. Here's what he said about them in response to another inquiry:

...My honey colored surf rods are Savers and I just had new surf rods made that are all black and are 13ft. CUI's. You can see them in the video about "EATING SAND FLEAS". Hands down drop the mic the best blanks ever made were the Lamiglas 1904M's!!! They still make them however Lamiglas has gone with the "discontinued for a cheaper more profitable product" model so don't be fooled with "we still make those". The Lamiglas 1904M's made 20 years ago are still being fished by some of the best surf fishermen along the east coast of Florida. If I could find four I would buy them in a heat beat -311Pope

He spoke of his other rods as well, but I pared it down to the surf rods I much desire. That Cracker makes great fishing videos.

My experience fishing for the smaller inshore fish in the surf has been that having multiple medium/medium light rods rigged and ready has greatly increased our catch every time, since we're either targeting holes, edges, etc around sandbars or casting around the churn when they're feeding hard and the water's boiling...so accuracy and the ability to quickly recast with accuracy and speed wins the day for us. Chunking some big rods works too but if you're targeting bigger species (or bigger version of inshore species) that's more of a waiting game, so when we've done that we've chunked a bloody hunk of something out there but still fished with the light rigs until something takes the chunk. In the meantime, we do a LOT of targeted casting in the surf at choke points, edges, holes, etc. Now, I AM getting old and my shoulders ain't what they used to be, but I last a lot longer and target better and quieter using the lighter rigs.

YMMV.