How To Select A Surf Fishing Rod

There are a lot of choices a surf angler can choose from when selecting a surf fishing rod for a particular purpose. It helps if you already have some idea of the type of fishing you plan to do.

Generally speaking the length of the surf rod will most likely be between 8' and 12'. If you don't require casting distance and plan on using it to fish in the breakers then an 8' rod should suffice.

For greater casting distance most surf anglers will settle on something between 10' and 12'.

Now I'd like to address some of the others aspects of selecting a surf rod. Fishing rods are designed around several characteristics. I won't bore you with all the technical explanations but I will cover the basics.

The basic design characteristics used are:

• Action - how much the rod bends when put under pressure
  
• Taper - defines the thickness of the rod & the blank
• Power - defines the strength of the rod in terms of lifting power
• Responsiveness - the ability of the entire rod to flex, the whip factor
  

Most surf anglers would probably want a rod with good backbone (power) to fight the more powerful fish in the surf. However, a good surf rod also needs to have sufficient responsiveness for casting greater distances. So it's a bit of a trade off.

An experienced angler will likely fish in a variety of ways and thus have several rods for different purposes. On the other hand someone just starting out would probably be perfectly happy with medium heavy, 10' - 12' surf rod. Later with more experience the new angler would add more gear to suit other needs.

In either case before selecting a surf fishing rod consider:

• How strong the rod needs to be.
• The casting distance for the length of the rod.
• The whip factor to get the casting distance needed.
  

One more thing before I wrap up this post. If your a freshwater angler just getting into surf fishing, you could try one of your freshwater fishing rods just to get a little experience without spending any more money on equipment. Just be aware that the surf environment is pretty harsh and freshwater equipment isn't design to stand up to the punishment.

Click this link if you want to learn about surf fishing rods. You can find out more about it there.

Surf Fishing Rigs To Use

Choosing surf fishing rigs depends on the bait you will be using, surf conditions and the targeted fish in the surf. The hooks you decide to use for your fishing rig should be sized to your bait. Bigger bait = bigger hooks = bigger fish targeted.

The two most popular rigs are the fish finder rig and the fireball rig. The fish finder rig uses a sliding sinker connector attached above the leader, hooks and swivel. It allows the bait to be picked up by a fish without feeling the weight of the sinker. The bait also can feed out while the sinker stays in place on the bottom. You can leave the bail open on a spinning reel and let the bait work out with the current.

The fireball rig is set up with the sinker on the bottom and usually two hooks off the main leader above it. It may or may not have small floats attached near each hook. The purpose of the floats is to keep the bait just off the bottom so that the crabs can't get at it.

Try the fish finder with an out going tide and let the bait feed out with the tide. Use the fireball rig if you are targeting a specific location where you expect to find fish feeding. Learn to read the surf to target good spots to find fish.

Make up your own surf fishing rigs ahead of time and always have a few backup rigs ready to go in case of a break-off. Learn how to make your own rigs with The Encyclopedia of Fishing Knots and Rigs. If you prefer to buy ready made rigs there are surf rigs listed below available from Amazon.

Where To Find Fish in The Surf

It's no secret among surf anglers that the big saltwater fish are usually caught in the trough beyond the sandbar. That's not what this post is about.

It's about surf fishing in the breakers. Lots of fish hang out in the breakers including some of big predator fish. Bait fish are always looking for safety from them. Due to their size they tend to seek the shallows for protection. The predator fish know this and will come into the shallows to feed.

The action of the surf and the pull of the tides is sometimes stronger than the bait's ability to hold their position or control where they swim. They are often swept right into close proximity of predators looking for a meal.

Experiment with fishing live bait in the breakers and see what you come up with. If you can find a rip try live lining bait out with it. You're sure to get a good strike. Many predator game fish hang around the edges of a rip current waiting for bait to wash right into their path. Learn more tips about selecting surf fishing bait.

Surf Fishing Tips

Tips For Better Fishing In Surf Results

• Fish early in the morning around sun rise or at dusk right before dark. Learn more about surf fishing at night.
  
  
• A light onshore breeze will bring the fish up into the surf looking for bait. Try fishing inside the breakers during those times.
  
  
• Learn to read the surf to find the best spots that will produce fish. Learn how to read the surf and a lot more from this eBook
  
  
• Fishing in surf is dependent on tide flow. You can get tide charts for your location here.
  
  
• When you return from fishing don't leave your surf fishing rods joined. The ferrules will corrode from the surf environment and prevent you from taking them apart.
  
  
• Always rinse off your surf fishing gear and tackle with fresh water before you put it away. The exposure to the saltwater environment will develop a crust on the moving parts and corrode any unprotected finishes.
  
  
• Keep a piece of emery cloth in your tackle box for touching up the point of a hook which has become dull. It's also useful for removing rust from other gear in your tackle box.
  
  
• When surf casting against a strong wind use a side cast and keep it low to reduce the belly in your line from the wind. Learn how to surf cast 150 yards.
  
  
• If you aren't sure what kind of live bait to use, try shrimp. Most fish in the surf will take shrimp. Tips for how to choose the right surf fishing bait.
  
  
• When your surf rod is in a sand spike set the drag loose enough so you won't have a pull over when you get a nice strike. Then tighten the drag to land the fish.
  
  
• When fishing in surf for Tarpon use Ladyfish for cut bait. Tarpon love Ladyfish. Learn more about surf fishing for Tarpon.
  
  
• Don't select a surf fishing rod that is too long. Longer rods can cast further distance but require more power to cast. Most surf anglers don't use anything over 12'. Learn more about surf fishing rods.
  
  
• The two most popular surf fishing rigs are the fireball rig and the fish finder rig. Learn more about these two surf fishing rigs.
  
  
• A great surf fishing reel to use for live bait is one that has a bait feeder drag and a regular drag. You'll never have to worry about a pull over because the main drag kicks in as soon as you start to reel.
  
  
• Optimize your surf fishing tackle. Most surf anglers only use a small selection of lures and artificial bait in their tackle box. Keep it simple. Reduce the amount of gear you bring back and forth from the surf.
  
  
• If you want to improve your surf fishing results be sure to include watching the change in barometric pressure. Learn about surf fishing and barometers.
  
  
• You can salt cure bait yourself. Salt cured bait can be stored and also stays on the hook better.
  
  
• One way to learn more about surf fishing is to attend a surf fishing tournament. You'll have a chance to see and talk to many surf anglers and learn their best surf fishing techniques.
  
  
• Sabiki rigs can be used fishing in surf for live bait. Learn more about using a sabiki rig in the surf.