Whether you’re in search of striped bass or venturing abroad for an exotic monster species, you’d want to get one of the best surf fishing rods. With the advancements in technology and different products for you to choose from, it can be quite difficult to make a decision on which to buy and add to your gear.
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Best Rod for Surf Fishing
In this article, we’ve reviewed your best options to help you choose the right rod for surf fishing and become a great surfcaster. Read on!
1. Fiblink Surf Spinning Rod
The Fiblink Surf Spinning Rod combines lightness and power at a surprisingly competitive price. It’s lightweight so you can throw the line at a longer distance to try to catch larger, more valuable fish.
It’s the best choice for both cliff and beach fishing. Its carbon fiber construction is what provides extra durability and sensitivity.
The guides of this spinning rod are made of the right mix of ceramic and stainless steel. This indicates their quality and resistance to corrosion.
2. St. Croix Mojo Surf Rod
Pay attention to this particular model if you want high performance and value for your money.
When you hold this incredible rod, you’ll feel its responsiveness, lightness, and power. Its quality is evident even before you take it out on a fishing trip. The rod consists of graphite fiber and given the brand’s X-WRAP handle for added comfort.
Even when you are fighting huge species, strain is less. The model has lightweight surf guides which have black frames and zirconium rings.
3. Okuma Longitude Surf Rod
Third on our list of the best surf fishing rods, the Okuma Longitude is designed specifically for surf fishing. It comes at a relatively low price. A product of a reputable brand, the rod combines high-quality elements with performance.
It’s both strong and sensitive from the graphite and composite billet. This means you’ll feel the bites of fish and make long casts at the same time.
This model has double guides with stainless steel material construction to ensure the line’s movement without getting stuck.
4. Berrypro Surf Spinning Rod
Berrypro Surf Spinning Rod is one of the most amazing rods we’ve tested. It suits the most experienced anglers with its several handy features. The IM7 X-Carbon tech, for starters, is used in making the rod’s blanks to give it casting power and excellent sensitivity.
The fishing guides of the rod are also enhanced to offer durability by being made of stainless steel. The rings are made of ceramic to significantly reduce friction between the line and the guides.
In addition, the fishing rod features a unique anti-wear rubber butt to keep you comfortable as you fish. The high-density EVA foam grips will let you maneuver the pole smoothly.
5. PENN Squadron III Surf Fishing Rod
PENN Squadron III delivers a lightweight fishing rod suitable for inshore fishing. It has a graphite/composite blank with modified actions to provide a more forgiving and parabolic bend. It’s definitely a treat to use when you’re planning on fighting hard-charging species on saltwater.
The Squadron III features the brand’s virtually indestructible stainless-steel guides and graphite reel seat. The EVA and cork grips are comfortable enough that you’ll find yourself not wanting to put the rod down.
We’ve added it to our list as it offers actions, durability, and balance required by the most serious surf anglers. It’s available in casting and spinning versions.
6. Okuma Cedros Surf CSX Rod
If you’re an amateur and you want to try surf fishing as a new hobby, get a fishing rod that’s lightweight like the Cedros Surf CSX from Okuma. This is because you’ll be fishing for hours and you don’t want your rod’s weight to put a strain on your body.
You also don’t want added weight when you’re fighting fish. This rod is perfect as it has 30-ton fiber blanks and stainless-steel guides with zirconium inserts. It also has plenty of strength while ensuring durability and longevity.
The rod’s stainless-steel construction will help keep it from getting corroded from seawater. Its small diameter inserts make a guide system that aids in the quick transition of the loops coming from the spinning reel. You’ll land that catch efficiently and quickly.
7. Tica UGSA Series Rod
Enjoying night surf fishing will improve your skills and enhance your experience at the same time. An excellent addition to a surfcaster’s arsenal is the Tica UGSA with its efficiency and great features such as Fuji ring guides and TC3 graphite material construction.
Whether you plan on landing the largest species of your entire life or simply training to understand wave movements, you’ll find them useful.
The rod is compatible with various reels so you’ll be able to use it immediately. It’s particularly lightweight so it’s ideal for professionals and hobbyists alike. Made especially for saltwater use so you best bet that it won’t damage or get corroded from the sea’s harsh conditions.
8. KastKing Perigee II Fishing Rod
Last but not least on our list of the best surf fishing rods, the KastKing Perigee II is such a versatile rod. It has become the rage among anglers since its inception.
It has supreme features needed for the ultimate surf fishing experience such as high-density EVA foam grips, a carbon fiber hook holder for keeping the hook in place firmly, and a carbon matrix blank. It’s versatile as it has various sizes anglers can choose from for different fishing applications.
The rod can handle lots of tasks and actually handle them well. For higher accuracy, the rod is given Fuji line guides which sets it apart from most of its competitors. It’s a must-have if you’re looking for a quality surf rod.
How to Pick the Best Surf Fishing Rods
Give a man fish and he’ll have something to eat for the day. If you give a man any of the best surf fishing rods, he’ll eat for an entire lifetime.
A surf rod is a fishing rod that was invented close to 4,000 years ago. It consists of a material that’s both long and flexible, which is mounted with a set of guides and reels for handling a fluorocarbon fishing line.
But, unlike the traditional rods suited for freshwater use, a surf rod is specially designed for use on the shoreline. Because of this, the best rod for surf fishing is long, stiff, and specifically made to hurl lures at a greater distance.
Similar to the common freshwater rods, the best surf rods are given various features. They are what help anglers catch fish a lot more efficiently and effectively. There are models which are notoriously rigid and stiff. They are great at dealing with larger fish while others that are more flexible and lightweight will help in detecting bites and nibbling of fish.
But, there are also various features that an angler must take into careful consideration prior to making a choice. The action, power, handle, blank material, and length are all important factors that affect your setup’s functionality and performance.
Type of Rod
Those who are still new to the world of fishing often decide to start their adventure with a spinning fishing rod. The spinning rods are more basic compared to casting rods as they allow users to learn quickly, including kids.
The best surf spinning rod has the reel located on the rod’s underside, including the guides. There’s a bail that’s just a simple piece of metal that flips to allow the line to be set free. An angler can flip the bail to toss the line out to the water. The process is simple and straightforward, which is why the learning curve for figuring out how to fish with a spinning rod is very short.
However, it’s important to remember that a spinning rod isn’t your best option when it comes to surf fishing. Seasoned anglers opt for the best surf casting rod instead. A casting rod is another type of fishing rod that has the reel on top of a blank, including the guides.
As a result, the line has freedom of motion and bait is allowed to be cast at a greater distance. One of the most notable differences between spinning and casting rods is in their power.
A casting rod has far more power. It is also better at tossing lures at a much greater distance and fighting with big fish. Thus, anglers who plan on fishing at a lengthy shore would be better off having a casting rod instead of a spinning rod. Still, a spinning rod can perform well in other places.
Blank Material
Although many anglers call it a fishing rod, a rod’s flexible material that takes up its entire length is technically and appropriately named blank.
Of all the components of the best beach fishing rods, the blank affects a setup’s utility the most. A blank is almost the tool’s entirety and it’s responsible for holding both the reel and the guides.
All the products on our surf rod review are constructed using the highest quality materials for the blank such as graphite and carbon.
Thus, it’s essential to choose a blank material that forms a reliable surf rod and helps achieve all that’s needed with surf fishing.
There are three primary types of materials used in making blanks of fishing rods: composite, fiberglass, and graphite.
Graphite
Graphite is a blank material that’s both sensitive and stiff. As a result, an angler is able to feel even the gentlest nibbling of fish from the shoreline.
An avid angler can use graphite in catching small size fish as it’s easy in setting the hook and determining when there’s something on a line. But, there’s also a downside to graphite, which is its longevity.
It’s not the most durable material. A graphite blank can snap whenever too much pressure is placed on the rod by a large fish.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass is the material used commonly in creating rod blanks and it’s much more suitable to use with larger species.
It’s far stiffer and it has a lot more power compared to graphite. It allows anglers to pull a lot harder and place more tension on the rod without having to worry much about snapping or breakage.
Composite
There are also composite blanks. Composite is a combination of materials e.g. fiberglass, graphite, boron, or any other flexible material.
Because of the unique combination, a composite rod is often quite sensitive. It also offers substantial power.
Length
Surf rod length will make a big difference when you’re fishing from a shoreline in comparison to fishing on a boat. Twelve feet is the best length for casting bait farther compared to nine feet from the extra leverage.
But, leverage is imperative when you need to toss a lure past waves and into an area where fish reside. Purchasing a much longer rod is best in conditions where the tide is rough or where the shoreline is at a significant distance from your desired areas.
Surf fishing rods can range from 9 to 14 ft, but most anglers would prefer the longer ones. A shorter length is more efficient and effective for precision casting while the longer one is for distance. In addition, a longer rod will make it easy for you to reel in a large size fish as it has more durability to offer.
Action
A surf fishing rod’s action component can be what makes or breaks a rod for experienced anglers. The term action refers to the exact point wherein the rod bends as pressure is applied.
The action of a surf fishing pole may be measured by speed. You’ll find fast, medium, and slow-action rods sold on the market today.
Slow-action fishing rods are the ones that are least sensitive as they’re going to bend more compared to any other category. As pressure is applied, slow-action rods bend in the center and allow them to make a wider U-shape.
The rods are best to use for casting far distances and fishing smaller fish that can spit the hook. Because of their extreme capacity in storing energy and their extreme flexibility, slow-action rods take the prize when it comes to being the longest casting rods.
Medium action, on the other hand, is a rod that bends in the tool’s upper middle part. This gives the right balance of strength and flexibility. Such a rod is outstanding for an angler who’s looking to reach a great distance while fighting various fish sizes. A lot would consider the category to provide some of the best rods for surf fishing.
Fast action rods behave differently from the two we just discussed. They are the ones that bend towards the tip, making them extremely sensitive even to the most gentle and subtle bites of fish.
Although they are not best to use for long-distance surf fishing, they are useful particularly for setting the hooks. An angler who’s searching for fish that’s hard to detect will often feel the bite with a rod that has fast action.
Power
Power is the simpler characteristic of fishing rods. The term pertains to the pressure that’s needed in bending a rod and the amount of lift strength a piece has.
The rod power varies from ultra-light to heavy. A heavy power will require a much greater deal of strength for the rod to bend while the ultralight will only require the lightest touch.
As a rod’s power increases to heavy from light, so too will its lifting capability. For this reason, anglers who go for the larger catch equip themselves with a heavier surf fishing setup.
Handle
The handle is the least important to consider when selecting from the rods on our surf fishing rod review. The handle on a surf fishing rod is longer compared to that of a freshwater rod. The longer length is essential as an angler fights fish. A rod handle can be made of foam, cork, or both.
Cork is often the better choice, especially for saltwater angling. It’s a lot more responsive, plus it’s likely to get corroded by saltwater.
The quality of cork can vary immensely, so it’s also something to watch out for. Typically, more expensive rods have a higher quality cork.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are surf fishing rods?
Surf fishing poles vary from the traditional fishing poles that are used to catch fish. In basic terms, surf rods are specialized for saltwater use. They’re manufactured for catching large fish and created with corrosion-resistant materials.
The most common surf rods are designed to pair with baitcasting reels where the reels are placed on top of the rods. The unique combination lets the rods become more powerful, longer, and stiffer.
What are the best surf rods under 200 dollars?
The best travel surf rod that’s under 200 dollars is featured on our list above. The best rod for you will meet all your essential needs.
It’s lightweight, easy to handle, and easy on the pocket while being wildly powerful. The rod, for many, functions as an all-purpose tool that can be taken on various fishing trips.
What’s the longest length for casting surf rods?
Fifteen feet is the longest by far and it’s able to hurl bait a lot farther compared to the other shorter lengths.
One thing you need to remember with the length of a surf fishing rod is that each additional foot of length provides more casting power.
What tackle is needed for surf fishing?
Surf fishing poles will require a slightly different tackle compared to deep-water rods. Fish caught from the shoreline feed on a different prey compared to those that are in deep water. It’s critical for you to match the bait and lures with the right prey.
Some of the popular baits are shrimp, sand fleas, squid, and crabs. These bait types are the same exact prey fish feed on so they are best for attracting fish.
Anglers can also make use of artificial lures like jig spoons, worms, and crankbaits. Every lure is designed specifically for one situation, so it’s important for you to do research about the area prior to buying lures.
What’s the best reel to use for surf fishing?
Choose the reel that’s buffed specifically for saltwater fishing. Materials should be super lightweight, as well as resistant to elements. Spray, saltwater, and sand shouldn’t wear the reel down from the anti-corrosive properties.
It’s also best to get a reel that’s easy to use or simple enough for an angler to handle. More importantly, it should help you catch a lot more fish than you’d possibly imagine.
Conclusion
From our in-depth guide on the best surf fishing rods, you’re more likely to make an informed decision on what to get for your surf fishing setup.
If you’re still wondering which one is the best of the one that we’ve featured, it would be the Fiblink Surf Spinning Rod. It delivers premium functionality and the most competitive price based on its features.
It provides tremendous value to your arsenal and it’s also perfect for beginners and seasoned anglers. Give it a try and let us know what you think!
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