Surf Fishing Rod For The Ocean

Sponsored Links

You may be familiar with the term “surf fishing.” If not, let me explain. Surf fishing is fishing off a peer or more likely the beach at the ocean. The word for surf is just referring to the waves of turbulent path as it hits the land below. Fishing in these conditions can be extremely exciting and is often used for catching strippers. An important piece of gear is a surf fishing rod.

Let’s take a look at 5 points to consider when buying a surf fishing rod:

The first thing to look at is the fishing rods length. Since you will cast from the beach it is important for the rod to help as much as possible.  Most surf rods are extremely long, in the 10 - 16 foot range. Any rod that is longer will be pretty hard to cast with, and the shorter the rod, the harder it will be to get the bait out in to the ocean.

In line with the length of the surf fishing rod, the rods taper needs to be to be at about a medium action. This means that the flexibility from about the middle of the rod to the tip is flexible enough to help boost your casting range.

The power rating of the fishing rod should be at a medium strength. Again, it is important that the rod is able to handle fish, but not so strong that you aren’t able to cast great distances with it.

The guides of the rod, the holes where the line feeds through, need to be of high quality. Any amount of friction between the guides and the fishing line will shorten your casting distance. The best saltwater fishing rod guides are made of silicon carbide or ceramic. These materials are extremely hard and smooth allowing fishing line to glide on it effortlessly.

Another important issue for the rod guides is the positioning of them. When the rod bends, the guides need to support the line in those curving positions. Some rods may have more guides in these areas to compensate for the bend. If you have the chance, you should test some surf rods that utilize good guides and bad.

A final note on rod guides. A lot of people forget how big their leaders can be and they end up getting snagged near the tip of the rod. This will severely hinder your fishing distances. Look for guides that allow your leaders to flow effortlessly right through past the tip of your rod.

Because you will most likely be fishing from the beach I want to cover a point about handles and reel seats. The beach can be a rough environment combining salt, sand, and shells. Your fishing rod may get planted in the beach and it is important for the reel to be protected with a cover or reel seat. Having a long handle will help keep the reel as far away from the beach as possible. Even a small amount of debris getting inside your reel can disable it until repaired.

Now that you have a better handle on how to select a surf fishing rod, I expect to see you out at the beach come summer time. Happy Fishin’