Surf Fishing Rods

Choosing a Rod For Surf Fishing  

Surf rods are distinctive in their design features. If you are about to your first surf rod purchase, here are some tips to help you. 

Features to consider: Rod length and taper, rated rod power, type quantity and location of rod guides, and reel seats. 

Length of the Rod 

If you are going to fish the surf, you need to be able to cast longer distances using surf casting practices. Surf rods are long in order to cast as far as possible. 10’-12’ is a good length for a surf rod. Distance will be lost with shorter rods while a longer rod will be hard to cast.  

The Rod Taper 

Rods are designed for different kinds of fishing. Some require a quick action whereas others need a medium or slow flex. The design that is incorporated in the rod taper makes this possible. Rods that have a fast action bend at the upper third and a slow action will bend at the lower third. A rod made for the surf should be medium action and at its upper middle half.  

Rated Rod Power 

The backbone is a fishing rod’s power rating which is the rod’s fish, fighting strength. Surf fish are usually quite powerful, but having too much backbone will make you lose casting distance. You probably want to choose a rod whose power rating is medium heavy. 

The Rod Power Rating 

Rod guides vary as far as the material components. Higher quality rods will have silicon carbon guides which are considered to be the best. They are extremely tough, wear resistant, and smooth which makes their casting distance greater. Ceramic guides are the second best. They aren’t as tough as silicon carbide but are still acceptable. Guides are made from a few kinds of ceramic because some are harder than others. You can’t tell the quality by looking at it so don’t be over concerned about the ceramic’s quality when buying.  

Consider the number of guides in well. In general you want more guides because the load is spread more evenly over the length of the rod. A surf rod bends from the rods upper third so the number of guides and how they’re spaced along the section is important. Try bending it at the tip to look at the arc that’s made under a load. Note the arc’s shape and where the guides are found. They should be noticed at the arc’s transition points.  

A shock leader that is tied to the main line can be used when casting. The guides hold back the casting distance when they aren’t big enough to let the shock leader knot go through when casting. Be certain that the guides on the tip aren’t overly restrictive.  

Reel Seats 

These are composed of graphite or assorted metal alloys. The environment of the surf is corrosive so the reel  seats ought to be made from a non corrosive metal like stainless steel. Graphite reel seats do not make good surf rods.  

These tips should help you in choosing a good surf rod.