Surf fishing

[vikesdad]

Just looking for a little help as I start my surf career. Looking to get a rod and reel this year and just looking for a start. 9 footer paired with penn reel ? any other ideas ? is that too small ? ...next what should be the starter set with regards to tackle bag ? couple bucktails, diamond jigs, then what ?
Any help on what to get would really be appreciated. Would also like to use one of the sponsors on the site..who has a surf specialist tackle shop ? would be arund the Atlantic Highlands area

[nightspeaks]

Hey, For throwing plugs 9 foot is plenty long enough you can go 10 it wont hurt. Just want to keep the setup light if your going to be casting all day. I have a TICA 9ft with a Penn Battle 5000 and I think its a great set up for the $$.

I would pick up some Bombers (LOng A) in black and school bus and any color you may want.
A popper and top water swimmer and some metal, maybe some plastic like a storm shad or maybe a 9in slugo would all be good additions.

ohh and a weighted treble for snag and drop

[Joey Dah Fish]

Go see Pete at Atlantic bait and tackle he will hook you up

[AndyS]

8' 6'' St Croix surf rod and a Penn 6500ss with 17 lb. or 15lb Trilene XL mono. A yellow bomber and a spare yellow bomber. Night time, a black bomber and a spare black bomber.

Spring is tough with changeable winds, fall is easy and fish tend to be tighter to the beach.

This is the way I started. K E E P A L O G B O O K !!!!!!!!!

[shucker]

Good beginner setup is tsunami 9' penn 4500 ssg its graphite and is allot lighter when throwing plugs or metal for hours.Setup should be around $150-175.Spool up with 30pp. Yellow and black bombers,a few 2oz crocs,a few ava's,swim shads,and some topwater stuff.The most important thing to have is knowledge on how and what to look for in the surf,ie cuts, sand bars, outflows and eddys.It aint easy but can be very addictive.

[SharkHart]

You should reply if you want to mostly fish lures or bait, the answer to helps others answer better

[action]

8' 6'' St Croix surf rod and a Penn 6500ss with 17 lb. or 15lb Trilene XL mono. A yellow bomber and a spare yellow bomber. Night time, a black bomber and a spare black bomber.

Spring is tough with changeable winds, fall is easy and fish tend to be tighter to the beach.

This is the way I started. K E E P A L O G B O O K !!!!!!!!!
old school aman

[vikesdad]

Thanks for all the replies so far..to answer the suggestion , I am looking for versatility with the rod reel set up so I can throw lures in addition to bait fishing..

[Webstersigam]

Go see Pete at Atlantic bait and tackle he will hook you up


I have to agree, go to Pete, be honest about your skill level and he will hook you up without taking you for a ride. I really enjoy visiting Pete when I'm fishing in that neighborhood.

[SharkHart]

Id think about a Tica or a lamiglass surf king for versability, which isnt always easy to pull off.

[arat]

st croix no longer makes the 8'6'' premier. if you want to go st croix the line of 10'6'' or the 10' Avid is the way to go. I have fished most of them mojo and legends and they 10'6'' are far and away the most versitile rods of the bunch.

as far as tackle I would go with atleast one or two Daiwa SP minnows forget the bombers these lures out perform and outcast the bombers. the hooks are a little suspect but the lure it self is great. atleast a few white 1 1/2 ounce bucktails. with 6 inch white grubs. a bag of 5 or 6 inch swim shads preferably tsunami again more productive than storms or most other brands especially when fishing current. 1 -2 ava 17s in green or yellow tail. and a few poppers. atleast one pencil and one polaris plastic tsunamis are great on blues wooden for bass in my opinion.

for the most versatility in a starter setup go with a 10 foot tsunami airwave rated 15-30lbs. fished this rod for a lot of years from montauk to seaside it can do almost anything I have casted bucktails and shads with it. metals, 3 1/2 ounce pencil poppers to bass up to 49-50lbs and bait fished with up to 4 ounces on it. one of the best buys you can get. can't go wrong with a 5000/6000 battle sargus or pursuit from penn. the 5500 spinfisher V is also a great choice.

[Reel Class]

Just my $ .02

It's not recommended to use the same rod for bait fishing as it is for throwing plugs or artificials. Some guys have multiple rods for throwing different kinds of artificials and a couple of rods for chucking bait.

Realize when you fish bait you may need up to 8 oz. of lead and if you try to throw 8 oz. with your 8'6" plugging rod that thing will splinter like a twig when you load it up and make a cast.

A 10' rod with backbone is great for throwing bait, and it is versatile.

A 9'6" medium action rod can handle most plugs, bucktails, and plastics. Just make sure you don't overload the rod when you cast with too much weight on the terminal end (like throwing a big swimmer 3 oz.ish on a rod rated for an ounce) or again, your investment will splinter out like a toothpick.

Reels are a non-issue unless you get into a conventional vs. spinning debate.