Select Your Surf Fishing Equipment To Start.

Will Budget Surf Fishing Gear Work For You?

Surf fishing is very easy to get into for less than $100 if you're willing to settle for budget surf fishing equipment. You can easily find a combo 10%u2032 or 12%u2032 surf rod and reel for around $50. Sometimes it will already be spooled with line. Buying a combo rod and reel will save you the trouble of selecting the proper setup. It will have the right line capacity and sizing for the surf. You can find combo rod and reel setups priced in this range at stores like Walmart and Gander Mountain.

Bear in mind that it is an economy model and will not hold up as well as an expensive quality product. The saltwater and sand environment is very harsh. As long as you take the time to rinse it off with fresh water and keep it lubricated there isn't any reason why it won't get the job done for you. Even an expensive surf reel won't last long if you don't take care of it.

After you're into the sport for awhile and learn more about it you will probably want to invest in better quality gear like Daiwa or Penn. They both make nice quality reels from $84 to several hundred dollars.

Start With Basic Surf Fishing Tackle

Most surf fishing anglers would agree that live bait works the best. That's a good thing because you won't have to spend very much to buy the essential surf tackle for live bait.

All you need is a few items. Buy some pyramid sinkers in 3 ounce and 4 ounce. Next you'll need a couple of surf fishing rigs with hooks on a leader. You can either buy these rigs already made up or make them yourself. A very common surf fishing rig has two hooks with a swivel on one end and a snap swivel on the other. One of the popular rigs is called a fireball rig. It comes ready to go with 2 hooks and little floats mounted near the hooks to keep your bait off the bottom away from the crabs.

If you decide to make one yourself, I suggest you get 2/0 circle hooks, 60# leader material, a package of regular swivels and a package of snap swivels. Just look at the pre-made rigs in the tackle shop and match everything up to that.

If you add a sand spike to put your rod in while your waiting for a strike, you are ready to start surf fishing. There's a lot more surf fishing equipment you'll probably want to add later but just to get started and be able to catch fantastic, hard fighting surf fish that's all you need.



Oh, and don't forget to get some live bait. Shrimp and sand fleas are a favorite delicacy for surf fish.

Surf fishing at the beach on the ocean can get real exciting. In this article I will outline surf fishing tips I have learned through the years that anyone can use. Some tips have been acquired through personal experience and from other successful surf fishing friends.

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First you need to make sure you have the adequate equipment. A fishing rod that is between 10 feet and 15 feet long is the ideal length in order to achieve good casting distance and leverage. The fishing reel can be a spinning reel size 6000 up to an 8000 size with a good drag system and good line capacity for heavier line such as 17 to 25 pound test.

One thing to remember about fishing in the ocean, you never know what you will catch, so you need to be prepared with the proper heavy equipment to handle a 30 pound sting ray or a large blue fish that have giant teeth, not to mention the occasional shark. Sometimes you will catch small fish like whiting or ladyfish that are too small for a heavy rod, but being prepared for the big one is really what you want.

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Choosing where to fish is another choice to be made. If you are at a home or condo on the ocean front you would most likely fish right out front. Then look for activity on top of the water, like birds diving into the water feeding on bait fish. Where there are small fish there are big fish not too far away. Fish close to them if you can, otherwise get out your polarized sunglasses and look for bait fish near where you are standing. If you don't see any, just cast out to where the waves break and let your bait float in the sandy trenches the waves create. That is where fish will look for food.

Always look at the tide chart for your area and pick your fishing times around high tides. The best time is usually 2 hours before and one to two hours after high tide. Surf fishing at these times can usually yield the most activity. Also try early morning and early evening which is normally a good fishing time. Coupled with high tide, this time frame can be very exciting and productive.

Other surf fishing gear you need will be a 5 gallon bucket to carry your bait, drinking water, towel, knife, cutting board for cutting up clams etc and rod stand. Plus you may want another carry all for everything mentioned after you put some fish in the bucket for cleaning later. You should also consider using a steel leader and a good hook rig such as a pompano rig or a strong steel hook attached to the steel leader.

For sinkers you can use the pyramid style or the sputnik style. I use the sputnik style because it sticks in the sand and allows the bait to float in the water. The weight of the sinker or weight depends on how rough the surf is. The pyramid style can tend to roll with the surf and back to shore again.
Surf fishing tips like these can help you get started fishing the surf. Always check out the local bait shops to buy bait and ask what's been biting lately, then gear up accordingly.