If you are tired of lugging around bulky surf fishing gear that is comprised of rods in the 10 feet or longer range and heavy spinning reels, you might want to reconsider your alternatives. It’s no secret that most surf anglers prefer these reels that will hold hundreds of yards of line and stout rods for catching enormous fish, but consider the fatigue that is inherent to lugging this equipment up and down the beach. Instead of wearing yourself out with this oversized gear, why not scale down a bit and go for smaller fish and get twice as much sport out of surf fishing than you are currently enjoying today. Here are some of the ways that technology has enhanced surf fishing by allowing for lighter equipment that is just efficient as its bulkier cousins.
The northeast is known for great surf fishing opportunities. There are plenty of areas that are perfect that don’t have excessive currents and have relatively tame waves. These areas are good spots for landing smaller sized striped bass and bluefish and if you’re lucky, you’ll get the occasional bruiser. These areas are ideal for scaled down versions of surf casting gear. If you’re unsure of what to use, don’t worry. Graphite rods in the 7 or 8 foot length and a spinning reel with a 4000 size range will work out quite well for you. Both are suitable for use with lures that are in the one to three ounce range.
Fishing line is another consideration. In prior years, you had to depend on monofilaments and fluorocarbons, but today you can get braided lines that are heavier and use a monofilament backing. A thirty pound braided line has a much smaller diameter than the traditional monofilaments. It’s important to remember that while the braided lines will create less friction on your rod guides, they do not have the same abrasion resistance of monofilaments. If you’re not paying attention, you could find yourself one of the victims of losing your line on a rock or boulder like many surf casters before you. To avoid this problem, you can use a long fluorocarbon leader with your lure and attach that to the braided line. This is probably your best insurance against breakage when those fish head for the rocks.
For younger anglers, the ability to use smaller gear is perfect. Let’s face it – it can be pretty discouraging to a young person to be saddled with a 12 foot pole for his or her first time. Younger anglers are more than happy with a smaller catch, and the smaller rod and tackle offers them opportunities that they might not otherwise have with stouter fishing equipment. There are few things more rewarding than sharing your love of sport fishing with new anglers.
While there is little doubt that some anglers will still prefer oversized tackle, and there is little doubt that these surf rigs do have their place, for many, the smaller tackle works just as well. Unless you are determined to go after the biggest fish in the water with a 6 ounce sinker, there isn’t much point in wearing yourself out carting the heavier rigs around the beach when you can have just as much fun going after fish upwards of 20 lbs with a substantially smaller rig.
When you are preparing to undergo a saltwater fishing experience, it is important that you have the proper fishing gear. Some of the most popular gear include Shimino Spinning Reels, Penn Fishing Reels and Daiwa Reels.
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