Using live or dead bait and a stout spinning rod usually exceeding 10 feet in length is usually what comes to mind when somebody thinks about surf fishing. It is widely believed that is normal. The use of a stout spinning rod spooled with hundreds of yards of test monofilament. One of the downsides of this type of raid is that it brings on a lot of fatigue from constant casting into rolling waves. The problem is this type tackle is typically best in order to get the bait properly placed when the surface high and rolling and crashing against the beach. There are however, a number of surf situations where this is just way too much and the only thing accomplished is that the angler winds up exhausted. Fortunately, technological advances in fishing now allow surf anglers to put together a much lighter combination of fishing rod and reel. These are now shorter, easier to cast and are far less unwieldy than the traditional surf stick.

There are many areas in the Northeast that provide great opportunities for surf fishing. In these areas, tidal currents tend to not be as aggressive and the waves are typically paying. In these cases, you are not likely to find especially large fish that instead a large number of smaller size striped bass and bluefish with an occasional bruiser. This environment, you can scale down to a graphite surf fishing rod in the 7 foot to 8 foot length and combine it with a spinning reel in the 4000 size range. The best thing is that these rods will provide you more than enough length for distance casting with a 1 ounce to 3 ounce lure.

For the novice, braided fishing lines which were a relatively new advancement have made distance casting much easier. With the 4000 size real, 200 pounds of 30 pound test braid line on top of monofilament backing is becoming more common. Remember, braided fishing lines are significantly smaller in diameter than traditional monofilament. One of the benefits is the increased casting distance that is allowed because of less friction against the fishing rod guides. Surf casters should always note that braided line tends to not be as abrasion resistant as monofilament. In fact, in areas that are full of rocks and boulders fields, surf casters often discover they have many problems when casting a braided line. This problem can be fairly easily alleviated by attaching a fluorocarbon leader to the braided line. This helps provide some protection of line breakage in the event a fish aims for the rocks.

Another side benefit of this smaller tackle is the young anglers also get to enjoy the sport far more. They typically find these smaller rods far easier to handle than the traditional 10 to 12 foot surf rod. Add that to the additional sport and fun that results with smaller catches. When the occasional oversize fish hooks onto this gear, the angler will definitely be in a position to test their skills and will against a fish. There are few things are more sporting than this.

There is little doubt that large surf rigs will always be with us, and they definitely do have a place. This is especially true for the angler who is interested in using 5 to 6 ounce sinkers and is hunting for the largest fish. However, lugging those heavy rigs around can be tiring, especially when you are interested in tackling fish in the 5 to 20 pound range. In this case, it is time to start thinking about scaling down, scaling back, and sporting up.

When you are out saltwater fishing it is important to make sure you have the right supplies. Some of the most popular brands include Shimano Saltwater Reels, Penn Fishing Reels, and Daiwa Fishing Reels.

1. Surf Casting with Kids
2. Making Surf Fishing A Breeze
3. Concurring the Surf
4. Tackling the Surf
5. Choosing the Right Fishing Rod

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