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Dedicated Trout rod for mirrolures in the surf ... help is appreciated.

3K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  zebralips 
#1 ·
So I've just started trying to fish for speckled trout and the rods I have don't seem to excel at throwing the 51/52 series mirrolures in the surf (they're even worse at throwing the 17/18's).

I've seen the advice about using a steelhead rod. I have a 8'6" okuma steelhead rod rated 1/4 - 5/8, but it's soft and bouncy and doesn't seem to throw much further than the 7' Penn Squadrons I have (using 10# braid).

I'm guessing any steelhead rod would need a fast tip. The question is what rod lure rating is best for throwing the 1/2 ounce mirrolures ... 1 ounce, 3/4 ounce, 5/8 or 1/2?

Of course any specific rod recommendations are appreciated. I'm not looking to spend a fortune ... something under $200. Thanks for the help.
 
#3 ·
Save your money & stick with your steelhead rod it works on all lures.
Could it be operator error?

I even threw topwater on it (without a bump) in the surf on Tues.
Steelhead rods have back bone to land even a upper slot Reds. And the flex needed for landing Trout.

I use 30# braid for Tarpon.
Short rods have their place & some do fish them on certain beaches, in the right conditions, with heavy lures.
But I can fan cast far & near with a longer rod, giving me more options. While shorter rods are limiting.

Overall surffishing requires planning, understanding & sometimes perfect conditions for the magic to happen.
Don't give up.... ICM
 
#5 ·
Dave: "Steelhead Rod" covers a pretty wide swath of different actions from very soft "noodle rods" designed for float fishing or small egg sacks and spinners to more stout side drift and back trolling rods. Some, but not all are suitable for throwing 1/2 oz - 3/4 oz baits like mirrolures in the surf for trout. Another drawback is that almost all "steelhead rods" have very long butts. There are a lot of other factors at play for casting distance like line diameter, spool diameter and design, and a softer action rod requires a different casting stroke and doesn't transfer energy as crisply. I have a Cabela's Fish Eagle 8' 6" steelhead rod that I use occasionally. It's pretty decent, and modestly priced at around $79.00 I think. They call it "Fast action" but that's just relative to other "steelhead rods." It's actually pretty soft by inshore rod standards. Over time I've found that I prefer a faster action rod for that kind of fishing. I've got an 8' 2" custom rod built on a steelhead side drift high modulus blank that really slings a Mirrolure, but that starts taking you into the high dollar range, which isn't necessary at all. You might look at some of the longer inshore spinning rods. Shimano Terramar is pretty nice and the Key Largo Trout/Bonefish model is a pretty slick rod with a soft tip but a lot of backbone. Added length like 7' 6" to 8' or even 8' 6" provides a little bit of an advantage for casting distance but far more important IMO is the right balance or combination between rod action, reel size and line diameter for the size lure you are casting.
 
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