[mikeski]

With a couple of trips to the surf coming up I am zeroing in on a spinning and casting surf pole. These will be my big boys. I was thinking about capacity. I am looking at something in the 3/4 - 8/9 oz capacity. But lighter would be nice.

How far do you push the limits on a designated weight? It would be nice to be able to throw a spoon with the rig. If I go to high on the low end it will not toss a 2/3oz spoon well.

The best way would be to have two rods. Can't do that. So, where are you guys with your capacity?? Are you tossing an extra z or two above your rated capacity?? Not that this would void your warranty ;-).

mike

 

[NCTribute]

I have a Hatteras heaver, 11 ft Lamiglas blank that I built, throws 2 - 6 oz well and throws a 2 oz spoon a mile. Definitely throws the spoon farther than my 9 ft rod rated for 1 - 3 oz.

 

[Drum Runner]

I surf fish with graphites in 10', 11', 12' and 13' 6" models.
I NEVER over weight rods.
You'll see people complain about graphite rods breaking because they are doing something wrong.
Exceeding the rated lure weight is one of those things that can turn a graphite 2 piece into a 5 piece.

You also have the sweet spot. Every rod has a sweet spot for weight. That number that really loads the rod up just right for a great cast.

In your scenario I would grab my 10 foot medium rated 3-6 ozs.
I surf fish a lot and don't own any 8oz weights. There are better days to fish than a day that takes 8 ozs of lead.

 

[ice cream man]

Like Drum Runner said, you need more than 1 surf rod when hitting the beach.
For Hatteras I'll take 9', 10' spinners for throwing spoons / metal.

You also need to determine the sweet spot ( best weight ) for each rod.
Any time I have to throw more than 8 oz., I'm staying in the truck. ....... ICM

 

[jonathan creason]

I have thrown 12 oz before, and that sucked beyond what I could imagine. I was fishing for $$$ then though, so I sucked it up and kept a bait in the water.

What species will you be targeting? A lot of the decision depends on that, as bigger baits will need bigger lead to keep it from washing. If you're drowning bait for mullet, pompano, etc. you can find a good rod that will handle that, plus throw 2 oz sting silvers easily.

 

[mikeski]

I have a pair of inshore rods to use for regular flinging. This will be for big drum and such.

This thought of capacity came up when I started thinking about lead and bait. It was not an issue with blood worms and cut bait. So a 3oz bait and 3oz lead is 6 oz. I guess I can add more lead and less bait if needed if I were to max out at 6oz. ;-).

Sounds like more rods for the bag ;-).

I think for the moment I will be looking for something that maxes at say 8oz.

mike

 

[ChltBnks]

Sorry mikeski but I guess I will have to be the parent in the toy store here and say "NO, you can't have what you want!"

So just deal with it. There is no such thing as a rod that will allow you to throw 3/4oz up to 8oz lures.

If you buy a rod on the low end and try to push the weight 2oz and up for surf casting and brake the rod... what will you have? A five piece rod in a garbage pail.
If you buy a rod on the upper end and try to cast 3/4 - 1.5oz for surf casting...What will you have? A broom stick that won't sweep the garage it constantly sits in.

I know this is not what you want to read but I am trying to be a good "parent" here.

Your first sentence says: "I am zeroing in on a spinning and casting surf pole." If that is not a typo, then get a spinning rod on the low end and a casting rod for the upper end. You are better off spending $600.00 on two rods that you can use any time than a $300.00 on a single rod that you can only use 1/2 the time.

 

[mikeski]

Ya, I figured I would see how people are dealing. Another golf bag full of rods is where it's at.

I have an AUB 6500 that needs a surf pole. It's also doing duty as the reel in a big live bait rod (white perch). My son is not ready for a round reel. So we are looking at a spinning setup for him.

mike

 

[mikeski]

I have seen Sweat Spot mentioned a couple times.

Say you have an 11' MH Mojo Bass that goes 3 - 8oz and the sweet spot is 6. Now, the water is nice and your setup with bait to hold is 4. Do you add lead to get to the sweet spot? Or be happy you don't have to toss that much and live with less distance? Depends? Also, what kind of loss in distance might you be looking at if your +/- an oz from the sweet spot?

And this has got me thinking again. I have 3 inshore setups. I need one more so we each have 2 of those too. One for a fish finding rig? Flounder jig? Bottom rig catching bait? And the other for casting a plug of some kind at the ready for blitzing fish. I was looking at a compact level wind on a 7' rod. That would work also on my kayak inshore. But now I'm thinking another ABU and a 10' rod is in order.

And, I just used the Mojo as the reference cuz I like St Croix.

 

[Drum Runner]

The conditions don't dictate my lead size as much as the sweet spot does.
You probably will see me chucking 4 or 5 oz weights on a dead slick cam day depending on the rod I'm using.

It's like a rifle that has it's favorite ammo that it shoots the best.
Same way with a rod. You play around with weight and the rigs you throw until you find what seems to work best.

I'll say it again, most of what I learn casting is not while I'm fishing. It's learned in a hay field. Those of us that carry pistols need to get out and shoot them so we are prepared if the time comes. Rods, you need to cast them once in a while even if you aren't fishing if for nothing else to keep that timing in your head.
Surf rods cast much different than bass poles. You got to cast them to get really comfortable in them.

 

[mikeski]

The conditions don't dictate my lead size as much as the sweet spot does.
You probably will see me chucking 4 or 5 oz weights on a dead slick cam day depending on the rod I'm using.

Surf rods cast much different than bass poles. You got to cast them to get really comfortable in them.

And that's what I was thinking when I started reading about the sweet spot. And if you are really anal and flush with cash. You will have a few surf rods matched to different weight plugs. Wish I could do that ;-).

Yes, I have checked out some of the videos. Another reason to get the setups together sooner than later.

Mike

 

[Drum Runner]

I'm practically starting over. I just bought 2 black edition 6500 pro rockets and a 7000 black edition rocket.
As soon as I opened the boxes I dumped the bearings and put in dry ceramics.

Set up will take some time. I have to burn the bearings in with 10-20 good hard long casts getting the spool speed way up there.
Then it's just getting each reel dialed in to the rod it's on and the weight. At that point, it's point and shoot like a Swiss watch. It just takes time.

Half the fun is test and tune.

I like the non levelwinds up to a point. The point where I get elbows deep in the cooler looking for a live one among all the floating dead ones. You got to be on your A game when you start spinning spools upwards of 20,000 RPM's.
My primary game rods are 11 foot Interlines with 6500s. 12 foot Interline running a 7000. My 10 foot Interline also runs a 6500 but is my "bait" getter. I usually run a 2 drop rig on that one.

The 12 footer I've really never got the handle on like I want to and part of that is due to the reels I've had on it in the past and part is just me. I can get pretty good on dry land with it but it just doesn't transfer to water with me. I can say I haven't found the sweet spot on that rod where it matches to the reel. I can hang it out there pretty good but not like it's capable.

Rome didn't get built in a day.
I've got thousands tied up in rod and reels for surf fishing. I didn't buy it all at once. I got tired of fishing with junk and started buying nice stuff as I could afford it. Eventually you have a broad selection.
For instance, Just in Interlines i'll have 5 of them on the beach with me. I have the reels I'm using mounted to them and enough reels to re reel all of them on the fly. Lined up and ready to go.

Surf fishing is about all the fishing I do any more. It's where my money is tied up.

 

[Nat's Dad]

My last surf fishing experience left me thinking I don't get surf fishing. I was standing on the beach on the southern side of the inlet with the Bonner bridge to my back throwing 4 ounces of lead toward Bermuda and within 90 seconds my rig was washed up down the beach like it was heading for the lighthouse on a train track. This was summer and nice weather. What was I doing wrong?

 

[Drum Runner]

I have seen Sweat Spot mentioned a couple times.

Say you have an 11' MH Mojo Bass that goes 3 - 8oz and the sweet spot is 6. Now, the water is nice and your setup with bait to hold is 4. Do you add lead to get to the sweet spot? Or be happy you don't have to toss that much and live with less distance? Depends? Also, what kind of loss in distance might you be looking at if your +/- an oz from the sweet spot?

It's not always critical to be in the sweet spot. Some times I'm in good fish at my feet practically. But it's those times when you are shooting for the back side of a bar or a hole you've spotted that requires a good proper cast to get to. As the rising tide pushes you further and further back you have to increase casting distance to get to it. That is when I might swap reels for something a little hotter or zippy. Something I have dialed in for the distance. Sometimes I'm trying to get out past a mud line or away from the pinfish and crabs. That is when I'm really in the sweet spot zone. Getting all I can without winding up in a hospital in traction. I can't do it like I used to. Several lower back issues like discs without fluid and arthritis on my spine scream at me.

The difference in distance can be great if you aren't loading the rod like it should be. Reels come in to play as well. You got to have a reel you can really spin the spool up on.

 

[Drum Runner]

My last surf fishing experience left me thinking I don't get surf fishing. I was standing on the beach on the southern side of the inlet with the Bonner bridge to my back throwing 4 ounces of lead toward Bermuda and within 90 seconds my rig was washed up down the beach like it was heading for the lighthouse on a train track. This was summer and nice weather. What was I doing wrong?

Fishing inlet current. Currents can be brutal close to and in inlets. Find holes, shoot for the holes and hope it will keep you put.
You find a hole in those conditions you'll probably find the fish camping out.

Atleast you weren't casting, counting to 20 and seeing your rig washed up on shore 30 yards down the beach.

 

[Nat's Dad]

Well I figured that but what I didn't get was why the tide took a hard right toward Miami once out of the inlet. It's a fishy looking spot though!

 

[Drum Runner]

Shoaling or sand bars directing the flow. When you think about it, that is a whole lot of water coming through that little inlet from a huge sound.
You'll always have some current that may be influenced by something going on a thousand miles away. Go surf fishing as a hurricane goes north east of Bermuda. It can be nice and pretty where you are but you are still going to get wind driven current and waves from that hurricane that far away.

 

[Drum Runner]

There is two primary types of ocean swell. Ground swell and wind swell. What you would get off a hurricane that is a 1000 miles away is ground swell that can be influenced by other weather a long the way.
The longer the duration, the more power in the swell.

I don't go fishing unless it's vacation without looking at various websites. I want to know what I'm going to be dealing with before I get there if I even decide to go. I want to know at what angle the surf is hitting the beach, wind speed and direction and of course wave separation and height.
I even plan my vacations through the moon phases. I might make a reservation 6 months out but only after I've visited a few sites that includes moon phase and tidal coefficient for that time period. The higher the coefficient generally is better fishing.

 

[mikeski]

Thanks for the input Drum Runner. My main thought here is to not go through the junk stage. But I am not to the advanced stage either. So I am looking for mid level gear I will be happy to use. And I don't want to go to long and have issues with that too.

And spares will be nice in the future. I plan to bring plenty of line to re-spool everything, tools and lube.

And I bet I am not ready for the fancy bearings yet either. But I may upgrade the drag on them.

I looked at the Rocket and such. None came in left hand crank. It just seems wrong to have your left hand on the butt and your right hand controlling the reel to cast and then put the left hand on top and crank right. There is no smoothness to that motion. Just extra unneeded steps. But that's me. Also, my guess is you do not want to change hands until the cast is complete to avoid the gyroscopic effect.

Mike

 

[Drum Runner]

Bait and wait it really doesn't matter but I'm fortunate that I am left handed so right handed reels are the cat's meow.
With reels, especially ABU look online at tackle dealers in Europe. ABU has reels that are not even marketed in the US. Some billet aluminum framed stuff as well as others.

Shimano as well. Especially in the fishing rod department. You can get 20' foot collapsible Interline type surf rods out of the Japanese Shimano catalogue. That is the catalogue offered to Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. It's just a matter of hooking up with dealer over there that ships to the US. Most companies have regional offerings. Fishing is different over there in many ways. They use some nice stuff in England and the Pacific rim.

I typically get stuff out of England in 7-10 days.