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Surf fishing?

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ifishthebadspots

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For a newbie, is there a point in focusing on surf fishing setups here in MA with all the jetties around? I see people with long rods cast across the canal, but I don't think I remember seeing anyone just launching it into the ocean off the beach.

 

My concern is - am I ok with my 7ft rod or should I really start looking into longer rods for distance casting?

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4 hours ago, Hookerboots said:

Depend on which type of lure you 're casting with in size.

I think the heavy Tiger E-Lite that I have is rated for 1-5 oz. Seems like it should cover my needs weight-wise...

2 hours ago, hydraman said:

You need a rod that can cast a bait to the place you need it. Not always do you need to reach fish but when you do it’s nice to be prepared. 

Do you feel I would limit my "mid-range" precision with a 10'+ pole?

 

On this note, since no one is replying to a dedicated thread - is a metal wire leader going to ruin my fishing chances? I just hate losing my $10 lures to blues. What's the best metal wire setup?

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On 9/10/2020 at 9:12 PM, ifishthebadspots said:

I think the heavy Tiger E-Lite that I have is rated for 1-5 oz. Seems like it should cover my needs weight-wise...

Do you feel I would limit my "mid-range" precision with a 10'+ pole?

 

On this note, since no one is replying to a dedicated thread - is a metal wire leader going to ruin my fishing chances? I just hate losing my $10 lures to blues. What's the best metal wire setup?

Don’t use a wire leader if you must use 80lb mono. Get a bigger rod 9-11ft depending on the spot and weather. I mainly use a 10’6” or 11. Once you get a bigger rod you will enjoy surf fishing more than a 7footer. What kind of reel do you have?

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On 9/10/2020 at 9:12 PM, ifishthebadspots said:

I think the heavy Tiger E-Lite that I have is rated for 1-5 oz. Seems like it should cover my needs weight-wise...

Do you feel I would limit my "mid-range" precision with a 10'+ pole?

 

On this note, since no one is replying to a dedicated thread - is a metal wire leader going to ruin my fishing chances? I just hate losing my $10 lures to blues. What's the best metal wire setup?

I actually used wired the other day cause there was blues around and I ended up with 3 schoolies

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On 9/10/2020 at 2:57 PM, ifishthebadspots said:

For a newbie, is there a point in focusing on surf fishing setups here in MA with all the jetties around? I see people with long rods cast across the canal, but I don't think I remember seeing anyone just launching it into the ocean off the beach.

 

My concern is - am I ok with my 7ft rod or should I really start looking into longer rods for distance casting?

I use my canal rods, 10'6" and 11', for surfing fishing as well.

 

You can use a 7' - 9' rod for fishing from the beaches. However, I've run into plenty times where having a 10' 6" or 11" rod gave me the extra distance to reach fish that a shorter rod wouldn't reach.

 

About 4 years ago I was on a great bluefish bite where they were hitting at the end of my cast. A guy near me, using a 7' - 9' rod, was casting about 1/2 as far out as I was, and he wasn't catching anything.

 

I have a 10' 6" rod, rated for 3/4 - 4oz that throws kastmasters, deadly dicks, poppers, bombers, sp minnows, darters and bucktails very nicely.

 

YMMV

Edited by zak-striper
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41 mins ago, zak-striper said:

You can use a 7' - 9' rod for fishing from the beaches. However, I've run into plenty times where having a 10' 6" or 11" rod gave me the extra distance to reach fish that a shorter rod wouldn't reach.

 

About 4 years ago I was on a great bluefish bite where they were hitting at the end of my cast. A guy near me, using a 7' - 9' rod, was casting about 1/2 as far out as I was, and he wasn't catching anything.

Thanks, this is what I was afraid of! I am seeing some good options for 10-footers in my price range (around $100), but mostly medium power. Would you say medium is enough (up to 2 oz) or should I look for MH (1-4 oz or so)? Maybe you have a perfect rod in mind?

 

38 mins ago, zak-striper said:

I use 40lb flouro for a leader when I'm targeting blues. In the last 5, 6 years I've only had one lure bit off.

I was reading up on it and see people mention fluoro leaders anywhere from 50 to 80lb, some swear 80lb is bluefish-proof, some say they will still bite off. Would I benefit enough from 40lb vs, say, 60?

 

11 hours ago, Reed422 said:

Don’t use a wire leader if you must use 80lb mono. Get a bigger rod 9-11ft depending on the spot and weather. I mainly use a 10’6” or 11. Once you get a bigger rod you will enjoy surf fishing more than a 7footer. What kind of reel do you have?

I have a cheapo Piscifun Flame 5000 (actually, not a bad reel so far).

 

 

Edited by ifishthebadspots
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When the chances of Blues showing up are there always have some wire on hand. I use hand tied hi-los by a guy, they are top notch stuff, 80 lb flourocarbon. Sometimes I land the Blues sometimes bitten off. Mostly bitten off. Blues are so much fun to catch I swap to wire and catch them. Wire reduces my Striper catch rate. Caught a 38" once on the wire, it had one eye

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On 9/10/2020 at 2:57 PM, ifishthebadspots said:

For a newbie, is there a point in focusing on surf fishing setups here in MA with all the jetties around? I see people with long rods cast across the canal, but I don't think I remember seeing anyone just launching it into the ocean off the beach.

 

My concern is - am I ok with my 7ft rod or should I really start looking into longer rods for distance casting?

Rods are designed for different purposes and what your asking is do I need a longer rod. My answer is yes and buy an all purpose rod that will do a lot of stuff well rather than one or two things very well. Your 7 footer is fine for back water or a kayak but on the beach you have to factor in current, wind, distance to structure and the rod’s ability to get the lure there plus the lure’s weight. Then there’s the weight of an animal fighting for it’s life that can range from 10 to 70 lbs (state record is 73 lbs from the beach). 
 

As far as costs goes my advice is to save for a rod and reel that will last you a lifetime. 

#335

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A 7’ rod rated for up to 5 oz will probably cast like a baseball bat. 9’ is a good compromise length for most surf applications on the Cape. 
 

i know everyone likes 11’ rods for casting to breaking fish on the Canal. Distance can be important but lots of times, fish are closer. As far as jigging goes, I could (but won’t) mention places where good holes are closer than 100’ from the rocks. When I was a kid, one of the most popular jigging rods was the 8.5’ Harnell 540. 

"…if catching fish is your only objective, you are either new to the game or too narrowly focused on measurable results.” - D. Stuver

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