Surf fishing can wear you down with the bulky equipment that has become the norm. Many surf anglers elect to use large rods (10 feet or longer) and stout spinning reels with a variety of live and dead bait. Reels that hold hundreds of yards of 30 pound monofilament are the norm versus the exception and along with this bulky equipment comes weight and fatigue. Let’s face it, casting this stout equipment into rolling waves can do little more than wear you out – and yes, you may luck out and catch a whopper but you could be too tired to enjoy it. Fortunately, this isn’t the only way to enjoy surf fishing and in fact, in a lot of cases, this might be a case of pure overkill. The use of this equipment doesn’t really do much outside of forcing the angler to burn a lot of energy when today’s technology offers rod and reel combinations that are not only lighter, but are far easier to cast.

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.

Braided fishing lines have been an added bonus for this type of angling, especially for those who are just starting out. Instead of dealing with yards and yards of monofilament, you can now use a mono backing around 200 yards and finish off with 30lb braided line. The braided line is generally a smaller diameter making this easier for many anglers. One thing that is important to remember that while the smaller diameter line is easier on your rod guides and also provides longer casting distances, it doesn’t offer the same abrasion resistance that many non-braided lines offer. In fact, it’s not unusual to see the remnants of braided lines all over rocks and boulders when you are surf-casting. You can avoid this problem by ensuring you are utilizing a very long fluorocarbon leader. Use this to attach to your braided line and tie your lure to that which will provide you some protection if your catch heads off to the nearest rock bed.

Younger anglers will likely really appreciate the shorter tackle as well. Just think about a young angler trying to manage a 10 or 12 foot rod. Not only will that size tackle make it hard to cast for them, but it will also be very disappointing when they try to pull a fish in using that oversized gear. For young anglers, the ability to catch smaller fish on smaller gear gives them a chance at successfully landing fish and teaches them the enjoyment of the sport.

While there is little doubt that large surf rigs will maintain their place for some time, anglers who like to use smaller rigs can certainly do so. Heavy rigs are perfect if you are looking for the largest fish available and using a 5 or 6 ounce sinker but not everyone is. If you’re ready to scale down to a fish upwards of 20 lbs then it’s time to scale down your rig and sport up.

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 Reel, Penn Reels and Daiwa Fishing Reels.

Technorati Tags: daiwa reels, penn reels, Shimino Spinning Reels

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