Selecting Surf Fishing Equipment To Start Surf Fishing Is Easy

If your thinking about getting into the sport of surf fishing this is a basic guide to select the surf fishing equipment you need to get started.

Will Budget Surf Fishing Gear Work For You?

Surf fishing is very easy to get into for less than $100 if you’re willing to settle for budget surf fishing equipment. You can easily find a combo 10′ or 12′ surf rod and reel for around $50. Sometimes it will already be spooled with line. Buying a combo rod and reel will save you the trouble of selecting the proper setup. It will have the right line capacity and sizing for the surf. You can find combo rod and reel setups priced in this range at stores like Walmart and Gander Mountain.

Bear in mind that it is an economy model and will not hold up as well as an expensive quality product. The saltwater and sand environment is very harsh. As long as you take the time to rinse it off with fresh water and keep it lubricated there isn’t any reason why it won’t get the job done for you. Even an expensive surf reel won’t last long if you don’t take care of it.

After you’re into the sport for awhile and learn more about it you will probably want to invest in better quality gear like Daiwa or Penn. They both make nice quality reels from $84 to several hundred dollars.

Start With Basic Surf Fishing Tackle

Most surf anglers would agree that live bait works the best. That’s a good thing because you won’t have to spend very much to buy the essential surf tackle for live bait.

All you need is a few items. Buy some pyramid sinkers in 3 ounce and 4 ounce. Next you’ll need a couple of surf fishing rigs with hooks on a leader. You can either buy these rigs already made up or make them yourself. A very common surf fishing rig has two hooks with a swivel on one end and a snap swivel on the other. One of the popular rigs is called a fireball rig. It comes ready to go with 2 hooks and little floats mounted near the hooks to keep your bait off the bottom away from the crabs.

If you decide to make one yourself, I suggest you get 2/0 circle hooks, 60# leader material, a package of regular swivels and a package of snap swivels. Just look at the pre-made rigs in the tackle shop and match everything up to that.

If you add a sand spike to put your rod in while your waiting for a strike, you are ready to start fishing. There’s a lot more surf fishing equipment you’ll probably want to add later but just to get started and be able to catch fantastic, hard fighting surf fish that’s all you need.

Oh, and don’t forget to get some live bait. Shrimp and sand fleas are a favorite delicacy for surf fish.