Pole selection for Californa beach fishing
Published 8/18/2021: 8:00 AM PST
" Is a bigger rod better? Further cast, or, a trip to the frickin chiropractor? "
- Dr. Surf Casterson
Easy to transport, no need for a mini pole!
It cannot be stressed how much a 3 foot pole will drain you, like a stephen king cursed fishing rod that emotionally frustrates you to death. I can guarantee you as human above the age of 4, you too can start in the 7 foot range at the beach, no problem! In fact, you'll find that it's probably easier to cast further and with more precision on a longer fishing rod.
7 feet minimum from the shore!
In fact, even a single piece 8 foot rod will fit in almost every US sold vehicle in the last 30 years. Now you can actually take advantage of the length leverage, without having a pole that fatigues your upper body when casting on repeat for hours.
Distance dependent
Most surf fishing ends up targeting near shore fish. So simple. This can be accomplished easily with a 7-9 ft rod and take full advantage of most near shore species. Some people target further species, necessitating the use of drones and rc boats to deploy hundreds of yards away. This makes it easier on your body and saves the need for a longer rod.
Species Dependent
While we do advise a more moderate length pole for overall beach fishing, sometimes you will be targeting MUCH LARGER species. In that case, we encourage you find a rod that can handle at least 50 Lb test line. Some will look for a heavy duty 6 Ft Tuna Roller Rod and others will take advantage of a 14+ Ft pole to finess in larger species like sharks!
Beach Layout Dependent
With rocky edges like cliffs or jetties, you may want to sacrafice a little less casting endurance for the benfit of not snagging your beautiful catch on a tiny rock that loses both the fish and lure. Those two envioronments actually call for longer poles even though you are casting in close proximity to the structure you're standing on. Less snags=more fish!
| Size Ft. | Description | Price/Webpage | Criteria for our choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| >6 | Mostly for Jetties and clear line of sight fishing over your target. We also included our more serious Tuna Rod selection for people willing to use tools (drones/RC boats) to get the bait out and FIGHT for their fish! | ~$25 / ~$110 | Strong/Fast Rod with light feel. And then a strong roller setup for POWER that holds appropriately strong line |
| 6-8 | Great for overall throwing into most of Californias beaches, we tend to recomend a few extra feet for leverage when potentially pulling in Bat Rays or for using larger weights in bigger surf (4+ft)! | ~$45 | A nice lightweight spinning rod that will hold up to some repeat soakings. |
| 9-13 | Great overall length for starting to target the edge of the surf or the low tide line in the reefy areas that are scattered around California! This length is light enough to hold as you safely reel over jetties or cast past the surf line! | ~$65 | A lightweight spinner with a great medium of flex and strength. |
| 14+ | Not very common in California, this South African inspired catagory tends to be for those who can practice patience and that want something bigger. Leverage heavy weight and heavy bait. Launch deep into the surf zone! Beware of sharks! | ~$75 | An affordable way to try out a long rod, a step before spending 2k on a carbon fiber rod. |