The 5 Best Surf Fishing Rods – [Reviews & Rankings]

A surf fishing rod is a great tool for catching all your favorite fish while standing on the shoreline or wading in the surf. But surf fishing is very demanding on both the angler and the tackle.

Hence, when it comes to surf fishing, you need certain types of equipment to get the job done. You can’t just settle for the rod and reel or top crankbait rod that you use when fishing from a pier or bridge. You need stronger, more specialized gear like surf fishing rods (Source).

A good surf fishing rod should have decent strength and power since it deals with heavyweights, bait, and the constant onslaught of sand and water. Durability is very important but it shouldn’t come at the cost of lightness and responsiveness.

Since finding the right rod can be difficult, here’s a list of the top five rods on the market and how to choose the right one for you.

What Size Surf Fishing Rod Do I Need?

The length of surf fishing rod you need will depend on how far out you want to fish and at what tide you want to fish. If you plan to fish at high tide and are okay with being limited to small, nearby fish, then your surf fishing rod can be as short as 7 feet.

However, if you intend to make the most of surf fishing and don’t want to be limited by the tide, you should choose a surf fishing rod that’s at least 12 feet long. The ideal surf fishing rod length is 14 feet. 

If you’re worried about storing or traveling with a surf fishing rod of this length, remember that most complete surf fishing rods can be broken down into sections. With a cheaper rod, this may compromise durability, but the average and high-end surf fishing rods were designed for this.

How Much Will a Surf Fishing Rod Cost?

The least expensive surf fishing rod will cost around $50. A high-end surf fishing rod will cost $200 to $250. However, accessories like a surf fishing rod holder or a better reel will ramp up the price.

If you are serious about surf fishing, you will need a few accessories. These accessories include a surf fishing rod holder, an upgraded reel, terminal tackle, a specialized lure, and may include grips and other extensions.

All of these accessories make up the majority of the cost of surf fishing and in rounding out your surf fishing gear. A better surf fishing rod, rather than a collapsible or beginner fishing rod, is likely to come with at least a few of these upgrades. Purchasing a bundle can help you save money.

Comparing The Best Surf Fishing Rods

1. Lamiglas Super Surf 2G Series Rod SSS11MHS – The Best Overall

For the past 65 years, Lamiglas has produced some of the finest American-made fishing rods on the market. Despite their huge success, they still prefer to go old-school, making hand-built gear out of a small factory in Washington.

Features

• Two-piece, 11 foot, lightweight rod
• Graphite composite blank
• Fast action
• Stainless steel Fuji reel seats
• Lightweight K-frame guides
• Aqua blue finish
• Black shrink tape grips

This impressive rod, in particular, is one of the finest models by Lamiglas. It feels so light yet can easily fling weights up to 6 ounces across 100 yards. A 50-pound fish doesn’t stand a chance against this rod.

The Lamiglas might be a bit expensive, but its versatility definitely justifies the price. You won’t have to buy several rods because its graphite build gives you enough stiffness and responsive action for all kinds of situations.

Thus, if you’re looking for great looks, excellent quality, and impressive distance casting power, the Lamiglas has everything you’ll ever need.

2. St. Croix Mojo Surf Casting Rod – The Technological Rod

This company has been building high-tech fishing rods for years, so the St. Croix Mojo Surf Casting Rod definitely lives up to the company name. This product and the company itself is a market leader when it comes to surf fishing rods.

Features

• Croix’s exclusive Integrated Poly Curve and Advanced Reinforcing Technology
• Two pieces, but its offset ferrule design makes it work like a one-piece rod
• Weight-saving surf guides sit in sloped frames
• Inset zirconium rings
• Fuji DPS reel seat with black hoods
• Deeply knurled screw clamps
• Two coats of Flex Coat slow-cure finish

The St. Croix is one of the most technologically advanced fishing rods in the world. It comes with Poly Curve Technology which eliminates transitional points and dead spots in the rod blank. This means you’ll get better action, strength, and sensitivity.

Now, regarding its Advanced Reinforcing Technology, it incorporates exotic carbon fibers in order to increase strength by up to 10 times. However, get this: this boost in strength doesn’t come with an increase in diameter or weight, which makes it pretty unique.

Additionally, its zirconium rings are also a great addition that allows for more distance and accuracy. As for the reel seat and screw clamps, they offer tight reel placement and a solid base for when you go up against big fishes.

3. St. Croix Triumph Surf Travel Spinning Rod, TSRS90M4 – The Surf Spinning Rod

Here’s another great rod by St. Croix: a specialty surf spinning rod. If you plan on going to Hawaii or Costa Rica, this fishing rod is definitely the right choice. It’s a durable, multi-piece rod that’ll serve all your fishing needs.

Features

• Advanced Reinforcing Technology
• Premium-quality SCII graphite blank
• Breaks down into 4 pieces
• Nylon covered rod case
• Two coats of Flex Coat slow-cure finish
• Lightweight hard aluminum-oxide surf guides
• Fuji DPS reel seat with frosted silver hoods
• Custom cork tape handle.

Just like the other St. Croix fishing rod, this one comes with Advanced Reinforcing Technology. Likewise, its exotic carbon fibers provide enough strength and durability to make this multi-piece rod one of a kind.

Moreover, despite the rod breaking down into four pieces, it is still great. This is actually what makes it so easy to manage and move. It also comes with a nylon-covered rod case to keep your precious fishing rod safe during travels.

Lastly, this premium-quality surf fishing rod comes with a five-year warranty. However, you won’t have to worry about anything happening to it because it’ll definitely last for decades.

4. Penn Spinfisher V 6500 Surf Rod and Reel Combo  – The Simple Rod

Sometimes you just want to get a surf fishing rod for the heck of it, right? You could use it for a good time with the kids, as a spare, or just to try out surf fishing for once. Hence, if that’s what you need, you don’t have to search extensively.

The Penn Spinfisher is a great, simple, and cheap surf rod that offers decent action and strength along with several handy features.

However, if you’re fishing with weights that are more than four to five ounces, it might not be the best choice for you. It can throw pretty far, but heavier weights tend to put some strain on the drag.

Features

• 10-foot heavy surf rod
• Two-piece composite blank
• Stainless steel guides
• Aluminum oxide inserts
• Rubber backing gasket
• Penn’s new watertight casing
• Five-bearing crank and instant anti-reverse
• HT-100 Slammer drag system

5. Okuma Solaris SS-C-1102H-2 – The Best Value For Money

Okuma is one of the top performance fishing gear companies around the world. Quality is their top priority, although it doesn’t come at a hefty price. This rod is an example of great power and precision, all at an affordable price.

Features

• Stainless steel double-footed guides
• Fuji aluminum oxide inserts
• Fuji cushion hood reel seats
• Slim traditional cork grip
• EVA foam padding around the reel seats

The tip of the Okuma Solaris has just enough feel for you sense even the slightest bumps of the bait. At the same time, it maintains decent enough strength to stay put while the rod loads up on the cast.

Meanwhile, for extended fights, the EVA foam padding around the reel seats gives you extra protection. As for the reel seats, they provide you with enough strength to hold big saltwater spinning reels in place. They’re as firm as it gets.

Hence, this is a great surf fishing rod for the budget-conscious fisherman. It can easily fling a 5-ounce lure across 100 yards. Balance this rod with the right reel and you’ll be fishing with a rod that’s worth a lot more than its price.

What Do I Need to Buy With a Surf Fishing Rod?

Surf fishing rods alone can be all you need to start surf fishing as long as you have a significant supply of fishing equipment for other uses. However, many people that are just picking up fishing of any kind will either want or need to get a handful of accessories and tools.

• Surf Fishing Tackle – Weights, hooks, and lures.
• Surf Fishing Rod Case – Surf fishing rods can come with a lot of pieces, sections, and accessories. Keeping all of that in one place and protected is important.
• Surf Fishing Rod Holder – Even if it’s just a simple piece of PVC, a surf fishing rod holder is essential if you plan to make a day of surf fishing.
• A Specialized Reel for Surf Fishing – Any saltwater spinning reel or reel with a spinning gear will work for surf fishing.
• Bait – Make sure to purchase the type of bait you will need for what you want to fish for.
• Fishing Line – Fishing line is critical when you’re casting out as far as 200 yards at a time. 
• Tools of the Trade – It’s possible that your line will get stuck on something, that it may become knotted, or that you will need to pry a hook loose. Have a pair of pliers on hand as well as something to cut fishing line at a moment’s notice.

You’ll need all of that, but most importantly you also need to make sure you have a fishing license. All the surf fishing equipment in the world won’t do you any good if you can’t legally use it.

How Do You Make a Surf Fishing Rod Holder?

A fishing rod holder, aka a Surf Spike or a Sand Spike, isn’t all that hard to make. You have a few different options for DIY surf fishing rod holders.

Most surf fishing holders are appropriately-sized PVC pipes fitted together into a configuration that works for what you want. You can use a simple section of plain PVC pipe and sink it two feet or more into the sand. 

Many people will want to place more than one surf fishing rod at a time. To do that, it may be best to take a piece T-Shaped PVC and attach a long anchor pole to the center. Then you can fit a shorter section through the T and fit each end of this section of additional T-shaped pieces. 

Once assembled, you should be able to slide a single surf fishing rod into each of these two T-sections. The benefit of this surf fishing rod holder is that you only need to sink one section into the sand for two holders.

Things You Must Know Before Buying A Surf Fishing Rod

Let’s face it: You’re not going to buy a surf fishing rod every day. You want one that’ll suit all your needs and will last for years. With that in mind, it can be difficult to find the right rod. Here are a few aspects you should consider:

1. Casting Distance

When surf fishing, you usually want to cast your bait or lure past the breaking waves. That’s where most of the fish are. Alongside that, water past this point is calmer and easier to work with, too.

So, with that in mind, you’ll need an impressive casting distance, right? You need a fishing rod that can go past these breaking waves and at the same time maintain your accuracy to an extent.

When it comes to casting distance, there are two things you should consider: rod length and rod action.

• Rod length

If we were to ignore all other factors and just focus on rod length, you’ll find that longer poles give you better casting distance.

That’s probably the reason you’ll find most surf fishing rods to be around nine to 14 feet long. The only downside to a long rod is that shorter ones give you more control and accuracy, being easier to use.

• Rod action

When it comes to rod action, rods with slower actions tend to improve your casting range. Why? Slow action rods bend farther than those with fast actions.

Hence, keep in mind that the slower your rod is, the more help it’ll offer you. However, you’ll find that fishing rods of slower action can reduce your accuracy.

Everything’s a tradeoff. Rod length, rod action, and accuracy: you have to compromise.

2. Target Species and Size

This one’s pretty obvious. You can’t expect a 2-pound jack and a 400-pound blacktip to require the same gear, right? Think about the fish you’re going after before choosing your surf fishing rod.

If you don’t want to waste your time thinking about it, just get a decent all-around fishing rod. But keep in mind, the more specific you can get with your target, the better the results you’ll be guaranteed.

As a general rule, if you’re going after larger fish, choose heavier powers and longer lengths. That’ll help you set the hook more quickly and efficiently.

Keep in mind that longer fishing rods are tiring, especially for smaller people. If you’re not specifically going after large fish, then settle for a slightly shorter and lighter rod. And if you’re fishing at night, make sure you carry with you a fishing light (underwater options on this page).

3. Preferred Baits or Lures

The third factor you should consider when buying a surf fishing rod is the bait or lure you’re going to use. More specifically, the weight of your lure or bait is what matters.

If you’re going to use lightweight plugs or small spoons, you’ll need a lightweight rod with fast or extra-fast action.

On the other hand, if you’re using a 4-ounce hunk of lead along with 6-inch baitfish, then you’ll need a different kind of rod. It’ll have to offer slower action and much heavier power.

Think about your bait and lure before choosing your rod. Finally, consider buying a tackle box to store your baits and lures.

Ready To Buy The Best Surf Fishing Rod?

Finding the right surf fishing rod isn’t easy. It takes a lot of thought and consideration. So, think about your circumstances and preferences; they’re ultimately what matters.

If you’re having a hard time choosing, why not go for one of the surf fishing rods on this list? It includes five of the best ones you’ll find on the market and covers all budgets

Try one out today and see for yourself what surf fishing is all about. For another fishing gadget, check out our Best Underwater Fishing Cameras here. And, if you’re going fishing soon, take a look at our kayak tackle boxes reviews.