Surf spinning rod

[Clumsy fisherman]

Can a surf spinning rod be used for inshore fishing from a bank or pier?

[msgf91]

You can use them but some piers have limited locations. I've been on some piers that will say surf rods only on the T.  When I was a kid my dad bought me a heavy 12 ft surf rod for the texoma dam and I used it everywhere. Inshore, piers, trinity river, lol. 

[Deleted account]

Short answer, yes, but surf rods range from 7' to 13' or so and various powers, so it depends on what you are planning to do.

[casts_by_fly]

Also keep in mind that a pier might be 30’ off the water so you need some way to get the fish up. Some use a basket net. Some a flying gaff hook.  Some just use the rod to pull up little ones. 
 

surf rods can be a heavy bass rod but it could also be an 8 and bait size rod which is a lot more rod. 
 

and inshore rods are often more like a longer and softer bass rod.

 

long story short, know what you want to do with each and where any limitations are for the specific rod you’re looking at. 

[bulldog1935]

Rods made for casting lures in the surf are generally very useful inshore and, especially pier and jetty fishing.  These rods are generally under 9'

Surf rods over 10' MH and up, are generally made for casting spider-weights + meat.  

Many surf-fishing buddies also use steelhead rods for their surf-lure rods, and these fish inshore very well.  

That said, I've caught plenty of bull reds on 7-1/2' MH inshore rod with 2-ounce spider weight and that much meat.  

 

Both casting examples, both I fish inshore, also both for long-cast dock fishing, both light-in-hand - here is an 8' 1-pc ML Rich Hedenberg surf-lure rod, 1/4 to 1 oz.  On the spendy side, but a 2-hand pocket-rocket.  

This Japan Abu 8'9" 2-pc shore micro-jigging rod was my inshore champ at the redfish rodeo last fall, fishing 5-g (1/8 oz) plugs.  This is a $100 rod.  

@Clumsy fisherman

If you want a specific recommendation, look at Tsunami Airwave Elite.  

I have the 1102H for staking spider weights and meat.  Keep in mind you notice the weight on surf rods, especially as they get longer.  

I would stick to 9' to 10' rods.  Linked above, there's stock of the 962M, which would be a friendly rod, if 3 oz max rating works for you.  

[WRB]

The OP is using a spinning surf rod of unknown length, reel and line???

West coast surf is generally 2X wave height compared to east coast and inshore fishing is relegated to bays.

Surf spinning rods I am familiar with are 12’ to 16’ long to keep the line off the breakers near shore.

Some piers don’t allow overhead casting  to protect people walking on the pier and that is difficult to cast a long rod under the pier.

If overhead casting is allowed the longer rod could be an advantage.

Tom

[Clumsy fisherman]

Thank you to everyone for the responses. These have been very helpful and maybe there will be some additional responses.

 

I need a rod that can throw a 2-3 ounce sinker with a 2 hook dropshot rig baited with shrimp, squid or mullet. I have a long story on this board from last summer about my episode with a stingray that I caught from a pier about 8' above the water on an inshore Ugly stik medium 7' inshore rod. The rod was only rated to throw 3/4 weights, but I was throwing a 2 ounce sinker that probably was not heavy enough due to the current. That was very clumsy, but I could get a cast long enough to get the bait out in the river. I was fishing in the river that flows through Edisto Island. I was on the pier close to the mouth of the river.

 

I would like a versatile rod that I could use inshore from a bank or pier, or surf, that will throw bait and sinkers 2-3  ounce weight. I know nothing about saltwater fishing and not much more about fishing, period. I have a Daiwa 3500 BG that may be a bit undersized for saltwater, but is as large as 4000 reels of other brands and has good 17.6 of drag.  the reel handled the sting ray that was just a little less than 3 feet wide, wing tip to wing tip a bit less than 3 feet long from tip up to the base of the tail.

[msgf91]

For fishing like that you could go up to a ugly stik big water 9 ft. You could go with 8 or 9 ft

 

Your story is a good example of just luck of the draw on which fish bites what rod. I've been fishing in Galveston with my dad many times. We would have all our big gear out with live croaker and our small gear out with shrimp, squid, cut bait.  Then hook a shark on the 8 ft Shimano FX.

[thunderblack]

Been buying a few of these recently. I have found that the 8' Daiwa Megaforce travel surf rod is awesome for the trips I take (snook and reds). I also will be trying the new Emcast line from Daiwa for shark and beach excursions. Daiwa Saltist is also a great rod for casting plugs. 

[Darth-Baiter]

i am seeing less and less of those super long giant rods at the beaches in NorCal.  we have taken to using steelhead and salmon rods.  way lighter, and not quite as long.  mine is 9' and i can fling a 1oz weight a long way.  i can feel and fight any fish from surf perch to a striper. 

 

i would have no issues taking it to a pier.  

[Huckfinn38]

19 hours ago, Clumsy fisherman said:

Thank you to everyone for the responses. These have been very helpful and maybe there will be some additional responses.

 

I need a rod that can throw a 2-3 ounce sinker with a 2 hook dropshot rig baited with shrimp, squid or mullet. I have a long story on this board from last summer about my episode with a stingray that I caught from a pier about 8' above the water on an inshore Ugly stik medium 7' inshore rod. The rod was only rated to throw 3/4 weights, but I was throwing a 2 ounce sinker that probably was not heavy enough due to the current. That was very clumsy, but I could get a cast long enough to get the bait out in the river. I was fishing in the river that flows through Edisto Island. I was on the pier close to the mouth of the river.

 

I would like a versatile rod that I could use inshore from a bank or pier, or surf, that will throw bait and sinkers 2-3  ounce weight. I know nothing about saltwater fishing and not much more about fishing, period. I have a Daiwa 3500 BG that may be a bit undersized for saltwater, but is as large as 4000 reels of other brands and has good 17.6 of drag.  the reel handled the sting ray that was just a little less than 3 feet wide, wing tip to wing tip a bit less than 3 feet long from tip up to the base of the tail.

This company makes the BEST factory surf rods that I have found.

https://www.carolinacastpro.com/products/cps-gen-2-factory-built-rod-11-ft-3-6-oz-universal

 

The best custom surf rod builder is Nick at Nicks Cutom Rods

 

https://nickscustomrods.com/

[ATA]

On 4/2/2023 at 10:38 AM, Clumsy fisherman said:

Can a surf spinning rod be used for inshore fishing from a bank or pier?

Definitely you can use for bank, But on pier, Specially the narrow ones, It will not be easy. I carry 10ft surf rod and sold my 12fts(I am not strong enough to cast them), And I use 10ft for bank very easy and I like it. 

[msgf91]

3 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

i am seeing less and less of those super long giant rods at the beaches in NorCal.  we have taken to using steelhead and salmon rods.  way lighter, and not quite as long.  mine is 9' and i can fling a 1oz weight a long way.  i can feel and fight any fish from surf perch to a striper. 

 

i would have no issues taking it to a pier.  

I wonder if those are what I saw a few times but wasn't sure what kind of rods they were. The last time I went to texoma the guys had long thin graphite rods that looked not much bigger than bass rods. Then one time at the Texas City dike I saw some guys fishing with similar rods. 

[Clumsy fisherman]

Thank you to everyone who responded to my OP. I wasn't more specific in the OP because I wanted a wide range of responses. Currently my family and I take a week vacation on the coast of South Carolina, usually in June, and may try North Carolina in the summer of 2024. It appears that most of what people catch surf fishing where we go during June are sharks and sting rays. I am not interested in catching either nor attracting them to the beach where people, including children, swim and wade. However, I would like a rod that is strong enough to handle bigger fish and throw more weight than the medium power inshore Ugly Stik I used last season. Also, in case I do get a chance to go somewhere that I would like to surf fish, I would like a rod versatile enough to do that. Based on my review of the responses to my OP, I have tentatively settled on the 9' MH Ugly Stik Big Water. I know it is not as sensitive as the ideal, but with spending just one week near the ocean, it doesn't make any sense for me to spend a lot on saltwater fishing equipment or buying multiple saltwater rods to meet every single condition.

[bulldog1935]

Here's what I found about June fishing Carolina   

Spanish Mackerel are exciting fish to catch on lures from the beach, and will beat bait into the beach - Great Eats.  

(or here, fly rod - bobbing off the jetties on the beach side)

They hit fast lures like a freight train, though play out quickly compared to their larger cousin.  (tough on a fly rod, you put the rod under your arm pit and Chernobyl strip with 2 hands)

Flounder will take a slow bottom-bounced lure, ambushing from the sand. 

Tough mouth to set the hook.  

Probably the finest food any coast offers.  

 

Redfish will take lures and especially staked cut bait at the second gut.  

Snook are the most bass-like in their attack and fight - though not really a beach fish, you most often find them on channel slopes and piles on moving tides.  

Sorry I don't have a larger one to show, but 2 of the 3 snook species on our coast don't get over this 18 inches.  

This one, caught on winter finesse lures, is also hopping off the table, and went right back into the channel.  

I did fillet a slot fish just once, because I had to know - there are no words

 

Here's the Best Primer on Reading the Beach

https://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/topic/177314-reading-the-water-again/

[Clumsy fisherman]

On 4/9/2023 at 5:16 PM, bulldog1935 said:

Here's what I found about June fishing Carolina   

Spanish Mackerel are exciting fish to catch on lures from the beach, and will beat bait into the beach - Great Eats.  

(or here, fly rod - bobbing off the jetties on the beach side)

They hit fast lures like a freight train, though play out quickly compared to their larger cousin.  (tough on a fly rod, you put the rod under your arm pit and Chernobyl strip with 2 hands)

Flounder will take a slow bottom-bounced lure, ambushing from the sand. 

Tough mouth to set the hook.  

Probably the finest food any coast offers.  

 

Redfish will take lures and especially staked cut bait at the second gut.  

Snook are the most bass-like in their attack and fight - though not really a beach fish, you most often find them on channel slopes and piles on moving tides.  

Sorry I don't have a larger one to show, but 2 of the 3 snook species on our coast don't get over this 18 inches.  

This one, caught on winter finesse lures, is also hopping off the table, and went right back into the channel.  

I did fillet a slot fish just once, because I had to know - there are no words

 

Here's the Best Primer on Reading the Beach

https://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/topic/177314-reading-the-water-again/

Thank you!