If you are tired of lugging around bulky surf fishing gear that is comprised of rods in the 10 feet or longer range and heavy spinning reels, you might want to reconsider your alternatives. It’s no secret that most surf anglers prefer these reels that will hold hundreds of yards of line and stout rods for catching enormous fish, but consider the fatigue that is inherent to lugging this equipment up and down the beach. Instead of wearing yourself out with this oversized gear, why not scale down a bit and go for smaller fish and get twice as much sport out of surf fishing than you are currently enjoying today. Here are some of the ways that technology has enhanced surf fishing by allowing for lighter equipment that is just efficient as its bulkier cousins.

The northeast offers a number of areas that are great for surf-fishing. Fortunately, many of these areas are not prone to tidal currents or the brutal waves that require super long lines and overly heavy weights. It is true that you probably won’t have the opportunity to snag a super large fish, but these areas do offer some great opportunities for landing smaller striped bass, bruisers and bluefish in the range of upwards of 20 lbs. Fortunately these areas also allow the angler to scale down their equipment and replace an 11 ft rod with an 8 ft rod and replace that bulky spinning reel with one much smaller. Generally an 8 foot rod, a 4000 size reel with both easily handle a 3 ounce lure which is all that is really needed. This also offers the right leverage for casting longer distances.

Fishing line is another consideration. In prior years, you had to depend on monofilaments and fluorocarbons, but today you can get braided lines that are heavier and use a monofilament backing. A thirty pound braided line has a much smaller diameter than the traditional monofilaments. It’s important to remember that while the braided lines will create less friction on your rod guides, they do not have the same abrasion resistance of monofilaments. If you’re not paying attention, you could find yourself one of the victims of losing your line on a rock or boulder like many surf casters before you. To avoid this problem, you can use a long fluorocarbon leader with your lure and attach that to the braided line. This is probably your best insurance against breakage when those fish head for the rocks.

Because traditional surf angling used such bulky and awkward gear, it was very discouraging for young anglers. However, even the youngest angler can enjoy this sport because let’s face it, a 7 foot rod is far easier to handle than an 11 foot rod. The smaller sized rod will allow a young angler to enjoy learning how to surf-fish without having to worry about winching in a small fish that was meant to reel in a much larger one.

There are some anglers who will always insist on going after the biggest possible fish they can find. For them, the oversized tackle will always be a necessity ensuring that it will be readily available. However, for those anglers who enjoy the sport of smaller fish, the lighter tackle not only provides opportunities to enjoy surf fishing but also protects them from getting tired out carrying the heavier, bulkier tackle for miles along a beach.

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 Reels, Penn Reels and Daiwa Reel.