Most of my fishing has been offshore so I'm a surf newbie. Times have changed and I'm stuck fishing from shore/pier/jetty for the time being.

So for my first surf casting rod, what length should I be considering? I know they catch pompano. I would imagine snook, cobia, and tarpon are possible at certain times. Barracuda and jack crevelle should always be around. Seas are generally pretty calm here and current isn't very strong.

Less concerned with what rod is right.....more concerned with how much rod is too much/too little to start with. I'm guessing 9 foot at the low end and 12 at the upper????

If it matters I'm 5'10"/185#'.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

If you intend to plug with the rod, I'd opt for shorter rather than longer. A 9 footer is pretty good plug casting fare. You can move and cover ground without getting too worn out.

As far as specifics, that depends on what you're going to be throwing. My perference in most situations is a fast taper model suited for about 12 pound line. I have some of the old GUSA surf-assassins that are fantastic for this kind of thing.

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Don't really know all the specifics yet. Generally live bait rules down here though. Anything from sand fleas and shrimp for the pompano to pinfish/herring/mullet for the snook/mackeral/tarpon. I'm going to guess one might pick a little longer rod (than 9 foot) if they were fishing bait and not casting as often.

Any rules of thumb like.....each extra half-foot buys you 10% more distance all else equal? Also, care to advise on converting hot shot trolling ratings to casting ratings? For example, I have a HS1023F rated 1/2-4 oz. Feels great with 1 ounce but feels like I'm starting to push it with two ounces. Seems entirely capable of being an intermediate distance rod for lighter offerings on calm days.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Longer rods have the ability to cast further, provided you can move them at the same rate. As they get longer, you may not be able to do that. If you're needing more distance and won't be holding the rod (sandspike, etc.) then you might opt for a 10 or 11 footer. How much weight you need to hold bottom will determine what casting weight rating you need to look at.

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Hi Russ,
Personally I prefer 10 foot rods for the beach. Gives me sufficient casting distance and the fish don't get a huge avantage. Reel seat and grip placement have a good say in the casting distance so you need to find out what works and is best for you. A good blank for what you want to do is a big thing. If you continue to fish from the beach then you will end up with a lot more than one!!
However fish and conditions are totally different where I am.
Side note for Tom. Always use a sand spike for beach rods in this country and I always hold the rod, without a rod bucket and it has never caused me a problem.

ESFNEM Col
Port Kembla, NSW
Australia

practice and casting style will get you more distance than a longer rod. 10 ft would be my choice rated up to 4oz

practice and casting style will get you more distance than a longer rod. 10 ft would be my choice rated up to 4oz

I'd wander up and down the beach looking at what the locals use. How far are they casting? How much weight are they using? Is the live bait being floated, allowed to swim with only a leader and hook, or fished on the bottom? Are they throwing artificials and if so what kind? Metal and soft plastics are two entirely different animals and typically are fished on very different rods. Also, do you want to anchor yourself in one spot or be mobile? Some people anchor a rod in a sand spike and sit back in a chair, others stand in the water and still others wander up and down the shoreline looking for activity. A few days of recon work will likely give you some very useful info to help you make a choice.

Russ
I live just a few miles south of you. I spend a lot of time fishing the same areas that you will fish.
I fish mainly for pompano. I cast the rod and place it in a spike.
I do find that very, very often long casts are required to really get in the fish.
When I first got started i fished with a commercial guy that could really lay it out there, and he would constantly out fish me and the only difference was his casting distance.
I fish with 13' AFAW Surf 3-6oz, 13' Carolina Cast Pro 3-6oz, and CTS 13'6" 3-6 oz rods. I use Akios 656 shuttle and ABU 6500ct mag elites.
If you pompano fish I find that 4oz is my go to weight size. I sometimes get pushed to 5oz.
The two advantages going a longer rod for me was first the distance, and the second is very often when the wind blows or has blown from the east, the weeds pile up between the beach and maybe 50 feet or more off shore. With the longer rod, my line stays high and does not get into the weeds. A shorter rod and you will be spending your time picking grass from your line....a pain.
Bite detection is something that you may want to consider no mater what rod you go with.
if you would like I can meet you on the beach and let you cast the rods that I use. That way you can feel them, and that way it may help you make a decision. I can help you with the recon that Sandy was talking bout.