Hi All, I hope this is not off topic, I am a newbe and want to surf fish the Gulf coast in the Tampa area. When I walk the beach I notice fishermen with heavy tackle, rods of 10 to 12 feet and huge reels that could land Moby Dick.I also researched what type of fish those waters hold and found it ti be Pompano,whitting, sheephead etc, my dilima is, do I need all that large tackle? What would be a good surf blank for that area, Am I wrong in starting with the rod?? Any help would be hugely appreciated. Thank you all and all the best Nick R.

I'm no surf rod expert, but here in Texas they use the same tackle to catch reds and specs in the surf. The long rods and big reels is to handle the 5.5 to 8 oz weight plus bait that they are trying to sling out a long distance. If you aren't concerned about casting distance and you're using standard tackle (for, say, wade fishing the surf) there's no reason you couldn't use the same gear you would use in the bay. In fact, a lot of the surf fishing guys I know will set up their big rods, then fish with regular rods nearer to shore.

The people you see with "heavy tackle" are surf fishing. The long poles are needed to cast long distances to get the baits out in deeper water. If you intend to fish from a boat much lighter tackle can be used.

The best thing to do is to ask the locals about the fish, the area and what is the best way to start. Most fishermen are always ready to talk about their experiences and offer advice.

The best thing about bay fishing is that even if your are fishing for a specific type of fish one never knows what you may catch.

Have fun

John

First nothing wrong about asking fishing questions on here and starting with the rod. They’re using long rods to be able to cast to or over the 2nd sandbar to catch the pompano and others that hold there most of the time.The reels look big because they have to hold at least 200 yards of line and it helps to have quicker line pickup. Now the whiting and sometimes others than be caught easily with bass tackle casting just over the breaking waves.

Hi Nick , we went through all this just last week , i thought you had everything in order but now it looks like you're back at square one . Pompano and Whiting can be caught right at your feet right beyond the breakers as they dart in and out looking for morsels dug up by the waves crashing , mostly mole crabs etc.... Sheepshead are caught around pilings & concrete walls and fiddler crabs are their favorites . Very hard mouths and hooking them can be difficult , timing is critical as is strong line as they will wrap you up asap unless you horse them away from the structure quickly .

The people who fish for giant red drum use the heavy duty tackle , most Pompano and Whiting in your area are caught in clear water within casting distance from the beach , pockets , sloughs , cuts etc... make sure you use polarized glasses to be able to see these areas .

When i go to the beach i see everybody with 12 foot surf rods also and none of them have a clue what they're doing , i talk to them , most buy their gargantuan sized surf rods and reels at Walmart because they think surf means giant rods and reels , totally false .




[www.rodbuilding.org]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/14/2019 01:18PM by herb canter.

Hi Herb, I also thought I was all set to go for rod blank "MHX 10ft 2pc, with a Penn BTL 5000, but then I read about the small fish and wondered if I was over powering myself. Then Seth, John and David answered my question about such stout gear and why it's used. In all realiaty I should be able to use this gear in other uses so my money is not wasted, I will keep you all informed how it all comes together, and I deeply thank every one for their help. PS I ordered Rodmaker magazine vol 18 #3 OMG what a great magazine I will also order a subscription. All the best Nick R.

I surf fish the Florida pan handle area quite a bit using 9’ M to MH salmon rods with a 3000 reel and 10-15 lb braid. Most of these beaches do not have heavy currents and are easy to fish with fairly light tackle. Like Herb stated the fish will come right into the wash. The heavier the lures or weights you are casting the more powerful the rod needs to be. So it depends on the type of surf you are fishing how far you need to cast, and how much weight you will be casting. The size of the fish is also of relevance. King mackerels, cobra, bull reds, tarpon, and sharks require heavier tackle.so you don’t fish them to death.
Norm

Nick just turned 90 years old folks , no way he's throwing 8 and bait with 12 foot rods , most use rods like already stated by Norm, 9 to 10 feet .


Nick: "Pompano,whiting, sheephead etc, my dilima is, do I need all that large tackle? What would be a good surf blank for that area"


The surf blank you already mentioned with the reel you already mentioned is perfect for what you want to do Nick .



Here's an idea Nick , build the rod you had already planned on first because you will need a lighter rated surf rod anyway for the fish you mentioned , if you end up wanting to go after the giants then check out the heavy tackle stuff .



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/14/2019 03:22PM by herb canter.

Nicholas, I've fished the tampa /sarasota area a few times over the past few years. I have not targeted the surf per se rather the back bays, passes, piers, bridges for snook, speckled trout, reds, pompano, spanish mackerel. There are lots of opportunities for good fishing in that area depending on when you go and what you're looking to do. I love visiting the tackle shops and there are some nice shops in tampa with good gears. They're always a good source of information. Good luck - Mark

Mark Brown Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nicholas, I've fished the tampa /sarasota area a
> few times over the past few years. I have not
> targeted the surf per se rather the back bays,
> passes, piers, bridges for snook, speckled trout,
> reds, pompano, spanish mackerel. There are lots
> of opportunities for good fishing in that area
> depending on when you go and what you're looking
> to do. I love visiting the tackle shops and there
> are some nice shops in tampa with good gears.
> They're always a good source of information. Good
> luck - Mark



Mark , why don't you reveal the rod type and reel you use for what you described .

Sure, I've got a few outfits for down there.
1. 7'0 St Croix 3 piece travel rod rated ~ 1/4-1/2 oz with stradic 2500-3000 10-20 lb braid

2. 7'6 Immortal popping rod rated 1/4-5/8 with 3000 stradic 15-20 lb braid
Using these for mostly 3-4 inch jigs, mirrordine lures, live shrimp (+/- small weight), spoons . Perhaps a little light but great action.

3. Heavier rod - shimano teramar (cant remember what its rated for) but paired with 6K GOSA 40 lb braid throwing the heavier bucktails (1.5-2.5oz) and
swimbaits around the bridges for snook mostly. Working on an NFC blank 7'6 rated 1/2-3oz to take down there this year as well.

4. I dont have a designated surf rod for down there , generally not in the surf .



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/14/2019 04:42PM by Mark Brown.

Those outfits have you covered very well for what you do down there , i have similar rated rods and reels for that type of fishing a little further north . What i have discovered is the areas you fish are usually much more productive than surf fishing anyway on the Florida coast , flat beaches limited structure etc...

Fishing around bridges , piers , inlets and back waters are what smart anglers do since the ocean side is nothing like New England type waters where rocky structure is the norm.

Thanks for contributing .

OMG, what a bunch of information, Thank you all ,, I think I will visit several bait and tackle shops and snoop for info from them, but I think I am committed to my prior setup unless some one changes my mind!!! (which is not hard to do) Best to all Nick R.

Heavy rods are often necessary to throw heavy sinkers - often 4 oz. or 6 oz. "sputnik" sinkers with pivoting prongs to keep strong currents from washing your bait up on shore.

Just when you think Nick is finally on the right track Phil chimes in with " Don't forget you will need a heavy rod to be able to heave 4 to 6 ounce sputnik sinkers to hold in heavy surf and powerful currents LOL.

There are times and places where light rods and light sinkers are just the ticket. I enjoy fishing with the lightest tackle practical for the time and the place. But if you fish from an open beach on the ocean you will severely restrict the times and places you will be able to fish effectively if your tackle is too light.

The ocean side where Nick is thinking of fishing has less current than my bathtub . In the NE when fishing for large stripers heavier tackle is much more common as is heavier tackle for big red drum on the mid Atlantic coast . Even with that being the case the overwhelming majority of surfcasters from New England to Florida are equipped with surf rods from 9 to 11 feet in length rated from 1-4 or 2-6 oz .


Don't forget the location where Nick is fishing , exceedingly calm conditions , i have fished the NJ/NY and NC/SC coasts all my life and a 10'6 rod rated for 2-6 oz was and still is what i use , heaviest sinker ever required was a 4 oz sputnik . i can't even remember the last time when a sinker heavier than a a 2 oz bank was required to hold bottom ,thats how the ocean is down in this area . People seem to automatically think heavy current and Montauk NY type conditions when they think of surf fishing .

The areas down south are nothing like that at all , not even remotely close . If Nick wants to catch fish of all kinds regularly he will do what Mark does , go inside where most species of fish are located , not much happening on super flat structure free beaches .

My bad. I fish bait off flat, featureless beaches and inlets on Florida's ocean coast. Between the wind, waves, and tide it is frequently impossible to hold bottom over 30 yards out even with a six-ounce sputnik. If Nicholas will chiefly be fishing calm water or casting spoons/lures a one - hand spin rod and #8 line will be plenty big enough to handle pompano, whiting, and sheepshead.

Phil Ewanicki Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My bad. I fish bait off flat, featureless beaches
> and inlets on Florida's ocean coast. Between the
> wind, waves, and tide it is frequently impossible
> to hold bottom over 30 yards out even with a
> six-ounce sputnik. If Nicholas will chiefly be
> fishing calm water or casting spoons/lures a one -
> hand spin rod and #8 line will be plenty big
> enough to handle pompano, whiting, and sheepshead.



Phil you always post great stuff that makes sense , no need for this "My Bad" stuff , that terminology i think is for youngsters i'm too old for that stuff . So i take it you fish the east coast off Florida ? I know exactly what you're talking about , around the full and new moon inlet area's can become extremely dangerous with powerful currents and waves even on flat and barren beaches .


I have seen quite a few people swept out to sea in inlets from attempting to swim in them , never witnessed so many people insistent on swimming in inlets in my life , tons of tidal pools and safer swimming all around but for some reason they must swim in the most dangerous areas inlets which can be deceiving at first until it's too late .