Best Surf Fishing Rods 2023 Reviewed

Surf fishing is an exhilarating and rewarding outdoor activity that attracts anglers worldwide. Selecting the best surf fishing rod is crucial to your success, as it determines your ability to cast your bait far into the waters and reel in the catch of a lifetime. With countless options available in the market, finding the perfect surf fishing rod can be challenging.

In this comprehensive article, we’ve taken the guesswork out of the process by presenting you with our top picks for the best surf fishing rods, considering factors such as durability, performance, and value for money. So, whether you’re a seasoned angler or just starting your surf fishing journey, let our expert guide help you find the ideal fishing companion that suits your needs and enhances your experience.

Our Top Picks

We have also compiled a list of best spinning rods and best telescopic fishing rods after thoroughly researching and testing, these rods are currently being loved by many top anglers from around the world.

Best Surf Fishing Rod: Top 10 Picks

1- Fiblink Surf Spinning Fishing Rod

First on our list of best surf fishing rods is the Fiblink 2-piece surf fishing rod. The good thing I like about this rod is that it is simply constructed with many high-quality components that work together to provide a fantastic fishing experience that compares favorably to other brands that offer similar products way expensive.

Key Features:

• Brand: Fiblink
• Material: Graphite
• Construction: 2-piece
• Length:9’to15’
• Surf Rod Power: Medium-Heavy
• Surf Rod Action: Fast
• 1-year warranty

The model has a graphite-made rod that makes it lightweight and can bend under tremendous pressure, which is frequent in surf fishing. Ceramic guides used in it allow your long casts to be smooth. At the same time, the beach fishing poles do not become tangled through the guides. These guides also aid the angler’s ability to cast with more precision. It also improves the rod’s capacity to detect even the tiniest vibrations from tip to seat.

The Fiblink rod’s handle is composed of non-slip rubber shrink tubing and has a tapered back grip to provide perfect grip for long casts. The stainless steel hood on the reel seat makes it a strong rod that will survive just about any fish you hook into in the surf. The rod handle is built of a high-grip material that will not slip out of your hands, even if they are wet.

Fiblink 2-piece rod is one of the best surf fishing rods in the market right now due to its nominal price and strong material that allows you to enjoy the long casts with a smooth feel.

2- Okuma Longitude Surf Graphite Rod

Next on our list is Okuma Longitude, a high-quality surf fishing rod under a fair price tag. These hybrid rods are made as 2-piece, which allows easy transportation and provides a solidity when linked. This feature helps me carry it anywhere with me. That’s why it is on the list of the 10 best surf fishing rods.

Key Features:

• Brand: Okuma Fishing
• Material: Blend
• Structure: 2-piece
• Length:8’to12’
• Surf Rod Power: Medium to Heavy
• Surf Rod Action: Moderate-Fast
• 3 colors

The cork grips on the pole are a fantastic feature that works well in damp sandy fishing conditions. The rubber butt cap provides due comfort while reeling back the rod in. Its perfect combination of graphite blanks, ceramic inlays, and stainless-steel guides makes it possible for the rod to handle large reel adjustments to provide you with a long and durable surf fishing experience. From our experience, the rod is ideal for catching redfish, small-sized sharks, and flounder, among other species.

The 8-9 feet rod lengths are ideal for casting 1 ounce to 7-ounce rigs, casting plugs, etc. When perfectly matched to a hook set, the rods perform equally good results for any range casting. Longer rods from 10-12 feet can throw weights ranging from 3 to 8 ounces across long distances. Long breaks are required for deeper fishing rods when used in shallow seas. Its long breaks are equally efficient in shallow and deep water.

Looking at its price, it is one of the best surf-spinning rods in the market right now. After testing on the shore, I realized that this rod is a bit stiffer for me but can be a good option with its other features.

3- Shakespeare Ugly Stik Bigwater spinning rod

The Ugly Stik Bigwater’s best surf spinning rod is built with the same uncanny toughness for which the Ugly Stik is known. The rod blank used in it is created from a blend of graphite and fiberglass, resulting in remarkable toughness that no other brand can match.

Key Features:

• Brand: Ugly Stick
• Material: stainless steel
• Construction: 2-piece
• Length:8’to12’
• Power: Medium-Heavy
• Action: Fast

Many anglers like me appreciate the rod for allowing them to feel even the tiniest bites in the waves. The producer specially designs the guides to aid in creating a smooth feel and performance, allowing your line to go out strong and without issue. The EVA handle ensures a strong grip while long casts and angler.

The rod is long-lasting and durable because it is built of graphite and fiberglass, in addition to its attractive tech blanks. I would like to mention its clear tip design that provides more strength and responsiveness to its working.

The Ugly Stik Bigwater surf fishing rod proves to be one of the best surf fishing rods. But with a monofilament fishing line, the rod works better to catch frays and breaks.

4- St. Croix Rods Mojo Surf Spinning Rod

10 best surf fishing rods list includes St. Croix Mojo because the entire line features a large selection of technique-specific rods that feel light and snappy in hand. The brand used a 70/30 split 2-piece rod to work perfectly in surf fishing.

Key Features:

• Brand: St. Croix Rods
• Material: Blend
• Fishing technique: Spinning
• Construction: 2-piece
• Length:7’to9’
• Surf Rod Power: Medium
• Surf Rod Action: Moderate-Fast
• 5 years warranty

This rod feels surprisingly light for its size and power because of the lightweight SCII graphite. It is well-balanced and has a smooth casting feel when throwing smaller lures or rigs from the shore. The best rod for surf fishing can easily tackle fish weighing 20 to 30 pounds; anything heavier than that, and it will feel a little light.

This split allows you to tote a two-piece rod inside your car or truck while giving it the feel and performance of a single-piece rod. A Fuji reel seat includes lightweight surf guides and black frames to handle large-sized reels easily. Comfort, durability, and style are provided by a proprietary X-Wrap handle, which comes with a 5-year manufacturer warranty.

When we talk about rock fishing, at least I can’t forget to mention St. Croix Mojo due to its strong design and material, and performance. With its nice working, the St. Croix Rods Mojo Surf Spinning Rod proves to be one of the best surf fishing rods.

5- Penn Prevail & Prevail II

Penn has a strong history in the surf fishing world for providing high-quality reels and some excellent rods at a reasonable price; that’s why we include it in our best surf fishing rod list. The Prevail surf spinning rods combine power and sensitivity in a sleek design.

Key Features:

• Brand: PENN
• Material: Aluminum
• Fishing technique: Casting
• Construction: 2-piece
• Length:10’
• Power: Medium/Medium-Heavy
• Action: Moderate Fast

It is a 2-piece rod that consists of graphite composite blanks that provides durability and strong pulling power. The blanks are protected by a braided carbon fiber shield created by Penn’s Carbon Shield technology.

Rubber shrink tube grips are used for the handles; this material is incredibly sturdy and robust, and it doesn’t slip out of your hands when wet. A conventional surf rod has an all-around wonderful material for being near water.

Penn uses stainless steel frames with aluminum oxide inserts for its guides. The aluminum smoothens the working and adds durability while using both lines.

PENN rod is fantastic for throwing artificial lures and plugging in the surf for redfish drums, striped bass, and a few species. Due to its smooth performance, this is added to the list of the 10 best surf fishing rods.

6- TICA UEHA Surf Spinning Fishing Rod

Next on our list is the TICA UEHA surfcasting rod; due to its many features, this is one of my collection’s best surf fishing rods. The rod is available in 7 to 12 feet lengths which means you can choose the right power and action rod according to your preference. This rod is great for surf fishing since it allows users to cast their baits a long distance, and the rod itself can withstand strong, heavy fights with large fish.

Key Features:

• Brand: TICA
• Material: Composite
• Fishing technique: Casting, Surf
• Construction: 1-pc and 2-pc
• Length:7’-12’
• Power: Medium Heavy/ Heavy
• Action: Moderate Fast/ Fast

The rod has robust titanium guides that ensure your rod will be extremely durable and Fuji ceramic rings that aid in producing an amazingly smooth experience. This model is acclaimed for its greater comfort since it comes with a high-quality cork handle that works equally well with wet or dry hands.

Surf anglers using lighter rods sometimes target fish species, including bluefish, founder skates, croakers, and other fish. Anglers chasing huge and small fish will benefit from the TICA UEHA rod.

TICA has been continuously providing the best fishing gear for a long time now. Trust and durability with flexible power and action are included in the 10 best surf fishing rods list.

7- Tsunami Airwave 12′

When it comes to developing high-quality surf fishing tackle, Tsunami is at the top of the game. Although it is a bit expensive option, this is probably the best surf fishing rod in my collection. It is a 2-piece surf rod that ranges from 7 to 12 feet in length.

Key Features:

• Brand: Tsunami
• Material: Graphite, Aluminum
• Fishing technique: Surf
• Design: 2-piece
• Length:12’
• Surf Rod Power: Medium/ Medium-Heavy/ Heavy
• Surf Rod Action: Fast

These rods are produced with high-quality fiber graphite blanks, which means it is a lightweight rod to provide durability against other similar types due to the rod’s capacity to propel lures out with a spring-loaded sort of action

This Tsunami model is incredibly sensitive because it is manufactured with the highest grade components. This model features a Fuji graphite reel seat, contributing to the rod’s overall robustness. The Pac Bay aluminum guides are designed to work with braided lines; the combination enhances the control in difficult catches.

Tsunami Airwave 12′ is a heavy-duty fast action rod that can stay long in your fishing gear to provide you the perfect joy with smoothness. Its performance allows it to be part of the 10 best surf fishing rod list.

8- PENN Fishing Battalion II

A conventional rod is more suited than a spinning setup for throwing long distances heavy bait rigs. The Penn Battalion II conventional surf rod is a hard worker at an affordable price. These rods are a touch stiffer than the lightweight spinning rods mentioned above, making them ideal for fishing in greater surf and crashing waves.

Key Features:

• Brand: PENN
• Material: Composite
• Fishing technique: Casting
• Construction: 2-pc
• Length: 10’
• Power: Medium
• Action: Moderate Fast
• Fuji Alconite Guides

The Battalion II graphite composite blanks are made with a revolutionary SLC2 structure that combines inner spiral carbon wraps with outer layers of longitudinal carbon fibers to form a strong, balanced rod. The company used graphite composite blanks with Fuji Alconite guides that ensure lightness and durability at the same time. With the Fuji reel seats and easy-to-grip rubber shrink tube-wrapped grips, the rod works perfectly well with any kind of reels and provides a great gripping opportunity in long casts.

When combined with a PENN Squall or Fathom casting reel, you get high-quality surfcasting gear that has the actions and durability that huge surf casters require. The Penn Prevail line has been improved in terms of performance and quality.

You can expect a high-quality structure while using the PENN Battalion II. Its smooth and perfect fishing experience makes it one of the best surf fishing rods.

9- Shimano Fishing Tiralejo Surf SPN 106

Shimano has long been a leader in the fishing rod market. The Tiralejo Surf Spinning Rod is one of the best surf spinning rods in the market, as they perform nice and smooth in spinning and bait-casting.

Key Features:

• Brand: Shimano
• Material: Graphite
• Fishing technique: Spinning
• Construction: 2-pc
• Length: 9’-12’
• Power: Medium/Heavy
• Action: Fast

The combo is unbeatable when used with Shimano Ultegra XTD or Stradic Ci4+ reels. Shimano’s Long Throw Concept is used in this combo, which helps surf fishers cast long distances and cover a lot of water.

The company used high-quality graphite with the C4S structure of the Tiralejo surf fishing pole to provide maximum stability and strength to the anglers while surf fishing. The rod works equally well in the low strikes.

Although Shimano is an expensive option, this can be perfectly justifiable by looking at its features and performance. This best surfcasting rod is highly recommended to professional anglers who demand quality.

10- St. Croix Rods Legend

If you’re a professional angler looking for a more enhanced and high-quality surf fishing rod, this is the product for you. St Croix introduces its extremely good surf fishing rod, improving your surf fishing experience.

Key Features:

• Brand: St. Croix Rods
• Material: Blend
• Fishing technique: Spinning
• Construction: 2-piece
• Length:7’to9’
• Lure weight: 4ounce
• Power: Medium
• Action: Moderate fast

Advanced reinforcing technology ensures that the carbon fiber material has increased strength and power. IPC tooling technology results in smoother action and increased strength.

During long casts, the neoprene handle ensures a firm grip. Torzite RV K-Series tangle-free surf guides assist you in providing an irritation-free fishing experience. The medium-powered 9-foot long surf fishing rod has moderate action and can handle a lure weight of 4 ounces with a line weight of 10-20lbs.

This is probably the most expensive rod on our list, but it is equally reliable and durable in another sense. This highly professional surf fishing rod is highly recommended for the surf to spinning fishing. Hence this is one of the best surf fishing rods.

Buying Guide

In the present era, technology has advanced everything, even surf fishing rods. The basic goal of surf fishing rods, on the other hand, remains the same: to get the fish on the bait or lure at best possible distance from the coast but with greater ease. Anglers, in my opinion, have a more difficult time in surf fishing, and choosing the best surf fishing rod, especially if you are new to it, is also difficult. You can easily be distracted by the sellers’ marketing strategy and waste your money on a useless fishing rod.

Choosing the best surf spinning rod is different from selecting the other rod types. But some of the factors are given below to help you choose the best surf fishing rod.

Rod Length:

Rod length is an important factor, but what should be the length criteria for the best surfcasting rod? Well, the criteria will be selected according to your surfcasting style, area, and needs.

Surf fishing rods come at a length of 7 to 15 feet. We have categorized the length into three tiers according to their performance in specific circumstances.

The first category comprises 7-9 feet long surf fishing rods. These rods are used for small-sized fish and other small creatures. In addition, rods are good performers in close working areas like rocks, under cliffs, and other similar spots.

The second tier is of 10-12 feet long surf fishing rods that are good for almost all kinds of surf fishing circumstances and the mid-range throws. You should pick this size for mid-sized fish and rays and other creatures.

Similarly, the third tier is 13-15 feet long. That gigantic size surf fishing rods are made for long-lasting. If you are looking to throw the bait for a long distance and expect a trophy-sized fish, you should go with this size.

Material:

Material plays an important role in any product to make it durable. Best surf fishing rods can be made with different materials like graphite, hybrid, and fiberglass. As long as graphite rods are concerned, it is considered that graphite rods are stiffer and break quite often. However, selecting the graphite surf fishing rod from a trusted brand can add more reliability and performance to the rod.

Hybrid or blend rods are made by mixing the graphite and the fiberglass with resin to produce a good quality rod. However, talking about the USA, the blend rod is considered a waste, but it is a very good option in many parts of the world.

Fiberglass rods have a slow to medium action since they bend the entire length of the rod. These are considered to be heavy surf rods.

Surf Fishing Rod Power:

Lure weight attached with different power rods determines the long casts. Casting distance is critical in surf fishing rod design because anglers must get their bait through the crashing waves. Rod power refers to the weight or lure rating for which a rod blank was intended, as well as the breaking stain line that will perform best on that rod. Typically, this rating will be in a range from light to heavy.

Because the rigs and baits used in surf fishing are much larger and heavier than those used in other types of fishing, most surf fishing rods have a medium or heavy power rating. To choose the best surf fishing rod, you should keep in mind that the rod must be stiff enough to have a spring-like ability to cast these enormous, heavy baits and sinkers out as far as they should go. In this case, a medium to heavy range rod is a good option to choose.

Surf Rod Action:

To select the surf fishing poles, you must consider the surf rod action, but don’t be confused as it has a very close meaning to power. When pressure is applied to a rod, the rod action specifies how high up the natural bend in the rod will begin to form.

Anglers demand a sturdy rod that won’t bend when casting heavy lures and baits for strong casts. Similarly, a rod with good power and relatively fast action will create more chances of getting good fishing rewards when using weighty baits.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

1-What kind of fish can be caught in surf fishing?

The great thing about surf fishing is that you can expect to catch much fish of different sizes. Bluefish, small-sized sharks, striped bass, and other surf species are common targets for surf fishers, but things are only possible if you find the best surf fishing rod.

2-What Fishing Rod Length is considered to be good??

The optimal surf fishing rod length is between 8 and 10 feet, or, more significantly, one that suits your setup and the distance you’ll be throwing, 12 foot for long distances, and 8 feet for closer work for smaller species.

3-What is the most distance a surf fishing rod can cast?

In most circumstances, you should be able to cast 50 to 70 yards with a rod that is 12 feet long or more, but it purely depends upon your physical appearance, throwing technique, and other things. With the help of making a good combination of lure weight and bait, you can throw it as long as you want, but your goal should be to throw as long as to the broken waves.

 4-What is the benefit of a medium action rod?

 A medium-action rod will help you feel easier after a tiring long day casting than a quick-action rod if you’re going after large fish.

Final Verdict

Several options are available, each claiming to be the best surf fishing rod on the market. Choosing the best surf fishing rod becomes more complicated and frustrating in this scenario. To save you time and make it easier to choose from them, we compiled a list of the best surf fishing rod.

• St. Croix Rods Legend
• Shimano Fishing Tiralejo Surf SPN 106
• PENN Fishing Battalion II
• Tsunami Airwave 12′

These are the few best surf fishing rods to be chosen from our list. A professional angler Shimano or St. Croix rods, will provide you with a terrific experience. At the same time, the other two selections will be excellent for you if you are a beginner angler. You can, however, locate the best surf fishing rod for you by reviewing all of the pros and disadvantages of each model.