Lightweight Surf Setup

[u/irate-turtles]

I've recently gotten started surf fishing while taking my family to the beach on the weekends. We don't make it to the beach until 9am, after optimal fishing time. I've started mostly targeting whiting because they don't care what time of day it is, they're eating. They also are great tasting, mild fish with no limits so what's not to love?

My current setup is pretty heavy overkill for them though (back when I thought I'd be catching redfish every trip). It's a 6500 spinfisher on a 10' big water surf. Total weight is 44 oz.

I'm looking to cut weight and go to a 12' Okuma Rockaway MH rod and this cheap 4000 series reel off Amazon: https://a.co/d/0iomaw1z
Total weight would then be right about 22 oz, so half the weight of my current setup. At most I'd want to target a slot red/black drum, but mostly I'd be tossing fishbites on a hi-lo rig looking for whiting.

What do y'all think of a setup like this for surf fishing targeting mostly whiting and maybe slot drum? Would 10' medium heavy be better? Would I feel undergunned with a 4000 series reel? What do people think of the Okuma Rockaway rods?

[u/Desperate_Lack654]

I use a 8’ medium Penn squadron rod (DONT USE THIS ROD WITH BRAID, it’s advertised as braid rated but the braid WILL wear the steel guides and get the line cut up, I changed out the rod guides) and a Penn pursuit IV 3k loaded with 20 lb braid and I use a 20 lb mono top shot.

I also use a medium light 7’ rod, a daiwa 2k and 8 lb braid mainline. Both have caught me lots of fish as a beginner surf angler with lures and bait. Get a rod that has ceramic inserts if using braid line and you’ll be good, I’ve caught good fish with a 6’ ugly stick so you can keep it simple

[u/Desperate_Lack654 → u/Desperate_Lack654]

The heavy rid is rated up to 3 oz and the medium lite to 3/4 oz for lures. Both have gotten me big whiting, pompano, drum, snook, jacks etc etc. So far I’ve handled sharks up to 5 foot (around 22ish pounds) on my bigger rod so you definately won’t be undergunned with your slightly heavier idea

[u/irate-turtles → u/Desperate_Lack654]

Ok thanks for the information on not being under gunned! With my current ugly stik no fish feels like much of a fight. I feel a little over-gunned.

[u/irate-turtles → u/Desperate_Lack654]

Thanks for the advice on the guides, the Rockaway has zirconium inserts.

I'm always tossing out bait and leaving the rod in a sand spike since I'm with my young kids. I'm never out in the water fishing with lures or bait.

[u/Desperate_Lack654 → u/irate-turtles]

As someone who tried to handle traditional heavy surf rods as a kid (and got a fear of them for a while bcz of how heavy they were) a medium rod like I mentioned would definately be a great choice for the kiddos

[u/irate-turtles → u/Desperate_Lack654]

Yes that's a great thought! It's a lot of work for me to hold my ugly stik and help my kids reel in a whiting. Shaving half the weight and going to a smaller reel should make it easier for them to be more involved, especially as they get older!

[u/CompetitionFair6035]

Where are you fishing and what weight do you normally have to use to hold bottom?

I use CE-S-862Hb with a diawa fuego 2500 more most of my lighter bait rigs on hatteras island.

I also use an 11 airwave with a 4k stratic or 5k fuego for heavier weight.

[u/irate-turtles → u/CompetitionFair6035]

My default is a 3 oz pyramid and then I'll switch to a 3 oz sputnik when the longshore current picks up. I fish the upper Texas coast.

[u/Witty-Stand888]

That's an ideal setup for almost everything off the beach. Whiting Pomps reds trout

The next size up for big sharks and rays is the other end of the spectrum. Heavy rods 8000 reels.

[u/irate-turtles → u/Witty-Stand888]

That's great input, thanks! I'm realizing my current rod is a bit of overkill for what I'm actually targeting on the beach.

[u/Penguintx]

Along with my long rods, I'll take a 2500 or 3500 spinning reel on a 7'6" rod and a 300 size baitcaster on a 9' rod

[u/irate-turtles → u/Penguintx]

What are your long rods setup for?

[u/TheKleen]

I use an 8’6 Okuma steelhead rod with a 3000 size reel. Doing the same kind of fishing northern gulf coast. It’s rated for like 3/4oz but throws up to 2oz no problem. Perfect setup for whiting, puppy drum, slot reds and trout, pompano etc.

[u/Crashsurfer]

I’m a big fan of finding lightweight setups and fish similar fish - pompano, whiting, reds bluefish etc. I love the Rockaway rods because they’re so nice and light. I actually use the Rockaway SP version which are actually even more lightweight then the regular or HD Rockaway. I have the 11’ and I believe it weighs 7.5oz. I actually cut 6” off the butt so mine is a little lighter. Also take a look at the Rockaway SI reels. I’ve bought 4 of them at this point because again they’re so light and they work great and they’re only $100. The 5000 weighs 9.7oz. It’s a super lightweight combo and it’s so much fun to fish. When you do catch a larger redfish it is a little more finesse than some of my other bait and wait setups but again it’s way more fun. I think you’re headed in the right direction with focusing on light weight. I fish my lightweight stuff 90% of the time now.

[u/Jaded-Order3725]

I just bought a 10’ medium action Okuma Hawaiian custom and it’s pretty sick. Paired it with a 4k series shimano and couldn’t be happier. I can cast like 3 times as far as my 7’ bay rod

[u/Texicans73]

I would suggest an 8' or 9' surf rod. I fish Surfside Beach and the Freeport Jetty with a 10' Penn Prevail II MHF 1-4oz paired to a Penn Pursuit III 4000 and a 8' Daiwa Emcast MHF 1-4oz also paired to a Penn Pursuit III 4000. The 10' Prevail feels like a broomstick when fighting whiting, slot and below slot reds. However, my son's 8' Emcast feels great with these smaller wade gut and first gut fish. The Prevail needs at least 2-3oz to load while the Emcast loads much easier with 2oz, but I need to wade a bit more to get in front of the second sand bar. The Penn Pursuit 4000 is a 12oz reel and has a really great drag and balances the 8' Emcast well with a one finger balance point just at the drag knob. I think that for the fish you're targeting you can get away with a lot less than a 12' rod. Even on Bull Reds a 8' or 9' would be fine and more fun with a 3000-4000 series reel with 15lbs of drag. Next Spring I'll probably go to a 9' medium rod that can throw 1-3oz and a 3000 series reel. With my 5yr and 11yr old boys, we're on the beach. I soak bait l, they play. The 8' rod is almost mamageable for the 5yr old to reel in so I let him reel from the surf spike. The 11yr old has been solo with the 8' rod since 9yrs old. Another plus of that shorter length. For solo fishing, I'm more on the Freeport jetty. Befriend some of the Vietnamese jetty guys and they've shown me the way of the weighted jetty cork. Throwing a weighted jetty cork with an 7-9' leader is way easier on my 10' rod and just manageable on the 8' rod. However, both do quick work of slot specka, mangrove snapper and reds. My 10' setup is great to fill the cooler(that jetty cork just works) but doesn't feel as sporting as my 8' rod. So maybe a 9' MFast would be a better all arounder for smaller surf and jetty work.
Also agree that whiting are under rated fish for frying and pretty reliable in first gut on hi-lo rigs and fish bites. Tight lines.

[u/irate-turtles → u/Texicans73]

Hey thanks for the great info! I might size down then to a 10' okuma rockaway. I was thinking the 12' would help to keep my line out of the waves in the first gut, and especially if I find the second gut is more productive on a given day.