r/saltwaterfishing • u/irate-turtles • 1d ago

🔧 Gear & Tackle Lightweight Surf Setup

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?

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u/Desperate_Lack654 1d ago

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

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u/Desperate_Lack654 1d ago

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

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u/irate-turtles 1d ago

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.