I am looking at getting into surf fishing this year. I have a cart already that i picked up off of craigslist for $75. I am debating what kind of rod and reel to get as a beginner. Do you recommend a shorter 9’ rod or the longer 12’? I will primarily be fishing areas like folly, IOP, sullivans, and breach inlet. What am I looking for once i get to the beach? If i land a big shark what is the best method of handling it up to the release? I know i am asking a lot of questions, but i want to ensure i am prepared adequately. Thanks in advance guys.
Long rods, imo, are for big surf or LONG casting. You mention BIG sharks? Now you gonna “surf fish”? or “shark fish”? Each require totally different set-ups. I can’t help a lot on targeting sharks, there are many folks here who can offer more on that subject. But for surf fishing, 8’-9’ rods in a med heavy/ heavy work fine. I would spend more on reels than rods. Fishing from the beach is tough on reels, the rod…what ever action works best with the rigs you are throwing. Reel size, again surf fishing, any 40-60 sized reel is plenty. Line size? Most fish in the surf are easily landed on 15-17lb. mono. If you prefer braid use it, but on a spinning reel the lighter braids, 30lb and smaller can be rough on the fingers. Look for holes and troughs, fish the down current sides of groins, walls. Look for defferences in water depth or current changes. Use the freshest bait you can get. Good luck.
I’m curious, what would be a BIG shark? 5’? 6’? Pretty sure a 6’ black tip might only push 60-65lbs.
“If it were catching, Everyone would be good at it.”
Well to me any shark over 2’ is big. i have caught the small ones from the pier last summer, but i am mainly looking to catch reds and whiting. I would like to catch shark also, but I am open for anything that wants to bite my hook. The thrill of catching fish is the main reason, but the whiting and the slot reds are for the cooler. I appreciate the advice. What is the best rig for surf fishing? would shrimp still be best bait for whiting?
I got a fishing pole for my wife…Greatest trade i ever made.
Fresh shrimp is always good for everthing. I prefer double drop rigs, 3oz. Pyramids, #4 and #2 j-hooks on 15-17lb mono. Have landed 30" Reds, 4’ Sandbars and 30lb. Rays. No problem.
awesome. I cant wait to get out there this year to try it out. When would be a good time to start? I would not mind getting out to try and catch some of the spiny dog fish.
I got a fishing pole for my wife…Greatest trade i ever made.
When targeting whiting and other typical surf fish I like to use a 4000 size reel spooled with 30 lb powerpro. I use it on a 7ft medium action rod. Using smaller sized equipment makes catching the whiting a lot more fun. Use tiny hooks and fresh shrimp. For sharks a heavy action ugly stik tiger rod with a Shimano big bait runner has been perfect for me. To each his own but those long surf rods aren’t really necessary around here. They’re more cumbersome than anything.
I read on cf.com Folly pier had some good dogfish action. And I fish ALL YEAR.
Check out: Dogfish by the dozen! In this section.
Click the link to Justin’s article!
dparker - on surf gear you can catch lemons and blacktips regularly in Charleston area. A big blacktip only 65lbs lol 
We have caught several pushing 130, and 1 that would have broken the FL state record @ 158lbs (record is 152) but we don’t believe in killing sharks and it was during a catch and release tournament. 65lbs is a small blacktip. Lemons can easily push 200#‘s right behind the breakers and be from 7’-9’.
For more reports and photos follow us on http://instagram.com/requiemfishing
Thanks for the update Stan, I’m simply saying the size of Sharks you would “accidently” catch while surf fishing, targeting Whiting and other Drum, would NOT be what you and I consider BIG. But for a novice, a 65lb Black tip would be. The last okay sized shark I landed on " accident" was a healthy 4’+ TL Finetooth, for sure under 40lbs. with 15lb mono and 2/0 hook.
ugly stick makes a good rod for about $60. i have a 10 foot medium heavy that can cast a country mile, is sensitive enough to pick up whiting bites, but strong enough to take a beating from fair sized sharks too. theres also a few spinning reels on the market that have a baitfeeder feature to them (okuma and penn i know for sure), but is completely up to you if you want that or not. 20ish pound line is a good all around go for starting out and with properly set drag will handle most anything in the surf. if you start thinking about sharks, a spinning outfit will handle blacktips and lemons no problem. ive seen someone land a 7ish foot lemon on a $30 wal mart combo (lemons are also relatively lazy fighters), but blacktips are much more lively on the line. as for handling them, you can bare hand a 5 - 7 footer by the tail or tie a rope around the tail no problem and assuming you use circle hooks, as long as the hook is in the corner of the mouth its not too bad to get out but keep in mind sharks also have strong and sharp jaws so be careful. if you dont feel comfortable unhooking it, theres nothing wrong with cutting the line and not getting bitten. aside from sharks and whiting, you can also catch redfish, black drum, sea trout, and others from the beach too. anything else you need feel free to pm me as well.
Again everyone thank you for the information. I look forward to trying my luck in the surf this year.
I got a fishing pole for my wife…Greatest trade i ever made.