Ideal surf rod applications by each length rod.
These days, you can find spinning rods for fishing off the shore of just about any length. Custom builders and even some factory rods have gone as far as pumping out oddball sizes that are not in whole or half-foot intervals. One of those more common examples is the 9-foot, 2-inch “Skinner Rod” which was initially a Lamiglas 120-1L cut down to that 9-foot, 2-inch length.
That particular rod, as an example, started off as a custom and then hit the manufacturer lineup in time. While this rod has a purpose for a caster that’s looking for something very specific, rods from 6 feet all the way up to 11 feet are typically what will be in the hands of any dock, pier, beach, or jetty fisherman these days for an array of different fishing applications. Let’s run through the popular sizes and go over where each will excel.
6-Foot Rods
The shortest rod on the list is 6 feet, and while you can always go smaller, I found that you typically don’t need to. A 6-foot does come in handy for certain situations, and it’s certainly easy to transport. Most vehicles or trucks can transport a 6-foot rod with no problem on the inside, making it a good-sized pole to carry with you at all times if you find yourself doing some local dock or pier fishing. You won’t be casting for distance with something of this length, but when you find yourself walking along the local bulkhead that 6-footer might come in handy for species like snappers, kingfish, blowfish, or fluke.
More of a specialty application, I’ve seen and used myself a 6-foot snap jigging rod off the jetty and beach with a ton of success when the fish are in close, and distance is not needed. The reason for the 6-footer is that anything longer does not work as well with snap jigging, so I have to stick with size when using this technique in these locations.
7-Foot Rods
For a lot of my light shore fishing for species like fluke, porgies, small bluefish, schoolie bass and a little bit of togging, I’ll typically grab a 7-footer. I have the leverage with this stick but at the same time the extra length allows me to get the proper distance in many situations. I can also still utilize the lightness of a 7-footer to finesse small presentations easily.
If I find myself fishing for fluke with light bucktails and soft baits from a jetty, dock, pier, or open beach with minimal wave action, this size rod is all that I need. This type of fishing requires a lot of casting and reeling with a bunch of action imparted on my end, so being able to give the lure action with the use of the rod is crucial. A 7-footer is also great for back bay light action with smaller bluefish and striped bass. With this rod, casting small tins, walk-the-dog style poppers, small swimming plugs, and rigged soft plastics is light work that can be done for hours at a clip. My only warning is that if any larger blues or stripers come around, you will have your work cut out for you.
Playing around with various bottom species can also be done with a 7-footer. I’ve set up lightweight hi/lo rigs for porgies and kingfish with a 7-footer. I’ve also been known to cast a really light blackfish jig (1/2 to 3/4 ounces) with this size rod. Again, I’ll warn you that if a larger tog rolls around for your offering, you will have a battle on your hands from the shore.
8-Foot Rods
While an 8-footer is still on the lighter side when it comes to surf rods, it suddenly becomes a little bit more cumbersome compared to a 7-footer when working lures. Most 7-foot rods can butt right up against your forearm, but once you go to an 8-footer you might have to fish the rod between your legs or with the back end of the rod under your armpit, which could change the whole way you fish a lure and how you finesse it. Still, the 8-footer absolutely has a purpose.
Some fluke fishermen swear by live baits – this might mean live killies or peanut bunker. An 8-foot rod for shore fluke fishing shines here as you’ll be able to deliver heavier live bait payloads more easily and with more precision than a 7-footer. You will also have more of an advantage when landing fluke as well if you’re maneuvering around structures and such.
The typical light bait fishing for other species works well with an 8-foot rod as well. Think kingfish, small chunk baits for bluefish, and worms or clam for stripers. The 8-footer is a better choice for the back bays as opposed to the open beaches with wave action, but if it’s calm enough, you can get away with an 8-foot on the open sand. I’ve also done some plugging with 8-foot rods for stripers and bluefish for small to medium-sized fish. Bigger bluefish and bass will give you a run for your money with a rod like this when current and other obstacles are involved.
One type of fishing scenario that I found the 8-footer to shine in is shorebound tautog fishing with rigs. The rod is still short enough to cast out light bait setups like a single dropper rig baited with green crab to nearby rock piles or any type of structure, but it has enough muscle and length to leverage a hard-fishing tog out of the structure as well as the sensitivity to feel the bites. The 8-foot rod compared to the 9-footer feels more comfortable for me in this type of fishing situation. Also when the false albacore come around the extra length of the 8-foot rod over the 7-footer helps blitzing schools that move out a little further, but does not hinder my ability to cast lighter epoxy jigs or tins when using light line.
9-Foot Rods
I think every caster should have at least one 9-footer in their lineup. A comfortable 9-foot surf rod can be extremely versatile and do a lot when it comes to striper and bluefish. This rod does not get the play for fluke with me since it becomes a lot less finesse, but you could still use it in the case of live bait fishing if it’s all that you have on you. Nine-foot surf rods do quite well when casting medium-sized plugs for stripers in blues in a number of different situations. One of them being the back bays where you might have to reach a rip line or sandbar but don’t want to use a cumbersome 10 or 11-footer yet. I’ll also use a 9-foot most times on the open beach when the wave action is down low and does not interfere with my retrieve as well as reachable productive water.
A 9-foot rod can also be used to bait fish in the back bays as well as the open beaches when it’s not windy or rough out. I’ve seen many pier and dock fishermen cast chunks for blues and bass off my local piers with this size fishing pole. Whenever I fish a bridge from the shoreline I also find the 9-footer to be suitable for reaching certain parts of the bridge, but short enough at the same time to be able to maneuver around the structure.
10-Foot Rods
This is probably the most popular surf rod length and it has been for some time now. It offers a little bit more casting distance over the 9-footer and isn’t as heavy as the 11-footer. If I had to describe the best aspect of a 10-foot surf rod, I’d say that it does just about everything – open beach, inlets, bridges, canals, and docks as well. It might not always be the most ideal but it will get the job done.
In case you were doubting, I’ve seen 10-footers fished all around the rocky shorelines of Montauk, at the Cape Cod Canal, and even along the sandy New Jersey beaches. Again, if I were to be able to use a one-length surf spinning rod to cover most bluefish and striper fishing situations in the Northeast, it would most likely be a 10-footer. You can also cast chunk baits on the open beach with the rod in a moderate surf when you have one in your hands with enough power.
The 10-footer is a rod that I’ve used on those long jetty fishing trips. It’s easier to cast throughout the tide than an 11-footer but still has enough length and leverage to maneuver a bass or bluefish around the jetty rocks for easy landing. Some of my largest stripers and bluefish have been landed on a 10-footer.
11-Foot Rods
Traditionally, it was always said that surfcasters all needed an 11-foot rod to fish the surf. That might have been true some years ago before better technology came out and allowed for longer casts with shorter rods, but the 11-footer still has a place in the serious surfcaster’s arsenal. With an 11-foot rod, you will be able to reach some of the farthest beach structures that you might not be able to reach with anything else. Also, with an 11, it will shine on the roughest days when waves are high up. The length of the 11-footer will keep the line above breaking waves for the most part, where they won’t ‘slap’ your line during a retrieve.
Aside from casting distance, the 11-footer gives you a ton of leverage in comparison to any other length surf rod. You’ll have an easier time turning large striped bass or bluefish in any sort of moving current, and you can also use the length of the rod to maneuver fish around structure while attempting to land them. The only warning I’d offer is about is the length of the rod, which can be a hindrance when you’re short on space for landing fish. I’ve found myself awkwardly putting the rod behind me when going down jetty rocks to grab a fish. Be careful not to ‘high stick’ this rod, which can be easy to do in a jetty fishing scenario.
One place I’ve seen the 11-footer used extensively is the Cape Cod Canal for both its ability to launch large payloads a long way and the leverage of the rod being able to turn large stripers in a heavy current. Eleven-foot rods also make great bait sticks on the open beach. A lot of chunk bait fishermen targeting stripers, bluefish, sharks, rays, or even drums along my beaches will use this length rod for casting these heavy payloads out a far enough distance to reach productive waters.
Sure, other oddball sizes do exist, and I have used them, and I do enjoy them very much. One in particular that I like is of 10-foot, 6-inch length. Another comfortable size is the 8-foot, 6-inch length. These in-between sizes are ones that grew on me over time and are available on some manufacturers’ lines. They are also very popular among custom rod builders.
Rods are also available over 11 feet, including 12-footers and the 13-foot Hatteras heaver rods which have been used by some. I’ve found that anything over 11 tends to be more suited for bait fishing only and sees specific use. The mentioned sizes from 6 through 11 feet will more than cover 99% of the fishing scenarios you will be faced with while fishing our local waters.
