How To Get Started With Beach Fishing For $250 or Less

A friend of ours recently reached out for some help picking out a beach fishing set up for her husband for a Father's Day gift. Being absolute beginners at the hobby, they were starting from nothing and wanted to have a good setup on hand to enjoy their own family beach outings without having to borrow gear from us. So, they asked us to help them put together a good beach fishing setup, but didn't want to spend much more than about $250.

With this budget in mind, we wanted to make sure we chose the essential equipment needed for beach fishing, as well as a few other items that we have found to be really handy through our experience. We wanted to make sure they were set up to catch the highest variety of fish with the least amount of gear and know-how possible. Our goal was to put together a good surf fishing kit, designed for the absolute beginner, that could catch fish and provide a good starting point for our friend's new hobby.

After a bit of research, and some inside knowledge about beach fishing, we were able to put together a really good beach fishing kit all for just under $250. The table below lists all the beach fishing equipment chosen for this beach fishing kit to include the purchase price for each item as of 14 Aug 2021.

In our article Must-Have Equipment For Beach Fishing, we go over all the essentials needed for surf fishing and some key things to look out for each of these items. The items listed above, and described below, meet the criteria in this article with only a few exceptions. If you want to build your own kit or customize aspects of the beach fishing kit outlined above, I highly recommend you take a look at this article.

Rod & Reel Combo

Recommendation: Offshore Angler Frigate Spinning Combo or Penn Fierce III Spinning Combo

Quantity: 1

Cost: $130

When building our sub $250 surf fishing setup, I wanted to pick a rod and reel that could handle the most common fish caught from the beach, hold up well in the saltwater conditions and cost no more than $150 total. This price point, for the rod and reel, was selected to give me some room to purchase other essential tackle such as line, rigs, sinkers, and bait.

After some research and some hands-on testing, I found that the best way to get a decent quality rod and reel under $150 was to go with a spinning rod and reel combo. I found that the best rod and reel combo for surf fishing, under $150, is the Offshore Angler Frigate Spinning Combo or Penn Fierce III Spinning Combo. This combo included a decent quality rod and reel that is sure to hold up to the demands of surf fishing for several seasons if properly cared for.

If you are working with a slightly higher budget, the rod and reel would be the first upgrades to this kit I would recommend. To learn more about selecting the best surf fishing rod and reel, please check out our articles How to Select the Best Surf Fishing Rod and What size reel for Surf Fishing.

Rod

In our article How to Select The Best Surf Fishing Rod, we mention that the best size rod for surf fishing is one that is 10 to 12-ft in length, medium-heavy power, and moderate to fast action. Ideally, this rod would have high-end Fuji components (guides, handles, and reel seats) as well as a high-end blank. However, since we are on a budget, we wanted to concentrate on proper length, power, and action more so than the components.

The rod that comes in the Offshore Angler Frigate Spinning Combo or Penn Fierce III Spinning Combo didn't exactly match these criteria, but it was pretty close and more than meets the criteria for a good surf rod. This rod is constructed of a graphite composite blank with aluminum oxide guides, comfortable EVA handles, and a graphite reel seat. The total length of this rod is 10′ and is rated as extra heavy power with a line weight of 20 to 40-pounds and a lure weight of 2 to 6-oz.

Reel

As explained in our article What size reel for Surf Fishing, the best reel for surf fishing is a 4000 to 6000-series reel that is constructed of quality components that are resistant to the saltwater environment. Ideally, your surf fishing reel would be completely sealed such that the internal components of the reel are protected from any saltwater entering the reel if it is submerged in the water. However, a reel like this is usually in the high-end range, and will quickly pass up our budget constraints.

Again, the reel that comes in the Offshore Angler Frigate Spinning Combo was slightly larger than the recommended size reel for surf fishing, but I would rather have a slightly larger reel than one too small. If I would have stepped down to the preferred 6000 series reel, the accompanying rod in the combo would have been 8′ in length. Good thing we found a nice option online that's 7′ in length and a 5000 series reel with the Penn Fierce III Spinning Combo to help our readers get closer to the right size than we did.

Main Line

Recommendation:

• 20# Power Pro Braided Fishing Line
• 20# Suffix Monofilament Backing

Quantity: enough to fill the spool (estimates provided below)

• 150yd Braid
• 100yd Mono Backing

Cost: ~$25.00 (with line purchased by-the-foot)

• Braid: $23 (150 yds)
• Mono: $11 (800yds)

Now that we picked out the rod and reel, the next thing we needed to take care of is spooling the reel with some decent fishing line. As we mentioned in our article Must-Have Equipment for Beach Fishing, the best main fishing line for surf fishing, in general, is 20 to 30 lb braid. However, we also know that we want to minimize our spending on line as much as possible. As we know, braid can get very expensive especially with large size reels such as the one selected in this kit.

One cost-savings trick I used for my friend's beach fishing kit is combining monofilament and braid as my main leader line. This allows me to pack the proper amount of line on the reel at a lower cost, while also maintaining the performance benefits of braid for the mainline. To do this, simply start the spooling process by attaching the monofilament to your spool and fill your spool up until you have just enough room for your braid. This stack of monofilament is referred to as your backing line, similar to that of a fly reel. Next, attach your braid line to the end of the mono just added to your spool using a uni-to-uni knot and continue to spool your reel with braid until it is full. Now you have a fully spooled reel, with some good braid line, without breaking your budget.

Unless you have some 20 to 30-lb mono laying around the house, you may want to accomplish this trick at your local tackle shop. Most places will be well aware of this process and can fix you up in no time. Another benefit of getting your reel spooled at a tackle shop is that you typically only pay for what gets spooled and you don't have to worry about under or over buying the line. Also, they usually can do this in a fraction of the time it would take you at home, and with better results.

PVC Sand Spike (Rod Holder)

Recommendation: Sea Striker Sand Spike

Quantity: 1

Cost: $5.00

The next item I picked up for the beach fishing kit is the rod holder, also known as a sand spike. This is a very simple, yet extremely important item needed for your kit. A good sand spike does 2 very important things for you while on the beach. First, it provides something to hold your rod and reel, out of the sand, to help with rigging your line, baiting your hooks, and removing fish. Second, and most importantly, it gives you a hands-free fishing experience to free yourself up to enjoy some relaxation between strikes.

The sand spike I picked out was basically a 3′ long, 1-1/2″ PVC pipe, with a 45 to 60-deg cut at the end for entry in the sand. I could not find good quality and decently priced sand spikes at my local Bass Pro but was able to find one for under $5 at my local tackle shop, Strike Zone. After the fact, I was able to find some good options online at bass pro and amazon. Another option I would have taken, if Strike Zone wasn't able to pull through, was the good old DIY option. Here is a good article with a How To Make Your Own PVC Sand Spike.

Tackle Bag

Recommendation: Plano Weekend Series 3700 Tackle Case

Quantity: 1

Cost: $40.00

The next item needed in a good beach fishing kit is a tackle box. Because we are building this kit for an absolute beginner and on a budget, we didn't feel the need to go super fancy with the tackle box. What we knew he needed was something that would help him carry a little bit of tackle and the needed tools out to his spot and something that would hold up to the saltwater.

After some looking around and putting our hands on some smaller-size tackle bags, we found that the best small tackle bag for surf fishing is the Plano Weekend Series 3700 Tackle Case. This tackle bag is big enough to fit all the needed tackle and small enough to easily tote along with the rod, reel, sand spike, and a beach chair with one trip. This tackle features oversized molded zippers for durability, a front MOLLE panel for tool storage, zippered front and side pockets, mesh side pockets, and updated Plano zipper pulls. This tackle bag also includes 2 Plano StowAway Utility boxes but has room to fit up to 4. 

Sinkers

Recommendation: 4oz Sputnik Sinker

Quantity: 3

Cost: $5.00 each

There are many different types of sinkers out there that can be used for surf fishing. Most commonly, beach fishermen will use either a pyramid sinker, a large bullet sinker, or a sputnik sinker. Depending on the style of fishing as well as the beach conditions will determine the best type of sinker to use.

Since I was buying for someone who would be most often fishing on the East coast of Florida, I wanted to make sure the initial set of sinkers he had would be of style and size for pretty aggressive current and surf conditions. I have found that the best sinker for surf fishing in the wides range of surf conditions is the 3oz to 5oz sputnik sinker. This size and style sinker will hold in most heavy surf conditions and can also be used in calmer sea conditions as well.

The sputnik sinker gets its name because it looks a lot like Sputnik 1, which was the first artificial satellite launched from Earth. This sinker consists of an elongated, teardrop-shaped lead, with multiple foldable spikes that are used to hold the weight in place in the sand. The downside of the sputnik sinkers is that they are usually a bit more expensive than standard pyramid and bullet sinkers and they also are more difficult to store in your tackle box. This is why we needed to pick a tackle box that had a big enough-sized open main compartment to fit 3 or 4 sputnik sinkers.

You can pretty easily find sputnik sinkers in most coastal bait shops. They generally are found in either 2oz, 3oz, 4oz, or 5oz sizes and are generally anywhere from $4 to $6 a piece. I like to have a few on hand in each size to accommodate any of my rods and the sea conditions, but I most often throw the 3 oz size sputnik sinker. Here are some links to some online stores where you can purchase these sinkers today.

Note: As an affiliate for Amazon and Tackle Direct, I earn commission on purchases made from the above links.

Bait

Recommendation: Fishbites

Quantity: 2 bags (1 each of Sand Flea and Shrimp)

Cost: $6.00 each

I have found that one of the best baits to use when beach fishing is Fishbites. This bait is easy to find, easy to use, and very effective at catching many different types of fish from the beach. With this bait, I have caught hundreds of whiting and pompano as well as a good number of red drum, bluefish, black drum, flounder, and even small bonnethead shark. I have even dropped a strip of Fishbites down when bottom fishing for red snapper with success when live bait wasn't cutting it. Trust me, this stuff works.

Fishbites is an artificial bait that is made up of ingredients that are intended to replicate natural chemicals that attract fish as it dissolves in the water. Fishbites resemble a narrow strip of gum that is held together by a fine mesh material that holds the gum together and secures to your hook. Fishbites come in a variety of colors and flavors to include sand flea, shrimp, clam, and bloodworm. I always have a bag or two of fishbites in my tackle box at all times and always start my day off with at least one line in the water rigged up with a strip or two on the hook.

To use Fishbites, simply cut off a small piece, about an inch long or slightly less, and place it directly on the hook. Then, cast out your line to your desired spot and wait for a bite. For a buck or two more, you can pick up a bag of pre-cut fishbites if you prefer not to have to worry about cutting it yourself. However, I recommend getting them in long strips so you can experiment with different size strips for the fish you are catching.

Besides the fact that it catches a ton of fish, one reason I like fishbites so much is that it lasts so long on your hook. I typically can fish with a couple of strips on my rig for about an hour before needing to cut the mesh off and replace it with another strip, even when I am catching fish. I have sometimes caught 5 or more fish on a single strip of fishbites without needing to replace it. This stuff holds up well and you don't have to worry about throwing it off on casting like you would with natural bait such as shrimp.

Pretty much every tackle shop I have been in carries an assortment of fishbites. You can also pick it up at big chain shops like Wal-Mart in the sporting goods section. I generally use either EZ-Shrimp, Sand Flea, Clam, and Crab flavors and have found that pink, pink/white, and orange colors work the best. To pick some up today, you can navigate to your favorite online store by clicking on one of the links below.

Note: As an affiliate for Bass Pro, Cabela's, and Tackle Direct, I earn commissions from any qualifying purchase made after clicking the links provided above.

Rigs (leader line and hooks)

Recommendation: Pompano Rig

Quantity: 3 pre-made rigs

Cost: $5.00 each

A pompano rig is a modified double drop rig made up of a leader line with two (2) drop lines with a small circle hook, usually somewhere between size 1/0 and a 2/0. You will usually find a colorful float, bead, and a 1/0 or 2/0 circle hook for most pompano rigs. Sometimes you will pre-tied pompano rigs with kahle hooks as well, which will be fine as well but will not have quite as good of a hook-up rate when spiked fishing (rod in the holder). In our article Kahle Hooks vs Circle Hooks, we go over the differences between the two and provide recommendations on when you should use one over the other.

Next, I wanted to make sure I outfitted our beach fishing kit with a good, easy, and reliable rig that could be used to catch many different fish species. From my personal experience, I have found that the best all-around rig to use for beach fishing is the Pompano Rig. With this rig, I have caught literally hundreds of other beach dwelling fish to include whiting, black drum, redfish, and countless others. You will find in our article, Top 10 Most Common Fish Caught From the Beach, many fish can easily be caught with a double drop rig such as the pompano rig.

You can find Pompano Rigs at most tackle shops that carry surf fishing gear. There are several different brands out there that make a good pompano rig and all of them will work well. For our beach fishing kit, we decided to pick up a few in some different colors to give some variety.

Hook Remover

Recommendation: Dehooker

Quantity: 1

Cost: $8.89

This piece of equipment is a pretty simple and cheap addition to the beach fishing kit. Essentially, this tool is used to quickly and easily remove the hook from the mouth for fish, without needing to overly handle the fish. I primarily use this tool when I hook into catfish.

To use this tool, simply run the hook remover down the fishing line and onto the hook, as close to the fish as possible. Then, a simple flick of the wrist will pop the hook right out of the fish without even needing to touch it.

Scissors

Recommendation: Rapala Line Scissors

Quantity: 1 pair

Cost: $5.79

One of the highest used tools in my tackle box is my scissors. I use these to do everything from cutting braid and mono fishing line, to cutting my fishbites into strips, cleaning bait off my hooks, and even cutting natural bait into chunks. I find that, for many cutting tasks such as the ones listed above, scissors make the task much easier, more efficient, and safer than a knife.

There are many brands of scissors out there that will do the trick for your beach fishing kit. I prefer ones with plastic, non-slip handles, and serrated blades. There are some higher price point scissors out there that will hold up over time better, but if we are on a budget, a cheap pair will do just fine. The important thing is to remember to clean them thoroughly after every use. If you clean them properly and store them away when not in use they will last a long time.