Preparing a setup for light tackle fishing in the surf can be difficult for new anglers to grasp. It differs from inshore light tackle setups by needing even more of a backbone in the rods to support the rougher conditions. Waves, strong current, strong winds, all cause the light tackle surf fishing setup to end up being heavier than an inshore light tackle setup. Don’t be fooled by a medium power rod though, you’ll still have a good fight on your hands when you pair it with a shallow spool reel and 10 lb braid.
Surf Fishing Light Tackle Setup
As you read through this article, I recommend considering mismatching some of the components if you’re willing to spend more in certain areas. For example, if you are willing to spend up to $200 on a reel, you can’t go wrong with the dependability and versatility of the Shimano Stradic. These setups are meant to teach you how to pair rods, reels, lines, and lures and also intended to give you an idea of where to start with a surf fishing setup. All of these are pairings done with artificial lures that you’ll be actively fishing with, but you could swap it out for the right sized sinker and a pompano rig and do some spiked fishing as well. Let’s go ahead and get into the budget friendly, midrange, and high end examples.
Budget Friendly Option: Total Cost $131
Rod: Okuma Nesika Spinning Surf Rod Model #NSK-S-1002M
- Length: 10’
- Power: Medium
- Action: Moderate Fast
- Line rating: 10-20 lb
- Lure rating: 3/4 oz – 3 oz
- Price: $75
The Okuma Nesika Surf Rod is priced at a very affordable $75. The medium action on this 10 footer will give you the necessary backbone for fighting big fish with light line. It's a two piece construction with a 50/50 split which can sometimes cause a rod to lose power or sensitivity, but after trying this one out, I’m confident in its one-piece feel. The line weight range makes this rod appropriate for light line fishing and the lure weight gives you the full range of optimum lightweight lures for surf fishing. A range of ¾ oz to 3 oz gives you the freedom to pick almost any smaller size lure on the market, and the moderate fast action gives you the sensitivity to work a jig across the bottom, or a shallow diving crankbait.
Reel: Penn Wrath 2500 Spinning Reel
- Line capacity: 240 yards of 10 lb braid
- Crank rate: 33 in/turn
- Weight: 10.5 oz
- Gear ratio: 6.2:1
- Max drag: 10 lbs
- Price: $30
The Penn Wrath 2500 saltwater spinning reel is the cheapest saltwater reel that Penn offers. Its line capacity is just tight for 10 lb braid in the surf and the max drag of 10 lbs is enough for fighting those smaller Spanish macks in the surf. This reel is an economical choice as its light weight and low cost makes it ideal for light tackle fishing in the surf on a budget. The reel handle is changeable from left to right so it'll work for anyone. This reel has positive reviews making this one a good budget-friendly option. It could even be a good option for your backup rod and reel to have for guests.
Main Line: Nomad Design Panderra 8x Braid Model #NOM-0121-4
- Spool: 150 yards
- Line strength: 10 lbs
- Cost: $20
You could save a little money by opting for a monofilament main line here, but with a line capacity of only 130 yards of 10 lb braid on the reel, its worth it to pack the reel with high quality braid on a light tackle outfit. Light tackle uses the line a great deal so you’ll want something that’s durable enough for the challenge. Monofilament has more of a tendency to degrade over time with UV damage and has memory which can cause birds nests and wind knots especially when fishing in the surf where winds are typically higher. The 8x braid is ultra durable and the 10 lb strength will help give you a light line tackle challenge. To read more about braided fishing line, read our article here.
Leader line: Triple Fish Monofilament Leader Model #TFM-B50-30CL
- Spool: 50 yds
- Line strength: 30 lb
- Diameter: 0.022 in
- Color: Clear
- Cost: $3.49
You should always fish with a leader line attached to your main line. You can attach it via a slim profile and strong knot such as an FG knot, or use a swivel and/or a snap. A swivel can prevent line twist if you’re using a lure that tends to spin, and a snap makes lure changes a breeze. The additional line strength we’re recommending in the leader here will help the rig hold up to a larger size fish or rougher structure like rocks. Priced at $3.49, this monofilament leader line is an easy choice.
Lure: SPRO Bucktail Jig Model #
- Weight: 3/8 oz
- Color: Glow
- Cost: $3.49
The SPRO Bucktail Jig is one of the most effective artificial lures for surf fishing. It has a weighted head for jigging up and down the water column and a skirt for camouflaging the hook. Snook absolutely love bucktail jigs and they’ll give you a good fight on a light line setup. In addition to being extremely effective, the SPRO Bucktail Jig is priced at a budget friendly $3.49. This price allows you to buy multiple colors and sizes if you’d like, to help build up your lure collection. Whenever fish aren’t biting the Glow color, try out the Crazy Chartreuse. Bucktail jigs are so successful in beach fishing, that they made it into our article The Best Baits for Surf Fishing.
Midrange Price Point Total: $583
Rod: St. Croix Avid Series Surf Spinning Rod Model #VSS100MF2
- Length: 10’
- Power: Medium
- Action: Fast
- Line rating: 10-20 lb
- Lure rating: 1-4 oz
- Rod weight: 11.5 oz
- Price: $350
The St Croix Avid series surf spinning rods are very strong, lightweight, and affordable. St Croix rods are made in the USA and they have a good warranty and reputation. The 10’ size in the surf rod is on the short side, but makes this rod an easy choice for handling all day long. You can cast it out over and over and at 11.5 oz weight, you won’t tire out too quickly. The line rating of 10-20 lbs is narrow but sufficient for light tackle fishing in the surf. The fast action is a must for working artificials and getting to know the feel of the bite. The lure rating is 1-4 oz, and the sweet spot is generally in the ¾ – 2 oz range for light tackle surf fishing. Although $350 is toward the high side of affordable pricing, you won’t regret the investment with this rod.
Reel: Shimano Stradic FL Spinning Reel Model #ST2500HGFL
- Line capacity: 150 yards of 10 lb braid
- Crank rate: 35 in/turn
- Weight: 7.9 oz
- Gear Ratio: 6.0:1
- Max drag: 198 lbs
- Price: $200
The Shimano Stradic FL is one of the most popular saltwater spinning reels out there. Shimano has captured the mid range market by producing a great product for a reasonable $200. The retrieval rate is a swift 35 inches/turn and the spool holds a modest 150 yards of 10 lb braid. These specs are just right for surf fishing from the beach, especially considering the light weight of 7.9 oz. The Shimano Stradic is a optimum design at a moderate price point making this reel a no brainer for the novice and experienced surf anglers. The 2500 size is great for a light tackle set up, and you can go heavier with a 3000 size if you’re looking to be able to do light tackle but also looking for the versatility that comes with a wider and heavier range of line strength rating.
Main Line: Nomad Design Panderra 8x Braid Model #NOM-0121-4
- Spool: 150 yards
- Line strength: 10 lbs
- Cost: $20
Braid is my go-to choice for my mainline. Although monofilament is better from an abrasion resistance standpoint, I can simply use a mono leader when fishing around structure and opt for a braided main line. Braid is better as a main line with its resistance to UV damage, water absorption, and memory. Its very rare that you’ll see braided line with permanent loops in it. This helps to keep your line with the proper amount of tension to set the hook upon a bite. There are several braided line options out there, but Nomad Design is one of the best. Since light tackle fishing puts a lot of stress on your line, we’re going with a well-respected brand instead of taking a shortcut on cost.
Leader line: Triple Fish Monofilament Leader Model #TFM-B50-30CL
- Spool: 50 yds
- Line strength: 30 lbs
- Diameter: 0.022 in
- Color: Clear
- Price: $3.49
Triple Fish makes a great monofilament fishing line. They also sell it in smaller spools so you can purchase it for use as a leader. I’d recommend buying a larger spool than you really need so you can be ready to rig up additional leaders with lures so you can swap your lure as the conditions change. If you connect your leader line to your mainline with a snap, the swapping out of lures will be about as easy as it gets. The monofilament leader line will help you resist breakoff around rocks which are common when surf fishing. Try this monofilament leader by Triple Fish in 30 lb test to prepare you for catching larger oceanic species.
Lure: Luhr Jensen Krocodile Casting Lure Model #1003-100-0150
- Weight: 1 oz
- Color: Chrome/Silver Prism-Lite
- Cost: $9.39
Luhr Jensen Krocodile lures have a proven legacy of performance. The aerodynamic design helps you get the most out of your cast and the curvature of the spoon gives it an irresistible wobble motion on the retrieve. You can rig this up with a swivel if you notice line twist, although its unlikely that you’ll need it. The Chrome/Silver Prism-Lite color gives the lure some added flash in clear water to mimic the light reflecting off a baitfish. You’re very likely to catch some Spanish Mackerel with this bad boy off the beach. Spanish Macks can be some of the most fun fish to catch since they’re very quick and strong when fighting. Use this lure in your light tackle surf fishing setup, action it with a quick and steady retrieve, and you’ll be sure to have success.
High End Price Point Total $1304
Rod: ODM Frontier X Saltwater Surf Spinning Rod Model #NXFX-1064
- Length: 10’6”
- Action: Moderate-Moderate Fast
- Line rating: 18 lb
- Lure rating: 3/4 oz – 4 oz
- Rod weight: 13.6 oz
- Price: $510
ODM did a fantastic job engineering the Frontier X Saltwater Surf Spinning rod. If you want to add 15-20 yards of casting distance from the beach, this rod is for you. It's a very lightweight rod, but also extremely strong to handle large fish. The moderate fast action at the tip gives it the sensitivity to detect the bottom for bottom jigging or bites when a fish strikes. The 10’6” length of this rod gives it great leverage for casting long distances so you can reach a trough a little further off the beach, without the added weight that comes with the 11’6” option. This is a great rod for fishing with lures from the beach and the lightweight will help fight your fatigue throughout the day. This rod is a 2 piece construction with a 70/30 split which helps it behave like a single piece rod. This rod has the right amount of backbone for surf fishing with lures from the beach, but if you’ll be fishing near a rough inlet or a canal with a faster current, the ODM Jigster would be the better choice.
Reel: Shimano Stella FK Model #STL2500HGFK
- Line capacity: 150 yards of 10 lb braid
- Crank rate: 34 in/turn
- Weight: 7.4 oz
- Gear ratio: 5.8:1
- Max drag: 20 lb
- Price: $750
The Shimano Stella FK is new for 2022. Stella has always been an outstanding reel that pushes the boundaries of reel technology. Although its quite expensive, Shimano has designed this product to last for years with gears designed to better distribute the load. Shimano incorporated the InfinityDrive technology from its high power offshore reels to improve Stella’s retrieving power. The drag is also improved on the FK version of the Stella. Shimano has engineered a combination of felt and carbon drag systems to smooth the drag while remaining just as strong. The 2500 model is lightweight for light tackle fishing with a shallow reel which helps with keeping the setup lightweight. The max drag for the 2500 Stella FK is a whopping 20 lbs so you can be confident you can land a large fish without snapping your line.
Main Line: Nomad Design Panderra 8x Braid Model #NOM-0121-4
- Spool: 150 yards
- Line strength: 10 lbs
- Cost: $20
One of the great features of this line is that it changes color every 30 feet so you can visibly see how much line you’re reeling back in after your cast. This braid is coated with a material called Hydroslick which gives it abrasion resistance qualities. Abrasion resistance qualities are critical when surf fishing around structure to ensure you don’t lose your lure or your fish. The Hydroslick coating also helps the braid slide through the guides with reduced friction which can give you extra casting distance. We chose a light line strength here which will give you the opportunity to play the fish a little more. Part of the enjoyment of light tackle fishing in the surf is the chance to fight a larger saltwater fish with your feet on the ground. Braided line can be sharp against your fingers, so make sure you were gloves or keep your fingers away from the braid as your fish is pulling away.
Leader line: Triple Fish Monofilament Leader Model #TFM-B50-30CL
- Spool: 50 yds
- Line strength: 30 lb
- Diameter: 0.022 in
- Color: Clear
- Price: $3.49
When surf fishing, I often choose a monofilament leader instead of a fluorocarbon leader because of its superior abrasion resistance. A lot of times there is structure like oyster beds or rocks and I hate losing my lure from a fluorocarbon break on structure. I chose 30 lbs here which is stronger than the main line to further help the durability of the line in the surf. Surf fishing can be pretty rough with the breaking waves, current, and rocks. Also, I’m outfitting this rig with a topwater popper and I always choose a monofilament leader with topwaters since mono is less likely to sink and take the front of the lure down with it. The Triple Fish mono leader that’ll withstand encounters with structure and I can effectively tie and keep knots between the leader and the main line.
Lure: Shimano Pop-Orca Model #OP190
- Weight: ¾ oz
- Color: Clear Silver
- Price: $20
The Shimano Pop-Orca features 2 single inline J hooks which is preferable over the typical treble hooks on topwater poppers. Treble hooks can be difficult to remove from a fish and also lead to hook fouling quite often. In the ¾ oz size, this lure fits the ODM Frontier X 10’6” surf rod quite well and is easy to work. This lure differs from traditional poppers by adding a feature where the lure allows water to pass through it and spits it out of the top as you’re twitching it along the surface. This creates a unique water pattern and bubble trail that’s irresistible to fish in the surf. Try the clear silver color in the early morning when the water is clear, and the green chartreuse color when the water is murkier.
This surf fishing light tackle setup guide will surely help get you set up with the right gear to try this skill out at the beach. If you're heading inshore, read our article Inshore Light Tackle – Light Rods, Reels, Lines, and Lures before you leave.
