about the length of the rod

[naknik]

Hi ,
I have a question about the length of the rod considering surf fishing .
in israel , in forum of fishing . all the members (and they are experienced) said that a rod for surf fishing need to be at least 4 meter . but in all the guides I read and all the guide on youtube I say they said that the rod need to be 6-7 feet .
why ?
is there a different between california and israel's beach ???

I have a rod I bought 3 years ago in mint condition , it's 2 parts and 6 feet long . it is written on it :
SURECATCH BLACK FIGHTER , model : MTS602SP .
LENGTH : 6'0" , ACTION : MEDIUM , CASTING WT ..:8-26gm , line wt.:3-6kg
it has 5 rings .
what is your opinion , will good for suf fishing ?

[geejayy]

hi m8,
there are different ways of fishing from a surf beach, the 6 foot rod that you describe sounds like a spinning rod for casting lures, but could be used for bait fishing at close range,
the longer rods i'd say are probably for bait fishing , possibly at longer ranges from the shore, the extra length helps keep line up out of the waves so as baits don't get dragged around by wave action and so lets you keep better contact with the baits for bite detection.
i don't know what the common practices are with anglers in those countrys ,
do anglers wade out into the shallow surf ? because if they do then distance casting is less of an issue and a shorter rod would be more comfortable to hold for any length of time .
all this is just guess work on my part


come on ff-i guys,
anyone have any experience surf fishing israel, lures/baits , long rods or short,

[scottish_and_mental]

It was once stanadard that all U.K beach surf rods were 12 foot but due to continental influences and the easier availability of products worldwide we are now seeing rods available at 15 and 16 ft long on the British market !
New anglers and even some of the more experienced are jumping on this as they have the false impression that a longer rod will mean greater casting distances..I've recently offered a 12ft rod for free to one of my mates ( from Hong Kong ) and he kinda wasnt impressed and said he wanted a 13 or 14 foot rod to catch mackerel off Chesil

going back to your question , i fail to see the relevance of youtube videos of anglers fishing on the other side of the world .. surely if the boys on your local forums suggest rods of 13ft then this is what you should be looking for .. I assume you have actually seen other anglers fishing on your local beaches ? your 6ft rod could be used for fishing 'IN' the surf if you were to enter the water and as Gord suggests, cast lures or float fish but would be no use for casting from the shore unless you are Hercules ..

Steve