Surf bass fishing is at the top of the tree when it comes to exhilaration, anticipation, plus it gives you a direct connection to the raw element that is nature. Stood in the surf tables, feeling for bites, you are at one with both the world and the fish. To be successful, your tackle needs to be balanced, light, able to keep you mobile, but effective.
Rods
Look for a rod length of 11ft 6ins. This gives the leverage length to make long casts easily with lighter leads but is also easy to balance in the hands when holding the rod for long periods to better decipher bites. A casting weight rating between 2 and 4ozs is ideal as it gives the power to punch those leads out into the breakers.
Bass rods are better with a slightly soft tip. This means you can tighten up to the lead and pull the tip round without dragging the lead back. Ideally, you want a quick transition from the soft tip into a stiffening blank in the upper third of the rod. It’s this stiffness coming in early that generates the feeling back through the line into your hands as a fish takes.
Tronixpro Banzai Bass 11ft 6in 2-4oz
Reels
Experienced bass anglers tend to favour a 6500 sized multiplier reel holding around 250m of 0.35 mm (15lb average) line. They balance the rod a little better than a fixed spool reel does and are more direct when feeling for bites. One with a magnetic brake is best, as it allows instant dial in braking, giving the angler instant options to increase or decrease the braking effect on the spool as weather and wind conditions change.
A fixed spool reel is the more common choice and these need to be in the 5000 to 6000 size range holding 300m of 0.35 mm line.
Tronixpro Banzai Tournament Mono Mag
Tronixpro Guerilla Mono Mag
Line and Leader
Line type is simple. For the multiplier, load with 18lb mono and add a clear coloured 30lb shock leader that has 8 turns around the spool, runs the length of the rod, and add an extra 2ft beyond the rod tip. Add the rig, and you have about the right drop for casting.
Use braid on the fixed spool. 20lb breaking strain is ample over clean sand, but again add a shock leader of 40lb braid, yellowish in colour if you’re worried the bass will see it in clear water as this will match the sand best. Alternatively, fish a 30lb mono leader tied to the braid with an Albright knot.
Both line types fish well, but the braid having minimal stretch can improve bite detection at range. However, with no real line stretch, set the drag system slightly light so that you don’t over pressure the hook hold when fighting a good fish.
Tronixpro Competition XT Mainline 19lbs
Tronixpro X8 Probraid 20lbs
Tronixpro Xenon Leader
Rigs
Rigs need to be tangle free. The best and most proven is the clipped down 1-hook rig.
- Begin with 26-inches of 60lb clear mono.
- At one end, tie on a casting snap link.
- Now slide on a rig crimp, 5 mm bead, a size 6 rolling swivel, another 5 mm rig bead and a final rig crimp. Leave these loose for now.
- To the free tag end of the mono, tie on a size 4 rolling swivel.
- To the size 6 swivel, add the hook length, which is 18-inches of 20lb Fluorocarbon or clear mono.
- Onto the hook length, slide on an 8 mm bead.
- Tie on the hook.
- Above the 8 mm bead, add a sliding stop knot over the Fluorocarbon from Rig Gum. This and the bead eliminate the bait blowing back up the hook length during the power phase of the cast.
- Put the hook in the clip end of the casting link, slide the bottom crimp up the rig body line until the hook length comes just tight, and crimp the lowest crimp in place. Leave just enough room for the size 6 swivel to rotate freely between the beads and crimp the top crimp in position.
Tronixpro Xenon Leader 60lbs
Tronixpro FC Fluorocarbon Hook Length 20 or 25lbs
Tronixpro Rolling Swivels
Tronixpro Casting Snap with Clip
Tronixpro Rig Crimps
Tronixpro Rig Beads 3 mm and 5 mm
Hooks
A popular choice are Aberdeen hooks and they do work well. However, a bass will run parallel through the surf tables and a longer shank Aberdeen pattern can increase leverage on the hook point and result in a small increase in lost fish.
The preferred and again proven hook pattern is a Viking type in size 2/0 to 4/0, depending on bait size, 3/0 being the optimum all round size. This pattern has a wider gape between the point and shank, plus a shorter overall shank reducing leverage issues.
Leads
Torpedo or bomb shapes are best as they cut the wind better and offer less drag increasing casts. Long tail leads are good as they fly like a dart and avoid the lead tumbling in the air.
Release wire grip leads are essential for most surf bassing situations and keep the bait static in the moving surf tables, giving the bass a fixed target to home in on. Also, the pressure of the anchored weight aids self-hooking at range.
It’s surprising, but even in a good surf, a 2oz weight is enough to hold fast. Even in heavy surfs, a 3oz weight may well be enough. Fish as sensibly light as you can.
Bait
The top surf bait is lugworm. A combination of black lug tipped with blow lug is deadly, but a bait of just blow lug is also effective. Also try tipping the lug with ragworm or razorfish. The razorfish working well in the autumn after a gale when the sea is fining down.
Peeler crab will work if you’re near to rough ground. Sandeel, fresh or frozen, also works. Whole squid is another bait worth trying, but this tends to pick out the bigger fish.
Rod Rest or Sand Spike?
Most anglers use a single rod tripod and have it behind them as a reference point, which is sensible at night if you had a couple of strips of reflective tape for visual orientation. It is used mostly just for baiting up.
Bass anglers looking to work light and be more mobile prefer a simple sand spike, again just for baiting up.
Tronixpro x Evo3Pod Single Rod Tripod
Tronixpro Sand Spike
Headlight
A headlight for night fishing in the surf needs to be waterproof. Experienced anglers choose a rechargeable type as it’s more generally more reliable than batteries. But modern battery models are excellent too. In both cases, look for headlights that offer at least 50-hours of life during average usage.
Light output is personal choice, but having options such as spotlight and floodlight allows for close up baiting up, but also long-range vision if needed, such as locating your rod rest at night when it’s far behind you. Another good function is a red flashing alert for emergencies to help locate you. Power is classified by Lumens. The more Lumens, the brighter the light. 1400 Lumens is a base level for general fishing, but if you require more light output and fish for long periods, look towards headlights with over 2000 Lumens.
An adjustable and wide headband is essential, one that goes around the head but also over the middle of the head to give the headlight stability and avoid wobble.
Cyansky Multifunctional Rechargeable L-Shaped Headlamp
Cyansky Triple Output Headlamp
Seat Box or Rucksack?
Seat boxes work best but are used as a base station for tackle, food etc, back at the rod rest. They are also waterproof in bad weather. This is the option for most anglers.
Rucksacks are OK and can be hung on the rod rest but lack the waterproofing of boxes.
Many surf anglers prefer a spare rig or two and a couple of leads in a small plastic box that goes in their coat pocket. Bait is stored in a small pouch or plastic pot hung around the neck for instant access and allowing the angler to stay in the surf when rebaiting. Being mobile like this means you can move down the surf line if bites are slow. Just a move of 50-yards can often see you find fish.
Tronixpro Seat Box
Tronixpro Rucksack
