MY TYPICAL SURF FISHING SETUP
Lure fishing for bass in the surf is fast becoming a big part of my bass fishing, and with how much this incredibly exciting way to catch bass seems to be increasingly resonating with anglers, I thought it might be helpful to break down all the gear I use for it. Happy blasting!
Savage Gear SGS5 9’6’’ or 10’ 12-46g lure rod (£150)
These two SGS5 12-46g lure rods are absolute machines and I prefer them to the more expensive SGS8 versions for my surf fishing. As subtle as you need a more powerful rod to be, but then you clip on say the 40g Surf Seeker and wade out in some hectic surf conditions and it’s almost ridiculous how well these rods put lures like this out there. You might well have gathered that I am rather proud of what we have achieved with our entry level “next step up/more powerful” bass lure rods. I really like the Penn Slammer IV and Authority spinning reels on these two rods.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Savage Gear SGS5 9’6’’ 12-46g: Veals Mail Order or FishingMegastore.com
Savage Gear SGS5 10’ 12-46g: Veals Mail Order or FishingMegastore.com
Savage Gear SGS5 9’6’’ 9-35g lure rod (£150)
If you don’t need to go over say the 35g Surf Seeker for your surf fishing then this Savage Gear SGS5 9’6’’ 9-35g lure rod is an absolute peach. Almost the hidden treasure as such of the complete SGS5 and SGS8 rod ranges, this thing just loves surf fishing in bouncy conditions. See my review here.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Penn Slammer IV 2500, 3500 or 4500 spinning reel
Take your pick because these three spinning reels to me are perfect surf fishing reels and they work well with the SGS5 rods I like so much. The 4500 is the same size reel body as the 3500 but with a larger capacity spool, and the smaller 2500 is a peach. I do like how the 2500 sits on the SGS5 9’6’’ 9-35g rod, and then on the more powerful 9’6’’ and 10’ 12-46g rods I tend to go with the 3500 size. Don’t get hung up on this though because all the reels play nice with all the rods I have mentioned above.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
All Penn Slammer IV spinning reels: Veals Mail Order or FishingMegastore.com
Penn Authority 2500, 3500 or 4500 spinning reel
Same as with the Slammer IV reels above and what rods I tend to use them on. The Authority 3500 is as smooth as a spinning reel gets. Incredible spinning reels which laugh at any potential saltwater damage from really getting in amongst it with your surf fishing. A cheaper Slammer IV is perfect for surf fishing, but these Authority reels are a bit of a step up and feel that little bit more luxury. Whether you actually need that for your surf fishing is up to you.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
All Penn Authority spinning reels: Veals Mail Order or Glasgow Angling Centre
Sufix 131 braid
Not cheap, but over plenty of time with it this outstanding Sufix 131 braid has become THE mainline I use for my surf fishing. I love how it casts and seems to cut through wind, waves and current better than any other braid I have fished with. I use the PE#0.8 or PE#1 the most. Review here.
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berkley sick x8 braid
This mainline has fast become a go-to braid for me. The newish Berkley Sick X8 braid is strong as hell (I mainly use the 24lb version), nice and thin and smooth (ignore the quoted diameters and buy this braid on breaking strain), and it casts incredibly well. Available in dark green, bright red or yellow, this stuff is one of those really good, roughly £20 braids (for a 150m spool). I do have a bit of a thing for the bright red colour, with a clear fluorocarbon leader tied to the end of it of course. A really, really good braid.
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Savage Gear Super Hard Fluorocarbon
Damn this Savage Gear Super Hard Fluorocarbon is some tough stuff. A leader needs to feel right to me, and for surf fishing and hectic rock marks this stuff copes really well. This is one durable leader and I find myself using the 0.45mm/23.58lb version the most.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Savage Gear Seeker and Surf Seeker
Wow these things cast well! I have tried so many different metal lures now, but I keep coming back to the 23g and 28g Savage Gear Seeker and the 30g, 35g, and 40g Surf Seekers with how well they cast into and/or across the wind, and how they swim with such an incredible action nice and high in the water. I never, ever go out surf fishing without a bunch of Seekers in my lure box.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Seeker: Veals Mail Order or FishingMegastore.com
Surf Seeker 30g, 35g & 40g: Veals Mail Order or FishingMegastore.com
Savage Gear Sandeel Pencil and Pencil SW 125 and 150
Missiles! These long-casting and subtle action Savage Gear Sandeel Pencil 125 and 150 lures are perfect for my surf fishing. They cast seriously well and bass can pick them in all that turbulence with ease. The Sandeel Pencil SW lures are five different colours and they come rigged for saltwater fishing with a single hook option as well.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Sandeel Pencil 90mm, 125mm & 150mm: Veals Mail Order or Fishing Megastore.com
Sandeel Pencil SW 90mm, 125mm & 150mm: Veals Mail Order or Lurefishingforbass.co.uk or Fishing Megastore.com
SAVAGE GEAR WASHABLE LURE BOXES
A complete no-brainer if you ask me. Your lures won’t end up in a tangled mess and you can simply dunk the box (with lures in it) in a sink of freshwater if you are so inclined - I am! - to rinse your lures down. I can fit two of these washable lure boxes in my HPA bag, and if that isn’t enough hard and soft lures for a bass fishing session then I should be giving myself a thrashing. I carry one “long” box (as per the photo, horizontal slots for soft plastics and hard lures longer than 140mm), and one “short” box (vertical slots, for lures under 140mm long). BOTH THE SHORT AND LONG BOXES SHARE THE SAME EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS.
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SAVAGE GEAR SAVAGE MINNOW AND SAVAGE MINNOW WEEDLESS
Our take on the paddletail/J-Hook jig head and paddletail/jig head/weedless hook combination (who hasn’t been influenced by the Fiiish Black Minnow “concept”?) A lot of thought and testing and fishing has gone into the J-hook Savage Minnow and the Savage Minnow Weedless lures. The simplicity of the Pro Peg Mount system, the way the weedless hooks “click” so securely into place on the Weedless version, the design of the jig heads which combines a strong swimming action with outstanding “bumpability” along the bottom, rattles included and inserted into the lure bodies (easily removable by the way), tough lure bodies but loads of irresistible paddletail action, these Savage Minnows are everything we wanted to make.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Everything Savage Minnow related (complete lures, spare bodies, jig heads, hooks etc.): Veals Mail Order or Fishing Megastore.com
Bulk buy Savage Minnow Weedless: Lurefishingforbass.co.uk
SAVAGE GEAR SANDEEL V2 AND SANDEEL V2 WEEDLESS
Take the classic Savage Gear Sandeel and make it even better, and then add a truly proper weedless version with a different shape jig head which combines a strong swimming action with outstanding “bumpability” along the bottom. The Savage Gear Sandeel V2 and Sandeel V2 Weedless, slim-profile paddletail lures which are every single thing we could pour into improving a classic. Features include the Pro Peg Mount system (so easy!), rattles included and inserted into the lure bodies (easily removable by the way), tough lure bodies but loads of irresistible paddletail action, and of course the V2 Weedless version which gives me so many more options to use this lure.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Everything Sandeel V2 related (complete lures, spare bodies, jig heads, hooks etc.: Veals Mail Order or Fishing Megastore.com
Sandeel V2 J-hook bulk buy: Lurefishingforbass.co.uk
SAVAGE GEAR INLINE SINGLE HOOKS
I use these Savage Gear Inline Single Hooks on all my Surf Seeker and Pencil lures especially. They just work. I like the size 2/0 ones for the Sandeel Pencil 90 and also for the middle hook on the bigger Sandeel Pencil 150, and then I use the size 3/0 on all the Surf Seekers plus the rear of the Sandeel Pencil 125 and 150.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these): Veals Mail Order or FishingMegastore.com
Mustad Kaiju 10121NP-NT Inline Single Hooks
I use the 2/0 and 3/0 versions of these Mustad Kaiju 10121NP-NT Inline Single Hooks at the end of my Seekers and Sandeel Pencils. I seriously like single hooks for my surf fishing and all barbs are crushed flat.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these): Veals Mail Order or FishingMegastore.com
IMA Hound 125F Glide
Plenty of hard lures can work well in the surf, but as with metals, I have tried a fair few now yet I always come back to the killer IMA Hound 125F Glide and how well it casts and then grips into turbulent seas.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these): Veals Mail Order or Lurefishingforbass.co.uk
BREAKAWAY MINI LINK OR HTO LURE LINK (LURE CLIPS)
If there’s an easier to use lure clip than these rather clever Breakaway Mini Links then I haven’t come across them yet, and I think they are just fantastic. They are also nice and cheap. Four+ years of use review here. The HTO Mini Link lure clip is just the same and it seems to be manufactured to slightly better tolerances than the Breakaway version these days
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Breakaway Mini Link: Veals Mail Order or Lurefishingforbass.co.uk
Seadra Speed Lure Clips: Veals Mail Order
HTO Lure Link or TronixPro Small Quick Change Link (same things): Fishing Megastore.com
Guy Cotten Efficient C130 Smock
Seriously good waterproof and very lightweight smock, from the French brand Guy Cotten who make bombproof commercial fishing clothing. I tend to prefer waterproof jackets over smocks, but this Guy Cotten Efficient C130 Smock is that good I love wearing it for my fishing. See my review here. Perfect for surf fishing.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these): Veals Mail Order
Nitecore NU25 rechargeable headlamp
The best headlamp for my night lure fishing I have ever used, and it’s also perfect for those very early mornings in the surf when you can’t quite see enough to change lures and so on. Review here.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these): Veals Mail Order
HPA Chest Pack
A simple and highly effective way to carry my lures in the surf and be able to get at them easily, plus a hip bag which drains quickly is far easier to wear with all that water moving around when you’re in amongst it.
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