Beach fishing?

[Nol]

I got a question for those of you beach fisherman. How long of a rod do use for beach fishing for pinks, SRC's etc? I've used a 8'6'' and a 9'' 6wt and am wondering if a longer one, possibly 9'6'' or 10' would be better. The only reason I ask is that w/ the 8'6'' I would sometimes hit the beach w/ the backcast. Possibly because the beach I was fishing was sloped a bit at anything less than high tide.
Does anyone else have an opinion? :confused:
Thanks,
Nol

[Brandon S]

Can't think of any reason why longer within reason would not be better. For me I love my 10' 6 weight. That being said, an 8'6 or 9 should get the job done.

[Salmon fisher]

I've got a 9'6" rod for beach fishing. The extra length does keep the backcasts off the beach a little. When I was testing rods, (All sages) the 10 foot rod just felt too heavy for some reason, so i made a compromise between length and weight.

[miyawaki]

I've been recommending a 9 foot rod as the beach rod of choice. Our Puget Sound beaches have a heavy slope to them and at the lowest of tides, the rocks can be a problem and at the highest, the driftwood tends to eat flies. A 9 1/2 or 10 footer would also be OK. I wouldn't go shorter than 9 feet though.

Leland.

[Matt Burke]

I use 12 to 15 feet.

[Steve Rohrbach]

I fish a 10' Sage XP 6 weight and a 10' Sage RPLXi 7 weight. I had fished a 9' rod for years. I still need to concentrate on my stroke to keep the rock strikes to a minimum. Some of that driftwood can really hit a fly as well!

[CovingtonFly]

I use a 9' 6 weight as well.

[papafsh]

A longer rod will help that's true but, keeping your back cast up,will help the most.
It seems obvious that, since the physical conditions won't change for us, we have to be aware of them and make necessary changes in our actions.
Substance (longer rods) will not trump style (casting ability/awareness), I've seen many, including myself, have this problem no matter where we fish, when concentrating more on what's in front of us, forgetting to take into account what's behind.
Over simplified? maybe, but true none the less.

LB

[Les Johnson]

I use 9 and 10-foot 6-weights. I like the 9' from a boat and the 10' from the beach.
Good Fishing,
Les Johnson

[Matthew Joyce]

If you are using an ingtergrated shooting head like a Rio Outbound or such, you're not carrying as long a line in the air false casting. Am I correct to assume the extra length is less critical for integrated shooting heads?

[wolverine]

10' 7 wt Redington CPS with a Rio Outbound. I've hooked way fewer rocks at low tide and logs at high tide since I went to the 10'.

[scottflycst]

Fishing longer and shorter rods will help you see what fits your casting style/comfort the best. Fishing buddies are usually a good source to try different rods. I'd have to echo what LB said about adjusting your casting stroke to handle obstacles. I learned to fish around farm ponds with trees, brush, and fences right behind me. With a little practice it's not difficult to cant your cast in order to stay out of trouble.

[CovingtonFly]

Get a shooting head, perfect your double haul and watch out for seals. :cool:

[frankrutledge]

I use a 14' rod.
Frank

[alpinetrout]

A longer rod will help that's true but, keeping your back cast up,will help the most.


iagree

If you think about it, how much elevation are you really gaining over a 9' rod when you have an extra 6"-12" of rod length at the 2 o'clock position?

[hendersonbaylocal]

iagree

If you think about it, how much elevation are you really gaining over a 9' rod when you have an extra 6"-12" of rod length at the 2 o'clock position?

Its not the elevation, its the back cast distance... right?

Say you have a 10' rod. Compared to a 9' rod, your line will be maybe 8" higher above ground at the 2:00 position. Not that much, you may say. But think about it... if you are worried about hitting the beach on your back cast, that might allow you to extend your back cast 5' or more depending on the slope of the beach. It all depends on your personal preferences and where you fish.

I personally like the long rods, although maybe I'm just trying to compensate for something. :cool:

[ibn]

You don't really need to cast very far from the beach to hook fish in Puget Sound. Most the fish I catch while fishing from a beach are within 20' of shore. I tend to cast more down the beach then straight out, try that if you're having problems hitting the logs/rocks behind you.

[Dizane]

You don't really need to cast very far from the beach to hook fish in Puget Sound. Most the fish I catch while fishing from a beach are within 20' of shore. I tend to cast more down the beach then straight out, try that if you're having problems hitting the logs/rocks behind you.

Exactly.

[dmoocher]

Most the fish I catch while fishing from a beach are within 20' of shore.

Perfect...I've got my stroke down to where I can pile the line on itself about 20' in front of me...:thumb:

I find it's helpful if I smack the rod with the dumbbell eyes on the power stroke first.