By John Merwin

So I’m posting live this morning from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where my wife and I are vacationing. No, we did not hit the surf for stripers at dawn this morning. We are presently at the Cottage Street Bakery in Orleans scarfing down fresh fruit pastries and coffee. Stripers are iffy. The bakery is a sure thing.

I did do a little surfcasting yesterday afternoon, kind of a warm-up and partly to answer a reader question about gear. Someone asked what kind of surf tackle I used and how it was rigged. Okay, here goes.

The rod is one I built on an old 1265/2 All Star graphite blank (made before All Star was bought by Shakespeare/Pure Fishing). It is 2-piece, 10.5 feet, and with a 2-ounce lure is one of the sweetest casting rods I’ve ever used.

The reel is a 6500-series Abu baitcaster, considerably modified with power handle, bearing upgrades, and more. I’m spooled up with about 300 yards of 30-pound Berkley Big-Game Braid, fastened to a small barrel swivel with a Palomar knot. Some 40-pound fluoro comes off the other side of the swivel as a leader.

All that said, I use this conventional outfit in the surf because I enjoy casting it more than I do spinning tackle. Not because I think spinning is better or worse. If the wind were howling in my face, I might switch to spinning gear. But on a lazy sunny Sunday afternoon when I can do what I enjoy doing most, I pick up that little conventional outfit almost every time.

Comments (5)

from Fruguy101 wrote 2 years 35 weeks ago

I have never fished that way, but i do have a good story about surf casting.

My family and i were in pensacola, florida vacationing with my uncle who was stationed at pensacola naval base. I was around 13 or 14 at the time. My cousin was getting married while we were down there, so i counted it as a vacation, especially since i was in florida.

Anyways, another uncle of mine lived not far from there close to perdido key. we went to the beach one day for a long time. I spent most of my time on a raft floating in the water and swimming.

A guy a hundred and fifty feet or so up the beach was surf casting that day. he put his stuff down at one point and walked over to where my parents were and told them that i shouldn't get off the raft for a little bit. He had seen a big stingray swim right under me while i was on my float out in the water. I had my goggles on and was looking in the water every so often, but i never saw it.

Apparently, it swam underneath me a couple of time before it moved on.

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from buckhunter wrote 2 years 35 weeks ago

You tricked out your Abu? I never even thought anything like that was possible. That's why I love your blogs. I learn so much.

Goodluck fishing.

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from Douglas wrote 2 years 35 weeks ago

I hope you catch a monster! Have a great time and remember us out here in the blogosphere.

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from ggmack wrote 2 years 35 weeks ago

hope you catch a monster. you have the equipment to handle anything you would want to deal with.

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from mr.fisherman1 wrote 2 years 34 weeks ago

I've done alot of surfcasting before, but never for stripers. I've been to mustang island, Texas, and Florida. But all i would catch are whitings and shark. And an occasional redfish. Stripers sound like alot of fun!

Good luck fishing!

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from Fruguy101 wrote 2 years 35 weeks ago

I have never fished that way, but i do have a good story about surf casting.

My family and i were in pensacola, florida vacationing with my uncle who was stationed at pensacola naval base. I was around 13 or 14 at the time. My cousin was getting married while we were down there, so i counted it as a vacation, especially since i was in florida.

Anyways, another uncle of mine lived not far from there close to perdido key. we went to the beach one day for a long time. I spent most of my time on a raft floating in the water and swimming.

A guy a hundred and fifty feet or so up the beach was surf casting that day. he put his stuff down at one point and walked over to where my parents were and told them that i shouldn't get off the raft for a little bit. He had seen a big stingray swim right under me while i was on my float out in the water. I had my goggles on and was looking in the water every so often, but i never saw it.

Apparently, it swam underneath me a couple of time before it moved on.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 2 years 35 weeks ago

You tricked out your Abu? I never even thought anything like that was possible. That's why I love your blogs. I learn so much.

Goodluck fishing.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Douglas wrote 2 years 35 weeks ago

I hope you catch a monster! Have a great time and remember us out here in the blogosphere.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from ggmack wrote 2 years 35 weeks ago

hope you catch a monster. you have the equipment to handle anything you would want to deal with.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from mr.fisherman1 wrote 2 years 34 weeks ago

I've done alot of surfcasting before, but never for stripers. I've been to mustang island, Texas, and Florida. But all i would catch are whitings and shark. And an occasional redfish. Stripers sound like alot of fun!

Good luck fishing!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

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All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.