Best Surf Fishing Rods In 2025 Tested And Reviewed

Are you looking for the best surf fishing rods?

Well you have come to the right place!

Our team of surf fishing experts share their top picks for best surf rod for catching all of the different surf fishing species.

From striped bass and bluefish, to snook, redfish and everything in between. We have the rod for you complete with in-depth reviews and what we like and don't like about each rod.

These are the exact rods that we use to target our favorite surf species, whether we are in Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, Maryland or the beaches of the Jersey shore, Montauk, Connecticut, Rhode Island and the Cape.

Our Top Picks After Extensive Testing

Top Surf Fishing Rods At A Glance

How We Tested The Surf Fishing Rods

We tested each of these surf fishing rods and compared them to each other on a number of different criteria.

Here was the process:

We gathered information from our staff members on their favorite surf rods and why. We then reached out to our readers and our surf fishing friends across the country and got their input.

Next we gathered all of the recommended surf fishing rods and tested and rated them on the following criteria:

• Casting Ability - We compared the rods and their ability to cast weighted bait rigs and lures of different sizes and weights.
• Sensitivity - We compared the rods sensitivity and how easy it was to detect light bites.
• Power to handle large fish - We compared the backbone of the various surf fishing rods and their ability to handle big, powerful fish in the surf.
• A Comfortable grip - We compared the comfort of each of the grips after a long surf fishoing session with casting and retrieving lures of various sizes and weights.
• Value - We compared the various surf fishing rods looking for ones that offered the high end features of quality surf fishing rods without breaking the bank.

You can see the results of our testing in the reviews below.

Surf Fishing Rod Reviews

Editor’s Choice: St. Croix Triumph Surf Fishing Rod

The St. Croix Triumph and other fishing rod lines by the company come with a bit of history. St. Croix has been making hand-crafted rods for more than 70 years. Founder, Gordon Schluter began reviving his fishing rod business in 1977 in Park Falls, Wisconsin where the company is still based today.

These days, St. Croix is run by Gordon's three sons, David, Jeff, and Paul. St. Croix has a loyal following of anglers dating back decades. Their attention to detail in rod building is legendary. They boast 32 pairs of hands build each rod!

Features

• Material: SCII carbon fiber
• Guides: Sea Guide Atlas – lightweight, hard aluminum-oxide
• Reel Seat: Fuji DPS with frosted silver hoods
• Handle: Custom cork with 70/30 split grip design
• Power: Medium-Heavy
• Action: Moderate-Fast
• Length: 10 feet 6 inches
• Line Weight: 10-25 lb
• Lure Weight: 2-6 oz
• Warranty: 5 years
• Place of Manufacture: Park Falls, Wisconsin

Buying good surf fishing rods is like anything, you have to spend the money to get something that will last a lifetime. Or, you can buy cheaper rods and buy them over and over as something fails. St. Croix is a well-known brand that has been serving customers for many years and from the looks of things, will be around for many more.

Note – St. Croix rods run a little heavy on power. The Medium power rating is probably slightly stronger than you're used to.

RELATED: Best Surf Fishing Reels

Best For The Money: PENN Battalion II Surf Spinning Rod

We've made no secret of the fact that we've loved PENN rods and reels for ages. What's nice is that while they are perhaps known for their high-end expensive reels and rods, they also make some of the best surf fishing rods for the money as well, such as the PENN Battalion II.

Features

• Material: Graphite-fiberglass composite blank
• Guides: Fuji Alconite
• Reel Seat: Fuji graphite
• Handle: Shrunk rubber, grippy handle
• Power: Medium heavy
• Action: Moderate Fast
• Length: 11 feet
• Line Weight: 15-30 lb
• Lure Weight: 2-6 oz
• Rod Weight: 16.5 oz
• Warranty: 1 year

PENN fishing reels and rods have always been a good choice for us and the type of fishing we do. From freshwater to surf fishing, we use PENN for a good percentage of our fishing. The Battalion II is a welcomed upgrade to an already popular line of rods that have proven themselves over time.

Best Striped Bass Rod: St. Croix Seage Surf Spinning Rod

St. Croix's Seage surf spinning rods are made for enduring the harsh surf you may encounter anywhere in the world. The Seage are built with ART and Veil reinforcement tech to increase toughness and to take falls better. Offset ferrules on 2-piece rods create a one-piece feel and responsiveness.

The model that we tested is the 10.5 foot Seage paired with a Van Staal VR200 reels. It is my favorite surf rod and reel combo that I have ever fished.

RELATED: Best Surf Fishing Rod And Reel Combo

Features

• Material: SCII carbon fiber - stronger and lighter
• Guides: Sea Guide Hero Hi-Grade guides + slim aluminum oxide rings
• Reel Seat: Sea Guide NPS reel seat with black hoods
• Handle: X-Flock covered slim diameter handles and Winn comfort-focused foregrip
• Power: Medium heavy
• Action: Moderate-Fast 
• Length: 10 feet 6 inches
• Line Weight: 15-40 lb
• Lure Weight: 3/4-4 oz
• Warranty: 15 years
• Place of Manufacture: Designed in Park Falls, WI. Hand made in Fresnillo, Mexico

If you're looking for a premium rod for striped bass that will outlast your premium reels, these St. Croix Seage surf spinning rods are the ones you're looking for. We treasure ours!

Best Conventional: PENN Battalion II Surf Conventional Casting Rod

Here is our favorite conventional surf fishing rod, the 11ft long PENN Battalion II conventional surf casting rod. We pair this surf rod with a Penn Fathom conventional surf fishing reel for unmatched casting distance on the beach. If you are looking for the longest casting surf combo, this would be it.

The PENN Battalion conventional rods come in 3 sizes (10, 11, 12 ft). We tested the 11 foot model.

Features

• Material: Graphite-fiberglass composite blank
• Guides: Fuji Alconite
• Reel Seat: Fuji graphite
• Handle: Shrunk rubber, grippy handle
• Power: Medium Heavy
• Action: Moderate fast
• Length: 11 feet
• Line Weight: 15-30 lb
• Lure Weight: 2-6 oz
• Rod Weight: 15.7 oz
• Warranty: 1 year.

If you do much surf fishing with a baitcasting reel, this is an ideal rod in many different configurations to choose from.

RELATED: Baitcasting Reel vs Spinning Reel

Best Budget: Ugly Stik Bigwater Surf Spinning Rod

Finally, we arrive at my favorite budget surf fishing rod. When it comes to affordable surf rods, Ugly Stik has you covered. I've used my Ugly Stiks for bass in the freshwater lakes of Florida, as a matter of fact, Ugly Stik makes one of the best bass fishing rods that you can buy. I've also used them to catch monster tarpon in the Florida Keys.

The Bigwater Ugly Stik is for long casting with big, heavy surf fishing lures. Their graphite-fiberglass blend increases strength, sensitivity, and durability to give you a rod that just won't quit. The Clear Tip design gives extra sensitivity where you need it, in the rod tip, and you definitely notice it versus surf fishing rods without it.

The Bigwater series spans a massive length range at 6 ft 6 in all the way to 15 ft! They don't mess around!

We tested the 11 foot surf fishing model.

Features

• Material: Ugly Tech graphite and fiberglass construction
• Guides: Ugly Tuff. One-piece stainless steel guides without inserts
• Reel Seat: Graphite
• Handle: Eva grips
• Power: Heavy
• Length: 11 feet
• Line Weight: 20-40 lb
• Lure Weight: 3-8 oz
• Warranty: 7 years.
• Place of Manufacture: U.S. made blanks with various parts made in Asia

Stripers, blues, jacks, permit, reds, snook, kings, tarpon, Spanish Mackerel?  The 11 foot heavy action rod has the power to handle even the biggest fish in the surf. This is the best surf rod foe beginners because it is incredibly durable and very affordable.

RELATED: Are Ugly Stik Rods Good?

Best Medium Action Rod For Working Lures: Shimano Tiralejo 2-Piece Surf Spinning Fishing Rod

The actions and guide settings of the Tiralejo series are matched carefully with the Shimano Ultegra XTD and Ultegra CI4+ surf reels and go well with the Shimano Tranx and Torium reels. Paired together, the casting distances with these rods and reels reach new unexplored territory!

The Tiralejo line of 2-piece surf spinning rods are available in sizes range from 9 ft 6 in to 12 ft.

We tested the 11 foot model.

Features

• Material: C4S High-modulus carbon fiber in a 4-layer process
• Guides: Fuji Alconite
• Reel Seat: Fuji
• Handle: Shrink tube rubber 70/30
• Power: Heavy
• Action: Fast
• Length: 11 feet
• Line Weight (braid): 30-65 lb
• Lure Weight: 2-6 oz
• Warranty: 1 year.

Shimano has been making great reels and rods for a very long time. You can't go wrong with their best-ever surf fishing rod with top tech and components.

Best Surf Fishing Travel Rod: Okuma Voyager Signature Surf Travel Rod

A lot of us travel to fish and it can be trying times when attempting to figure out if your rod is going to make the trip with you. With this Okuma Voyager Signature surf travel rod, you can be sure it will make it because it breaks down into 4 equal-sized pieces. It fits in a standard TSA tube, and if you follow the link to see it online you'll get a free travel tube with your purchase.

These Okuma rods are built for long casts from the shore. The 10 ft rod breaks down to just 2.5 ft long. You can fit that in your suitcase or in the supplied travel tube.

There are 3 rods in 2 sizes in this signature series: VSS-S-904M (9 ft), VSS-S-1004H (10 ft), and VSS-S-1004MH (10 ft).

We tested the 10 foot medium heavy action rod.

Features

• Material: 24-ton carbon blank
• Guides: Fuji tangle-free guides with FazLite inserts
• Reel Seat: Fuji DPS
• Handle: Non-slip rubber shrink tube and EVA for fore and rear grips
• Power: Medium heavy
• Action: All rods are Moderate fast
• Line Weight: 15-30 lb
• Lure Weight: 1-4 oz
• Rod Weight: 12.1 oz
• Warranty: 1 year
• Place of Manufacture: Taiwan

The Okuma Voyager is the best 4 piece travel surf rod that we have tested. It is a good quality rod that will allow you to be much more mobile in planning fishing trips away from your usual fishing spots. We haven't found a better portable surf rod than this one.

Things to Consider When Buying a Surf Fishing Rod

RELATED: What Size Reel For Surf Fishing?

Rod Length

The length of your surf fishing rod is important to take into consideration because it affects your casting distance, control of your line, and the amount of power you can use to fight the fish. We'll cover each of these below.

Casting Distance – When you have a longer rod, you can cast farther out into the surf. This can be important when the fish are not close by, or when you're not fishing from a pier or other spot where you can easily reach deeper water.

RELATED: Surf Fishing Tips And Techniques

The length of a longer rod gives you extra leverage to really swing the rod and send your rigs sailing far out there away from shore. Surf fishing rods of 9 to 12 feet are common, but even bigger 14 and 15-foot rods are used by some surf fishing anglers who know they really need to get the maximum distance on their casts.

The accuracy of your casts is also improved by a longer rod. Even if you can cast almost as far with a smaller rod, it will be easier to place your rig where you want it with a longer surf fishing rod.

Line Control – Another reason a long fishing rod is better when fishing in the surf is that you can use it to manage your line and the angle of your pulling on the fish when you're fighting it.

Surf fishing requires a tight line with little to no slack. This is more easily accomplished when the rod is long and you're able to quickly take up the slack just by raising the rod tip up and over waves. Long rods help you keep in close contact with your lure or bait and help you maneuver the fish around obstacles or even away from sharks chasing your hooked fish!

Fighting Power – Longer rods are far preferable when fighting bigger fish because you can use the leverage against the fish to tire it out and bring it in quicker. You can stop fish from running into rocks or around a dock or pier pilings and other underwater hazards.

When surf fishing, you never know how big of a fish you're going to land. If you suddenly have a big permit, cobia, redfish or black drum on the line, you're going to be much better off with a big powerful rod to help you land that fish.

Number of Pieces (portability)

RELATED: Best Time Of Day To Surf Fish

If you're bringing a surf rod on your trip, you would have a lot less trouble if you bought a rod that is collapsible into sections. Three sections at least, but four sections are ideal. With your 10 ft rod broken down into 4 pieces, you're looking at just 2.5 ft in length. There are TSA-approved containers that are made for that size rod.

We cover one of these fishing rods on this page that many people (us included) use for some trips where we need to fly. The Okuma Voyager rod we tested and reviewed above is a great example of a portable rod with excellent components. 

Handle Material

The material used in the handle of a surf fishing rod can have a significant impact on its use, durability, castability, grip, and other important factors. Handle materials often used in construction are cork, EVA foam, rubber, and synthetic material like plastic.

Cork Handles – Cork is ultra-lightweight and provides a slipless grip when dry or wet. Many anglers prefer cork and get it for all of their fishing rods.

Cork is a natural material that provides a soft and warm feel in the hand. Cork is fairly durable and long-lasting but it can be more expensive than other materials and is not as resistant to wear and tear with heavy use.

EVA Foam – This is the best handle material to put on a surf rod or any rod for that matter. It is soft and comfortable, lightweight, and highly resistant to damage during hard use. It's an ideal material for anglers who fish often.

Rubber – Real rubber that is combined with other materials to shrink-wrap it to the handle is also a great material to use on surf rod handles. It is very grippy and water doesn't affect it. The comfort level of this style handle is variable with the thicker rubber handles being much more comfortable.

Synthetics – Materials like plastic are also used in fishing rod handles, often in tandem with cork or EVA foam. These materials are also highly durable and resistant to damage, making them a good choice for anglers who fish in rugged environments or are hard on their gear.

Rod Material

The material used in the rod blank plays a crucial role in surf fishing as it can directly impact your casting distance, accuracy, sensitivity, and overall fishing experience. The 4 main materials used in surf fishing rods are graphite, fiberglass, composites, and carbon fiber.

Graphite

Graphite rods are known for being sensitive, lightweight, and having fast action. They are great for casting long distances and detecting even the lightest bites. Graphite is also highly durable and resistant to damage from saltwater and UV rays, making it a popular choice among serious anglers.

One drawback of pure graphite rods is that they are more expensive. They are also not as forgiving when fighting larger fish.

Fiberglass

Fiberglass rods are more flexible and forgiving than graphite, which makes them a good choice for beginners or anglers targeting larger fish species. They can absorb shock and pressure better, which means you're less likely to lose your catch due to a sudden tug on the line.

Fiberglass rods are also more affordable than graphite, making them a great option for anglers on a budget. However, they tend to be heavier and less sensitive than graphite, which can make casting and detecting bites a bit more difficult.

Composite

Composite rods are a blend of graphite and fiberglass, combining the best features of both materials. They offer excellent sensitivity and casting distance while still providing the flexibility and durability of fiberglass.

Composite rods tend to be more affordable than pure graphite rods but may still be slightly more expensive than fiberglass. They are a great option for anglers who want a balance between sensitivity and strength. Many surf rods use both materials in their construction.

Carbon Fiber

Some high-end rods are made with carbon fiber. Rods like the Carnage III use carbon fiber. The material is super strong, flexible, responsive, and very lightweight. The only drawback is the high cost.

Budget

You get what you pay for with fishing rods, and the good ones are expensive, but that doesn't mean you can't find affordable surf rods that get the job done.

I have always thought that the more expensive equipment tends to be better made and last longer, but then I bought my first Ugly Stik and I still have it today, almost 45 years later.

At the end of the day, you have decide how much you are comfortable in spending on a surf rod.

We have reviewed some affordable surf rods above and they performed very well.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best rod length for surf fishing?

The best rod length for surf fishing is between 9 and 14 feet. Most anglers choose a rod between 10-12 feet long because it gives them a little of the best of both worlds. They can fish close and far with it. This is key for surf fishing when you may need to cast farther out to a school of fish, but most of your fishing is closer to shore.

Can I use a 7-foot rod for surf fishing?

Yes, you can use a 7-foot rod for surf fishing, I did this for years. However, it may not be the best overall choice if you're surf fishing. A much better choice would be a rod in the 10-12 foot range. The longer rod will cast much further and give you more leverage for fighting bug fish in the surf.

What's the difference between a surf rod and beach rod?

The difference between a surf rod and a beach rod is that a beach rod is used only from the beach, while a surf rod can be used from piers, rock jetties and more. Beach rods are typically longer because of the long casts required from the beach, however their is some overlao in thier uses and they can be used interchangeably.

RELATED: Different Types Of Fishing Rods

What kind of rod is best for surf fishing

A 10-12 foot medium action rod paired with a 5000 or 6000 series reel spooled with 30 pound braid is best for surf fishing. This surf fishing combo will give you the ability to target many different species while surf fishing.

How far should you be able to cast a surf rod?

Most experienced surf fishermen can cast their rigs between 50 and 150 yards, depending on the factors just mentioned. Remember, casting as far as you can is not always the most important factor for a successful outing on the water. In many cases you won't need to cast far at all, fish can be in very shallow water and in areas where the currents of the water are bringing bait close to shore. A simple toss may get you there!

Final Thoughts

When people begin fishing from the beach, they don't really consider all of the factors involved and for that reason, a lot of them don't have such a great experience. If you take the time to read about surf fishing rods above and about surf fishing reels and how to catch fish here on Fisherman's Authority, you'll be way ahead of everyone else.

Catching fish is not all that difficult once you understand the basics. Get a good surf fishing rod and reel and get out there and do it for a few days a month and you'll see how quickly your knowledge increases. You may quickly become an expert on the spots you fish most often.

RELATED: Best Tasting Fish In Florida

Being able to cast very long distances and short distances accurately is an important set of skills that will serve you well and definitely catch you more fish! Spend some time on education and choosing the right surf fishing gear for the ultimate experience! Let us know how you do in the comments below!