[oneirishpollack]

Without any consideration of brand, if you had to pick one pole to fish from pier AND surf - what attributes would it have?

Size? Composition? Action? Other?

If there is no perfect pole for the scenario, give me the closest thing to it.

 

[Mastrbaitr]

That would be an 8 ft rod. 1-4 oz but 1-3 oz is okay. 20" reel seat to give you plenty of leverage but not lose distance with technique. Med-fast tip.

 

[andypat]

What kind of fish are you fishing for off the pier? If you want sharks, you need very heavy/ good rod and reel. If your fishing for other fish, you could get by with a 7' Med. rod, and any good reel like a Shimano # 4000 reel. with about 15 lb. line.

 

[fish bucket]

this question has come up many times and it's always an excersize in futility.
while it gets a lot of discussion it's like looking for a unicorn that flies........it does not exist.
a golfer cant compete with 1 club and a fisherman can't fish with 1 outfit

 

[Solesolace]

I used a 7ft med/heavy Ugly Stik with a Penn Battle 5000. Spooled it with 30lb braid and used a mono leader. I could easily fish both piers and surf. That being said, I've recently acquired multiple rods...because, who doesn't like more toys?

 

[Benji]

Would depend on if I only fished with lures or if I only fished with bait. If only fishing with lures a 7.5 or 8 foot 1/2-2 1/2 oz rod with a 4000 reel would do most everything for my personal needs and also throw smaller live baits like minnows and shrimp. For bait and weight something around 11 foot 3 to 8oz would cover most species I fish for a 5000 to a 6000 reel or a conventional that holds 250 to 300 yd of 16# mono.

 

[oneirishpollack]

And to be fair or reasonable, the rod would be for the most commonly caught fish from the surf and pier - not including sharks, huge rays, or other larger species.

 

[andypat]

this question has come up many times and it's always an excersize in futility.
While it gets a lot of discussion it's like looking for a unicorn that flies........it does not exist.
A golfer cant compete with 1 club and a fisherman can't fish with 1 outfit

x2

 

[andypat]

What are you fishing for.

 

[Fishman]

Kinda what fishbucket said. In reality you have to find what is good for you and what feel good to you. What works for me may not work for you. Go to your favorite tackle store talk to the sales person (find one that you know will work with you and keep using them so they get to know you and you them) handle the rod and find what feels right to you length weight action.

 

[speckhunter80]

Ginger or Mary Ann

 

[Mastrbaitr]

And to be fair or reasonable, the rod would be for the most commonly caught fish from the surf and pier - not including sharks, huge rays, or other larger species.

If that's the case then a 7 ft ugly will cover that all for 30 bucks.

 

[Carolina Rebel]

If that's the case then a 7 ft ugly will cover that all for 30 bucks.

Yep.
7 ft ugly and a good spinning reel will catch just about anything from bluegill to drum, and it even feel adequate through most of that range. To me, 8 foot rod is too unwieldy for a day of lure fishing and 6.5 foot rod is a bit short for light surf use.

 

[HStew]

7 to 7 1/2 spinning with 40/50 dollar reel...check out the pawn shops for hi quality used...a friend recently picked up a key largo with abu 5500 (casting) for 30.00 bucks!!!!

 

[oneirishpollack]

Quick question regarding rods, does the lure weight rating limit also refer to the weight rating - so if I am throwing out cut bait, and the lure weight rating on the rod is listed up to 1 oz. - can I actually throw a piece of cut bait and a 3 oz. weight with that rod? Does that make sense?

 

[Solesolace]

Quick question regarding rods, does the lure weight rating limit also refer to the weight rating - so if I am throwing out cut bait, and the lure weight rating on the rod is listed up to 1 oz. - can I actually throw a piece of cut bait and a 3 oz. weight with that rod? Does that make sense?

You may be able to, but I wouldn't. The lure rating is supposed to let you know what the safe range for lure (and sinker) weights are for that particular rod. That being said, I've thrown 1oz sinkers with top/bottom rigs on them with rods designed for a maximum of 5/8 oz lures. You just have to be careful not to snap through your cast, if that makes any sense. So, fishing off a pier and dropping the rig wouldn't be an issue, but trying to bomb it out into a river from the shore would be.

I definitely wouldn't attempt to throw 3oz with a rod rated for 1oz though. Especially if you're throwing bait of some type (since that adds weight). You risk breaking your rod or hurting someone around you when your rod/reel fails.

 

[oneirishpollack]

You may be able to, but I wouldn't. The lure rating is supposed to let you know what the safe range for lure (and sinker) weights are for that particular rod. That being said, I've thrown 1oz sinkers with top/bottom rigs on them with rods designed for a maximum of 5/8 oz lures. You just have to be careful not to snap through your cast, if that makes any sense. So, fishing off a pier and dropping the rig wouldn't be an issue, but trying to bomb it out into a river from the shore would be.

I definitely wouldn't attempt to throw 3oz with a rod rated for 1oz though. Especially if you're throwing bait of some type (since that adds weight). You risk breaking your rod or hurting someone around you when your rod/reel fails.

Thanks! That is what I was trying to ask.

 

[obxchap]

Definitely Mary Ann!!

 

[1thofa87]

9ft 1/2-3 oz rod. With that I can fish the river with bait with as little as 1/2oz sinker and the ocean with up to 2oz lures. Of course it won't cover all of either situation. But it would be the most versatile for where I fish (Susq flats and Chesapeake bay and Deleware Maryland ocean piers)

 

[1thofa87]

And Mary Ann x2