I'm new to this forum and I recently fished E. Matagorda Bay on a guided trip. I want to pursue surf fishing and I'm thinking 10' Ugly Stick with an appropriate reel. I live in Dallas and will make it to the coast a couple of times/year. I don't want another mortgage to pay for fishing gear; so, not to pricey. Maybe $200 max for rod and reel. Advice appreciated, thanks.

Shimano Triton level wind reels are great. Works great in the surf. Around $80

Yep or maybe a Penn spinning reel like a 750 SSM, etc...if you like spinners. I usually just use my trout/red rod and wade a little. It depends upon what you want to catch. A cheapo ABU brute rod and a good spinner is a good combo for heavier surf fishing. But the ugly stick is Ok too.

BTW, Welcome to Tff !

I own a 12' Ugly Stik. It was my first surf rod and I still love it, but they do weigh a bit more than the higher priced rods. Just landed a 23 lb Jack Crevalle with it this past Friday at Mustang Island and catching one of them is always a blast. If you do not mind the extra bit of weight, the Ugly Stick is a good choice for a starter rod, and a 10' rod is a great length to start.

You do not mention whether or not you prefer spinning or casting reels. I prefer casting reels myself, although I own Penn Battle and Cabella's Salt Styker spinning reels that I use for surf fishing. I find I have less problems to deal with using casting reels, but they can be more problematic for an inexperienced surf angler. If you know how to cast them without more than the occasional backlash or overrun, then I would recommend a Daiwa Sealine X20SHA which does not have the levelwind. No reel for $120 or less will cast as far, and still limit overruns. The non-levelwind conventional reel allows a long shock leader knot without the problem of it having to pass thru the levelwind, and also allows for longer casting. You do have to get used to using your thumb to level the line manually. The Daiwa also has a solid drag.

Since you will only occasionally surf fish, you might prefer a spinning reel, since they are easier to cast for a person that may be lacking experience with conventional surf reels, and they will accommodate the long shock leader to main line knot. If I were to choose only one spinning reel for the surf right now at your price point, it would be the Fin Nor Lethal LT60 or larger at $100 at Cabella's. But don't take my word for it. Go to Alan Hawk.com for an incredibly in-depth review of this reel by one who is an expert on surf reels. You would have to spend much more to get a reel designed for surf fishing of this quality from Shimano, which I would recommend if you had the additional funds.

Thanks, that's a great review, I'll order the Lethal from Amazon (with free shipping).
2B

The LT100 that the review covers is a big reel. Larger than what is necessary for the occasional surf angler for the Gulf Coast. There are also some differences between the LT100 and the smaller Lethal series reels, along with a bit smaller price tag, as the review points out. Still, a reel like the LT60 or LT80 still looks like a bargain based upon the review, and with a full metal body and most of the same quality gearing and workmanship as the LT100, I sure want one for my next spinning reel for surf fishing.

The LT - 60 will save me some money; maybe, there is a rod a little better than an Ugly.

Going with a 100 dollar reel, you do have some nice options for a bit lighter rod than the Ugly Stik. I own surf rods by Ugly Stik, Tsunami, Breakaway and Cabela's. All are good, with the Breakaway the best, but the Breakaway is well out of your price range. Right now, Cabela's has their Salt Stryker SSSS106-2 on sale for 90.99, reg 129.00. 10' Heavy power Fast action. It will handle casting 4oz or 5oz sinkers and bait with no problem, is IM8 graphite, has Fuji components, and has nice quality. Good rod for less than 100 dollars. You also have some offerings from Penn, BPS, Tsunami, and others that are good quality.

Still learning and it seems the "long cast" reels have a "longer" spool to facilitate longer casts. In my price range, I find the Penn VSSV7500 LC to be the most modestly priced. It runs around $130, a good deal more than the Finn Norr 60-100 series. Is the longer, taller spool worth the additonal consts?

I would refer you back to AlanHawk.com and the review for the Penn Clash, which is an upgrade over the SSV. In that comprehensive review, he talks some about the SSV from an earler review. The Penn may serve you well, but the Fin Nor has superior gearing, and is better made. I too was looking at the Penn SSV before doing research and reading this review. You can look high and low on the internet and not find anyone who tears down a reel and goes over every little thing like Alan Hawk. That Fin Nor compares to reels in the $200 plus range, so it is just a heck of a value. The Penn SSV7500LC may cast a bit further than the comparable Fin Nor LT80 due to its spool design, but I think in all other respects, my choice would be the Fin Nor.

The Academy off SPID a few weekends ago had Penn Spinfisher V 8000 model combo on 10' rods for 199.99. My dad picked one up

What's a SPID?

Maybe South Padre Island Drive

Yes South Padre Island Drive in Corpus. Sorry.

http://www.academy.com/shop/storelocator/texas/corpus-christi/store-0029


Academy Sports + Outdoors 0029
Store InformationStore Services
5001 South Padre Island Dr
CORPUS CHRISTI,TX 78411
(361) 986-7200

Thats a very good store (and very large) for salt water fishing. I picked up several packages of fishbites for less that $6, thats $2+ less than amazon.