Next time you’re in BassPro Shop check out their line of Offshore Angler Power Stick Surf Spinning Rods. They are an extremely lightweight for a surf rod. Fit it with a lightweight Shimano spinning reel like the $69.99 Sodora 4000 and fill the spool with ~200-yards of 20-pound braid. Physical demands of surf casting may wear you out, but the weight of this rod and reel combination won’t.
The Offshore Angler Power Stick Surf Spinning Rods come in the following sizes according to BassPro’s online catalog.
[*]• $99.99 – 8-ft, ¼ to 2-ounce lure weight
[*]• $99.99 – 9-ft, 1 to 5-ounce lure weight
[*]• $109.99 – 10-ft, 1 to 5-ounce lure weight
[*]• $119.99 – 11-ft, 3 to 6-ounce lure weight
[*]• $129.99 – 12-ft, 4 to 8-ounce lure weight
Me personally, I would select the 10-ft rod because the lure weight range covers most of the lures I have an interest in trying and the 18-inch handle supports two handed power casts like the pendulum cast. I would expect to cast 60 to 80 yards throwing a 5-ounce lure with this combination.
Be aware power casts using a spinning reel and braid can injury your release finger unless you wear a protective device like
https://www.breakaway-tackle.co.uk/diawa-finger-stall-prevents-cuts%20when-casting?search=finger or use a release trigger like
https://www.breakaway-tackle.co.uk/Break...deal-for-braid. I’ve been considering this approach to surf fishing the Gulf Coast for several months but have not made the investment. It seems to be a reasonable approach in the Corpus Christi area, but not so further North in the Galveston area apart from jetties but one needs to feel comfortable landing fish in a rocky terrain.
Perhaps the biggest deterrent is the Upper Gulf Coast does not have a steady presence of fishes like the strippers in the NE. It’s largely being at the right place at the right time, but if it does occur, it sure would be fun to have the right equipment handy.