Sea Fishing from the Beach
There are a number of sea fishing disciplines available to you. Here we are going to concentrate on fishing from the beach or 'Beach Fishing'.
Available to anyone who owns a rod and a reel, fishing from the beach is by far the easiest of sea fishing disciplines and possibly the most enjoyable.
With a vast array of fish species available to the beach fisherman, you can enjoy fishing from the beach all year round. Whether you are looking to take up sea fishing as a hobby or possibly whilst on holiday, fishing from the beach offers a vast array of sport, ranging from winter cod and whiting to bass and mackerel in the summer.
Contrary to what you might have thought in the past, purchasing your first rod and reel does not have to be expensive. Yes, there is a lot of advanced sea fishing tackle available to you, however as a beginner, a super stiff tournament rod or ultra fast multiplier reel are only going to hinder you, stop you from catching fish and possibly worse, put you off sea fishing forever. I have seen it many times over, the novice angler hits the beach with the latest tournament rod and reel, seduced by claims of casting distances of 250 yards!
Learn the basics first!
Your First Rod and Reel
Many of you will be purchasing your first sea fishing rod and reel with a limited budget in mind. Even the cheapest rod and reel will get you underway and on the beach.
Fixed Spool or Multiplier Reel
The Fixed Spool Sea Fishing Reel will offer the beginner hassle free casting and fishing. While it is not impossible to learn to cast from scratch with a multiplier, the fixed spool reel offers the beginner a wider tolerance for casting errors when learning. It is very disheartening spending fishing time unpicking a bird nest, while others around you are catching fish.
Buying Your First Sea Fishing Rod
Now you have chosen whether to use a fixed spool or multipler reel, you need to choose a rod to match. As already mentioned above, a super stiff rod will not suit the beginner. Super stiff sea fishing rods with a fast taper action are capable of sending a baited rig well over 150 yards, but you will have to learn how to bend them.
The beginners beach fishing rod or Beachcaster as they are sometimes known needs a softer action. By this I mean it needs to be relatively easy to bend, but not so bendy it absorbs all of the energy when you cast. A good fishing distance to aim for is about 50 to 75 yards. This can easily be achieved with a simple over head thump style of cast and will allow you to start catching fish.
Two Piece or Three Piece Beachcasters?
There is no right or wrong answer to this question. In our experirnce, three piece rods are the preferred choice as they are more compact than a two piece rod once packed away and easier to carry to and from the beach. If you are looking to purchase a 'Long Rod' typically over 13 feet long, these will generally only be available in three pieces. We will cover Long Rods later. For now a rod length of 12 -13 feet long will be more suited to you as a beginner.
