surface iron rod

[Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B]

is a rod >8 feet long really necessary for surface irons? thanks much!

[MFB]

I have a 7'2" 15-24kg rod popper rod. Extra long rods are fun to cast, but it gives the fish a bigger lever to use against you.

Rgds

Mark

[Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B]

...but it gives the fish a bigger lever to use against you...

this is a physical fact. i asked if it's really necessary because with the research i have been doing it seems that there are, who fish california waters, that favor the ulua or longer rod for surface irons.

i'm just preparing for my 1st on the boat saltwater fishing. better to have the tools when needed than not...

[Ron Jones]

I am a long rod lover, but if you can cast a short rod they are not absolutly necessary. I find that anything over 9 ft just gets in the way and annois people.
Ron

[erikpowell]

Bula Mel,
Are these what you guys call surface irons?



My west coast bro dumped a bunch of his gear on me last time I was back... I have a bunch of these I've never used and here
in Fiji, we're not sure what to do with them 

He also gave me a really nice Calstar West Coast 25-40.... am I supposed to toss these around with that rod?

So what exactly are you targeting with surface iron & whats the technique? is it a viable tropical fishing method?

Cheers

[Bryan Young]

Bula Erik,

I use surface irons in Hawaii.  I can cast those a good 100 yards + with my 20# reel or my baitcaster with 20# braid going for GT.  Unfortunately, nothing in the water near I was fishing (went diving after no hits and could not see a single predator fish).  I'm sure GT, tuna,... would hit that if it swims right.

[Keta]

Not counting my 2 piece steelhead and salmon rods (8'6"-9'6") I have a few 8' rods, they are a PIA to transport and I prefer 7' rods

[maxpowers]

Since I am local in socal, I love my 8'6 e-glass rod for slinging the irons.

[doradoben]

Long rods are a good choice on the local So. Cal. party boats. The Tady 45 at the top of your photo is a surface iron. The green & yellow Salas jr 6x is a yoyo iron that is a real yellowtail killer.

[Capt Ahab]

We use rods up to 12 feet all the time for surf and jetty fishing

I prefer something in the 10' range just b/c those long rods tire me out

[SoCalAngler]

I like 8 foot rods for fishing the surface iron, longer just are a PITA for transport, boat storage and such. I would fisher longer if the above were not true for me. The term "surface iron" is a bit of a misnomer as the lighter material irons can be fished right on top of the water column or allowed to sink to depth. Of course the heavier material irons are better to fish at depth or yoyo'ed because of their faster sink rate. You spend more time fishing with these than waiting for them to sink. I have also used heavy jigs right on the surface, their weight makes it easier to cast them a good distance with little effort. But, over all lighter jigs = surface iron and heavy = yoyo here on the left coast.

In the pic the 6X Jr. is considered a yoyo iron and is the most fished yoyo iron size here in So Cal. The 6X Jr. is easier on the arms and body if you fish the yoyo for a extended period of time than bigger yoyo irons.

Salas the maker of the 6X Jr. in the pic makes some of the best irons IMO and fish well when the retrive rate is found giving the jig the best action. (Mostly when using surface irons, yoyo is more about speed). Tady are also fine jigs but there are certin things you want to look for then selecting their surface irons to give them the best kicking action. I fish both jigs and any serious So Cal fisherman should never leave on a trip, be it a 1 hour boat ride or multiday trip, without at least a couple of these jigs.

Are they a must have? No, but if you spend many days here fishing these are something you have got to have in your tackle box.

[Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B]

ok then, the consensus is a longer rod is not necessary just a "Taninized reel"... am i correct or am i right? 

[Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B]

Bula Erik,

Calstar West Coast 25-40...

yes you can use this rod

...whats the technique?...

just toss it where the fish are and reel it back in. it think the preferred ratio is 1:6 from my research not too slow though but not fast

... is it a viable tropical fishing method?

there's only one way to find out...

[SoCalAngler]

So what exactly are you targeting with surface iron & whats the technique? is it a viable tropical fishing method?

Cheers

Any fish that is feeding on or near the surface to about 75' deep is what I use the surface iron on. The key to fishing the surface iron is to get the jig to kick back and forth, the more you can get it to kick (wobble) the better. The front of the jig will be almost steady and the tail end will kick back and forth. Fish the jig right below the surface at first so you can see its action on the retrieve and play around with the speed. You want to achieve a steady retrieve with the most kick. This may take different speeds even with jigs the same size and model by the same manufacture. This holds especially true with Tady surface iron and not so much with Salas.

When fish are feeding or holding right near the bottom thats the time to use a yoyo jig. You drop the iron strait down to the bottom and reel strait back up through where the fish are. if not bit drop back to the bottom and repeat. Strait up and strait down, just like a yoyo. This is more about the speed of the jig that the fish are looking for and less about action. With that said most of the time the fish are looking for a jig ripping by (fast), its kind of like a cat with a ball of yarn, the fish may not be in feeding mode but they find it very hard not to chomp onto that iron as it speeds past.

[doradoben]

Erik, SoCal's post should be helpful to you. These are not like butterfly jigs. No extra action has to be imparted on the jig. Tie the line directly to the ring on the lure without swivels or any other extra terminal gear. Knot should be near the brazed spot on the ring, so that spot doesn't interfere with or limit the action by rubbing inside the hole in the jig. For Surface iron fishing, toss the lure then let it sink to your preferred depth. Point the rod tip at the lure, put the reel in gear and wind. When there is a strike just keep winding. A great big swing probably isn't necessary to set the hook because the line is already tight when the fish bites.