Edited by: Kenneth Reaves
Reviewed by: Michael DarmontLast Update:
The Rundown
Best Premium Option: St. Croix Avid Inshore Spinning Rod
“Enjoy casting long distances and fighting down huge catch without worrying about breaking your rod. The St. Croix Avid Inshore Rod’s lightweight and durable design makes it an incredible fishing partner all day long.”
Best Budget Option: Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2
“The Ugly Stik GX2 is the perfect blend of sensitivity and comfort. It’s one of the most lightweight rods you can find and it’s sensitivity is right up there with the premium rods on the market – all for a very affordable price.”
Best Distance-Casting Rod: Okuma Longitude Surf Graphite Rod
“Nothing excels at casting far distances better than the Okuma Longitude Surf Rod. It lets you cast a bottom rig at a hundred yards easily while maintaining a firm and comfortable grip with its ergonomic and durable graphite build.”
Pier fishing allows anglers to reach the outer edges of sandbars running down the shoreline. Thanks to piers, anglers can routinely catch many species of fish that would normally require a boat to get to. For the best chance at landing the fish you’re after, you need the right rod to do the job.
The best rods for pier fishing are strong enough to pull fish up to where you are high above the water and fight the larger fish you can run into in deeper water. They also need to be able to cast considerable distances, be sensitive enough to tell when a fish bites, and be durable enough to last a long time.
Finding the right rod that fits your budget and target species can be a challenge with how many rods are on the market. We’ve made this list of seven of the best pier fishing rods to make your buying decision much easier.
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Table of Contents
Best Pier Fishing Rods
Here are our top picks for the best pier fishing rods:
- Best Premium Option: St. Croix Avid Inshore Spinning Rod
- Best Budget Option: Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2
- Best Distance-Casting Rod: Okuma Longitude Surf Graphite Rod
- Best For Most Anglers: Daiwa Coastal Salt Pro
- Best Heavy Boat Rod: Penn Carnage II Boat Spinning Rod
- Best SpinCasting Rod: Shimano Trevala
- Honorable Mention Budget Buy: Berkley Big Game Spinning Rod
1. St. Croix Avid Inshore Spinning Rod
Best Premium Option: High-quality materials deliver high-quality performance
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KEY FEATURES
- Corkwood handles are incredibly comfortable
- Titanium inserts and slow-cure finish give durability
- The ergonomic design makes all actions with the rod feel smooth
Most of the time with fishing gear you get what you pay for. The Avid Inshore Rod delivers one of the smoothest and most comfortable experiences with rods money can buy. Backed by a 15-year warranty, this rod is a great choice for catching anything short of sharks off the pier.
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Rod Specifications
The rod has an ergonomic design that transfers your action to the rod as smoothly as possible, making it feel like an extension of your arm on casts. The corkwood handles are much more comfortable than other foam handles, and the entire rod is corrosion-resistant for better durability.
How it Performs
The rod is much stronger than it looks and incredibly sensitive. You can cast huge distances and fight down big fish without worrying about it breaking. Its lightweight frame, comfortable grips, and smooth use let you fish with it all day.
2. Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2
Best Budget Option: A sensitive and strong rod with a seven-year warranty
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KEY FEATURES
- Fiberglass and graphite rod blank
- The sensitive clear tip reacts to the slightest bite
- One-piece guides make insert popouts a thing of the past
Ugly Stik rods are known for their low prices and great warranties. They have a signature clear tip that is extra sensitive, so you always know when you’ve got a bite. This model makes a great pier fishing rod that can handle the strong fish you’ll end up encountering.
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Rod Specifications
The rod blank is made from spun fiberglass and graphite, making it flexible and durable. Attached to this blank is one piece, stainless steel rod guides that make it impossible for inserts to fall out and ruin the guide. The clear tip design makes sure you know when a fish is mouthing your bait and is extremely sensitive overall.
How it Performs
The GX2 is one of the most lightweight rods on the list and handles comfortably. The EVA grips are comfortable on your hands, even during long fights against big fish. Regardless of your preferred choice of line, this rod will be able to comfortably use it and cast the far distances you’ll need.
3. Okuma Longitude Surf Graphite Rods
Best Distance-Casting Rod: Surf Rod with the strength you need on a pier
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KEY FEATURES
- 12-foot length increases casting distance by nearly double
- Extra-long rod base lets you brace against your legs
- Comfortable grips are EVA foam wrapped in cork
Sometimes a normal seven-foot rod won’t cut it for the distance you’re trying to cast. If you need more distance, a strong surf rod makes the perfect pier rod and the Okuma Longitude fits the role nicely.
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Rod Specifications
Both fore and rear grips are wrapped in cork, making them more comfortable and increasing your grip. Be careful with these though, as cork wraps will eventually wear out and have holes in them. Regardless of that, the Longitude is made from a high-density graphite blank that makes it incredibly strong and has a corrosive-resistant reel seat and guides that make the rod a great choice for long-casting.
How it Performs
With the right weight balance, proper technique, and a little bit of help from the wind you could easily cast a bottom rig a hundred yards. This rod excels at casting, letting you get your two and three-ounce lures out to passing fish. It feels comfortable in your hands and has all the power you need to pull a fish up to you.
4. Daiwa Coastal Salt Pro
Best For Most Anglers: Quality rod at a reasonable price
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KEY FEATURES
- Stainless steel reel seat brushes off salt corrosion
- Lightweight but stiff rod is great for casting
- Guides are tight to the rod and reduce line twists and tangles
The best pier rods have great casting distance and a heavier action to help deal with the big fish you run into. Look no further than the Salt Pro, as it will cast 2 and 3 ounce lures for miles. The rod stands up well to the sand and spray it’ll face, and won’t corrode or break off due to poor construction or accidentally sitting a cooler on it.
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Rod Specifications
The reel seat stands out on this rod for being purely stainless steel, and corrosive resistant. The rod guides sit close to the blank, reducing the number of tangles you’ll run into even on long casts. While lightweight, the rod has a rigid feel that lends itself to better load-ups during cats and a more sensitive feel.
How it Performs
You should expect absolutely no problems from this rod. The seven-foot rod casts a mile with the right weight balance on it and it can run either braid or monofilament without tearing up the guides. Set any saltwater reel in the stainless steel reel seat and you’re ready to start fishing.
5. Penn Carnage II Boat Spinning Rod
Best Heavy Boat Rod: For the monsters lurking along the pier pilings
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KEY FEATURES
- Lightweight but built for power
- Shorter and stiffer rod for horsing up big fish
- No-slip foregrip gives you the leverage you need
Big fish tend to hang around structures like the pilings piers are built on. Normally this boat rod is used for jigging up big fish from the bottom like grouper, but it serves equally as well at horsing big fish from underneath a pier. This rod is perfect for fishermen targeting big fish that want to be able to pull them away from pier pilings without worrying about the rod breaking.
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Rod Specifications
Extra-heavy action blanks make the rod extra stiff, and better suited to shorter cast distances. The no-slip force grip gives you plenty of leverage against big fish without needing to worry about your grip. Its aluminum gimbal, rod seat, and alconite inserts are all corrosive resistant so don’t be worried if you get it wet.
How it Performs
The rod may not be great nat casting, but it trades that ability for pure power. The rod is made to stand up to huge reef fish that dive towards structures after being hooked. You’ll have no problem turning the fish around and keeping them away from pier pilings. And can easily bring reasonably sized fish up to you on the pier.
6. Shimano Trevala
Best SpinCasting Rod: When you aren’t a fan of spinning reels
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KEY FEATURES
- Conventional rod guides are great for baitcasters and conventionals
- Trigger on grip helps with casting and holding rod steady
- Comfortable rod butt doesn’t dig into you
Not everyone is a fan of spinning reels. Some fishermen are more comfortable using baitcasters and conventional reels. You need a rod with the proper guides to avoid tangling during casts with these reels, and the Shimano Trevala is built for big game saltwater fish.
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Rod Specifications
While normally a jigging rod, this six-foot rod is incredibly strong and made for big saltwater gamefish. The guides are made for baitcasters and conventional reels, making it a great option for fishermen going for huge fish and sharks from the pier. It has a tapered rod butt that doesn’t dig into your gut, making it more comfortable to use than other rods.
How it Performs
This rod delivers plenty of power for hauling up big game fish and pressuring them during their runs. It doesn’t work with spinning reels due to the guide, but if you’re a fisherman that prefers using a bait caster or conventional, you won’t have any problems casting with this rod.
7. Berkley Big Game Spinning Fishing Rod
Honorable Mention Budget Buy: two-piece rod for travel
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KEY FEATURES
- Titanium guides with zirconium inserts are corrosion resistant
- Comfortable split-grip handle
- Limited lifetime warranty and low price
Heavy spinning rods are usually fairly pricey, but this one from Berkley is a great option for fishermen on a budget. Protected by a limited lifetime warranty and quality materials, this rod will last much longer than you’ll need to get your money out of it. It’s strong enough to handle big fish and has comfortable enough grips to keep your hands from harm.
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Rod Specifications
The biggest standout on this rod is the ergonomic grips. Covered in a comfortable foam, the grip fits in your hand nicely. The rod also includes titanium guides that won’t rust from use in saltwater environments.
How it Performs
One of the few two-piece rods on the list, this rod is more portable than others. It’s plenty strong for dealing with big pier fish, is comfortable to cast, and is great for beginners and budget buyers alike. You also get peace of mind with the lifetime warranty that comes with purchasing this rod.
Things to Consider When Buying Pier Fishing Rod
Casting Efficiency
You need a rod that can cast great distances to get away from the pier and reach passing schools of fish. You also want those casts to be as smooth as possible so you can cast as many times as necessary. Look for rods that are comfortable for you to cast with the weight you’re going to use for your lure or bait.
Material and Construction
Most rod blanks are made out of some blend of graphite or fiberglass. Look for higher density composites, as those will be more durable and more sensitive.
Try to find rods that use stainless steel or anodized aluminum for reel seats and guide. These are corrosion resistant and won’t rust from the saltwater they’ll be exposed to.
EVA is a common foam material used for grips on rods. Corkwood is more comfortable and has a better grip, but is more expensive. When it comes to the grips, get a feel for the rods before you buy and decide on what is most comfortable for you.
Sensitivity
Rod sensitivity makes a big difference when you’re waiting on a bite. More sensitive rods twitch much more at much smaller bites and make it easy to feel hits on lures. Some rods achieve this by having a more flexible tip or easier bending rod, while others still achieve sensitivity with a stiffer rod blank.
You want to find a sensitive rod that lets you feel bites, but whether you prefer stiff or flexible rods is a personal preference. Try out different kinds of rod blanks and choose based on which rod stiffness feels better to you.
Comfort
The more comfortable the rod the longer you can fish. Comfortable grips help you avoid hurting your hands when fighting fish. They also make it much easier to handle the rod throughout the day.
Lightweight and ergonomic rods also make for a more comfortable tool. The lighter and smoother the rod lets you use it, the less strain it puts on you and the longer you can use it.
Questions & Answers
What Kinds of Fish Can You Catch While Pier Fishing?
The species of fish you’ll catch is largely determined by your location. You can expect the normal kinds of fish you’d find in the surf, with a few more pelagic species being possible on longer piers.
On the Gulf of Mexico, the more sought-after pier fish species include Spanish Trout, King Mackerel, Cobia, and Pompano. You can also expect your fair share of Jack Crevalle, Redfish, Bluefish, and occasional Mahi Mahi, Tarpon, and Sailfish.
On the East Coast, you can expect more Bluefish and Striped Bass to be caught. The West Coast has some fantastic flounder and lingcod fishing.
What Equipment Do You Need to Go Pier Fishing?
Besides the obvious rod, reel, and bait, some other pieces of equipment are great to have. Since you’ll be on solid ground, try to bring a lawn chair or something to sit on. If you aren’t actively casting lures all day, you can sit down and rest your feet while you watch your rod for a bite.
One of the more important things to bring is a drop net. This is essentially a net attached to a ring with a rope that lets you haul it back up. Pier fishing means you’ll normally be high above the water, and most lines and rods can’t handle the strain of pulling the full weight of a fish up to you. Even if they can, fish will actively flip when pulled out of the water, and the sharp jerks can easily snap lines or pull out the hook, all of which can be avoided by using a drop net.
Pier carts are easy ways to carry all your gear out. A glorified wagon with rod holders, a pier cart saves you from clumsily carrying everything you need from your car to your spot. The wheels make it much easier to move and let you take everything in one trip, plus it’s easier to pack into a car.
Coolers are lifesavers sometimes. You can keep both baits and caught fish on ice to keep them from spoiling in the sun, as well as all the cold drinks you’ll want during the day. If you don’t have a chair, coolers also double as an alright seat for you to use as an alternative.
Lastly, a five-gallon bucket comes in handy, especially for fishermen using live-bait. Get some saltwater in the bucket, catch your baitfish, and leave them in the bucket, They’ll keep most of the day, but if they get sluggish just refresh the water.
Do You Need a License to Go Pier Fishing?
The best answer to this question is to check your local regulations, both state and county. Some states allow shoreline fishing, which includes from piers, without a license if you’re a resident. In other cases, you purchase a pass to go onto the pier to fish and that serves as your fishing license for that period of time.
When in doubt it’s best to go ahead and purchase a fishing license and check the regulations of the area you plan on fishing. Fishing laws vary by state and sometimes by county, and there are too many exceptions to list here.