Discipline

Rock & surf (South Africa) Rods rock & surf

Rock and surf is what South Africans call their shore fishery, and it is closer to a national sport than a niche: baited rigs cast from beaches, rocky points and platforms, for everything from edible kob, steenbras and blacktail through to sharks and rays that can pass a hundred kilograms. The rods are long two- and three-piece casters, ten to fifteen feet, rated by the sinker they throw rather than by a lure window, and classed on a local power numbering that runs through the tackle walls of every coastal shop in the country.

Rods: 96
Makers: 2
Type: Spinning / Casting
Length: 10.0'–15.0'

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How rock & surf is fished

The fishing splits by target. Edible fishing means lighter rods, smaller sinkers and finesse traces for kob, steenbras, galjoen and bronze bream; non-edible fishing means heavy rods, 4-6 oz sinkers and wire or heavy mono traces for sharks and rays, where the cast must carry a big bait and the blank must lift a running fish off a reef. Distance matters on the open beaches and the competitive circuit runs casting-weight classes, which is why rods are sold in Long Butt and Short Butt versions and why the sinker rating is the number every angler reads first.

Both spinning and multiplier builds are standard, often as twin versions of the same blank, and travel formats exist for the anglers who fish the Transkei and Mozambique coasts.

Reading the numbers

Rated by sinker, classed by number

The working figure is recommended sinker weight in ounces: 2-3 oz light, 4-6 oz heavy
Beside it sits a PE/pound line class (PE 2-3, 25-40 lb is the middle of the range)
South African rods carry a power NUMBER (#3, #4, #5) - a local scale, not US powers
Long Butt and Short Butt builds are separate models: butt length is a casting-style choice

How rock & surf rods are rated

Sinker/casting weight across the 94 rods in this discipline that publish one.

Sinker/casting weight (g)

94 rods with a sinker rating · busiest at 110-120g

⚠ These figures are recommended sinker/casting weights for baited rigs, converted to grams where the maker prints ounces. Not a lure rating.

Where it comes from

Shore angling has been organised in South Africa for over a century, with a competitive structure - clubs, provincial colours, national championships - that most countries reserve for match fishing. The modern rock and surf rod grew out of that circuit: graphite casting blanks tuned for grapnel sinkers and big baits, with the power-number classing emerging as the shared language between makers and competitive anglers. Assassin, the first brand of the discipline in this catalog, built its name on exactly this fishery; the trade's own copy calls rock and surf rods the backbone of its range.

Choosing a rock & surf rod

Read the sinker rating first. A rock and surf rod is bought for the lead it throws: 2-3 oz covers edible fishing, 4-6 oz is shark-and-ray territory. The PE/pound class beside it tells you the trace and drag the blank expects.

The # number is a local scale. #3, #4 and #5 are South African power classes, heavier as they rise. They do not translate to US Medium/Heavy - a #5 is a serious shark rod.

Butt length is a casting choice. Long Butt suits the full pendulum-style swing off the beach; Short Butt suits rock work and shorter anglers. Same blank family, different model.

Spin or multiplier is a genuine fork. Most families come in both; the multiplier versions carry lower guide counts and the spin versions bigger strippers. Pick by the reel you cast, not by the rod name.