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In New Zealand surfcasting isn't just a hobby; it's a battle against the elements. From the thundering swells of Muriwai to the steep shingle beaches of the Wairarapa, the Kiwi coast demands gear that can punch a bait through a headwind and haul a stubborn snapper or a hard-fighting kingfish over the second breaker. When it comes to specialised surf gear, Assassin has become a dominant name on NZ beaches. Originally designed for the brutal conditions of South Africa, these rods are a perfect match for our local waters. Here is how to choose the right tool for your next mission.

Start here

Matching your rod to the NZ big three (and the sharks)

The rod for each target. The spec line is the product's own; prices and stock are live.

Bluefish II XT 14'6MH

Snapper

Bluefish II XT 14'6MH

Offshore Spinning | PE2–3 | 85–141g | 14'6"

Power to set the hook in a hard mouth at 100m plus distance.

In stockFrom$545
See the Bluefish range
EVO Zero 15' Heavy

Kingfish

EVO Zero 15' Heavy

Surf Casting | PE2–5 | 142–198g | 15'0"

Massive stopping power to keep fish out of the kelp.

In stockFrom$1,140
See the performance tier
Slayer Surf 13ft

Kahawai

Slayer Surf 13ft

Surfcasting | 115–140g | PE2–3 | 13'0"

A forgiving action that stops hooks tearing during jumps.

In stockFrom$198
See the workhorses
Horizon Zero Championship Edition #8

Sharks

Horizon Zero Championship Edition #8

Rock & Surf | 198–255 g | PE 4–6 | 15'0"

Maximum leverage for heavy baits and long battles: the Red and Green big guns.

In stockFrom$1,588
See the Horizon Zero

At a glance

The local lineup: choosing your series

Three tiers from the workhorses to the elite. Prices and stock are live.

Series Tier Best for ModelsPE lineFrom
Slayer Surf Workhorse Starting out, or a reliable rod for the staple species: snapper, kahawai and gurnard 12ft 115–142g · 13ft 115–140g · 14ft 142–170g; surprisingly lightweight with a powerful backbonePE 1.5 to 3
$179
3 in stock
 Shop
Surfmaster Workhorse Classic choices for mixed terrain like rocks and sand 12LB2S and 12SB2S, 85–141gPE 2 to 3
$288
1 in stock
 Shop
Bluefish II XT Performance Throwing 5oz or 6oz to hold bottom; big West Coast snapper and opportunistic kingfish 13M and 14M 56–115g · 14H 113–170g · 14'6MH 85–141g · 15H 113–170g: cannons built with offshore spinning DNAPE 2 to 4
$392
5 in stock
 Shop
EVO Zero Performance Extreme pulling power when a kingfish cruises the shoreline 14MH 113–170g · 15H 142–198g in high-modulus carbonPE 2 to 5
$980
2 in stock
 Shop
Bluefish Zero and Zero Razor Performance Extreme distance in high-energy surf; snapper, kahawai and kingfish Bluefish Zero 14'6M · Zero Razor 12M, 13M, 14MH, 14H and 15MH, with Long Butt models—
$569
8 in stock
 Shop
Beachmaster II Zero Legend Edition Elite Distance and finesse on wide beaches and rocky coastlines 15-B and 15-LB, 15ft, Nano Resin with Slit Reinforcement—
$599$745Save $146
2 in stock
 Shop
Horizon Zero Championship Edition Elite Surfcasting as a sport: trophy snapper, bronze whalers and seven-gill sharks Colour-coded by power: #5 Gold and Light Blue 113–170g for distance · #8 Red and Green 198–255g for sharks and raysPE 2 to 6
$1,388
4 in stock
 Shop
Yamaga Blanks Early Surf Lure casting Metals and softbaits from the beach 99ML · 105MH (20 to 50g lures) · 105MMH/B overhead—
$590
2 in stock
 Shop
Slayer Surf
Workhorse
Best for
Starting out, or a reliable rod for the staple species: snapper, kahawai and gurnard
Models
12ft 115–142g · 13ft 115–140g · 14ft 142–170g; surprisingly lightweight with a powerful backbone
PE line
PE 1.5 to 3
In stockFrom$179
Shop
Surfmaster
Workhorse
Best for
Classic choices for mixed terrain like rocks and sand
Models
12LB2S and 12SB2S, 85–141g
PE line
PE 2 to 3
In stockFrom$288
Shop
Bluefish II XT
Performance
Best for
Throwing 5oz or 6oz to hold bottom; big West Coast snapper and opportunistic kingfish
Models
13M and 14M 56–115g · 14H 113–170g · 14'6MH 85–141g · 15H 113–170g: cannons built with offshore spinning DNA
PE line
PE 2 to 4
In stockFrom$392
Shop
EVO Zero
Performance
Best for
Extreme pulling power when a kingfish cruises the shoreline
Models
14MH 113–170g · 15H 142–198g in high-modulus carbon
PE line
PE 2 to 5
In stockFrom$980
Shop
Bluefish Zero and Zero Razor
Performance
Best for
Extreme distance in high-energy surf; snapper, kahawai and kingfish
Models
Bluefish Zero 14'6M · Zero Razor 12M, 13M, 14MH, 14H and 15MH, with Long Butt models
PE line
—
In stockFrom$569
Shop
Beachmaster II Zero Legend Edition
Elite
Best for
Distance and finesse on wide beaches and rocky coastlines
Models
15-B and 15-LB, 15ft, Nano Resin with Slit Reinforcement
PE line
—
In stockFrom$599Was:$745Save $146
Shop
Horizon Zero Championship Edition
Elite
Best for
Surfcasting as a sport: trophy snapper, bronze whalers and seven-gill sharks
Models
Colour-coded by power: #5 Gold and Light Blue 113–170g for distance · #8 Red and Green 198–255g for sharks and rays
PE line
PE 2 to 6
In stockFrom$1,388
Shop
Yamaga Blanks Early Surf
Lure casting
Best for
Metals and softbaits from the beach
Models
99ML · 105MH (20 to 50g lures) · 105MMH/B overhead
PE line
—
In stockFrom$590
Shop

The range

The surf rod range

Prices and stock are live.

Slayer Surf

Workhorse

Slayer Surf

12ft to 14ft · #2 to #5

The everyday surfcaster, in three lengths.

In stockFrom$179
See the range
Surfmaster

Workhorse

Surfmaster

12ft · light power

Finesse baits cast with precision and distance.

In stockFrom$288
See the range
Bluefish II XT

Performance

Bluefish II XT

13ft to 15ft · 56 to 170g

Cannons built with offshore spinning DNA.

In stockFrom$392
See the range
EVO Zero

Performance

EVO Zero

14ft to 15ft · #4 to #7

High-modulus carbon for heavy baits and extreme pulling power.

In stockFrom$980
See the range
Bluefish Zero and Zero Razor

Zero range

Bluefish Zero and Zero Razor

12ft to 15ft · Long Butt options

Extreme distance and stopping power in high-energy surf.

In stockFrom$630
See the range
Beachmaster II Zero Legend

Zero range

Beachmaster II Zero Legend

15ft · rigid carry case

Distance, finesse and precision on a High Modulus Carbon blank.

In stockFrom$599Was:$745Save $146
See the range
Horizon Zero Championship

Elite

Horizon Zero Championship

13'6" to 15ft · #3 to #8

Colour-coded by power, from general distance to sharks and rays.

In stockFrom$1,388
See the range
Yamaga Early Surf

Lure casting

Yamaga Early Surf

9'9" to 10'5"

Metals and softbaits from the beach, 20 to 50g on the 105MH.

In stockFrom$590
See the range

01 · The workhorses

Slayer Surf and Surfmaster

Starting out

If you're just starting out or need a reliable rod for the staple species, these are your best bet. The Slayer Surf 12ft, 13ft and 14ft models are surprisingly lightweight but offer a powerful backbone, while the Surfmaster 12LB2S and 12SB2S are classic choices for mixed terrain like rocks and sand.

The mission
The staple species
Best for
SnapperKahawaiGurnardRocks and sand
Lengths
12ft to 14ft
In stockFrom$179
Shop Assassin surf rods

02 · The performance tier

Bluefish II XT and EVO Zero

More grunt

When the swell picks up and you need to throw 5oz or 6oz of lead just to hold bottom, or when a kingfish cruises the shoreline, you need more grunt. The Bluefish II XT 13M, 14M, 14H, 14'6MH and 15H models are absolute cannons built with offshore spinning DNA, while the EVO Zero (14'6 M, 14MH, 15MH, 15H and 15XH) uses high-modulus carbon for extreme pulling power.

The mission
Big West Coast snapper and opportunistic kingfish
Best for
Heavy sinkersWest Coast snapperKingfish
Lengths
13ft to 15ft
In stockFrom$392
Shop Assassin surf rods

03 · The Zero range

Bluefish Zero, Zero Razor and Beachmaster II

High modulus carbon, Fuji K-Series guides

The Bluefish Zero 14'6M is built for light tackle, braid and grinder edible fishing. The Bluefish Zero Razor is built for extreme distance and stopping power in high-energy NZ surf, from 12ft to 15ft with Long Butt models, for snapper, kahawai and kingfish from the beach. The Beachmaster II Zero Legend Edition is 15ft on a High Modulus Carbon blank with Nano Resin and Slit Reinforcement, a Bionic Finger casting grip and a rigid carry case.

The mission
Extreme distance in high-energy surf
Best for
Distance castingSnapper and kahawaiKingfish
Lengths
12ft to 15ft
In stockFrom$569
Shop Assassin surf rods

04 · The elite

Horizon Zero Championship Edition

Colour-coded by power

For the angler who treats surfcasting like a sport, the Horizon Zero series is the pinnacle. These rods are colour-coded by power, from the #5 (Gold and Light Blue) for general distance to the #8 (Red and Green) big guns used for large sharks and rays.

The mission
Trophy snapper, bronze whalers and seven-gill sharks
Best for
Distance castingTrophy snapperSharks and rays
Powers
#5 Gold / Light Blue · #8 Red / Green
In stockFrom$1,260
Shop the Horizon Zero

05 · Lure casting

Yamaga Blanks Early Surf

Lures from the beach

The Early series is built for casting lures, not sinkers. The 105MH is the powerhouse of the range, tuned for long casts with 20 to 50g lures: metals into a workup, or softbaits for big snapper in the wash. The 99ML spinning and 105MMH/B overhead complete the series.

The mission
Metals and softbaits from beaches, points and river mouths
Best for
MetalsSoftbaitsRiver mouths
Lure weight
105MH: 20 to 50g
In stockFrom$590
Shop Yamaga Blanks rods

Shop Early Surf

See more

Pro tips

Tips for maximum casting distance and buying for NZ conditions

Add 20 metres to your cast, and buy right for NZ beaches.

Drop

The drop length

Let the sinker hang halfway down the rod to load the butt.

Lever

Push and pull

Pull the butt to your chest as the top hand pushes.

Leader

Shock leader

Two rod-lengths of 50 to 80lb mono lets you cast at full power.

Bait

Streamline the bait

Bait elastic makes a slim torpedo that will not parachute.

45°

The 45-degree release

Too high balloons in the wind; too low lands short.

Length

Length is leverage

13 to 15ft keeps the line above the shore-dump.

Rating

The breakout factor

Rated for at least 142g (5oz), so it loads with a holding sinker.

Finger

The bionic finger

A casting trigger protects your hand at full power.

The full range

Every surfcasting rod we stock

Slayer, Surfmaster, Bluefish, EVO Zero and Horizon Zero

Everything in our surfcasting rod collection that is in stock right now.

In stockFrom$179
Shop all surfcasting rods

Match the reel

Surfcasting reels

Daiwa surf reels to pair with them

The surfcasting reels we stock, in stock right now.

In stockFrom$124.10
Shop all surfcasting reels

Related guides

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