Sand Spikes - Making Your Own

Sand spikes are a must for surf fishing. A couple of years back I was caught short while surf fishing and had to purchase a couple of spikes. Long a staple part of the surf fisherman’s gear, spikes come in useful for any kind of still fishing. Catfishermen, for instance, find them invaluable.

I was appalled at how much they cost. Depending on the length, they ran from ten to 13 bucks apiece.

While most fishing tackle is high, nowadays, that’s ridiculous. Sand spikes are nothing more than a section of PVC pipe attached to a length of metal. They’re simple and inexpensive to make for yourself.

For starters, take a section of PVC measuring about 16 inches long, and wide enough to hold your rod. Usually 2-2 ½ inside diameter pipe is more than enough. If you use spinning tackle, it helps to cut a vertical slot, a couple of inches long, and wide enough for the reel stem to slide into.

Stand the tip of the pipe in boiling water for about ten minutes. This will soften it somewhat. Then use a dowel to flare out the edge.

Next, decide on the spike material. Commercial sand spikes almost always use aluminum angle-iron for this. And that works fine. Cut it to length, and form a spear-point on the bottom tip.

Alternatively, you can use a length of rebar as the spike. This is an especially good alternative if you’ll be using them in rocky ground instead of sand. Rebar is also cheaper than the angle iron. But you’ll likely want to paint it, because it rusts readily.

There are several methods of attaching the pipe to the spike. The simplest way is to use two hose clamps, encircling both pieces and drawn up tight. This does the job, without getting in the way as bolts and rivets sometimes can. Be sure, after tightening the clamp, to trim off as much excess ribbon as possible.